When Rivaah called me, her tone sounded panicked and restless, and that worried me. When I reached her apartment building, I had forgotten what flat number she told me to come to, and so I had to look at the message again. I was confused, but on the wider side I was scared and somewhat nervous of what I've to face once reaching there. What I had not expected were the relentless cries and painful sobs of the sweet boy who was clinging to me just this evening. Pushing her away from the door, I dashed inside and followed the sound of whimpers.

As if something was scratching my insides, the feeling was that unnerving and restive. It didn't help me to calm down when I stepped inside the bedroom and witnessed him wailing and sobbing so loudly. There was a man older than me inside, and when he saw me, he walked out. He must be Rivaah's father.

Reyansh thrashed around on bed before turning around and that's when his eyes met mine. Almost immediately he stopped, but he was still panting hard. It looked as if he was having trouble in breathing normally. My heart clenched at his state. He raised his both arms up and made that adorable grabby action, I almost melted. Salty tears filled my eyes and I frowned.

Why am I crying?

"Come here, Daddy.", My whole body felt as if it was soaring in ecstasy. His tone had a desperation that matched my body's crave to hold him. My heart thumped loudly as I neared him. His cheeks were all red and puffy and stained, his eyelashes were completely wet and he was repeatedly blinking them, must be to get rid of the moist. His plump lips were pulled out, pursued and in an adorable pout. His nose was completely red. I sat at the corner of the bed, afraid that I'll scare him off. But he was not afraid or suspicious about me. He straightaway crawled closer and made himself comfortable on my lap. After removing my shoes, I folded my legs up and fixed him on my right thigh before planting a kiss on his head.

"I missed you so much, Daddy.", He hiccuped quite a lot of times while saying such a short sentence.

"And I missed you too, champ.", I whispered as I tightened my arms around him. I didn't lie. I was honestly missing him since the time he was taken away from my arms by that lady.

"Mom-Mommy says you do-don't want us. Is th-that true?", He struggled to say that.

I fished out my neatly folded handkerchief before cleaning his face. He sniffled and I pressed my handkerchief against his nose so he could blow his nose. He pursued his lips and shook his head shyly.

"You don't need to be embarrassed. I do it sometimes too.", I whispered and he giggled before blowing his nose. "Good boy.", I said as I cleaned his nose one last time before keeping the handkerchief aside.

"Now now, aren't you a handsome young man!", I said appreciatively nodding. He laughed before laying his head on my chest.

"Why didn't you come earlier, Daddy.", I sighed.

"I'm not your Daddy, Reyansh.", I mumbled and he seemed to be frozen for a mere second before he nodded.

"But I want you to be.", He whispered as if in complete content before wrapping his small arms around my torso.

Latching my hands around his underarms, I made him stand straight on my lap. Placing my hands on his hips, I smiled and he reciprocated it immediately. "Your mom and I are not-"

"I don't care. I want you to be my Daddy. That is enough for me.", He said cutting me off.

"But I may not be permanent in your life.", I shrugged with a sad pout.

"Mommy says, Murphy won't be permanent in my life. When I grow up, he might not be beside me. But I still love him. And I still love you. And I'll always love you. Just the way I'll love Murphy even if he leaves us all and goes to God.", He said and I was left shocked and overwhelmed. Damn this kid!

"How are you so mature?", I whispered in awe.

"That is not the point here. You're trying to distract me. That's not gonna work. You'll be my Daddy, okay?", He didn't asked, he told me and was just waiting for my nod of approval.

"What if your real Daddy comes?", I questioned.

"I doubt that. Now, you're my Daddy, okay?", He said and I sighed.

"I don't think your Mommy will be happy.", I said and noticed his eyes saddening.

"Mommy was right. You just don't want to be my Daddy.", He whispered before his doe like eyes shone with tears and he began crying softly.

"Oh fu-freak! No! I didn't mean that. And your Mommy said that!?", I asked shocked, he nodded.

"Oh okay! I'll be your Daddy! Give me a Hi-Five, champ!", I said raising my hand, he stopped and smiled before reaching up and hitting my hand with his small one. It seemed like this'll be our thing to do from now on.

"Now what would you like to do, Pup?", I asked as I made him sit on my thigh. He looked up at me before biting down on his lip.

"Snake and Ladder!", He fist bumped in air while bouncing up and down.

"Okay! Where's the board?", I asked as I put him down on bed.

"There!", He pointed to the drawer of the dressing table. I nodded and went closer before crouching down and getting the board from drawer. When I came back, he was already scooted to back, making huge room for me to sit comfortably.

I removed my watch and rings so the accessories won't scrap or injure him as he looked affectionate and cuddly types. I sat down opposite to him and we started the game.

"Oh no!"

"Yay! Snake gobbled you down, Daddy!", He laughed loudly before clapping his hands victoriously.

"I'm gonna lose.", I mumbled to myself. I was really getting competitive instead of treating this game as a kid play and just doing it for his sake.

"You're!", He nodded in confirmation.

"Was that necessary?", I deadpanned with straight face but then smiled when his beautiful giggles filled the room.

"That's not fair! This is the second time!", I sat straight from my lying position as I was again eaten by the snake. And this time I had almost reached the end.

"Loser!", He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Give me your die! Take mine!", I said while exchanging our dice.

"You're impossible! Even I'm not that whiny while playing with Mommy!", He laughed shaking his head.

"Mommy always wins?"

"She does. She has a great luck in this game. I've never won against her. So I'm happy that I get to win against you!", He smiled huge before rolling his die.

We continued the game and eventually I realised that I'll lose the game third time in a row now.

"Dude, that's it! I'm not playing again! Let's play something else!", I said after flipping the board. "Ahh! Ludo! I'm gonna win this time!", I said confidently.

"I doubt.", He mumbled as he reached the box of tokens to grab extra three of them.

"Try me!", I said before placing my tokens on the blue one.

"What do I get if I win?", He asked as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"What do you want? X-Box? Uhm, PlayStation?"

"Stay, please.", He whispered.

"What?"

"Stay here for tonight.", He said before looking down and grabbing the die. "Shall we start?"

I was about to reply when two gentle knocks stopped me.

"Come in, Mommy.", He said as if he already knew who it was outside.

Rivaah entered daintily. There was a tray in her hands, and she sighed as she noticed him. "I brought food.", She said slowly to him.

"Feed me please. I'm playing with Daddy.", He said as he made space for her on bed beside him.

"He needs to go, Rey. It's already 9:30 now.", She said as she sat down beside him. Her eyes met mine and she nodded at me.

"Ah yes-"

"If I win, you'll stay. That was the deal.", Reyansh looked up at me pissed off. He was ready to throw a fit if I make any attempt of breaking the deal that only he knew about.

"Yeah. Right. Sorry.", I said and looked down.

"But he'll be-"

"You said grown ups make their own decisions. He's a grown up. Aren't you daddy?", He looked at me expecting an answer, I nodded immediately. I was never so much awkward before. "See. And we've made the deal.", He shrugged before opening his mouth and pointing at it. She nodded before uncovering the tray and tearing the chapati before dipping it in the curry and bringing it closer to his mouth. He gobbled it inside and we started playing while he continued to eat alongside.

Rivaah did said that her ex-husband was dominant and controlling. But I never thought Reyansh would adopt his this trait. He is a natural dominant. One that rules the top of food chain. I never want to meet that man. I'm good at business, but if someone who's naturally so powerful and dominant comes to me, even I'll feel nervous.

Fuck! I sound like a fragile school girl. What's wrong with me!?

"It's your turn, Daddy.", I snapped up before nodding and grabbing my die.

Half hour later, I was tasting another failure. He bounced happily when I lost the game.

"Here, take your medicines.", She brought her palm closer to his mouth. I got a glimpse of the pills and they were five of them.

"Is he fine? This many pills?", I asked as worry fled inside me.

"I'm fine, Daddy. I'm a strong boy.", He said before gobbling down the pills and then drinking the water.

"They are just vitamins.", She smiled at me but it looked forced. I nodded hesitantly.

"So, what should we do now?", I asked as I rubbed my hands together.

"You had your dinner?", He asked and I sat straight before nodding slowly.

"Liar. Mommy, feed him.", He said and my eyes twinkled as I attempted to hide my smile.

"Uhm, he can eat-"

"How can I? I've to play with you. My hands are not even washed. It's fine. I'll just stay hungry.", I mumbled in a low voice with a pout on my face.

I can physically feel her sharp glare on me.

"Mommy, feed him. He needs to play with me.", Reyansh demanded. I heard a deep sigh before she left the room. Minutes later, she came back and awkwardly sat beside me.

"Just rice!?", I asked as I saw her mixing the lentil soup with rice. She shoveled a spoonful of rice and raised it up to my mouth.

I grumpily ate it while playing one more round of Ludo with him. By the time I was full, we had played multiple times.

After she left, I lied down and he came on top of me. "Pick me up.", He demanded sitting on my stomach. I sat straight, leaning against the headboard before grabbing him by his hips and raising him up in air.

"No, daddy! Do it like The Lion King!", He kicked his feet in air.

I laughed before scooting closer to the edge of the bed and turning him to face the wall instead of me. "Hmm! Happy?", I asked and he nodded as he proudly took a slow glance around, as if looking at his kingdom. I bit down on bottom lip to stop myself from bursting out in laughter at his antics.

Rivaah chose the same moment to enter inside. Her eyes widened and she looked questioningly at me.

"Mommy, I'm Simba!", He squealed.

She laughed.

I laughed along with her.

"Wait a minute! There's something missing!", She said before heading inside bathroom. When she came back, she had something pinched between her fingers. I found out it was vermilion powder when she applied it on the center of his forehead. "Now you're Simba.", She smiled.

"Grrrrr!", He roared which sounded more like a gurgle.

"And what are you?", She asked me.

"Mufasa of course!", I said the obvious.

"Uhm, Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"It was Rafiki who lifted up Simba like this.", He said with a nod.

"Who's Rafiki?", I asked with a frown.

Rivaah turned to leave but stopped before opening the door. "The monkey.", She said without glancing back and left the room.

"So rude!", I gasped exasperatedly before shifting back and falling on my back. I raised my legs up before slightly bending my knees and placing him on my shin. As I brought my legs closer to me, he too came along, and his face inclined closer to mine. I continued to rock him back and forth like that. He seemed to be loving what I was doing as his giggles never stopped.

"I'm gonna take off!", He screeched as I raised him up once again. I laughed along with him as he made whooshing sounds. Minutes later, I picked him up and brought him on my stomach.

"You're so adorable! I wanna eat you!", I said as I lightly bit down on his little fingers. He gasped before yanking his hand and protectively cradling it.

"I only have ten fingers, Daddy!", He said defensively.

"I just want one. I'll roll it some spices and then fry it. And eat it with ketchup!", I said and he looked horrified.

"Daddy, they are my fingers. Not french fries.", He said slowly as if educating me about something new.

"Aww. Right. Okay, I understand. It's fine.", I sighed sadly. He looked down and laid his chin on my chest as he tried to look into my eyes.

"Daddy, don't be sad. Okay fine. Have them!", He said pushing his five fingers on my mouth. "But let me remind you, I'll cry. Because it'll hurt.", He said with a fake sniffle.

"It'll hurt!", I mimicked him before swapping our positions and placing him beneath me. I rained kisses on his cheeks and nudged my nose against his neck which made him laugh uncontrollably.

"St-Stop! It tickles!"

If I was happy when I met Rivaah, then this time, I'm beyond that. I'm just so satisfied and it feels amazing. Him, so comfortable and happy in my arms makes me feel fucking proud and excited.

I didn't know when we fell asleep. But his smile was all I remembered after closing my eyes.

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