Khushi stirred in her sleep as a soft thing brush against her cheeks. Frowning she turned her face to other side to continue her beauty sleep.

Again she felt something touching her cheeks. And next instant she opened her eyes in jerk.

"Get up mamma.." Her sleepy state flew out of window hearing a different voice. She blinked her eyes trying to apprehend what was happening around her.

"Wake up sleepy mamma. I am hungry.." She widened her eyes and sat up seeing Arnav beside her.

"What mamma?" She gave a uncertain expression. Her brows furrowed and he spoke again in his new found mimicked babiesh voice "I am hungry..."

She rubbed her eyes and then put her palm on Arnav forehead to check his temperature "Are you alright? What happened to your voice?"

"I am hungry... hungry..." He mimicked again gesturing aarush who was rubbing his small face on Arnav torso.

Khushi face showed apprehension and she sat comfortably leaning on the headboard while Arnav placed sleepy aarush on her lap to fill his little stomach. As soon as Aarush felt his mother he grabbed Khushi dress in his strong hold not wanting to separate from her once again.

"I didn't heard him cry" She said feeding aarush noticing the dark room illuminating with bedside lamp.

"I was awake when he stirred in his sleep. Once I held him he immediately rubbed his face on my torso and then I know he was hungry" Arnav answered, lazily stretching his legs on the bed giving company to his wife and son.

"Didn't you slept?" She asked suspiciously.

Arnav looked everywhere except her. And that did cautioned her.

"I asked something Raizada. One should answer when question was raised" She warned him sternly in ASR style for which he raised his brows amused.

"I slept Khushi. It's only when he made noise I woke up" Khushi was not convinced by his answer. She was sure about one thing. If aarush made noise she would've known but then he says another story. Haven't had the energy to fight with him she calmed her nerves.

A tug at her neckline made her smile at her bundle of joy. She fondly caressed aarush head and Arnav joined in no time.

"He's sleeping too much" Said he earning a warning look from her. That means he have to spill the truth.

"Ok.. I didn't get any sleep and I was watching him. When he was awake I took him" He said sheepishly.

She admonished and made aarush sleep beside her and moved to the center of bed "You're not going to sleep beside him"

"What the Khushi" He yelled in bewilderment. Though they're having big cradle for aarush, Khushi prefers to made him sleep between them at nights. She feels, that'll make aarush close to them. It'll give him a sense of protection. Their warmth will be always with him assuring him with their love. And they'll also sleep in peace knowing aarush was with them in their cocoon. Their small choti si duniya like she wished.

Ignoring his bewildered glares she pulled the comforter over her and carefully placed it on aarush too. Arnav who on another side of Khushi  peeped his head over Khushi shoulder. Khushi carefully had her arm over aarush and rested it on side to avoid him from falling down obvious to the fact that he had not started to crawl yet.

"Khushi... It's not fair. Put him between us" He whined.

Khushi grunted, pulled his arm and wrapped it around her waist. He came crashed against her back.

"Sleep arnavji" She patted his arms which was now on her tummy.

He sighed but nonetheless closed his eyes knowing his tired body needs sleep. Snuggling closer to her body he enclosed not only Khushi but also aarush making his small family sleep under his protective arms.

***

"I am thinking to resume my office schedule" Arnav said out of the blue while examining some files.

"What? Did sun rise from West today?" Khushi shrieked as usual executing her dramatic side.

"Aarush was sleeping half of the day and I thought why not resume my office. Once he grew little big I'll take a break again" He announced making khushi to look at him in astonishment.

"Is it really you who's speaking?" Asked she.

"No it's my ghost" He thinned his lips making her to twist her mouth in annoyance "That was a bad joke"

"Jokes apart, what had happened to the I-am-so possessive father?" Khushi asked perfectly mimicking him.

Arnav closed his file with a thud and walked towards them taking his place beside aarush.

Giving his index finger into aarush fist he raised his eyes to meet Khushi "I don't want to cage him in my possessiveness"

"Wah... What a sudden change?"

"Shut up Khushi. It's not a sudden change. I am thinking this from quite some time"

"Is it the aftermath effect of speaking with babuji's friend?"

"May be..." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Wish I had meet uncle long time ago. At least nanehji would've been spared" She sighed in exasperation remembering how hard it had been to stop that particular lady from dragging Nk to her house straight away just because she loved his humour sense and her daughter would be a perfect match to his broken hindi because her daughter also don't know hindi.

He chose to act ignorant immersing himself into aarush "Will my baby miss his daddy? Daddy will miss you baby" He cooed animatedly watching him moving his little hands and legs.

"Will baby's mamma miss his daddy?" He said keeping an eye on Khushi who was mumbling something like ASR atrocities.

"No me and my Jalebi will not miss you" She said with mischief. Arnav twisted his mouth earning a laugh from aarush. Arnav who has no idea about aarush chuckle was a result of some random things, thought his funny face made aarush laugh. And then all Khushi had to see was a cross faced Arnav who tried every possible way to make aarush laugh.

***

"Arnavji you're getting late for office" Khushi urged him for umpteenth time. Arnav decided to resume his office today. The ever punctual ASR had took a back seat and the possessive, loving father dominates getting a earful from Khushi.

Sulking he pushed himself into a three piece suit.

"Khushi attend all my calls whenever I call you. Don't ever ignore it by any means" He instructed putting on the cuffs.

Khushi nodded cradling aarush to her chest who's getting his little stomach filled.

"And don't run around the house. Take rest. You're still not fit to execute your antics. Don't took aarush outside. He's not accustomed to it. Don't give him to di if she used perfume"

The last sentence caught her attention than others owing to the fact of her disinterest on hearing his useless instructions.

"Excuse me... What did you say, come again?" She asked believing what she heard was not actually a truth.

"What?" He frowned and then he repeated his last sentence "Don't give aarush to di if she used perfume"

"What the!!!! I need an explanation.." She fumed literally breathing fire.

He was taken aback and bit his tongue realising his blunder for letting his little secret out.

"Er... Khushi... Some perfumes are not good for lungs. I mean some flavours are too strong which affects one's breathing. Aarush is too small to handle strong intense flavours. See it's not my fault. On his naming ceremony that lady was literally bathed on some perfume that even I felt short of breath. That's why I need to drag NK into the conversation" He not only admitted his secret but shared the reason for making Nk a scapegoat. Because he knows Khushi was still angry on him for dragging Nk unnecessarily.

Khushi don't know whether to laugh at his over caring side or to feel overwhelmed knowing her son has got the best father in this world.

_______

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