SHREYA'S POV

All the days passed like this laughing, smiling, and enjoying each and every moment. One day we went to watch a movie and an evening walk. Atharva also taught papa some exercises to reduce belly fat because he has to face the embarrassment of wearing Papa's shirt.

The day before yesterday we all went shopping. A smile crept my lips when I remembered how I convinced him to go on my dhanno with me.

"I will not go with you on this," he said

"Why?"

"Just look at this and look at me. I mean how my legs would fit in this little scooter" he said

"Who said that you are going to drive this. This is me who would drive and you would occupy the back seat"

"Hell NO. I will not sit behind you" he said

"Why?"

"Umm...no. Just no. Firstly I am not going with you on this. What if any employee sees me. You know more than half of this city knows me. What would they think about me?"

"What would they think? Their sir is going with his wife on a scooter. It is as simple as that"

"It is not scooty. It is khatara (knackered)"

How dare he say anything about my scooty, my dhanno.

"kharara ye nahi, khatara tum ho, kukkad (This is not knackered, knackered is you)," I said in anger.

"What?"

"Yes, and I am not taking you with me. Rot at home alone."

I said in anger and started my scooty. I was just praying for it to start in one go (Dhanno please izzat rakh lio)

Thankfully it started in one go. I was about to move it ahead when he stopped the scooty and sat behind me making me wear my helmet. I make him wear a spare helmet.

"Hide your beautiful face with this. If you want you can even roam in the mall wearing this to escape from embarrassment "

He said nothing on this but don't you think that he sits quite for the journey. He was just giving me lectures on my driving skills all the way eating my ears out.

But he got embarrassed because of me as we returned to the parking area he met with his client. The client first looked at him then to his clothes and then to my scooty in horror. It took him complete 5 minutes to recognize him.

I chuckled when the expression that he gave to me at that time came to my mind.

"Where are you lost? Why are you not eating?" Mumma asked

We are having a candlelight dinner. All thanks to the electricity. Our transformer has blown and it will be replaced tomorrow so we have to live on candles and hand fans for the night as the battery of the inverter got discharged in the evening itself. I am surprised by looking at him that he is enjoying even this. He has not complained about anything. All these days he was seeing us in my parents and our parents revived their old memories with us.

We had dinner and Mumma asked us to arrange the mattress on the terrace for the four of us while she and Papa were doing the kitchen chores.

After laying the mattress we went to walk a little on the terrace to enjoy the cold winds that were hitting my face and taking me to another world.

This is our last night here. We will return in the morning. Although he didn't want to. He is ready to stay here forever. I never knew that he would love my parents so much. I never expected that he could be a family man too. I thought that I have to work hard on this but now I am sure that he is ready to become a father.

I was in my thoughts when I saw something or a kind of shadow.

"Aaahhhhh" I screamed and shut my eyes tightly.

"What? What happened?" He asked hugging me tightly.

"See there. There is a ghost I guess" I said pointing towards a terrace where I saw a shadow.

He burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I thought that ghosts are not scared of other ghosts. But I was wrong" He said

"You mean that I am a ghost?"

"Any doubt?"

"I hate you"

"That's why I love you"

"Papaaaaaaaa" I ran to Papa whining.

"Mummyyyyy" he followed me copying my action.

After having some chit chats with parents we occupied our places to sleep. I and Mumma were in middle, he was my side and Papa was Mumma's side.

Like you know he has a different kind of worm within him which keeps on dancing and cannot stay still. keeping his hands and legs with himself is the most difficult task for him. He put his leg on me and pinched me from the side taking the advantage of darkness.

"Atharva don't, "

I warned him while kicking his leg off of me. But he put his hand on my stomach and started to draw random patterns. He always does this even when he knows that I am ticklish.

On one side these mosquitoes were singing their own songs in their most melodious voice in my ears like they are the next Tansen and on the other hand, this man was teasing me like my parents are not lying beside me.

I got irritated by his continuous teasings so I took my pillow and lied beside my Papa leaving him there. This was his punishment for teasing me. He sat up to look at me but I looked up in the sky counting the stars like I used to do in my childhood.

"Chuiya" Papa called me softly.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to listen to Tenali Rama and animal stories like you used to listen in your childhood?" Papa asked me.

"Oh yes, Papa. Please!" I said turning to his side in excitement.

He started his story in the same way he used to tell me when I was small. Making the voice of animals whenever required. The fun part was that Kukkad was also enjoying those stories. He also took interest in them and listened to complete 3 stories before sleeping. He was continuously asking "what happened next?" like a 5 years old boy. I was not as excited as him because I have already listened to the same story, in the same way, hundreds of times.

He may look rough and tough to the world from the outside but he is still a kid from inside.

When everyone went quite I sat up to look at him whether he is asleep or not. And I felt a strange kind of feeling in my heart. He was sleeping covering his face with my Mumma's pallu (scarf). He was sleeping peacefully and was looking so adorable. I smiled from ear to ear after looking at him sleeping carelessly.

The next morning we got ready to leave my parent's house with a heavy heart. He has decided to come here at least once a month and I am happy with his decision.

"Although there is no need to say this because we know that you love her more than you love yourself but still take care of her" Papa said to him.

"And you take care of him," Mumma said to me.

I nodded. Mumma has given me some tips for the honeymoon because according to her I am dumb.

Papa gave him 2000 Rs.

"Why are you giving this to me. I don't need it" he said to Papa

"We know that you have everything and we have nothing to give you but still keep this as the token of our love. We can not send you empty-handed", He looked at me in confusion like he was asking me whether to take it or not.

"Take it. You are lucky he is giving you 2000 Rs. He gives me only 10 Rs." I said to him and everyone laughed.

While bidding bye to my parents he himself touched their feet. I had not to remind him of that.

We reached our mansion and I started to pack our bags from the same day. Madhu Masi helped me with that. I talked to Anupriya Di to ask him about the stuff she is taking. Atharva has told me strictly to not to pack so many clothes.

I came to know that we are going to stay in the farmhouse which was created by Atharva's father on his mother's demand. So everything there is according to her choice. It has her touch. And they last went there when these two boys were 6 and 8 years old.

Finally, the day arrived and we left for Mahabaleshwar. We reached the airport and found Prem and family already standing there waiting for us to join.

"Hello girl-friend," Prem said while extending his hand.

"Hello"

"Did you missed me?" He asked

"No she didn't " Atharva replied pulling me to his side and glaring at our hands. I took my hand back.

"But I missed her," he said pouting.

Atharva was throwing glares at him. Me and Anupriya di chuckled looking at them.

"Anybody asked you?" Atharva asked in serious tone like he talks to his employees.

"Why do you poke your nose in my and my girlfriend's business?"

"Because her business is my business and my business is her business. So poking my nose in her business is my business. You, mind your business." Atharva said this in one go and fastly for anybody to catch the meaning.

"Hein???" He asked Atharva giving him a confused look.

"Let's go we are getting late," Atharva said while ignoring him completely.

Everyone moved ahead except Prem. I looked at him and he was scratching his head from one hand and rubbing the finger of his other hand on his chin while blabbering 'business'.

"Prem come on" Anupriya called him and he came running to us.

"From when did this man start talking so much?" Prem asked me walking beside me.

"That's none of your business" Atharva replied taking me to his left hand.

I and Anupriya laughed out loud on his reply.

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In a few hours, we landed at Mahabaleshwar. When we reached the farmhouse I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it. I stopped in my track for a minute taken away by its beauty. There was an old man who was taking care of this farmhouse for years. He was happy to see Atharva and Prem again after years.

I was bone-tired because of the journey but at the same time, I wanted to explore it. We decided to have our dinner first. After having dinner Aditya was feeling sleepy as he was tired too. He spent his whole journey playing with his eyes wide awake. It gets really very tough when you are with a kid. So Prem and Anupriya di headed towards their room. We too moved towards our room. I took my clothes and started to step towards the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" He asked

"To change the clothes"

"You can change it here you know. There is no one except me"

"NO!"

"Ok, then I have other options too. You can sleep without clothes too. I would prefer it."

"Just shut up Atharva. I am tired. Not now" I said

"Oh, if you are tired then I am ready to help you in changing your clothes" he chuckled

"Did I asked you for help?"

"I am leaving you only for today. As you are tired. Don't think that you can get lucky every day and especially here" he said winking.

I threw his clothes on his face and moved to change my clothes. We changed our clothes and lied on the bed. He snaked his hand around me putting his hand on my stomach by pushing my t-shirt up. He has a different kind of love with my stomach. Either he makes me sleep over him or he keeps his hand on my bare stomach.

Although I was tired still I was not able to sleep. I looked at him and he was sleeping. So I moved his hands from me and stood up to walk a little.

The place was so beautiful that I kept on walking and one thing led to another and I reached the pool area. Atharva's mother surely had a good choice.

The water was looking crystal clear. I was just looking at the pool while the cold wind was hitting my body and I was shivering like a leaf but I was in no mood to go back. It was feeling so good here. I dipped my toe in the water and it was icy. A shiver ran down my body and I instantly took my step back.

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and I lost my balance in fear.

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To be continued.....

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