Published on 10th May 2020.

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♡Tadpaye Mujhe Teri Sabhi Baatein

Ek baar Ae Deewani Jhootha Hi Sahi Pyaar To Kar

Main Bhoola Nahi Haseen Mulakaatein

Bechain Karke Mujhko Mujhse Yun Na Pher Nazar♡

– S H R U T I –

"Shruti." I felt a hand rubbing my scalp while calling my name and I hummed. "Shruti."

"Hmm..."

"Get up. It's seven. Do you want to sleep all day?"

"It's sunday."

"I know." I heard the deep voice and opened my eyes, only to see Rishabh gazing me. Wow! I remember that it's sunday, but I forgot that I was sleeping beside him. "Morning."

"Good morning." I smiled and turned my back to him to hide my face. I knew I would've been looking like a clown. When I was rubbing my eyes with the back of my palm, I felt him cuddling onto me from back. What's with him?

He nuzzled his nose in my neck and gave a light kiss there. Sliding my shirt a little up, he kept his palm over my bare belly. "Had a good sleep?"

"Hmm..."

How can I forget last night's incidents?

It was more than just lip kisses.

"Aren't you in mood to talk?"

"Huh?" What was he talking about?

"Because you're just answering in hmm and hmm."

"What do you want me to say?" I asked while feeling his constant breathing on my neck. He was just adamant on distracting me.

"Anything you have in mind." He said and I nodded. Okay!

"Then, leave me. I need to use the bathroom." I turned my head towards him and said. He narrowed his eyes and pulled his hand off me.

"Although, I wanted to hear anything but this, it's alright." He said and I giggled, walking through the way to bathroom. Quickly using the toilet, I brushed my teeth and came out, only to see the room empty. I walked out to the living room and saw everyone sitting together in the dining area.

"You're here?" Akriti asked.

"Where do you expect me to be then?" I said while sitting on the empty chair and she glared. As we started our breakfast, I felt Rishabh leaning towards me.

"We need to go back at the earliest."

"What's the matter?" Papa asked.

"Papa, I don't have an extra pair of clothes with me. So it's better to go back after the breakfast." Rishabh said and he nodded.

As the breakfast was over, we decided take our leave. But, before we could go, Adit started crying.

Bad luck!

"What's the matter Adit?" I asked and he looked at me with his teary eyes.

"Don't leave masi."

"I... I'm not-"

"Why don't you come with us?" Hearing Rishabh's voice, he stopped crying.

"Mumma?" He turned to Akriti and pouted. This boy!

"Do you both really think you could handle him?" She asked while crossing her arms over her chest. I looked towards Rishabh and he blinked his eyes in assurance. "He's hard to handle."

"Mumma?" Adit exclaimed in disappointment and she shrugged.

"Not a word against my nephew. He'll accompany us." I said and she nodded. "Pack an extra pair of his clothes, his diapers and all the other essentials according to you."

"He doesn't use diaper anymore."

"Really?" I asked and he grinned. It's really strange to hear that he doesn't need diapers now. Just twenty-two days ago he couldn't go out without it. It's really a great news!

✨

Putting Adit on the couch, I kept some chocolates beside him and switched the TV on for diverting his attention from everything else. Children could ruin a room in a minute!

"Shruti." I heard Rishabh's voice and went in our room. "You can use the bathroom of our room. I'll go and use the one in other room."

"What about Adit? He'll be alone."

"I'll be out in a moment. Don't worry." He said and I nodded. Picking my clothes and underwear, I ran into the bathroom and took a quick shower.

Getting into my clothes I walked out, only to see the room empty with TV being the only source of voice. And someone vowed to be here before me! The couch on which I saw Adit and his chocolates for the last time was now empty. Where is Adit?

Did someone kidnap him?

I hope not.

As I switched the TV off, I heard some giggling sounds coming from the kitchen. I paced to the cooking area and saw Rishabh and Adit laughing over something. Adit was sitting over the kitchen slab and was eating his chocolates while Rishabh was chatting with him.

Why do they look extremely adorable?

Wait a minute!

What is Rishabh doing in here?

In kitchen?

He has no relation with kitchen!

"Shruti, you're ready? Should we go out?" He asked and I raised my eyebrows in question. "Don't you think we should go out with Adit?" He asked and I nodded.

"I'm ready. Let's go then." I said and Adit smiled, showing off his chocolaty brown teeth. "Adit... Leave your chocolates. You'll ruin your teeth one day."

"Masi, I love chocolates."

"I know. All thanks to your chocolate-lover mother." I said and he smiled more. "Now get up and wash your mouth." I said and strangely, he followed all my instructions. He's literally growing up.

Packing all his essentials up, we sat in the car. I sat on the passenger seat while Adit took the back seat. And Rishabh was obviously driving.

"First, we'll go for shopping. Our second destination will be movie theatre. And at last, we'll go to the park. Is that it Adit?" Rishabh asked and Adit shouted yes.

"Adit! Keep your voice low."

"Okay!" He shouted again and Rishabh laughed. He'll never ever listen to me! Parking the car, we walked inside the mall and went straightaway to the supermarket. "I want chocolates."

"This is the clothing area. You won't get chocolates here." Rishabh picked him up and made him sit on the seat in cart. "Let's walk there."

Keeping all the eatables in trolley, we finally walked towards the chocolate counter and pulled the door. "Which one do you want to eat?"

"All of them." I picked most of the chocolate bars and kept them in the trolley. "Those too." He pointed towards the bars of another varities I had deliberately left behind.

I gritted my teeth and turned behind to pull the rest of them out. He and his mother have a habit of eating all my salary. Even though Akriti earns more than me, she enjoys spending my money.

"Are we going to make a chocolate factory?" Rishabh asked and Adit shrugged. We walked to one of the billing counters and waited for our turn which took us almost thirty minutes because of the so-called Sunday crowd.

While waiting, Adit started talking to a girl of his age who was with her parents in the line of another counter. This boy can do anything!

"Your child is cute. How old is he?" The mother of that girl asked.

"He's three." Rishabh said and I widened my eyes.

He's not ours!

I mean Adit is a son to me, but we didn't give him birth.

Till the billing ended, Adit kept conversing with her new friend.

"I'll keep these things in the car. You can choose the movie till then." Rishabh said before walking away. Holding Adit's hand, we reached to the top floor through the elevator and were stuck in choosing the perfect movie.

I had seen almost all of them with Rishabh in the past few days.

"Haven't you decided?" Rishabh asked as he walked inside. I nodded in negative and he sighed. "It's for Adit. Let's watch an animated movie. Superheroes?"

"No. I'm not a child." Adit said and I looked at him with disbelief. He's not a child?

"Yes, you're an old man. The bald one with a huge belly." I said and he narrowed his eyes.

"Same to you. I want to see..."

"Comedy?" Rishabh asked and he shook his head in negative. "Thriller?" And again he had the same answer. "Horror?" Rishabh asked and this time, he nodded in positive.

Gone!

I'm gone!

Buying the tickets hesitantly, we walked inside and bought the snacks before entering the hall. As the movie started, I knew it was my last day.

"You're alright?" I heard Rishabh's voice and nodded. "You're shivering." He kept his hand on mine and said. No. It's getting embarrassing.

"I'm fine." I said and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. And I saw rest of the movie with my eyes closed!

As the movie ended, I turned in Rishabh's direction and saw him sleeping. Really? How can he sleep when there's a scary movie going on?

"Rishabh... Wake up. Movie is over." I said and he rubbed his eyes with his left hand. Where was the right one? I was holding it all the time.

I pulled my hand back and turned to Adit who was gazing the closing credits.

"Let's go." I picked him up and we walked out.

"Let me carry him." Rishabh said and I nodded. There was no point in arguing as I was already hungry. Popcorn and pizzas can't fill the stomach. Not mine, atleast.

Reaching the restaurant, we ordered our lunch and dug it in our stomach.

Going through the last thing in plan, we drove to the nearest park and stepped out to have a nice walk. Adit was sliding on the swings while we were walking, inhaling the scent of evening.

I felt him clasping my hand and my gaze went there. Seeing a few scratches there, I frowned.

How did it even happen?

"When did it happen?" I asked and he shook his head in question. He followed my gaze to our hands and sighed.

"When you were busy seeing the movie."

Shit!

I did it when we were seeing that haunted movie.

"I'm sorry Rishabh."

"Sorry not accepted. And, it's Rishi for you." He said and I smiled. "I'm thirsty. Let me get water from car."

Don't leave.

I'm feeling restlessness.

"By the way, where is Adit? Stay with him till I come back." He said before walking away and I looked around to search for him. And what I saw was unbelievable. Even shocked would be an understatement.

Yash jij-

No!

I can't let Adit be with him.

Pacing towards them, I pulled Adit towards me. "I told you not to talk to strangers."

"He saved me. He's great... uncle." As those words left Adit's mouth, Yash's face held different emotions. Sadness? Remorse? Guilt?

Why would he even feel guilty?

Where was his guilt when he made those mistakes knowingly?

I know, a father would never wish his child to call him something other than papa. Uncle is way far away. He's his birth father but I can't go against Akriti's will.

There's no need for him to regret over something which he can never undo.

"Uncle? I-"

Quickly cutting him off, I said, "We should go Adit. It's getting late. Mumma would be worried for you."

Adit doesn't know about his papa.

He never got a chance to stay with him while growing. There was no way Akriti would let Yash enter in our locality. As for legal matters, I handled them.

For Adit, his mumma, masi and nana-nani are everything.

"Bye." Adit greeted him before I turned him to leave. This child doesn't know what hate is! As Adit saw Rishabh walking in our direction, he ran to him.

"How is Akriti doing?" I heard his voice and stopped in my tracks.

"She's better without you. Please don't disturb us." I sighed and walked to Rishabh. "Let's go. I'm tired."

"Okay." Sitting inside the car, I closed my eyes until I heard Rishabh calling me. "Is everything alright?" He kept his hand on mine and I nodded. I didn't want to him stress out for nothing.

But what was Yash doing there?

Ofcourse jogging!

It was all my fault.

I knew that the park was in his locality.

God!

The pin drop silence in the drive made me suspicious. I turned back and saw Adit sleeping on the backseat. He was tired, ofcourse.

As we reached, he was the one to carry him inside while I just followed them. Akriti opened the door and took Adit in her arms. Sundays are the only days when she spends her whole day with him.

She walked inside her room and I followed her. Keeping Adit on the bed, she turned to me and raised her eyebrows.

"I want to say something." I initiated and she hummed, "Adit met Yash today." As those words left my mouth, her eyes widened.

"And?"

"Before he could utter something rubbish, I took Adit away with me." I said and she nodded, as if nothing happened.

"Nothing wrong happened. You don't need to worry for these unnecessary things."

"Are you sure?"

"Hmm... He's a closed chapter in my life. And I'm in no mood to open it again. Also, I have no sympathy for bastards like him." She giggled and I smiled.

✨

Lying on the bed, I was thinking about everything that happened today.

Was I wrong in not letting him meet Adit?

No.

It was his fault. He's paying for his sins.

I felt a hand around my waist and I opened my eyes. Rishabh pulled my shirt up and rested his palm over my belly. As his warmth touched my skin, I felt my breath stuck.

"It's been an hour and you're still awake? Is everything alright?" He whispered near my ear and I took a deep breath.

I turned towards him while his hand was still over my bare back. Good!

"If you want to share something, I'm here. I won't judge." He said and I nodded.

"Today, I met him when we were in the park. Much to my dismay, he had already seen Adit by the time I reached there." I said and felt a rock stepping off my chest.

"He?"

"Sorry, I didn't tell you. He is Akriti's ex-husband." I said and he nodded.

"So, does Adit know that he's his father?"

"No. They stayed together for one month after Adit's birth. When he was two-months-old, they were divorced. Adit never actually stayed with him." I said and he sighed.

That year was a extremely exhausting!

It was nothing but court sessions.

"Akriti is really brave. I don't know how I would've handled the situation if I was in her position."

"Nothing like that will happen with us."

Was that a promise?

I turned my head towards him and saw him already gazing me. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my head while his hand was busy creating patterns on my bare back. "Now sleep. It's monday tomorrow and we need to get up early."

How did I even get such a sweet man?

️

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