"She likes tea too much."

• ♡ •

Heer walked into the kitchen to find Kabir and Advika giggling playing catch-catch with a lemon across the kitchen island. "Good morning!" She wished sitting on the stool beside the one where Advika sat.

"Morning!" The two said in unison not sparing a glance at her. Heer waited and waited. Advika was giggling as she continued to catch the lemon and then throw it back towards her father. Heer's eyes moved to Kabir he was as focused as his daughter on the game. "Guys!" Heer tried getting their attention. No luck. She glanced at Kabir whose lips were pulled into a grin as he looked at his daughter. 

In the past two weeks, Heer had learned that the only time he seemed like a normal human being was when he was with his daughter. He would smile a lot, laugh, even crack jokes, which were mostly very lame. He was an adorable person when in his daughter's radar. Heer got up from her stool walking around the kitchen island towards where Kabir stood. He immediately caught the lemon muttering a "time please," when he looked at her take the kettle.

"No!" He warned.

Heer looked up frowning. Kabir glanced at his daughter, "Advi what's the time?"

"Eight twenty-five." The girl read from the digital clock that hung on the kitchen wall. "Mom, you woke up late again!"

Heer scrunched up her nose. She loved sleeping in. "That's not late."

Advika looked up at her with her amber eyes blinking. "That's late. Your deadline is eight, so no tea for you." She completed her lips forming into a grin just like her father's.

"I need my morning cup of tea." Heer looked at Kabir. 

"Rule is a rule!" Kabir spoke turning to open the cooker. "Porridge is ready." He announced looking at his daughter.

"Kabir, I need tea," Heer repeated, getting irked. She didn't understand why the man took a sadistic pleasure in annoying her. He didn't allow Advika to snuggle with her in the mornings, his reason being she would spoil her good habits. He didn't let her sleep without brushing at night, because again that would be a bad impression on Advika. Like hell, she would come to know if she brushed or not. 

He glanced at her, "breakfast is ready." He wondered how this thirty-year-old woman couldn't manage to wake up on time. At times he felt his daughter was better self-disciplined than Heer. He had definitely found his daughter a mother who needed more policing than she did.

"Fine," Heer muttered making her way out if the kitchen. She did her best to not go mad and shout at Advika's father. But he managed to rile her up every time.

"Where are you going?" She heard his voice.

"To buy myself a cup of tea!" She muttered glancing back at him. No one messed with her morning tea. She needed it. Period. She walked out of the kitchen towards her room. Soon enough he was behind her. "That's not how you behave in front of Advika. What is she going to learn?"

Heer had had enough. She turned to face him. "It's about her or me? Why would you not let me have a cup of tea? Punishment for getting up late? Or torture?"

Kabir straightened up, "what are you saying!"

"I know you don't like me. Okay. Understandable. But you can't keep me from having tea. You don't even let me cook in that kitchen of yours. It's annoying." Heer blasted. 

Kabir had shut the door in time to not let his daughter who was in the kitchen hear anything. "Heer," he said looking at her. Maybe he had gone too far. "You can have your... cup of tea."

Heer stared at him her anger bubbling. She scoffed. "I don't want it, thank you for your grace." She scoffed going to her cupboard, she pulled out her clothes. She went around gathering her towel, and clothes, ignoring his gaze on her.

The door of the washroom shut and he sighed. Maybe she was right. He was going a little too far. It was her home too. He totally didn't allow her to feel at home. He should be grateful to her for keeping his daughter happy and he was doing everything but that. "Damn" he muttered walking out of the room.

"Is she mad at you?" Advika questioned him once he walked in. He took the seat beside hers.

"She likes tea too much."

Advika made a face. "You should have let her have it. I also don't like it when I don't get my hot chocolate." She pointed out. Kabir looked at her, his lips curling up.

Minutes later Heer entered the kitchen again. The father-daughter duo was almost done with their breakfast. She picked up an apple washing it. She put it in her bag, walking towards Advika. She kissed her cheeks. "Bye!"

"You're going out?" Advika pouted.

"I have an interview today. Like you have exams at school, something like that. I will be back home, by lunch. But, don't wait up for me." She smiled placing another kiss on the other cheek.

"But, you didn't have breakfast!" Advika spoke realizing that her mother didn't eat today.

"I, I will eat outside, I am late already." Heer lied. The truth was she needed some time and space from her legal husband. She walked past them and made her way out.

Advika looked at her father, "I think she's very mad at you. She didn't even wish you goodbye."

Kabir stared at his daughter. Advika's affection towards Heer scared him at times. He wanted his daughter to get all the love but he wasn't ready for Advika looking up to Heer. It wasn't hard to tell that in very little time Advika had grown to love Heer. Maybe the long absence of motherly affection got Advika instantly drawn to Heer. 

"I think you should say sorry." His daughter added looking at her empty bowl pursing her lips.

"Yeah, maybe." He muttered, "you finished your painting?"

"Uh, no. I will now." Saying that she got off the stool picking up the huge bowl carefully.

"Advi careful!"

"Yes, I am!" She called placing the glass bowl in the sink. She left the kitchen. Kabir sighed propelling his elbows on the kitchen island top. Advika had moved on after Varsha, he hadn't. He was caught in the web of false hopes. Varsha was gone. That was the truth. He had accepted it, but not entirely. He had to move on. He needed to learn to accept that Heer was a part of their lives now. Advika was happy, he wanted her to have a happy childhood as Varsha and he had planned. He bit his lip, as his eyes got glassy. If only, that day had never happened!

* * *

Heer pressed the button waiting for the elevator doors to open. She had sent in her application to a couple of open job offers for immediate filing. She did have an interview but that was only at eleven. She decided to have a nice breakfast and spend some time with herself. She wondered if her life would always be like this. She felt nothing short of an outsider even after knowing him for more than five weeks now.

"Hey!" She heard a voice and Kunal walked out locking the door to his apartment. Kunal has shifted into his aunt, Gaytri Tendulkar's apartment a week ago. He was in his late twenties, slightly taller than her. She smiled, "good morning." She wished politely.

"Good morning! " He threw her a boyish smile walking up to her. Heer walked into the elevator and he followed. "So, headed to work?"

"Ahh, no. Interview." Heer maintained a polite smile. He was a particularly charming guy. His light brown eyes coupled with dark eyebrows and his beautiful smile perhaps were the recipe of his charm. Heer knew best to put up a high firewall when dealing with charming guys who smiled often. 

"Oh, your first?" He asked doubtfully.

"No, but in Mumbai yes." She answered hoping the lift doors opened soon.

"All the best." He wished,  there again he smiled.

Heer wondered whether staying with a man who barely smiled made her more aware of the times the man before her smiled. Thankfully for her, the doors opened, she muttered a quick bye and walked away briskly. 

* * *

It was almost close to half-past three in the afternoon when Heer got back home. She rang the bell waiting for the door to open. Her mood was exactly the opposite of what she had in the morning while leaving. She was hired, the job started next week. The best part was the flexible work timings and work from home option. She had dropped a text message on Kabir's number saying she would be late and to inform Advika about the same. 

Kabir opened the door and her eyes met his. She forced herself to give a small smile and entered the house. She looked around for Advika, there was pin-drop silence. Where was the little sweetheart now? 

"Where's Advi?" She finally turned around to him.

"She's sleeping in the room. She was tired after swimming." He answered looking at her. She noticed his gaze on her feet. She held on to her patience tighter and walked to the shoe rack to get her sandals off.

"How did it go?" Kabir asked. He could say from her manner that she was still pissed with him for whatever happened in the morning. He just didn't know how to apologize without seeming awfully wrong.

"Well. I will join the company from next week." She answered walking towards her room. Kabir stood rooted at the spot staring at the floor. He was still disputed about how to approach her when she walked out of the room with what looked like a cake box in her hands. He followed her into the kitchen. 

"I am not ruining your kitchen." She muttered annoyed at his gaze on her while she made a place for the box in the refrigerator. "Just bought pastries." She informed him, grabbing an empty glass, proceeding to fill it with water. She quickly gulped the much-needed water and looked at him. Saying nothing she washed the glass keeping it aside and made her way out.

"Heer." He finally broke his thoughtful silence. 

She stopped and glanced at him.

He inhaled deeply, "I am sorry, for whatever happened in the morning. I--" He looked away, momentarily and then back at her, "Maybe, I just went far. It's just that I don't want Advika to grow up to be a spoilt girl. I think, that you are someone she looks up to now. Hence, I just..."

"Advika, is really a wonderful person. I understand your concern for her. It's not my place to say anything, I know, but still, I think you should loosen up slightly. Every time everything cannot be in control. Life doesn't work like that. It doesn't follow a schedule. We should teach Advika that, not that everything should be in control."

Kabir curled his fingers in a fist. She was right on the first point, she was no one to tell him how to bring up his daughter. He liked things in control. They were better that way, just like Varsha always said. He walked away without saying anything.

Heer wondered if she went too far. She walked inside the room to find him wearing socks. "I will just take a walk and be back." He informed grabbing his phone before walking out of the room. Heer sat on the bed. Relationships had never been simple equations to her. Neither was this one if it was at first place a relationship. She wasn't naive to not understand that Kabir had his own baggage just like she had hers. But at least she had learned to not let the baggage of her past interfere with her present. She heard the door shut and closed her eyes lying down on the bed. 

"Mom, wake up, where is Paa? Mom.. mom." Heer woke up to find Advika sitting crossed leg beside her on the bed staring at her. She sat up and looked at the phone. It was just half-past four. "He's gone for a stroll, he will be back soon," Heer answered pulling Advika close to her for a hug. This was just what she needed. A hug that just released happy hormones into her bloodstream. 

"Can we watch TV?" Advika asked.

"Sure, but that's going to upset your Paa."

Advika made a displeased face. "I am bored, I want school to start."

"Yes, in a week's time it will. Then you'll go to school and I will go to office."

"Office?"

"Yeah, I got a new job."

Advika smiled and then her smile wavered. "Will you come home late like Bua used to?"

"No. What time do you come back from school?"

"Three-ish," Advika answered.

"I will come back by three, too, then!"

"Then we can still play badminton."

"Yes!" Heer grinned.

"Okies, what do we do now?"

"Do you wanna dance?"

"I don't dance," Advika spoke her lips pursing.

"Everyone can dance," Heer spoke getting to her feet. "Come on, it's going to be super fun." She held Advika's hand. Advika stood up on the bed thoughtfully. "Oh come on!" Heer pulled her. 

Advika giggled, "can you take me on your back?" 

Heer grinned raising a brow. She turned around and a happy Advika jumped and locked her arms and legs around her newfound favorite person.

* * *

Kabir sat alone on a bench looking at the waves of water crash on the rocks. Ever since Heer had stepped into his life, he missed Varsha more than ever. He fidgeted with the ring on his finger, his lips curving up remembering a fond memory of Varsha slipping it on. It had a V engraved on it. He kissed it, pressing his lips into a straight line. 

He pushed open the door gently and shut it. For a minute he thought he had entered the wrong house hearing the loud music. No, he had not, it was indeed his home. His eyes froze on the two humans dancing to a peppy Bollywood number. Advika was jumping and moving her arms looking at Heer. His eyes drifted to the woman. She had worn shorts that ended just above her knees, with a pale yellow loose tank top. She did a body wave followed by a booty shake. The two hadn't even noted that he had entered the house. He took in a sharp breath. Why was he staring at Heer like that! It felt like ages since his eyes last gawked at a woman in that way. He tore his gaze away and it moved to his daughter, whose attention was fixated on Heer, trying to imitate her move. He found his eyes moving to Heer once again, this time she had turned towards Advika, she was smiling,  giggling and grooving to the rhythm.

He finally cleared his throat after getting rid of his shoes and placing them in place. Heer turned and stopped moving and so did Advika. At once his daughter sprinted and ran into his arms. Out of habit, he lifted her up, kissing her cheek. 

"Paa, we had so much fun dancing. You missed out on it." She giggled. He smiled and his eyes drifted to Heer and met her gaze. Her wide smile contracted. 

Heer loved the bonding between Advika and her father. How she wished she had a similar bond with her own father! Well, she definitely wasn't as lucky as Advika in that department. 

"You'll have coffee?" Heer asked as he walked around to the sofa. The coffee maker was the only thing she touched after the refrigerator. He looked at her momentarily as though trying to find the purpose behind her casual offer. 

"Sure!" He answered with a brief nod.

"Okay!" Heer muttered surprised he didn't decline like he did ninety percent of the time. 

"By the way, Advi, I might have brought something for you.." Heer smiled playfully looking at Advika.

"Umm, something to eat?" Advika probed.

"You're hot," Heer answered, conveying that she was getting her guess failry right.

"Dessert?"

"Hot!" Heer grinned.

"Umm, cake?" Advika asked thoughtfully a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Hot, hot hot!"

"Pastry!" Advika squealed. 

"Bingo!" Heer squealed as Advika ran towards the kitchen. She followed her trail sparing a single glance at Kabir. He forced his lips into a tight small smile. Wonderful! He was taking step one to fight his grumpy self. Smiling to herself Heer entered the kitchen. 

Would love to know thoughts after this chapter.

Hopefully, there are no errors, do point put if you find any.

Also, I changed the title to "Finally Home"