"Pragya... please have a look at this profile." Sarla gently tells her as she tried to pass the laptop to her.
"You just tell me the details, Maa." Pragya replies disinterested as she changed the channel.
"His name is Abhishek Mehra, he is 32 years old, and he is working as a Finance Director."
"At 32?" Pragya asks suspiciously. "Maa, you know how people lie over the matrimony site, right?"
"You think we would just decide on anyone?" Sarla asks her frowning. "I've been talking to him and Anand did inquire about him."
"You have been talking to him?" Pragya asks surprised.
"Yes. He seems like a nice man. Will you meet him?"
"Did you tell him everything?"
"I did."
"And he has no problem?"
"He has a 4-year-old daughter, Pragya." Sarla gently tells her.
"Hmmm. What happened to his first wife?"
"Divorced. Will you meet him?" Sarla asks her again.
Pragya nods her head not happy or sad over the prospect.
Today Abhishek Mehra was coming to meet her and Pragya was still trying to come to terms with the idea of a remarriage. If few years back someone might have told her that Nikhil and she would be getting a divorce and that she would be thinking of marrying someone else she would have laughed over that with Nikhil. They had been so madly in love then the desire for a child had toppled down everything and her perfect marriage had turned into a nightmare. Today, she didn't particularly want to get married but seeing that her aging parents were worrying about her future she had decided to get married for them, not for her, for them. She had loved once and lost; now she didn't have the courage to love again. Hearing the door bell, Pragya looks up just as her parents opened the door to welcome a handsome man. She watches him curiously as he talked to her parents with a polite smile.
"Please come inside." Anand tells him.
Nodding, Abhi starts walking in and Pragya notices a small girl wearing a short skirt and top with ponytail was holding his hand and looking around curiously. Her curious eyes lands on her and she smiles at Pragya. Pragya smile back at her.
"This is my daughter, Pragya." Anand tells Abhi.
Abhi turns to look at her and gently nods his head. "Hello."
"Hello." Pragya replies.
"This is my daughter, Ruhi." Abhi tells her as he gently caressed her hair.
Pragya smiles at Ruhi and Ruhi smiles back at her, "This is my Papa, Abhishek Mehra." Ruhi tells Pragya since everyone had failed to introduce her father to anyone.
"They know, darling." Abhi gently whispers to her.
"Oh." Ruhi nods.
Anand chuckles softly, "Please sit."
Abhi and Ruhi sit next to each other as Anand, Sarla and Pragya sat opposite to them.
Anand, Sarla and Abhi talked to each other while Pragya and Ruhi remained silent.
"I understand you don't have any immediate family... what about other relatives?" Anand asks Abhi.
"My parents passed away few years back. I am an only son. I don't have any close family as such, just some distant relation that I meet for functions or festivals over the years." Abhi explains to them. "It is just Rooh and me."
Anand nods and then gently says, "You both might want to talk to each other. Pragya, why don't you take Abhishek to your room?"
Pragya nods and slowly gets up. Abhi gets up. "Come, Rooh."
"Ruhi can stay here." Sarla tells him gently thinking that Ruhi might disturb their conversation.
"Erm... please don't take it in the wrong way." Abhi politely tells her, "Marriage is for both Ruhi and me, so even she needs to get to know Pragya before we decide anything."
Sarla nods her head not knowing what to say to that.
Pragya opens the door for Abhi and Ruhi, and they both walk in. Pragya notices how Abhishek had never left Ruhi's hand all this while. He looked very protective of his daughter.
"Please sit." Pragya tells him as she pointed at the couch and sits opposite him.
"Papa... Papa." Ruhi calls Abhi and cupping his ear she starts to whisper something to him.
"Rooh... what have I told you about whispering in public?" Abhi asks in a gentle disapproving tone.
Ruhi bites her tongue and eyes going wide then turning to Pragya she apologetically tells her, "Sorry."
"It's okay." Pragya says smiling not able to be offended with such a cute girl.
Ruhi smiles at her then turning back to her father, she again cups his ears. "Papa, listen."
"Rooh..." Abhi starts then frowning he looks at Pragya. Pragya gives him a curious look realizing that Ruhi was talking about her. "What? No!" Abhi whispers to her embarrassed.
"Please, Papa."
"I said no."
"Is there a problem?" Pragya asks curiously.
"No." Abhi replies while Ruhi nodded in yes.
"Ask, Papa."
"You ask." Abhi growls at her.
"I'll ask?" Ruhi asks smiling.
"Yeah!" Abhi replies and mutters under his breath, "Better you than me."
Ruhi smiling shyly walks towards Pragya.
"What is it?" Pragya asks unable to hold her smile seeing her smiling shyly at her.
Ruhi takes her hand towards Pragya's ears and gently cups the earring Pragya is wearing. "This is so pretty. Where did you get this from?" Ruhi asks her shyly.
"You like my earrings?" Pragya asks chuckling loudly.
Ruhi nods her head in yes.
"She likes these girlie things." Abhi explains to her embarrassed.
"She is a girl." Pragya reminds him.
Abhi looks away embarrassed.
"Where did you get it?"
"I don't remember. This has been with me for many years now." Pragya tells her upset.
"Oh!"
"One minute." Pragya tells her excitedly as she got up and walked to the bathroom.
"Come here." Abhi gently tells her. Ruhi walks towards him and gets on his lap. "I will get you some other earring." Abhi promises her.
"You know the difference between earrings and nose rings?" Ruhi asks him teasingly.
"Where do you learn all these from?" Abhi asks her exasperated and hearing that Ruhi starts laughing. Smiling at his daughter, Abhi leans down and gently kisses her on her cheek.
"Ruhi... come." Pragya comes back from the bathroom as she offered her hand to Ruhi.
Ruhi turns to look at Abhi curiously and Abhi nods his head. Getting his permission, Ruhi smiles and takes Pragya's hand as she got down from Abhi's lap. Pragya takes her to the dressing table and lifting her up, she makes her sit on the table. Then taking a tissue she wipes off the water from the earrings she had just washed. Then leaving it on the table, she removes Ruhi's earrings. Then wiping her ears, she puts her earrings on Ruhi.
"Wow... Ruhi looks so beautiful." Pragya says as she leaned back to look at her.
"Really?" Ruhi asks excited and turning around she looks at the mirror. "This is for me?" Ruhi asks her excitedly.
"Yes."
"Papa... see." Ruhi shouts out to her father. Abhi who had been watching Pragya and Ruhi together amazed, gently smiles at Ruhi while Pragya put her earrings in a small pouch securely.
"Can you tie my hair like yours?" Ruhi asks her smiling as she touched Pragya's hair lovingly.
Seeing the twinkle in her eyes, Pragya smiles and gently turns her around. Pragya removes her hair band and gently brushes her hair.
"You like french braids?" Pragya asks her as she brushed her hair.
"Is that what you did?"
"Yes."
"I like that but I know to tie a pony only. Even Papa." Ruhi tells her sadly.
"It is not difficult, Ruhi."
"Will you teach me?" Ruhi asks her excitedly.
"Yes." Pragya promises her smiling.
"You know to put nail polish?" Ruhi asks her.
"I do." Pragya replies smiling.
"You do?" Ruhi asks in a worshiping tone.
Pragya smiles at her in reply.
Ruhi quickly looks at her father who was still watching everything amazed and leaning towards Pragya, she whispers, "Papa doesn't know." And to prove her point she shows her nails. Pragya looks at the nails and sees nail polish applied on it in a very messy way... most of the fingers had nail polish outside the nails and the coating wasn't even in any nails.
"Awww." Pragya says with a sad face.
Ruhi nods understanding the sadness.
"Let me finish your hair and then we will take care of that." Pragya tells her smiling.
"Yaay."
Abhi watched as Pragya did his daughter's hair and then removing the nail polish he had put for Ruhi, they bend over the table their heads put together they start looking through Pragya's nail polishes to decide on which color to put.
"And done." Pragya says smiling as she put on the last nail.
"Wow. So pretty." Ruhi says amazed. "Did you see Papa?" Ruhi asks Abhi who was leaning on the window watching them.
"Show me."
Ruhi turns to Pragya excitedly and Pragya gently lifts her from the table and helps her on to her feet. Ruhi runs to her father and shows him her hands.
"Do I look pretty, Papa?" Ruhi asks him happily.
"You look beautiful, Rooh." Abhi tells her as he kissed her lovingly.
"Do I look as beautiful as her?" Ruhi asks as she pointed at Pragya.
Abhi turns to look at Pragya and sees Pragya getting flustered. Abhi turns back to Ruhi and tells her "Yes."
Smiling happily, Ruhi hugs her father. Abhi hugs her and looks at Pragya. Pragya walks towards them and hands him the pouch with Ruhi's earrings and says, "I hope you didn't get bored... woh..."
Abhi shakes his head in negative as he took the pouch and put it in his pocket. He lifts up Ruhi and sits on the couch, gesturing Pragya to sit too. Pragya sits opposite to him. "Ruhi never had any women around her for all this. So..."
"I understand." Pragya tells him gently. "She is a very sweet girl."
Abhi smiles at her.
"Papa..." Ruhi gently shakes him.
"What, Rooh?" Abhi asks her softly.
"I want to sleep."
"You go to sleep." Abhi tells her as he hugged her close to his chest.
"You can put her on the bed." Pragya tells him.
"Would you like to sleep on the bed, Rooh?"Abhi gently asks her.
Ruhi looks at the bed and then at Abhi, "I'll sleep here."
"Okay, love." Abhi replies as he settled her properly on his lap. They remained silent as Ruhi dozed off.
"She slept." Abhi whispers to Pragya after a while. Pragya nods in reply.
"What are your expectations from this marriage?" Abhi asks her.
Pragya looks at him in shock at the direct question then shrugging she replies, "I've no expectations."
"Hmmm."
"I am happy to live like this but Papa and Mama were getting worried about my future so I decided for them I would get married."
"If you marry like that, would you be sincere to that marriage?" Abhi asks her curiously.
"I don't know if I ever be able to love again. I loved once and I don't have the courage to love again. I know what married bliss is and I had expected it to last forever but it didn't. Except for love, I'll give everything I have if I get married again."
Abhi nods his head.
"I can't have children." Pragya tells him. "I don't know how true that is actually."
"What do you mean by that?" Abhi asks curiously.
"When I didn't get pregnant, I went for treatments. 3 years of treatment and I wasn't pregnant. More than once, the doctor had suggested that Nikhil also get his test done but at first, I just refused to even entertain the idea that there could be something wrong with him but years of treatment and the emotional and mental trauma, I just asked him to get his test done. I don't know how everything changed overnight with him and his family accusing me of putting the blame on him for my shortcomings. In the end, he said he wanted divorce as he wanted to have children. We got divorced and he got married two years ago."
"Did he have children?" Abhi asks her.
"Yes." Pragya replies.
"Hmmm... I don't want any more children." Abhi tells her.
Pragya nods her head in reply. "Why did your first marriage fail?"
"We were young when we got married. Ruhi was conceived when I was 27 and Tanu was just 24 then. It was not planned. Tanu had huge plans and she had got a brilliant offer in Paris, she is a fashion designer. She wanted to abort but I didn't let her. Things went down after that. Tanu lost the opportunity and she blamed Ruhi and me for that. She started being a little aggressive towards Ruhi and then I had enough and I asked for a divorce. When Ruhi was 1 we got divorced. I got full custody of Ruhi as she didn't want to have anything to do with Rooh or me. Rooh has no memory of her mother."
"Where is she now?"
"Paris. She got that opportunity again after that I've no idea what is happening with her." Abhi tells her. "I'm totally put off by career oriented women."
Pragya frowns hearing him and tell him, "I was just 19 when I got married. I had finished my college in between all the treatments. Then I sat at home for a year simply going through treatments after treatments. It never occurred to me that I should work. Then when the divorce was filed, I had to ask my father for money for a lawyer. That is when I realized that I couldn't be depended on anyone for anything. I struggled and found a job. I got this job as a Sales Executive, it is a little hectic with targets and competition but it makes me independent and I can't go back to being dependent on anyone."
"You got me wrong, what I meant was that I wanted a wife and a mother for my daughter. When she is home, I just want her to be that. I don't want a wife who brings her work home and has no time for Rooh or me. I understand your need to be independent and I respect that but as long as it doesn't affect the family life."
"I forget work when I leave office." Pragya tells him then was about to ask him about the way he worked being a Finance Director, he would invariably have to be available 24x7 then she notices how he was cradling his daughter in his arms and realized that whatever workload he had, he is a family man first and foremost.
"The way you were with Ruhi today." Abhi starts to tell her. Pragya curiously looks at him, "That is the closest she ever had to a mother."
Pragya's eyes fill with tears hearing that and then she softly whispers, "That is the closest I have ever had to a daughter."
Abhi nods though a little uncomfortable with the tears.
"People take their children away from me at times because they think that I am cursed and my bad luck would rub off on them." Pragya whispers to him.
Abhi looks at her in shock hearing that. He couldn't believe people could be so cruel to her, a woman who was in pain and was craving for a child. Abhi watches her for a while as she wiped away her tears and then making up his mind, he gently shakes Ruhi awake.
"Rooh.. love... wake up."
Having her sleep disturbed, Ruhi starts to cry.
"Don't cry, love. There is something we have to do." Abhi tells her.
"What Papa?" Ruhi asks as she rubbed her eyes.
Wiping off her tears, Abhi cups her ears whispers into her ears.
"Whispering in public is bad, Papa."
"Sorry... love. But you listen to me now." Abhi says and whispers to her again.
Ruhi turns to look at Pragya while Pragya watched the drama in front of her utterly confused. Ruhi turns to Abhi and nods her head in yes. He cups her face and whispers to her again.
"Okay... ready?" Abhi asks her.
"Yes." Ruhi says smiling.
They both turn to Pragya and with a smile Abhi says her name, "Pragya."
"Yes?" Pragya curiously replies.
"Mama." Ruhi calls her.
Pragya looks at Ruhi in surprise hearing her call her as tears filled her eyes again, she had somehow given up hope on hearing someone calling her Mama.
Then Ruhi and Abhi ask her together, "Will you marry us?"
Pragya looks at Abhishek then her gaze automatically moves to Ruhi and she nods her head in yes.
They had a quiet wedding with just Ruhi, Anand and Sarla. After that, Pragya went with Ruhi and Abhi to her new home.
"Mama... come... I'll show you my room." Ruhi says excitedly as she held Pragya's hand and ran to her bedroom.
Ruhi opens the door and shows Pragya a very cute room in pink with Princesses, Cindrella, Snow white, Sleeping Beauty and all painted all over the wall.
"Ruhi's room is so pretty." Pragya says as she looked around the room.
"Papa's room is not this pretty. Come, I will show you." Ruhi tells Pragya and taking her hand leads her to Abhi's room.
Pragya walks in to find a big bedroom with a king size bed. She sees her luggage already kept in one corner of the room.
"There is no Snow white here." Ruhi tells Pragya.
Pragya smiles at Ruhi and then she looks around as she looked at all the photos of Abhishek and Ruhi all around the room.
"These are Papa and Ruhi's photos." Ruhi tells her as she showed her the photos. "But your photo is not there." Ruhi pouts sadly.
"That's okay, Ruhi."
"No... we will tell Papa to take your photo tomorrow." Ruhi tells her excitedly.
"No, Ruhi." Pragya says uncomfortably.
"Please Mama... we will keep your photo too," Ruhi cutely makes pleading faces at Pragya and she couldn't resist it anymore and pulling Ruhi close to her, she kisses her on her cheeks soundly.
"We will take photo, Mama?"
"Okay, my Rooh darling." Pragya tells her.
Ruhi starts giggling hearing that "That is what Papa calls me."
"I know." Pragya replies then hearing the bathroom door opening she looks up curiously to see Abhi come out wiping his hair as he hung his towel on his shoulders.
"Papa, tomorrow we will take Mama's photos and put it here." Ruhi excitedly tells Abhi.
Abhi looks at Pragya and sees her looking at him uncomfortably and she explains, "She is insisting."
Abhi gently smiles at her and tells her, "I'm sure your photo will come out really good."
Pragya's eyes widen in shock hearing the compliment and she had no idea how to react to that and Ruhi worsens it even more. "Mama is so beautiful na, Papa?"
Pragya softly gasps at the question and turns to look at Abhishek and sees him equally uncomfortable with the question.
"Papa?" Ruhi calls him to gain his attention. Abhi turns to look at Ruhi. "You don't think Mama is beautiful?" Ruhi asks worried.
Abhi turns to look at Pragya and sees her looking at Ruhi and her cheeks were slightly pink accentuating her beauty. Then turning to Ruhi he replies. "She is."
Ruhi smiles happily satisfied while Pragya couldn't control her blush.
"Now, come and have your dinner." Abhi tells her as he picked her up and threw her in the air and caught her while Ruhi laughed out loudly. Abhi then settles her on his chest and turning to Pragya, he tells her "Dinner should be ready."
"I need to take a shower." Pragya tells him.
"Yeah... please go ahead. Everything is there if you need anything let me know."
Pragya nods. Abhi leaves with Ruhi to give her privacy.
After her bath, Pragya goes to the living room to find her husband and her daughter waiting for her.
"Dinner?" Abhi asks her.
Pragya nods her head and walk with Abhi and Ruhi towards the dining table.
"Mama, you sit here." Ruhi tells her as she pulled up a chair for Pragya while Abhi took the head of the table. Pragya sits there on Abhi's right while Ruhi ran around to sit on his left opposite to Pragya.
A man walks in with the food.
"Pragya... this is the cook, Robbin and Robbin this is my wife, Pragya." Abhi gently introduces them. Pragya smiles at the man and he also smiles back at her. After the man had gone back to the kitchen Abhi notices that Ruhi was sitting with her head on the table disinterested. "Rooh... eat, sweetheart."
Ruhi makes a disgusted face. "I don't like it."
Abhi smiles at her and leaning down he whispers to her, "Since it is Mama's first day here. I got food from a restaurant. Robbin didn't cook today."
Ruhi sits up excitedly. "Really? Then I'll eat." Abhi serves for her while Pragya watched curiously.
Seeing Pragya watching him, Abhi explains to her in a soft whisper, "Robbin is a terrible cook."
"Oh... then why have you..."
"Ruhi is very comfortable with him. When she comes back from her school, Robbin takes care of her till I get home and he keeps the house unbelievably neat. And I have been looking for a good cook but not found anyone."
Pragya nods her head understanding.
After dinner, Abhi takes Ruhi to bed and Pragya joins them as Ruhi wanted her to. Abhi sits next to Ruhi and reads out to her a story while Pragya sat next to Ruhi and listened to her husband softly mummers a story of a Prince and Princess. The way he said the story even she was dozing off gently.
"She slept." Abhi informs her softly and Pragya comes awake with a start. Pragya sits up as Abhi covered up Ruhi. Gently kissing her on her forehead, Abhi stands up from the bed. "Shall we?" he asks her gently.
Gulping at the idea of sleeping with him in the same room and bed, Pragya nervously nods her head. She lovingly caresses Ruhi's hair. "She is going to be fine here alone?"
"She is. She sleeps through the night without any problem." Abhi tells her.
"Why is she sleeping alone?" Pragya asks him curiously as she walked out with him, with the way they clung to each other she had assumed that Ruhi and Abhishek slept together.
"Ruhi likes to sleep alone. And she doesn't like my room too as it is not pretty like hers." Abhi tells her.
Hearing that, Pragya couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped her lips. Abhi smiles hearing her and tells her, "She has set of likes and dislikes."
Pragya smiles hearing that, "I find her very sorted out."
Abhi smiles in reply as he opened the bedroom door for her to enter. Pragya enters the room and Abhi follows her in. then he closes the door and locks it. Pragya nervously looks at him worried about what is going to happen next. She had decided to give her 100% for this marriage and for Ruhi but was she ready to be intimate with him so soon? She was not.
Seeing him watching her, she tells him hesitantly "I'm not ready for..."
"I know." Abhi calmly replies to her. "Relax and take your time."
"Thank you." Pragya replies relieved.
"Why don't you sleep? Ruhi wakes up early and she would come running into the room the moment she wakes up."
Pragya nods and walks towards the dressing table to remove her earrings. As she kept her earrings, she notices a wide range of hair clips, lipsticks, nail polish and few other items.
"Ruhi got those for you." Abhi tells her. "She insisted that you would need all those."
Pragya smiles hearing that and tells him "That was very thoughtful of her. And she seems to know all the good brands."
Abhi with an embarrassed smile scratches his forehead and says "I remembered Tanu saying that one should always use good quality make-ups which doesn't damage the skin. So when Rooh said... I kind of researched..."
Pragya looks at him surprised that he would sit and research on make-ups for her. Then she politely tells him, "That was very thoughtful of you."
Abhi smiles at her. Then they both go to bed to sleep on two ends of the bed.
"PAPA!" Ruhi calls him loudly as she banged on the door.
Pragya opens her eyes quickly hearing the noise fearing that Ruhi might be in trouble. She turns to look at her husband and sees him frowning in his sleep.
"PAPA! Open!"
"Go and sleep, ROOH!" Abhi shouts back at her then with his eyes closed, he grabs the pillow under Pragya's head and snatches it and keeps it over his head covering his ears. Pragya's head falls back on the bed having the pillow snatched from right under her. She turns to her husband in shock and sees him turning over to the other side sleepily.
"PAPA, it's morning. WAKE UP!"
"I AM SLEEPING!"
"Good boys don't sleep late, Papa."
"I AM A BAD BOY! Happy? Now GO!"
Pragya sits up as she tied her hair into a bun and decided to open the door for Ruhi.
"MAMA... open the door." Ruhi screams at her.
"Coming, Rooh." Pragya shouts back as she got up from bed and sees her husband sit up in shock.
"You sleep. I'll take care of her." Pragya tells him.
Abhi looks at her confused then he looks at her side of the bed. "Where you lying down when I took your pillow?" Abhi asks her in shock.
Seeing him looking so lost, she smiles at him as she nodded her head in yes.
"MAMA!"
"Just a sec, Rooh." Abhi shouts at her then turning to Pragya he tells her, "She always comes in the morning like this, out of habit I..."
"It's okay." Pragya tells him as she walked to the door and opens the door. "What time is it?"
"A little past 5." Abhi tells her.
"5?" Pragya gasps in shock.
Seeing her shock he cheekily grins at her, "You said you will take care of her, right?"
"Yeah... i..." Pragya starts to stammer.
"Good night, Pragya." Abhi happily tells her and pulling his blanket over his head he falls back on bed while Pragya gaped at him.
"Good morning, Mama." Ruhi wishes her happily as she hugged her.
"Good morning, Ruhi." Pragya says smiling as she hugs her.
"Papa is still sleeping?" Ruhi asks frowning.
"Let him sleep for some more time."
After giving Ruhi her bath, Pragya takes a shower while she put the TV for Ruhi. Then after that, Pragya decides to cook breakfast for everyone since they didn't like Robbin's cooking.
"MAMA! What are you doing here?" Ruhi asks her as she came running into the kitchen.
"I am making breakfast." Pragya tells her smiling as she looked around the kitchen looking for things.
"Reaaally?" Ruhi asks excited.
"Yes." Pragya smiles seeing her excitement.
Ruhi tugs on her hand and gestures her to come down. Pragya kneels down next to her and Ruhi looks around the kitchen curiously and then tells her in a whisper, "Robbin Uncle doesn't know to cook."
Pragya smiles hearing that and whispers to her, "I know."
"Papa also doesn't know."
"Really?" Pragya asks smiling.
"All he knows is to make noodles but that is yuck."
Pragya chuckles hearing that and kisses Ruhi happily. Ruhi was just too too too cute according to Pragya.
"What do you and Papa like to eat, Ruhi?" Pragya asks her.
Ruhi thinks for a while as she cutely frowned thoughtfully, "Chocolate cake."
Pragya chuckles hearing that, "Papa and Rooh like chocolate cake?"
"Yes."
"But what does Papa and Rooh like to eat for breakfast?"
"Hmmm... Bread, jam, butter, eggs, orange juice and mashed potato." Ruhi tells her smiling.
"What kind of eggs?"
"That one..." Ruhi struggles as she tried to remember the name.
"Omelette?"
"No..."
"Scrambled eggs?"
"Yes that one." Ruhi says smiling.
"Okay... now my Rooh sit here while I cook." Pragya tells her as she picked her up and put her on the counter.
"Do you drink milk in the morning, Ruhi?"
"Yes. That is my mug." Ruhi tells her as she pointed excitedly at a mug with a protruding Snow white.
"Is Snow white your favorite?" Pragya asks her as she grabbed the mug and washed it.
"YES!!!"
Then she quickly fixes her milk for her and passes it to Ruhi.
Pragya starts preparing for breakfast while Ruhi chatted away on everything under the sun. Pragya listens to everything with a small smile on her face. By then Robbin wakes up and comes to prepare breakfast.
Pragya decides to make steamed vegetables too with the breakfast.
"Robbin, can you cut some vegetables?"
"Which ones?"
"Hmmm... what all you have?" Pragya asks him as she walked to the fridge and checked. Realizing that the vegetables were low in stock, she decides to make do with beans and carrots.
"There aren't any vegetables." Pragya informs Robbin as she passed the vegetables to him.
"Saab and Ruhi doesn't eat vegetables." Robbin informs her.
"Oh." Pragya turns to look at Ruhi and sees her playing with oranges. Pragya smiles seeing her lost in her world.
Pragya finishes making everything except for eggs and bread toast, and decides to do that just before breakfast.
"Ruhi... go wake up Papa." Pragya tells her as she lifted her up and helped her down.
"Okay." Ruhi runs off to call her father.
"What does he have? Tea or coffee?" Pragya asks Robbin.
"Tea."
Nodding her head, Pragya starts to prepare tea for her husband and her.
"Papa, wake up." Ruhi shakes Abhi vigorously.
"What, Rooh?" Abhi moans sleepily.
"Wake up, Papa."
Abhi lifts her up and makes her lie next to him. "You sleep with me."
"Mama is calling you down." Ruhi tells him giggling as she hugged him and swung her leg over him.
"Why is your Mama calling me?" Abhi asks curiously.
"To have breakfast."
Abhi snorts loudly.
Ruhi giggles and informs him, "Not Robbin Uncle, Mama made breakfast."
"Ah ha." Abhi says smiling as he opened his eyes to look at her.
"She made our favorite breakfast."
"Really?" Abhi asks smiling.
"Yes. Now, come faaast."
Sighing loudly Abhi gets up from the bed.
"Papa is awake." Ruhi informs Pragya as she ran into the kitchen.
"Ah good. Robbin, Please give this to him." Pragya tells him as she passed the cup to him after pouring the tea. Robbin takes the tea for Abhi while Pragya starts making eggs and toasting the bread.
Few minutes later, Abhi and Ruhi were talking when Abhi notices Pragya coming with the food and setting the table. She had her pallu tuck into her saree and he could clearly see her stomach as she turned and twisted while she set the table. Abhi gulps seeing her beautiful stomach. He had the uncontrollable urge to hold her waist and squeeze it. He wanted to squeeze it till she moaned his name in passion. Then he would... Abhi shakes his head realizing where his thoughts were going. She said she is not ready yet. Stop thinking about that!!!
"Er... food is ready." Pragya informs them.
"Ruhi, come sit next to me." Pragya gently orders Ruhi when Ruhi was about to sit opposite to her. Without a question, Ruhi runs around the table towards Pragya and sits on the seat next to her. Pragya spreads jam and butter on bread and passes it to Ruhi. Ruhi takes it from her and bites into it while Pragya serves her mashed potatoes and then steamed vegetables.
"I don't like that." Ruhi informs her.
"Still you have to eat it." Pragya tells her gently.
"I don't like the taste." Ruhi insists.
"Don't you want to grow up fast?"
Ruhi nods her head in yes.
"Then have this." Pragya tells her and turns to Abhi and serves him vegetables.
"Actually... I don't..." Abhi starts to protest and Pragya calmly but in a threatening voice asks him, "Do you want more?"
"No... no... this is fine." Abhi tells her quickly and Pragya smiles at him sweetly.
"See Rooh... Papa is eating now you also eat."
Ruhi looks at Abhi and Abhi quickly starts eating. Seeing her father eat, Ruhi with a pout starts eating.
"That's like my Chipmunk." Pragya says happily as she kissed her. Ruhi starts giggling hearing the cute name while Abhi with disgust stabs the vegetable with his fork.
"Pragya... there is good light now... can we take your photos now?" Abhi asks Pragya after breakfast.
"Now?" Pragya asks getting nervous.
"Yes."
"We'll take." Ruhi says excitedly deciding for Pragya. Sighing Pragya agrees.
Seeing Pragya uncomfortable, Abhi decides to take Pragya's and Ruhi's photo together first. Pragya slowly starts relaxing and even enjoy taking the photos with Ruhi.
"Nice shots." Pragya tells Abhi as three of them looked at the photos on the camera display.
"Thank you." Abhi tells her smiling.
"You like photography?" Pragya asks him curiously seeing the beautiful pictures.
"It's my passion." Abhi tells her and then he tells her in a soft tone, "You are very beautiful on camera."
"Erm." Pragya turns completely pink hearing that and she looks away as she softly murmured, "Thank you."
"Thanks to you for letting me photograph you." Abhi tells her smiling.
Seeing her turning even pinker, he steps back and quickly clicks a photo of her. Pragya looks at him in shock while Abhi checks the photo and says with a small smile, "Pretty."
"Rooh." Pragya calls Ruhi as she walked towards her getting nervous at the way Abhishek was flirting with her.
"Pragya... can we take your singles, now?" Abhi asks her.
"Solo?" Pragya panics. "No, these are fine."
"No, Mama. Take." Ruhi says making cute faces at her.
Sighing Pragya says, "Okay."
"Mama... change your dress."
"This is fine, Rooh."
"All the photos you are wearing the same saree." Abhi tells her.
"Come, Mama... I'll tell you what to wear." Ruhi says as she excitedly held Pragya's hand and dragged her towards their bedroom.
"This so pretty, Mama." Ruhi gushes as she held the sleeveless top in her hand. They both were bend over Pragya's suitcase.
"Thank you, Ruhi. I'll wear this saree?" Pragya asks as she held up a saree from the suitcase.
"No, Mama... wear this."
"No, Ruhi... I'll wear saree." Pragya says a little uncomfortable thinking of wearing that in front of Rishabh. It was strange, she usually wears that outside then why was she feeling nervous thinking of wearing it in front of Rishabh?
"Please Mama. Wear this. You will look so so so pretty." Ruhi tells her making cute faces.
Pragya wears it as she realized that it was mighty impossible for her to say no to Ruhi when she made such cute faces at her.
Abhi looks up hearing Ruhi and Pragya coming and stops in shock seeing Pragya wearing a sleeveless top and short skirt. He had thought she looked beautiful in saree and this was just making her all the more gorgeous and her legs were... Aaah...
"Ready?" Pragya asks hesitantly seeing him ogling at her.
"Yeah." Abhi replies coughing as he looked away.
"Chin up." Abhi tells Pragya.
Pragya slightly lifts her face up.
"A little down."
Pragya moves it down. Sighing, Abhi walks towards her and gently holds her chin and slowly lifts her face up. Feeling his touch on her, Pragya's cheek slightly heat up. Then Abhi starts readjusting her curls. "Thanks for the breakfast." Abhi tells her as he studied her curls. Pragya looks at him and he continues as he looked at her eyes, "After a long time, Ruhi and I are starting our day with good food."
Pragya smiles hearing that and seeing her smile, he too smiles.
"Group photo!" Ruhi shouts excitedly.
"Okay." Abhi says as he set his camera aside and looked for the proper spot.
Finally, he pulls a Divan towards the area the light was best. "Rooh... Pragya... you both sit here." Abhi tells them as he went to adjust the camera. He keeps the camera on a high stool then leaning next to it, he starts changing the mode and then setting the frame. "Leave space for me." Abhi reminds them.
Pragya sits on the Divan and pulls Ruhi next to her, wrapping her hand around her, she holds her close.
"Are you both ready?"
"Yes." Pragya replies.
"Okay, then... smile." Abhi says as he pressed the self-timer and ran towards them. he sits next to Ruhi and quickly wraps his arms around Pragya and Ruhi.
Surprised at his action, Pragya quickly turns to look at him.
"What?" Abhi asks and Pragya shakes her head.
"Look straight." Abhi tells her and Pragya turns to look at the camera. Just as she smiles the camera flashes on them.
Abhi hurries to the camera to check the photo while Pragya sighs in relief. She couldn't take this closeness anymore. She actually felt a little jealous that he was feeling so relaxed next to her while she was on her nerves.
"I'm going to cook lunch." Pragya announces.
"You'll cook lunch too?" Ruhi asks surprised.
"Yes. My Rooh Pooh." Pragya says as she cupped her face making Ruhi giggle.
Lunch was again a challenge due to lack of ingredients. Searching the fridge and freezer, Pragya found some frozen peas and decided to make pulao and chicken curry. The peas were bought for Ruhi's school project, Robbin told her in between. Pragya mentally thanks Ruhi's school for their project not realizing that these kinds of projects in the coming years are going to drive her husband and her mad.
"Tastes good." Abhi tells Pragya as he took second serve.
"Thank you." Pragya says with a soft smile.
"Very nice, Mama." Ruhi tells her as she picked out the peas and put it on the side.
"Have your peas, Rooh."
"I don't want that, Mama."
"But you have to eat it, Rooh." Pragya tells her smiling. "It's good for you."
"Okay." Ruhi says as she mixed up peas with the rice without any enthusiasm.
"Erm... we need to buy grocery." Pragya tells Abhi.
"Just tell Robbin whatever you want to buy." Abhi tells her.
"No, I want to go." Pragya tells Abhi.
"Okay then... evening we will go out."
Pragya nods in reply.
Since both Abhi and Pragya had took a week off, they spend the time with Ruhi and slowly started to get to know one another better. A week later, it was time to get back to school and work.
"What time does Ruhi get back home?" Pragya asks Abhi as she got ready for work.
"Her school is till 1:30 but she stays in her school till 5:30. They have day boarding."
"Oh."
"From school itself, they make her do her homework and revise the lessons of that day. So after she gets home, she is free to play around." Abhi explains to her.
"So, what about her lunch?"
"They give it in her school."
"Okay. How is she going to school?"
"I drop her and pick her up." Abhi tells her. "How do you go to work?"
"I'll take an auto."
"I'll drop you then." Abhi tells her.
"Would that be a problem?" Pragya asks hesitantly not wanting to trouble him.
"No... I might drop you off a little early." Abhi tells her.
"That is fine." Pragya tells him. "What time do we leave from here?"
"8. Ruhi's class starts at 8:30."
"Okay."
As usual, Ruhi wakes up Pragya early in the morning and Pragya after quickly fixing their breakfast and lunch, gives Ruhi a bath and takes a shower. While she and Ruhi got dressed, Pragya asked Ruhi to wake up Abhi to go to office. After breakfast they were about to leave, when Pragya gives Abhi his packed lunch. Abhi was surprised to see lunch packed for him.
Abhi takes the packed lunch from her and smiles, "Thank you."
Pragya shakes her head at him, and asks him, "Have you paid Ruhi's canteen fee for this whole year?"
"Whole term." Abhi tells her.
"Okay... I was thinking of packing her lunch for her."
"The school lunch is good."
"Yes, but that I won't know if she is eating her vegetables."
"Okay... whatever you feel is good for her." Abhi tells her smiling.
"Can I ask Robbin to clean our room or do you want me to supervise while he cleans?" Pragya asks Abhi in a whisper.
"No, there is nothing of value outside. And he is trustworthy. You can tell him."
"Okay." Pragya says smiling and goes back in to give Robbin his instructions for the day.
"Why are we not leaving?" Ruhi asks curiously as she looked up at her father.
"Because Mama is making sure everything is perfect."
"Oh." Ruhi nods understanding. "You like my hair?" Ruhi asks Abhi as she turned around to show her hair style.
"Yes." Abhi says smiling as he knelt down next to her and kissed her.
"Is that French braid?" Abhi asks remembering Ruhi's talk when he had met Pragya for the first time.
"Uffo Papa, you don't know anything. This is dutch braid. Mama did it. Mama knows everything."
"Oh ho... Now you have become Mama's girl and no more Papa's princess?" Abhi asks not feeling jealous or insecure for even a bit because finally, Ruhi was getting a mother's love.
"I am Mama's girl and Papa's Princess too." Ruhi tells Abhi as she hugged him.
"I know my Rooh." Abhi says as he hugged her.
"Let's go?" Pragya asks as she hurried towards them.
"Yes."
"Is there anything either of you want done at home when you get back?" Pragya asks them.
While Ruhi gives a confused look, Abhi shakes his head with a smile. His house had badly needed a mother, a wife and a homemaker.
Story by : book.worm
That night after Abhi and Pragya puts Ruhi to sleep, Abhi asks Pragya. "Would you like to go out for a walk?"
"Now?" Pragya asks shocked.
"Yes. Just down, near the pool."
"What about Ruhi?" Pragya asks.
"She won't wake up till morning."
"Okay."
They were walking silently around the pool lost in thoughts. Pragya softly yawns feeling sleepy.
"You are sleepy?"
"A little. I wake up early, right?" Pragya reminds him with a smile.
"Do you want to go back up?"
"Maybe after 10 minutes, the climate is nice." Pragya says as she rubbed her hand feeling the chill.
"She wakes you up very early, right?" Abhi asks feeling guilty for sleeping happily while Pragya had to wake up early.
"I get to do a lot of work in the morning. If not for her, I would have kept an alarm."
Abhi smiles in relief and tells her, "After you came here, it has become a home."
Pragya turns to Abhi and sees the smile on his face and couldn't help but ask him, "You love me, don't you?"
Abhi chuckles hearing her as he looked away. Then going silent he says, "Yes."
Pragya nods her head.
Abhi turns to look at her and tells her, "You were talking to Ruhi that day, giving her earrings, dressing her up. First time, I saw Ruhi with her mother, and I fell in love with my daughter's mother."
"That is why you married me?"
"I could see that Ruhi also loved you and you also loved Ruhi."
Pragya nods and starts to walk when his voice reaches her, "You don't love me."
Pragya turns to him and softly shakes her head.
"Unlike my situation, the love you shared with your ex-husband didn't fizzle out, you were betrayed when he turned against you. You would need time to love again."
"What if I am not able to love you ever? What if I never have the courage to love again?"
"You already showed courage in loving Ruhi, Pragya." Abhi gently reminds her. "Still, even if you can never love me, it is okay, Pragya. The love you shower on my daughter, is love enough for me."
"Our daughter." Pragya possessively corrects him.
"Our daughter." Abhi agrees with a smile.
Pragya couldn't help it, she moves towards him and hesitantly hugs him. Abhi hugs her back happily.
Abhi and Pragya had taken Ruhi to the park on the weekend. Weekends they tried to take Ruhi either to the beach or park. They sat back and watched Ruhi playing on the slides while they chatted. Pragya was getting comfortable with Abhi and now she was no longer nervous or hesitant with him.
"I have to go to Allahabad next week." Abhi tells her.
"Oh... for how many days?" Pragya asks unable to realize why she was suddenly feeling sad that he was going away. She was getting used to him?
"I'll be going on Thursday. Will be back by Sunday night."
"Hmmm."
"Usually when I go, I take Robbin and Ruhi with me. Robbin will take care of Ruhi while I work there."
"Oh." Pragya turns to Abhi panicking. Was he going to take Ruhi?
"Can you take leave and come with me?" Abhi asks her.
"I can't. I took leave for our wedding and now it is quarterly closing time and I haven't achieved my target yet." Pragya tells Abhi worriedly.
"Hmmm... So you and Ruhi will manage alone without me?"
"You would leave Ruhi with me?" Pragya asks surprised and smiling.
"Yes." Abhi says surprised. "Isn't that how it should be?"
"Yes, it is." Pragya replies smiling.
Abhi shakes his head at her smiling.
They were on their way back home when Pragya gets a call from a client.
"Can you mail me your requirements? I'll send you the quotation in 2 hours."
Pragya reaches home and quickly picks her laptop to work. Ruhi runs to her and sits next to her curiously.
"Rooh... come here, don't disturb Mama, she has work." Abhi tells her.
"What work?" Ruhi asks Pragya curiously.
"Mama sells telephones, baby. So this client told me he wants 200 phones, so I will send him a quotation telling him how much it would cost him." Pragya explains to her.
"Oh."
"I know, you didn't want a wife who works at home." Pragya tells Abhi at night in bed. "I haven't achieved my target and I was under a little pressure. I am..."
"Pragya..." Abhi cuts her off as he turned to her.
"Hmmm?"
"When I look at you, I see Ruhi's mother first then my wife. That's all I wanted in my wife. You would never ignore Rooh for your work, rest doesn't matter."
Pragya smiles at him happily. He was so understanding.
"How are you going to the airport?" Pragya asks Abhi as she helped him pack his bag.
"I'll take a taxi."
"I can drop you." Pragya tells him as she brought out two suits. "Which one?"
"You drive?" Abhi asks surprised. "Black."
"Yes."
"You never told me."
"you never asked me." Pragya counters. "Rooh, are you done polishing Papa's shoes?"
"Almost." Ruhi says as she brushed Abhi's shoes with the shiner.
"You should have told me." Abhi tells her. "That's enough Rooh. Pass."
"Well... I can drive, husband." Pragya tells him rolling her eyes as she passed him his shirts.
Abhi keeps his shirts and then putting his shoes in shoe bags, keeps it in his bag. "Then, I will cancel the taxi? Should I cancel tomorrow's also? Will you drop Ruhi and go by car?"
"Of course." Pragya says making a face making Ruhi giggle.
"Bye, Rooh... take care of Mama." Abhi says as he knelt down next to Ruhi and kissed her. first time, he was going away from Ruhi, though he was sad about the separation there was no fear because he knew Pragya would take good care of her.
"Yes, Papa. We are planning to go see Nanu and Nani." Ruhi informs him.
"I know, baby." Abhi says smiling as he hugged her tight and kissed her.
Abhi turns to look at Pragya and sees her hesitantly smile. He could tell that she was a little upset, good! It meant she was starting to feel for him.
"Bye." Abhi tells her as he walked towards her.
"Take care." Pragya tells her.
Abhi nods as he moved towards her and hugs her.
"Call me when you reach."
"Will do." Abhi tells her as he hugged her tight. He was going to miss her. then he couldn't help it, he kisses her on her cheek, making her gasp in shock.
"bye."
Pragya blushes in reply making him grin. "I'll see you when I come back then." Abhi tells her and Pragya very well understood the hidden promise making her blush.
They wave off Abhi and Pragya happily picks up Ruhi and walks towards their car, his kiss still tingling her cheek.
Abhi was going mad with worry. Since morning, he had been trying to call Pragya. It's Saturday evening, and Friday night, she had called saying that she had reached her house. After that, she hasn't picked his call and their landline was faulty. He had been missing his wife and daughter like mad these two days and now he wasn't even getting them on the phone. This is crazy. He decided to skip the meeting tomorrow and go back home. He was about to call his secretary to change his tickets when he hears the doorbell ring. Feeling that something bad was about to happen, he runs to the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. He looks through the keyhole and sees a room boy and he quickly opens the door.
"yes?"
"SURPRISE!" Pragya and Ruhi shouts as they jumped from both the sides in front of him.
"Wha.." Abhi stops in shock seeing them. "How did you two?" Abhi asks in relief and surprise as he happily smiled.
"We came to surprise you." Ruhi informs him as she jumped on him happily. "Did you get surprised?"
"Yes. I was going crazy here as I couldn't get you online." Abhi tells Pragya as he hugged Ruhi tight.
Pragya grins hearing him and taking their luggage from the room boy she asks him to leave.
"You scared me." Abhi tells Pragya as he hugged her.
Pragya giggles hearing him.
"Oh Papa... Mama and I had so much fun in the plane. You know, there was this movie in the plane..." Ruhi starts excitedly narrating her travel experience while Abhi listened happily to her.
Much later, while Pragya gave Ruhi her bath, Abhi ordered an extra bed for Ruhi. Abhi was just too excited to have Pragya and Ruhi with him. He hadn't even the slightest idea that Pragya would pull something off like this. He watches as Pragya got Ruhi ready for bed. He hadn't been able to talk to her since they arrived. He had been listening to Ruhi's excited chattering. She was still reeling from her joy of her first surprise visit. Finally, they put Ruhi on bed and Abhi tells her the story of The Princess And The Pea while Pragya sat back and listened.
Once, Ruhi had slept, Pragya slowly get up a little nervous as now her husband and she had some privacy.
"So, when did you plan this?" Abhi asks her as he got up and walked towards her.
"Ruhi was missing you badly." Pragya tells him nervously as a blush crept her cheeks.
"And you?" Abhi asks her as he held her hand and pulled her towards him.
"Me?" Pragya blushes.
"That much?" Abhi asks grinning.
Pragya nods her head shyly.
"Even I missed you." Abhi tells her in a whisper as he leaned down.
Pragya happily looks up at him and Abhi leans down and takes her lips in his. Pragya shyly pushes him away. "Ruhi."
"She is sleeping." Abhi tells her and again leans down to kiss her and Pragya pushes him away and runs to the dressing room.
She stops at the door and turns to look at him. Seeing him watching her, Pragya with a sexy smile crooks her finger at him. Abhi's face breaks out into a surprised smile and starts walking towards her and Pragya runs inside.
Abhi walks into the dressing area to find Pragya leaning on the wall watching him. She again crooks her finger at him. Seeing the smile on her lips as she bit her lower lip, nothing was more arousing than that for Abhi. Abhi with a lazy smile walks towards her taking his time to tease her. losing her patience, when he was at arms distance, Pragya quickly grabs his collar and pulls him forcefully towards her.
"Tigress." Abhi says impressed.
"Stop talking." Pragya tells him as she pulled him close to her silently telling him to kiss her.
"Now, you understand what I have been going through all this while?" Abhi asks her with a teasing smile. Losing her patience, Pragya pulls Abhi towards her and slams her lips on his.
As their tongues mated for the first time, they experienced passion, hunger, lust and love they had never experienced before. Pragya slithers in his arms as they hungrily kissed.
"I missed you so much." Pragya whispers as she kissed him.
"I missed you too. I love you, Pragya." Abhi whispers as he kissed her neck.
Feeling his hand sliding up her night shirt, Pragya stops him. "No."
"God, Pragya, I will go crazy." Abhi whispers to her urgently.
"Ruhi is here." Pragya says as she gently pushed him away.
"She is sleeping. In the other room."
Pragya shakes her head with a smile.
"You are right." Abhi says sighing, as he leans on her defeated. "We will make love on our bed."
Pragya hugs Abhi happily.
They walk back into the room. After making sure Ruhi was fine, they get on bed. Abhi rolls towards Pragya and hugs her.
"This is going to be the longest night in my life." Abhi tells her making Pragya giggle.
Pragya kisses him on his cheek and tells him, "Close your eyes and go to sleep. Very soon, she will be waking us up."
Next night, they reach home. By the time they reach home, Ruhi had slept off. While Abhi put her in bed, Pragya went to shower and after she had her shower while Abhi took his shower, Pragya went to check in on Robbin and discussed about the next day's meal and all the work for next day. After that she walks back to their room knowing her husband would be waiting for her.
Pragya walks in and finds Abhi waiting in their room in his boxers. Pragya couldn't help chuckle. Her husband clearly didn't believe in wasting time.
Understanding why she was chuckling he tells her, "Look at you all prim and proper."
Pragya looks down at herself. She was wearing a full sleeve night dress, and she couldn't help laugh out loud. She looks up at her husband and gets surprised to find him standing right next to her. she couldn't help the blush that crept up at her cheek. Abhi leans down and takes her lips in his. As they kissed, he started tugging at her clothes. Slowly, she was out of her last piece of garment. Abhi steps back to look at her. though Pragya was feeling shy, she felt confident too. Her experience with him was so different. With Nikhil, it had been all too innocent and more like a teenage love. Young and carefree love. But with him, it was more mature and deep. She wasn't ashamed of baring herself to him. Somehow she knew, he would like it. he wouldn't think badly of her for expressing her desire for him. And she had never desired anyone like she desired him. He had filled her life with joy, laughter and a daughter. She loved him. How could she not? But she couldn't tell him that. She was scared. She didn't have the courage. She might have loved before, but now, after him, she can never love again.
Abhi with a groan takes her lips in his unable to hide his desire for her. she ignited a fire in him that no one ever could. He burned for her. he loved her. he had loved before but his love for her was something he had experienced only once in his life. The kind of love he felt for his daughter, unadulterated and pure. His love for Pragya ran deeper than whatever he could have felt for Tanu. Pragya had filled that void in his and Ruhi's life with love and care. Ruhi and Pragya were his life, there was nothing more he wanted from his life.
Pragya nervously runs her hand over his chest. God! She loved touching him. And she knew he loved touching her, he always looked for reasons to touch her. Pragya nervously drags her hand down, wanting him to be as naked as her. but her hand wouldn't move any further down than his navel. Then somehow understanding her, Abhi takes her hand and keeps it on the waistband of his boxer. With his help, Pragya pulls down his boxer.
"That was the first time you said my name." Abhi whispers to her as he hugged her.
"I did? When?" Pragya asks curiously. She was never sure what to call him and had never called him anything. She never realized that he had noticed it.
"You called me Abhishek."
Pragya smiles at him. "I did?" she had gone crazy in between. Such passion was new to her that she forgot herself. When he remained silent, Pragya curiously look at his face and finds him watching her with pure male satisfaction. And she knew when she had said his name. she had moaned his name when they had found fulfillment.
"Abhishek." Pragya calls his name as she caressed his cheek lovingly.
"I never thought, love making could be so..." Abhi starts to say then stops not finding the exact phrase. Moving?
"I know." Pragya tells him smiling happily, knowing it was the same for him.
"It's time for bed, Ruhi." Abhi tells her making Pragya cover her mouth lest she burst out laughing.
"But I am not feeling sleepy." Ruhi informs him confused.
"But it is bed time." Abhi tells her.
"So soon?" Ruhi asks thoroughly confused.
"Yes."
"But I always watch Dora before sleeping. Dora didn't start only."
"Maybe they are not telecasting Dora today." Abhi lies through his teeth.
"Why?"
"I don't know." Abhi shrugs then glaring at Pragya for being no help.
"We will wait for some time and see."
"It's already 9:30 look." Abhi casually flicks his wrist at her.
Ruhi quickly grabs his hand and looks at the time. "Oh Papa! It is only 8!"
"When did you learn to tell the time?" Abhi asks confused.
"Mama taught me today."
"Oh Did you?" Abhi turns to Pragya to glare at her making Pragya chuckle and blush at the same time.
"Mama, you should teach Papa also to check time." Ruhi tells Pragya as she grabbed the remote and put on cartoon.
Sighing loudly, Abhi sits next to Pragya. Pragya giggles happily seeing his impatience. Even she was feeling impatient, she couldn't wait to touch him and have him touch her but then for that they had to put Ruhi to bed.
"Why didn't you tell me that you taught her to tell the time?"
"I would have if you hadn't mouth-attacked me the moment you saw me."
"I attacked you? You attacked me." Abhi tells her.
"You started it."
"Let's finish it then," Abhi hotly whispers to her.
"What about her?"
"Hmmm... then let's go in for a quickie and come back." Abhi tells her.
Pragya looks at him with that excited smile of hers as she bit her lower lip that he found so arousing. She contemplated it for a while and then shook her head in negative.
"Rooh... Papa is feeling sleepy. Let's sleep baby." Abhi tells her and even fakes a yawn too.
"You sleep, Papa. Mama will tell me a story today."
Pragya couldn't help chuckling. Abhi had enough. He puts his hand around Pragya and slowly slides his finger inside her night shirt while his other hand, he started caressing her thighs. He had been surprised when she wore a short night shirt. Now that they were close and Robbin had gone to his village for a few days, she was relaxed in her dressing at home.
Feeling his teasing gentle caress, Pragya started getting turned on.
"Stop it."
"No."
"Abhishek... I am serious." Pragya tells him as she grabbed his hand.
He quickly shakes her hand off and goes further up.
"Abhishek..." Pragya whispers in a warning tone.
Abhi got even more determined.
"RUHI!"
"Haan Mama?"
"Baby, I'm feeling sleepy... can we sleep?" Pragya asks her urgently.
"So soon?"
"We travelled yesterday, right? Maybe because of that."
Ruhi looks at her parents pouting and then says, "Okay. But can I read the book Nanu got me? I don't want to sleep."
"Okay. But only read for a little while." Pragya tells her deciding to check in on her around her sleeping time to make sure that she slept.
"Okay." Ruhi says smiling.
Seven months later, Pragya sat in her bathroom looking at the big fat positive on her home pregnancy kit. She had been staring at it for more than half hour now and now it was all messed up. She had been nauseous the last couple of weeks and she had thought it to be indigestion. Then she had noticed the changes, those changes which had been her life's mission once upon a time. She had researched about each and every sign of pregnancy while she had tried to conceive. And now? When she had given up hope. Neither Abhishek nor she had talked about a baby. Oh God! Could she be really pregnant? Pragya clutches the home pregnancy kit in her hand as tears slipped down her eyes.
"Pragya?" Abhi knocks on the door.
"yes?" Pragya replies quickly wiping her tears.
"What happened? Is everything alright? Ruhi is calling you."
"Mama?"
"I'm just coming, baby." Pragya replies as she washed her face and quickly hid her test. She couldn't tell either of them before she got it confirmed by a doctor.
"What happened?" Abhi asks curiously as she stepped out.
"Nothing." Pragya shakes her head.
"are you sick?" Abhi asks as he kept his palm on her forehead. "you are hot but it doesn't feel like fever."
"Are you sick, Mama?" Ruhi asks her as she hugged her.
"No my chipmunk." Pragya tells her as she hugged her.
"Why don't you take an off today?" Abhi asks her in concern.
"I am fine, Abhishek." Pragya tells him smiling. "I'm going to make breakfast else we will be late. Don't sleep now. Get ready."
Abhi nods.
The moment she reached her office, Pragya called up her old gynecologist and asked for an appointment. During office time in the evening, she went to the clinic and gave her blood for testing after meeting her gynecologist. Rest of the day and the next day morning, Pragya nervously spend as she wondered and worried about her result. Abhishek had never mentioned a need for another baby but she knew he would only be happy.
Pragya was in her office when she got a call from her gynec.
"Hello Pragya?"
"Hello doctor... Did you get the results?"
"Congratulations, you are pregnant."
For the next ten minutes, Pragya didn't know or realize what was happening around her. she just sat there caressing her stomach as tears fell from her eyes.
After meeting her gynec, Pragya went to Ruhi's school to pick her up.
"What happened, Mama?" Ruhi asks curiously as she walked with Pragya towards the gate.
"We are going to give Papa a surprise." Pragya tells her happily then she couldn't control herself and leans down and kisses Ruhi soundly. Ruhi had brought happiness into her life. She gave her, Abhishek, herself and now a new baby.
"Surprise? I LOVE giving surprise." Ruhi tells her excitedly. "What is the surprise?"
"Would you like to have a baby sister or baby brother?"
"YES!" Ruhi says excitedly as she clapped her hands.
"Then my Rooh baby is going to be a big sister soon."
"Really? A baby is coming?" Ruhi asks happily.
"Yes."
"When?"
"In 7 months."
"7 months?" Ruhi asks pouting.
"Time will go like that." Pragya tells her as she snapped her fingers.
"we will tell Papa then."
Abhi rings on the bell worriedly. Pragya had been hiding something from him for a couple of days and she wasn't telling him what. And today, she had taken half day off from office and picked up Ruhi from school and come back home. He hoped everything was fine. Today come what may, he is going to find out what is worrying his wife and set it right.
"hello Papa." Ruhi excitedly opens the door and wishes him as she stood in front of him hands at her hips, proudly and excitedly displaying her new T-shirt.
"Hi Rooh... where is Pragya?"
"Inside. Papa!"
"What?"
"Papa!" Ruhi calls him again as she stomped her foot and looked at him with her hands on her hips.
"What Rooh?" Abhi asks her absentmindedly.
"Can't you see, Papa?" Ruhi asks irately.
"What?" Abhi looks at her and sees that she was wearing a new tshirt.
"New top?"
"YES!"
"Nice... where is Pragya."
"In room! PAPA!"
"What, Rooh?" Abhi asks her turning to her and giving her his full attention.
"My top, PAPA!"
"It is nice, Ruhi... Now I want to talk to Mama."
"Oh Papa!"
"What baby?" Abhi asks her tiredly.
"Can't you read?" Ruhi asks at her wits end.
"Read what?"
"THIS!!!" Ruhi says as she pointed at her tshirt.
"Big sister." Abhi reads out loud.
Ruhi smiles out loudly.
"Big sister?" Abhi asks her confused. "Is that what you wanted me to read?"
"YES!"
"Okay, I read... now can I go talk to Mama?"
"PAPA!"
"What baby?" Abhi asks sighing out loudly.
Having enough of his stupidity, she declares, "Ruhi is big sister now."
"Big sister?" Abhi asks as his heart skipped a beat.
"You don't understand anything, Papa. I am tired. You go ask Mama." Ruhi says giving up and walking off. The surprise didn't go off as she had expected.
"Pragya?" Abhi runs into his room and finds Pragya at the window. "What is Ruhi saying?"
"You are an idiot, husband." Pragya tells him smiling as she walked towards him. She had heard how hard poor Rooh was trying to tell him about the new baby.
"Are you really..." Abhi asks not wanting to say the word pregnant and if she was not then end up hurting Pragya.
"Yes." Pragya tells him as she took his hand and kept it on her stomach.
"You sure?" Abhi asks as he gulped the sob that was forcing in his throat. He hadn't given himself permission to dream of another baby fearing that would cause pain to Pragya.
"Yes. Now don't cry. I don't think I can handle that." Pragya teases him as tears filled her eyes. Abhi pulls her into his arms and hugs her tight and Pragya burst into tears.
Abhi and Ruhi treated Pragya like a porcelain doll. Pampering and fussing over like a mother. Suddenly, Pragya was the baby in the family and Pragya enjoyed each and every second of it. on her 7th month of her pregnancy, Anand and Sarla insisted that Pragya go to their place for delivery. Though Abhi wasn't happy about it, he gave in and wasn't even surprised when Pragya had taken Ruhi with her. he always knew that Pragya was possessive about Ruhi then after she got pregnant he assumed her possessiveness might lessen a little, but nothing like that happened.
"PAPA" Ruhi excitedly calls out to him as he walked into Pragya's house.
"Hey Ruhi." Abhi hugs her happily. There was a time when they couldn't even stay apart for a day, but after their family had extended their that insecurity had lessened considerably.
"How is my Rooh-Pooh? Are you troubling Nanu and Nani?" Abhi asks as he smiled at his in-laws.
"No, Papa. Nanu is my friend. He always gives me books." Ruhi tells him happily.
Anand is a voracious reader and according to Pragya, his one regret in life other than marrying her off to Nikhil at a young age was that Pragya never got his interest in reading books. Somehow, he was able to cultivate that taste in Ruhi and now Ruhi and Anand had a book club too.
"What about Nani then?" Sarla asks pouting.
"Even Nani is my friend. She stitches pretty frocks for me." Ruhi tells Abhi.
"Abhishek, you are home?" Pragya asks smiling as he walked into her room.
"How are you?"
"Tired." Pragya says with a sigh and hugs him. "Now, you will go after my delivery only, right?"
"Yes." Abhi promises her.
"I am really worried." Pragya whispers to him.
"Everything is going to be smooth for you."
"I hope so." Pragya tells him.
Hearing his mobile ring, Abhi checks the caller ID and quickly cuts the call lest Pragya sees it.
"Who is it? Office?" Pragya asks curiously as he never picked office calls after office hours.
"No one important."
Once, he had put Pragya to sleep, he steps out and calls Tanu back.
"Hello Abhi?"
"Listen, I am at Pragya's place now. How many times do I have to tell you not to call?"
"You act smart with me then I am going to come to your wife's house!" Tanu threatens him.
"Don't do anything stupid."
"Then don't keep me waiting! My patience is growing thin." Tanu threatens him and hangs up.
Abhi crawls into bed next to Pragya and hugs her.
"Who was it?" Pragya asks sleepily.
"Some nuisance." Abhi whispers.
That night, Pragya went into labor and after, 6 hours of labor, their daughter was born.
"When are you coming home?" Abhi asks Pragya as he sat next to her as he played with their baby.
"I've been asking Maa, she is asking me to stay for a few more days." Pragya tells Abhi.
"It's been 2 months, Pragya. I can't stay alone. I want my wife and my daughters home with me." Abhi tells her.
"Even I am missing home." Pragya tells him.
"Then come home." Abhi tells her as he leaned to kiss her.
"You tell Maa... she keeps saying that house would be silent when we go."
"Okay... I'll tell her." Abhi tells her smiling. He kisses her lips happily and tells her, "Love you."
Abhi walks out to talk to Sarla and just then Abhi's cell starts ringing. Seeing an ISD unsaved number Pragya curiously answers it. she had noticed that Abhi getting calls from this number on and off and he always cutting the call. She had assumed it to be some office call.
"hello?"
"Who is this?" a woman asks from the other side.
"Who are you?" Pragya asks back not liking the tone and question.
"Are you Abhi's new wife?"
Pragya didn't like the word new in the question and tells her irately, "I am Abhishek Mehra's wife."
"And I am his ex-wife."
"Done... we are going home today. Start packing." Abhi says as he walked back in.
"Tanu?" Pragya asks looking at Abhi. She wasn't sure whether she was asking Abhi or the girl on the phone that question.
Seeing Abhi's face drain of blood, she realized she was asking him that question.
"Yes. Can I speak to Abhi now?"
Without a word, Pragya passes Abhi the phone.
"Pragya..."
"She wants to talk to you." Pragya tells him.
Abhi cuts the call as he nervously looked at Pragya. "Pragya..."
"How long has she been calling you? Why is she calling you? What does she want?"
"Pragya... calm down... it's not what you think."
"It's not what I think? Really? So why were you hiding it from me? For how long has this been going on?"
"You were pregnant and I didn't want to cause you any kind of worry."
"Rooni is 2 months now. And you didn't think to tell me?"
"You are getting worked up, Pragya... calm down. It is nothing as you are fearing."
"Really? Yeah, right!" Pragya says as she furiously stood up. "She wants to take my Ruhi away from me and it is nothing?"
"Do you think I would let her take our daughter away from us?" Abhi asks her upset at her for having so little faith in him.
"Then why were you hiding it from me?"
"I was just trying to..."
"What, Abhishek?"
Taking a deep breath, he says, "She wants Ruhi to know her and wants Ruhi to go to her for her summer holidays."
"NO! My Ruhi is not going anywhere. She is my daughter!"
"Yes, Pragya. She is your daughter. That is why I told her no."
"Then why is she calling again?"
"Because she is adamant, but she can't take Ruhi without my consent. I have sole custody of Ruhi."
Hearing the argument Rooni starts crying and Pragya quickly picks her up and starts rocking her.
"I should start packing." Pragya tells Abhi. "I want to get home before nightfall."
Abhi walks into his room to find Pragya breast feeding Rooni while Ruhi slept next to her on the bed. He knew, why Ruhi was sleeping in their room. Sighing, he walks towards their bed and sits opposite to her. Ruhi was sleeping so peacefully and Rooni was happily suckling on Pragya's breast. He leans down and kisses Rooni.
"I love you, Abhishek." Pragya tells him as she caressed his cheek. Abhi was momentarily shocked hearing her love declaration. He always knew she loved him but she saying it suddenly.
"I am not going to let her take Ruhi for even a day." Abhi tells Pragya. "She used to treat her so badly and you think I would let her take Ruhi?"
"But what right do we have, Abhishek?" Pragya asks him with tears in her eyes.
"You are her mother, Pragya."
"But Tanu gave birth to her. Ruhi is in this world because of Tanu."
"If it was up to her she would have killed Ruhi before she was born. I don't know from where this motherly love erupted suddenly."
"I was selfish, Abhishek. but we can't be selfish. Ruhi has a right to know her birth mother."
"No, Pragya."
"Yes, Abhishek. tomorrow, if she asks you why Tanu is not a part of her life what would you tell her?"
"I will tell her she wasn't worthy enough to be her mother."
"Let her decide that."
"How can you say that, Pragya?" Abhi asks her shocked. Pragya was possessive about their daughter but then she was her mother too. And a mother could never be selfish.
"I can't think of being separated from Ruhi, and Tanu gave birth to her."
"What are we going to tell her?"
"Tell her that you and Tanu had issues and divorced and now Tanu wants to spend a few days with her. never let her know that she was an unwanted child to her mother."
"She won't go."
"I will make her understand." Pragya tells her.
Three months later, during Ruhi's summer holidays they were at the airport with Tanu.
"I don't want to go, Mama." Ruhi whispers to Pragya as she hugged her sadly.
"Ruhi baby, didn't we talk about this?"
Ruhi nods her head sadly.
"You are going to stay with your Mom for a few days so you can get to know her."
"What about Rooni? Will she forget me if I go?"
"No baby, we will video chat every day." Pragya promises. Pragya hugs and kisses her.
"Keep this mobile with you all the time and if anything you don't like happens, call Papa immediately." Abhi tells her.
Ruhi nods and hugs Abhi.
"Please take care of her." Pragya tells Tanu.
Tanu nods though irritated at the melodrama in front of her.
"You remember, what I told you?" Abhi asks Tanu in a warning tone.
"God! She is my daughter." Tanu tells him rolling his eyes.
"Robbin." Abhi turns to him and Robbin nods in reply.
Since, neither Abhi nor Pragya could go with them, Abhi had insisted that Robbin go with them and Tanu had reluctantly agreed.
"Can't believe you would trust your servant more than me." Tanu mutters irately.
"I would." Abhi snaps back at her.
"They boarded." Abhi informs Pragya as he walked into Ruhi's room. Pragya was cleaning up Ruhi's room.
"We made a mistake, Abhishek." Pragya tells Abhi as she clutched Ruhi's doll.
"Pragya..." Abhi starts realizing that Pragya was panicking.
"We shouldn't have let her go. What if she takes her away from me?"
"Pragya we are sending Ruhi with her after every legal procedure. Tanu would become a criminal if she doesn't send Ruhi back in 15 days." Abhi reminds her.
"No... no... we should call back Ruhi." Pragya tells Abhi worriedly.
"She will take my daughter away from me!"
"No, Pragya."
"Call her back. I want to see my Ruhi now."
"GOD Pragya! All these days, you were forcing me to send her and now you are asking me to bring her back."
"It was a mistake. I am sorry. I want my Ruhi. Please Abhishek... please bring her back."
"No, Pragya! Enough! There is nothing we can do now." Abhi tells her sternly.
"Why did you let me do this?" Pragya asks Abhi as she cried.
"Because you were right."
"How was your flight?"
"Boring." Ruhi says.
"Why?"
"There wasn't any good movies. Mom put some stupid movie. I miss you, Mama"
"I miss you too, Baby."
"How is Rooni? Show her."
"How is Paris, Rooh?" Abhi asks her as Pragya went to get Rooni from the crib.
"Paris is nice." Ruhi says smiling."lots of dresses and shops."
"Ah... you are going shopping?" Abhi asks her smiling.
"Yes. After sometime."
Just then Pragya comes back with Rooni, and seeing each other, Rooni and Ruhi excitedly starts playing peek-a-boo.
"I am never doing this again." Pragya whispers to Abhi for the millionth time.
Abhi who had a good read on his wife knew that the next time Tanu asks to take Ruhi for a vacation Pragya would again go all Mahantha Ki Murti.
"MAMA... PAPA..." Ruhi screams as she ran out with Robbin running behind her.
Pragya hug her happily while Abhi stood back with Rooni in his hands.
"Mama missed you so so much." Pragya tells her as she hugged her tight.
"Even I missed you, Mama."
"Rooh." Abhi calls her as he gently caressed her hair.
"Papa." Ruhi turns to him and hugs him tight. "Rooni... give me... give me.."
Abhi hands her Rooni and Ruhi quickly holds her.
"Rooni... my sissy..."
"Are you happy now?" Abhi whispers to Pragya. "Your daughter is back with you."
Pragya nods her head in relief at Abhi.
"Then let's go home?" Abhi asks then turning to Ruhi he says dramatically, "Rooh, for 15 days your Mama didn't let me sit peacefully. Can we go home? I want to catch upon my sleep."
Pragya rolls her eyes hearing him.
"Let's go home." Ruhi says excitedly.
"You also, Robbin." Abhi tells him as he patted him on his back.
10 years later
"Rooh, can I have my laptop back?" Abhi asks as he walked into the room.
"If you have got me a laptop then I wouldn't be using yours." Ruhi tells him.
"I am using after Rooh di." Rooni informs Abhi.
"Your mother says that till you turn 18 you are not getting a personal laptop. And Rooni, stop playing games on my laptop, you use up all the memory."
"Then get me a PSP."
"Not before your next birthday. Mama's rules." Abhi tells her shrugging.
"Then wait in queue for your laptop." Rooni tells him.
"Please don't set pinkvilla as homepage. It's very embarrassing in office when I open laptop and pinkvilla comes on." Abhi begs her.
"New laptop?" Ruhi asks him.
"Sorry." Abhi tells her.
"Then I am sorry too."
"What is happening?" Pragya asks as she walked in.
"Your daughters!" Abhi tells her.
"Is that Tanu Aunty's Daddy?" Rooni asks curiously catching Pragya's and Abhi's attention.
"Daddy?" Ruhi asks her shocked. "No Roon, that is her new boyfriend."
Abhi and Pragya share a look hearing that.
"But you only said that she got a new sugar daddy."
"Rooh... what are you telling her?" Pragya asks shocked.
"What is sugar daddy?" Rooni asks curiously.
"That Roon when..."
"Ruhi!" Abhi stops her.
"Okay." Ruhi replies.
"You tell me later." Rooni whispers to her.
"Okay."
"So that is her new boyfriend?" Rooni asks curiously.
"These girls." Pragya mutters irately.
"Yes." Ruhi tells her pissed.
"You don't like him?" Rooni asks confused.
"I just wish, like Papa, she would just grow up and get married."
"Ruhi... it's her life." Pragya tells her.
"I don't like her." Rooni declares.
"Rooni... don't say that." Pragya admonishes her.
"because of her, every year Rooh di goes to Paris and we never get to go anywhere for holidays." Rooni complains.
"You tell Tanu when she calls this time, that I am not coming this time, Papa."
Abhi nods in reply.
"Ruhi..."
"Don't even tell Mama about it."
"Abhishek, you won't do anything like that." Pragya tells him and turning to Ruhi she tells her, "Call her mom, Rooh."
"She only told me to call her Tanu. She was embarrassed to have a teenage girl call her mom."
"But still..."
"That's their choice, Pragya." Abhi tells her.
"Anyway, she is no mother india, and you are my mother." Ruhi tells Pragya.
"She gave birth to you."
"Because Papa wouldn't let her abort!" Ruhi tells her irately shocking Pragya and Abhi.
"How did you know that?" Abhi asks her in shock.
"Last time when I went, she got me a laptop." Ruhi started.
"You should have brought it." Rooni mutters disappointed.
"I told her that whatever she gets me, she should get the same for Rooni."
"We could have shared." Rooni tells her sadly, not believing how close they were to get a personal laptop.
"yes, you told us that." Pragya tells her gently.
"Well... when I refused to take it, she got irritated and started saying that she is my mother and I told her that Pragya is my mother."
Pragya's eyes fill with tears hearing that. Ruhi was too loyal to her.
"Then?" Abhi asks her.
"Well, she got irritated and started saying that you two were brainwashing me against you. and asked me whether Papa lied to me that she wanted to abort me and she hated me when I was born."
"oh God."
"I know you both would never say anything like that and I always doubted that Papa would never divorce Tanu for anything. You love me a lot and I knew you wouldn't selfishly divorce her and separate us. Once she told that, I knew that was the truth."
"Why didn't you ever ask us?" Abhi asks her feeling emotional that Ruhi understood them so much and she was truly matured.
"because I was angry and upset."
"We were just trying to protect you." Pragya tells her.
"You were wrong, mama. If I don't know the truth, how would I know what all my Papa went through for me and how would I know how blessed I am to have you?"
Realizing she was telling the truth, Pragya tells her regretfully, "Sorry, baby."
"It's okay, Mama." Ruhi tells her as she hugged her. "You are my mother. Now please stop trying to bridge the gap between Tanu and me. All these years, I tried for you. not anymore. When I have the perfect mother in the world, why should I have any kind of relation with her just because she gave birth to me?"
"Okay, whatever you want." Pragya agrees as she hugged her tight.
"Okay, I am going to get ready." Ruhi tells them getting up.
"Even I will come with you and Nanu." Rooni tells her as she stood up. Ruhi and Anand met every week to discuss about the book Ruhi read that week.
"What book did you read?" Ruhi asks curiously.
"No, I am coming to have ice-cream. Nanu says after Mama, I am his biggest disappointment as I don't read books."
Pragya couldn't help chuckle hearing that.
"Mama."
"He is up." Pragya says smiling as she hurried to their room and found their little son standing on his crib. She pulls the latch and gets him down. He with his tiny feet, runs out of the room towards the rest of his family.
Rooni was a miracle that Abhi and Pragya hadn't expected. Then 7 years later, they got their miracle of miracles when Pragya got pregnant with little Nishan.
"You should have told us about it earlier." Abhi tells Ruhi softly.
"I was angry and I didn't want to discuss it." Ruhi tells him.
"I'm sorry, Rooh."
"It's okay, Papa." Ruhi says as she hugged him.
"Pa." Nishan calls him as he ran towards him.
"Nishan." Abhi says happily as he picked him up.
"I think we should take a family photo." Ruhi says.
Very soon, Pragya sat on the couch with Nishan on her lap while Ruhi sat on one end Rooni on the other. Setting the camera on auto, Abhi runs to them and sits next to Pragya and pulls his whole family into his arms.
"Say cheese."
