Hello, Wattpad family! Long time, no see/chat? For those who have forgotten, I am that annoying girl posting stuff here and there whenever her lazy ass self sleeps (which is actually rare). And here I am, after weeks of (not at all serious) reflexion about what to write. Now I can hear you all asking me to shut my mouth, so I will let you scroll down peacefully.

Oh yes, before that... I am finally publishing my 25th story on this book! I kinda have finally scored the 'silver jubilee', and it wouldn't have happened without you being so supportive and loving. So, a big THANK YOU to all. I don't know if this is worth the celebrations, but I will just go through it on my own.

And now... Bonne lecture!

07/08/2020

~•~•~•~

"God, yeh Aditya bhi na! I have told him to come home on time. When will he ever listen to me?"

Zoya mumbled on her own as she walked round the room getting ready for the evening. She stood in front of the mirror wearing her earrings, mentally scolding her late husband.

"If we get late, she would be upset. Let her scold him, then he will understand.", she put her bangles on her wrists and checked her minimal makeup for the occasion.

She was about to take the sindoor box when another hand took it faster, making her look up at the person.

"Let me do it.", a smile on his lips, he opened the little container when she stopped his hand holding it. "Where were you even? Do you know how long I have been waiting for you? She strictly said..."

"Okay baba, sorry. I told you I went to get a gift, but then I got stuck in the traffic coming back. Very sorry!", he showed his teeth holding his earlobes as he emphasized the last word. "Now... may I?", he asked pointing at the vermilion.

Keeping a stern face, she forwarded the box to him and he smiled at her childish fake anger. He completed her look and smiled proudly at how beautiful his wife was.

"Now stop staring at me and get ready fast.", she said breaking his moment. "Haan, one min—", she didn't let him finish and holding his arm, she pushed him in the bathroom.

"You have only ten minutes.", she ordered through the closed door.

"Ghalib!", he muttered. "I heard you."

"Aditya, you get to the car with baby, I will just lock the door.", she said as she gave the little kid to him, the toddler jumping to his father in excitement.

"Yes! We are all going out. How nice no, my little champ?", he cooed as he fastened his seatbelt making sure he was comfortable and turned to take the driver seat when Zoya opened the passenger door next to him.

The drive longed almost forty minutes since the traffic was a mess and noisy with people horning at each other, infuriating Zoya who had to handle a disturbed baby. "Golu, we are almost there. Please don't cry, baby.", she rocked him holding his little foot that used to calm him down and he quietly pouted munching his hand while the man overtook the cars to reach on time.

•••

"Kids, are you ready? Next turn will be yours to go on stage.", the teacher smiled at her little students and they all jumped in excitement.

"Miss miss, mumma papa are here?", the little girl inquired her teacher who bent on her knees with a reassuring smile.

"No, Diya, but I am sure they will be here soon, okay? Don't worry.", the young woman said as she cupped her cheek lovingly before checking on the others.

Diya pouted sadly knowing her friends' parents were already seated but not hers. She was about to walk to her mates when she suddenly heard a loud shriek making a wide smile appear on her face. She immediately turned back and giggled in excitement.

"Mumma, papa, Golu!", she ran towards the trio and hugged her father's leg welcomingly before he held her up in his arms.

"Hey princess! See, we reached here on time, as promised.", he playfully agitated her nose, her giggles making them smile wider. "Someone is looking very pretty in this white dress. Looking like a little angel."

"Of course, it's an angel costume.", she replied and the couple chuckled. "That's also true, princess."

"I was scared papa. I thought you won't come.", she said sadly when he shook his head.

"Why wouldn't we? We told you we would be here, na? The traffic was hard to go through, and that made us late to reach. But, here we are.", the young mother said and looked at the excited baby in her arms. "Even Golu is happy, see."

Diya smiled wider and leaned onto her baby brother to kiss on his cheek, making the toddler giggle and move his arms to catch her.

"Diya, come. Teacher is calling us.", a little girl ran to her friend interrupting their conversation.

"Alright, we will leave you here, princess. See you on the stage.", he kissed on his daughter's forehead before dropping her on the floor and the little girls waved at them before rushing to their group.

•••

"Well done, boys. That was a rocking dance performance. I think we must give them a big round of applause once again.", as the host said through his mic, loud claps echoed among the audience, while the young parents discretely found a couple of seats available in the third row, not so far from the stage. "And now, following the little rockstars, we are going to fill the stage with a group of little angels, brought up for you from the skies."

Smiling at the announcement, Aditya took out his phone and switched the camera on, getting ready to record their daughter's performance. Seeing the device in his father's hand next to him, the baby boy looked up at the man and then at the cell phone with a wide smile before jumping on his buttocks to reach it. At his sudden moves, Zoya safely held him tighter to her chest and dropped her eyes to see what happened.

"Golu, look there. Yaya appi is going to dance. There.", she started as he gave no attention to the show but his father's possession. "Don't you want to see the dance?"

His mother cooing in his ear, he craned his neck to face the lady and then stared back at his father pointing at the phone, keeping a sad face.

"Papa will first film the dance. Then you can have it, okay?", he convinced his baby and the latter snuggled up against his mother's chest sadly pouting. She caressed his back and soon his mind was off the track, busy playing with the chain dangling around her neck.

The audience were drawn into darkness when the stage curtains slid to each side, leaving the little girls hidden behind smile at their spectators, especially looking for their own people while claps and whispers echoed among the small crowd.

"Golu, see there. Aapki Yaya appi!", she slowly untangled his tiny fingers on her mangalsutra and shifted his position for the toddler to look straight at the stage. He looked up at her confused and then moved his eyes to see straight where stood eight little angels. Spotting his big sister among them, he smiled and giggled loud enough for everyone to notice the excited baby.

"Yaya... Yaya...", he called for her stretching his arm out, before clapping his tiny palms against each other. Hearing her brother's unique nickname for her, she turned her head and smiled at her family, waving her hand at them forgetting her position. Aditya sent her a flying kiss using his free hand while Golu was waving back standing on their mother's laps, his loud calls making the kids laugh. "Yaya... pa-yi... aa-ya"

The performance was about to start and the two needed to calm the kid who stayed up on his legs adamantly. He was clapping his hands seeing his sister and the seven other angels dancing, moving their magic sticks, running round the stage in a line, twirling on themselves showcasing their beautiful wings made of soft cotton. Throwing their magic spell on the audience as they all looked at them in awe.

"Aren't they looking so pretty? Look at her smile, all happy and enjoying herself being confident on stage even at her first time.", Zoya told nearly close to his ear and he nodded his head as his face broke into a smile.

"She actually reminds me of someone who stood as confident and happy on stage, years ago...", as he said so, she looked at him confused. "Who?"

He turned to face her and smirked as he continued, "Young Entrepreneur Of The Year, 2018. Remember?"

She chuckled at the memories. "Haan, that same award ceremony janaab was watching live from far far away, hiding from his own family and friend, right?", she said in a teasing way, softly not to be too loud on the recording.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. I was hiding from you because I feared you would friend-zone me. And it actually happened that way. Zaalim aurat!", he whispered giving it back to her making her roll her eyes, before they continued catching the performance.

Reaching the end part, the spectators clapped loud at the girls who ran behind the side curtains with their teacher, waving one last time to their audience.

"I will go check on her, you keep him.", saying so, she passed the baby boy to the man and stood up to walk to the backstage under the toddler's curious stare. "Mumma..."

"Mumma will go and get your sister here, let's wait for them.", as he said so, he was about to put his phone back in his jeans' pocket when it caught the baby's attention again. Seated on his father's laps, he smoothly leaned forward and tapped on the phone over the pocket, making him sigh.

•••

"Mumma!", exclaimed the little Diya as she saw her mother entering the changing room and ran to her. "Mumma, did you watch our dance?"

"Of course, baby. My little angel looked very beautiful. Papa and I are so proud of you.", kneeling down to her level, she cupped her face and kissed her forehead before feeling her little frame embracing her.

"Where is papa?", she asked all by sudden. "Papa is waiting there with baby. Let's get changed fast, and then join them."

She was about to take her halo headband off when she was stopped by the wrist. "Mumma, I want to stay in this dress.", she requested in her sweet voice.

"Are you sure you don't want to change? At least take these wings off, it might not be comfortable to sit with them. And your baby brother might break them unwillingly.", she convincingly explained her daughter whose face turned down but seemed convinced not to spoil the dress. She then let her mother remove the furry accessories and neatly kept them in her Minnie Mouse suitcase. Done with the packing, they left the bag in the room and walked back to the hall. She spotted her father and brother on the aisle seats in the left side rows and ran to join them.

"Papa!", she smilingly said and the two men looked at their girl, giving the smile back.

"Hey, there she is, our beautiful baby angel.", he pulled her in his arm and kissed her cheek. "You were perfect there, you know? Papa recorded everything, I will show you once back home, okay?", he cooed in her ear keeping her close to him. "Okay!"

"Yaya... pa-yi...", the toddler giggled when the car keys he had been holding in his hand fell down. He leaned forward to have a look at it and the elder sister helped him pick them up. "Here, Golu."

However, he was more interested into playing with the magic stick of hers and smiled asking for it.

Stretching her arm behind her, "No, you will break it.", she first refused to give it to him but seeing he was about to cry, she went to sit next to her father and hesitantly passed the accessory to him. "Careful, don't break."

He smiled and shook his wrist round, playfully rotating the thing happily, while the elder one looked at her schoolmates on the stage, her head leaned onto her father's arm.

"By the way, where is your mumma gone?", she stood up and looked around as he asked the question, wondering the same.

"There.", she pointed at two ladies walking in busy in their conversation. They stopped in their way and waving bye, the unknown lady got into the back row while Zoya stepped down the stairs to reach their seats.

"Who were you talking to?", he asked her as she sat down, keeping the little girl on her laps. "Oh, that was Mrs. Chauhaan. She had booked us for her elder son's birthday party a couple of years ago. Her younger son is studying in this school."

"Mumma is a star, papa. Everyone knows her.", she innocently said and hugged her mother by her neck as they chuckled amused.

•••

"Papa, my surprise gift?", the function accomplished, the families came out of the venue to get to the parking lot when Diya remembered of his promise and pulling her hand off his hold, she stood in front of him asking for it.

"It's waiting for you at home. Let's first reach there, shall we?", he replied ruffling her hair with his free hand, making her whine. "Papa, don't mess my hair up."

"Oh, I am sorry, princess. Let me help you fix it.", and he shook his hand faster worsening it. Whining louder, she pushed his hand off her and ran to her mother who was walking behind them carrying the sleepy Zayid.

"Mumma, papa is messing my hair up. Look!", she  said holding her hair up and then pointing at the man, making him shake his head. "Girls!"

"Don't worry, he won't anymore. Now could you take this magic stick and give mumma a hand with your brother?", she asked her and nodding her head in yes, the little girl ran to the unlocked door that she opened for her mother. She then rushed to the other side and jumped in the middle seat next to her baby brother's. While both ladies were tying his seatbelt, Aditya put the bags in the trunk and kept the fragile wings of the little girl on the cover.

"See you soon, Aditya. Bye, Zoya.", a male voice passed by them and they turned to smile at the owner. Just one of those parents of Diya's classmates.

"See you, guys.", he replied back while she waved before closing the back door. "Zoya, shall we?"

"Yeah, let's go.", saying so, she sat next to him at the front and assured they all buckled their seatbelts, he drove off to their house.

"Papa, when will we go to daadu's house? I want to see Jaanu.", she asked breaking the silence as she leaned her head on the babyseat, referring to her young cousin sister, Janvi.

"Very soon, baby. We are going for Christmas party at daadu's, remember?", the mother answered turning her head sideways.

"When is Christmas?", she continued. "Next week. In nine days.", she replied.

She started counting on her fingers and reaching the ninth one, she huffed. "That's a lot. Can't we go now? Please?"

"Sorry, beta, mumma and papa can't take you earlier, we still have to go to work. Don't worry, it's just a few days thing, it will go by very fast.", he tried to convince and she pouted.

"And you will be a good girl with your nanny when we won't be at home, okay?", her voice raised to a stricter yet sweet tone and the little one knew she had to stay silent, discretely agreeing to their words. Soon her lids got heavier and closed on their own, the two kids rocked by the vehicle moving and drawn into slumber.

They reached their place within a drive of twenty minutes, the roads being all clear at this late evening time. They entered the main gate and drove towards the parking under the shelter. It was a two-storey house located in the outskirts of the city, that Aditya gifted to Zoya on their fifth anniversary. He designed it personally as per his wife's tastes, white being both their favourite colour ; four bedrooms, two of which were the master ones, one a big nursery along with the play area for the kids, and the last one remained the guest room. At the left side of the upper floor was a private gym area he used to spend a hour or two of his free time in, sometimes their two children giving him company leaving the mother alone with her chores. At the backside, the couple handled a beautiful garden and set a whole outdoor play area with swings, slides, a trampoline and a small garden hut. Quite big for the four of them, but they filled their home with love and togetherness, and it always looked festive whenever they planned some family gatherings.

The engine turned off, they unfastened their seatbelts and got off the car before walking to the back doors.

"You take Golu inside, I will get Diya.", he suggested as he opened the trunk to take the luggage out and she carried the baby boy to their room. Not letting him wake up, she changed him into a clean diaper and a comfortable onesie before putting him in the cot. Turning back, she saw her husband pulling the pink trolley bag while holding the sleeping kid with one arm.

"Leave it to me, and go put her to bed. I will come and change her clothes.", he left the bag at the bottom of the stairs and lifted the little girl till the room she shared with her brother.

Zoya kept the bag by the drawer and quickly took a set of fresh pyjamas for the little girl while Aditya moved to the master bedroom to freshen up. Once out of the bathroom wearing his night clothes, he walked back to the kids' room where his wifey was busy tidying the room after putting the daughter to bed, the saree tucked in by the waist.

"Zoya, you should change and rest, you have to work tomorrow. I will do this.", saying so, he pulled her up to stand and took the toys from her.

He walked to the toy box and sorted the things when his eyes fell on the box he safely hid under the others. Smiling, he pulled it out and opened it to hold and look at the sparkling angel doll in it. He was roaming around the town looking for a perfect gift for his baby girl, congratulating her on her first stage performance, when he saw the porcelain-made baby angel figurine playing the violin, in the gift store. Noticing his interest on the particular object, a young salesgirl neared him and tried to convince with the small message they would gently add under the feet. Somehow already convinced before her praising speech, he asked her to pack it not before writing the small note.

"She had been asking for her surprise gift excitedly, but she couldn't even see it now.", he said while she kneeled down next to him, looking at the doll.

"That's alright, we can still surprise her in the morning. We will put it by the nightstand so that, once awake, she might see it herself.", she held the white doll in her hand looking at it keenly as she suggested. She then stood up and kept it in front of the lamp facing her when she continued. "I am sure, she would love it."

"Hopefully. Anyways, let's go to bed as well. I am feeling so sleepy.", saying so, they kissed his kids one last time and he dragged his woman out of the room, turning the dim lights off and half closing the door.

The room being all dark and silent, the moonlight fell by the nightstand and the smile on the angel's face shone brightly, blinking at the light when the nature playing music lulled the two kids into a deep slumber.

~•~•~•~

End of The Annual School Day Function

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© a shrucreationsx' pen work

~•~•~•~

Hello ji! Kaise?

I am all glad to be back here posting and all. Because these almost two months of absence tired me even more and made me so lazy, but I had to give myself a lazy break. I really tried to write, at least one thing, but I had no inspiration to do anything at all. Moreover, personal stuff keep you busy even during holidays.

This summer job makes me so bored so I pushed myself into writing so I finally completed this one-shot I actually started months, I repeat months ago. I had no idea of what I was going to write but now that I worked on it again, I think it turned out to something else.

I'd love to hear from you all, how you are doing through this epidemic. I hope you are taking all safety measures to avoid any contamination, because the numbers increasing fast like a rocket actually makes me worried. People are not even taking it seriously here, I think not even half of them wears masks, and some of actually giving back when asked to wear a mask in public places makes me shake my head. Numerous of public transport staff, officers had been hurt because of brainless, selfish idiots abusing them physically, few of them even died.

Along with such disaster, all the incidents happening around the world makes this year even worse. Still praying for the world peace but nothing seems to get better. Prayers to the poor victims around this polluted world. Kalyug is not at its ending point. *head aching* Anyways, I just hope you all are still safe and healthy. Let's hope and pray for the good days to come as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you for all the love, support, comments for this book, my azeez doston. Though I am full of non sense, you guys have been bearing all this time. I have met lots of sweet people through this platform, your mere appreciation made this book what it is. And, probably some good news, but I might be editing the book from the starting till I come back with something new.

Until next time,

With love,

Shruthy.