Arnav flickered his eyes trying to adjust with the light which emanate through the poolside door. He was forced to wake up from his beauty sleep as the giggles from poolside seems more ecstatic than his sleep. Pushing the duvet aside, he slipped his bare foot into flip-flops & made his way to poolside, anticipating to get greeted by the smiling face of his two important people. But to his utter displeasure, they didn't sense him. Both mother-son duo was so engrossed in their talks, they didn't paid attention to anything other than them. Khushi was cooing something in baby language & aarush was hearing it with great enthusiasm as if understand everything his mother says & make some sounds occasionally as if acknowledging his mother words.

Arnav shifted his side frame to the door, making himself comfortable on perfect angle to gawk them to his heart content until his eyes caught the unpleasant sight. He strode towards her in anger without leaving any second to ponder over rationally.

"What the??? Khushi dammit. Why are you sitting on scorching sun and on top of it, sunlight is directly falling on him. He's a small baby Khushi."

"Hello Mr. Raizada, it's me who gave birth to him. Sing your small baby song to one who doesn't know." She scowled in utter annoyance.

Whom is he kidding? Always scaring everyone who dare to spend some time with their baby, Khushi twisted her mouth in annoyance.

Sensing her annoyance by his question, he realised he indeed went overboard with his protectiveness. Hadn't he promised himself to keep his over protectiveness & possessiveness in check? He very well can notice the inflating displeasure on Khushi day by day. Lest, he could mess up everything again when they're experiencing one of their best moments in their lives.

He slowly settled beside Khushi and gave his index finger to aarush small fist who grabbed it with great interest as it becomes his new game now and begun to shift his small fist left & right.

"What does he want?" Arnav asked with amusement evident on his face showing aarush's fist which dangles in air

Khushi gave a nonchalant look "He's playing."

"Are you serious?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Then what? Are you expecting him to stand straight away and run around the house playing chasing game?" She retorted through gritting teeth.

He instantly grasped the underlying menace on her behaviour and was even close to fathom the reason.

"Aarush mamma is angry ah? Why it so?" He cooed placing his chin on Khushi shoulder and making funny faces to aarush in an attempt to keep him entertained.

Khushi shrugged her shoulder, trying to push Arnav head away from her.

"See na baby... Mamma doesn't love papa." He pouted at aarush in a complaining tone. Aarush made some incoherent noise in response.

"Don't believe him jalebi, your papa is lying. It's he who doesn't love me, always jumping on situations to scold me." Khushi rebuked averting her upper frame making Arnav face to slip on her back.

Anything can be missed out on time, but never his incomplete favourite phrase.

"What the."

She shifty turned around and growled before going back to her earlier position "Shut up."

He bemused at her prolonged anger for trivial matter, when apparently it's his turn to get angry. But soon his eyes adopted mischief. He glided his sharp nose on her smooth silky back, nuzzling all the way ascending upto her neck causing her to shiver at his mischief.

She squirmed on her place & pushed his face away throwing daggers at him. It would be a miracle if he accepts defeat. Wounding his free arm around her waist from behind, he let his finger to tickle her bare navel while resting his head on her shoulder again. She cursed herself for wearing saree as he is in denial to stay quiet.

"Still angry?" He whispered on her earlobe using all his tantalizing tactics to melt her. Indeed it worked. Not able to bear the tortures inflicted on her skin by his fingers, she unmasked her angry stare. With aarush on her lap, she couldn't do her usual stunts which will show him his place.

"What do you need?" She patted aarush small torso, holding him close to her heart.

He gauged her expression keenly and rephrased his earlier question "Why are you sitting on sunlight? You'll be drained out in no time. Come inside."

"You're useless like your stupid possessiveness."

"What the."

"Shut up."

"Now I am sure, our baby's first first word is going to be shut up. Don't feed these nonsense to my baby." He grimaced forgetting his earlier determination to set everything right.

Her face forms 3 O's in no time "Like, seriously? I am feeding him nonsense. Fine." She scoffed and sat up abruptly cuddling her little baby safe to her heart.

She sauntered into their room taking extra effort to not turn into her usual clumsy state.

'I never know mood swings will continue post pregnancy too.' He muttered following her inside.

"What my ladoo baby doing?"

Husband & wife averted their vision to the door to see a delighted Nani standing there with her extra pleasant smile. But the outcome of her visit brought mixed response between the couple.

'From which angle my baby looks like jalebi, ladoo & rasagulla? Everyone is calling him with sweet names as if there's scarcity for nicknames. Wonder, by any chance will he be diagnosed with diabetes by their sugar coated sweet words?' Arnav mumbled under his breath with utter displeasure on hearing so many sweet names around him which is actually not good for diabetic patients like him.

"Why did you halt outside? Come inside naniji. Your ladoo is too eager to meet his badi nani." Khushi invited Nani inside, making herself comfortable on fluffy bed.

Nani almost made a run towards them & scooped aarush in her arms. He instantly held her saree in his small fist, looking keenly at the new face analysing her with his  scrutinizing gaze like his father.

"See na, how he's looking. He would make girls run behind him." Nani exclaimed in pride.

"As if I let them." Arnav butted in, confirming his presence.

"Dare you poke your nose in his life arnavji." Khushi interrupted not able to digest his arrogance.

"What's there to dare? It's my right. I'll never let some Chicky girls to trap him in their fake web."

"Will you shut your mouth chotte? There's still long time left to discuss all this. Enjoy the present."

Khushi showed her tongue in a childish way earning a giggle like babble from her son.

"See he's laughing at you." Arnav jumped upon the given opportunity.

"He's laughing at you not me." Khushi rectified his sentence, crossing her arms against her torso, all set to defeat him.

Arnav raised his brows in uncertain "Oh really? How do you know that? Did he said that to you?"

"I am his mother. I know what he wants to convey."

"Yeah, right. I am his father. I know what he thinks." He retorted fervently.

"This is the eighth wonder of the world arnavji. Many times you lag behind on fathoming the said things let alone understand his unsaid words." Khushi hmmped stomping her foot.

"I pity my ladoo. He got Tom & Jerry as their parents instead of a sweet & responsible ones." Nani tried to put sense in those two who's fighting without any reason.

"Everything is his fault Nani. He started it." Khushi complained with poker face.

"Oh, come on Khushi. It's you who dragged it without no reason."

"Hawww... It's utter lie. It's you who scolded me in the first place. I was just sitting on mild morning light to make aarush accustomed with surroundings & the early morning sun is too good for health. And the sun is not even scorching. It's so mild that anyone can bear it. You made mountain out of a molehill on the morning itself." She reasoned her behaviour.

Arnav stood with 'whatever' look on his face & sending daggers at her.

Suddenly they both startled by a giggle & move their vision towards the source which is coming behind the bathroom door. Sensing their never ending trivial quarrels, Nani took aarush to washroom, the reason she came there in the morning.

"Aarush." Arnav uttered in uncertain.

"Naniji?"

They both made a run towards the bathroom and saw the sight which left them amused.

Nani laid him carefully on small bath tub & the tub is half filled with water. The moment his legs touched the water, he made a coo & his cheeks forms a dimple. She made him lie completely on the tub except his face which she held in her palms securely. He made muffled noise and swayed his little fist on water enjoying the warmness thoroughly.

"He's loving it." Arnav mumbled in trance.

"Arey waah... I thought he'll not love these things like his father." Khushi exclaimed in delight finding her son enjoying little things like her.

"You just need a reason to point at me." Arnav stated going near them & held aarush swaying fist.

The moment his little fist is restricted from enjoying the new thing, he let out a wail startling the elders. Khushi lurched forward releasing her jalebi fist from Arnav hold who was still busy pondering over the reason behind aarush cry.

Instantly the dimple which vanished for few seconds return back with a loud giggle.

"What the." Arnav mouthed in astonishment.

"I read new borns will cry if we bathe them." He added the knowledge he gained by going through the pregnancy books.

"Some are exception chotte. Seems like this naughty lad took after his mother."

Khushi jumped in joy, splashing water on his body. Aarush actively giggled swaying his tiny hands. Arnav silently watched their little banter with smile pasted on his lips & time to time pecking his head softly. The splashing  water game from mother-son duo damped the grandmother-grandson duo who didn't mind getting wet for their ladla. Afterall, he's the apple of their eyes.

_._._._._._._._

I know, I updated this after seemed like ages. I, myself was not sure about the progress of this story & I am sceptical about continuing this book. I don't know how this is going. But, I hope you're enjoying this or at least it makes you lighthearted after each single update.

Do share your opinions which will help me to decide whether to continue this or not?