#Fun Fact - In the course of an average lifetime, while sleeping you might eat around 70 assorted insects and 10 spiders, or more.

"Rudra!" He yelled. "Come out! I'm not dumb like your aunty. If you don't come out in the next five seconds I will personally go and inform the paparazzi that you broke up recently. I swear you will regret it later if you don't come here now!"

Slowly and steadily Rudra peaked out of the bushes, dropping his phone with the sudden panic he just earned. Swallowing greedily the chunk formed in his throat he ambled unhurriedly to them, still with a smile on his face.

"What's all this?" Harsh interrogated resting his palms on his waist.

"Hide and seek." Rudra innocently shrugged his shoulders, whistling looking around the world. The world, while of pale blue hues looked beautiful. Beautiful than Soumu!

"With whom?" Harsh raised his brows still parting his left foot against the grassroots of the well-maintained garden.

"Aarush!" Rudra suddenly exclaimed watching his nephew pass the corridor with his muddy hands, shirt strained with wet soil sticking to it. His little legs wobbled but he managed to balance himself as Rudra shouted at him.

"Finally my Aaru found his super chachu! My boy, so proud of you!." Rudra jogged to the little guy and lifted him in his arms unfortunately straining his brand new clothes. Arush squirmed in his hold, he was still angered that his chachu ate the cookies that were meant for him. So holding the grudge against him, Aarush decided to jump out of his hold and sprinted to Harsh.

"Were you playing hide and seek child?" Harsh bend down, crouching to match his height and asked.

"No. I was helping Daddy to the scl- scul-pture making. He told me he would help me out, I'm here to get lots of soil." Aarush proudly told showing his little fists which held a relatively small amount of soil particles.

"Rudra chachu? Were you both playing hide and seek?" Arundhati nervously fiddle with her slender fingers as Harsh asked the little guy. And to their coincidence, Aarush was too clever to cover up their lies.

"No!" Aarush shrieked. "Rudy chachu is bad! He ate my cookies and daddy said stealing his bad. Isn't my daddy right?"

"Definitely." Harsh forced a smile on the child a d jacked his head to see his ex-wife and daughter's brother-in-law, and glared at them. "Aaru, why don't you help me find your baadi mummy?"

Nodding at his Aarush immediately stormed off in search of his aunt, Annika.

"Rudra you can go too." Rudra glanced at Harsh suspiciously, however, he still maintained his words by walking out. "I will see you later. My eyes are on you!"

"I- Harsh-" he ceased her showing his palm right up her face with his rigidity, as Arundhati started.

"Come let's continue this talk with a cup of tea and biscuits. What say?" She incited her lips in thin parallel lines as Harsh dragged her to the lawn where already a couple of chairs were arranged along with a circular table. Harsh then ordered one of the house helpers, to serve them some tea along with some digestive biscuits, owing to his diabetic self.

"Speak." He gestured for her to start speaking the truth while sipping his masala chai. "Don't you have your precious work to attend to? I see daughter is now an important subject in your life. Not me right?"

"Harsh I- I-" she shuttered like that was a window, "-I resigned my post. Also, decide to stay away from political parties and elections."

"Why?"

"I'm so sorry for being a disrespectful wife in the early stages. I was blinded by my ambition. I wanted to change the world, I wanted to share my experience with all."

"Congratulations on that. Happy realisation." He sarcastically clapped his hands.

"Please Harsh let me speak, you can mock later." Harsh not keen on her confessions still nodded. "In all these things I skipped my family. I'm sorry."

"What should I do with your sorry? Your sorry won't buy my years for hardship!" He snapped banging the teacup on the table making her jerk a bit with his harshness.

"I'm not going to accept anyone other than you as my husband." She started slowly but cautiously. "I have always loved and still love you perhaps my ego, dignity and superiority overpowered. I'm not remarrying, anyone. I just wanted to reconcile with."

"Who all are involved?" She simply asked with shorter words.

"Almost all. Sonu wanted to see us together for ages. Even I'm willing to do anything that helps to reduce your hatred towards me. I'm so sorry. I have realised my mistake, mistakes that listed my daughter, husband, and at last mother."

"It's too late for realisation, Aru." He softly told composing his demeanour. "Your deeds have made a deep strike on my life. Do you how what difficulties you face while raising a child? With you always in your social workings, Sonu lost her childhood days, she lost her mother's love, and I lost my career. You were selfish. I was inclined to stand up for you but you didn't seem to like that idea. You imagined I was envious of you. How could I? How could I have a jealous feeling about my wife? You were so wrong. I hate you for leaving me, I hate you for being selfish, I hate you for disappointing maa. I fucking hate you!"

Arundhati nibbed her lips, suppressing her tears. Her hot trails of tears flooded. She didn't stop them not wipe them, they were the results of past actions. She deserved them. All of them.

On the other hand, Harsh stood and turned his face away from her, hiding his tears which were flowing endlessly. He knew he was brutally honest but she needed it.

"I still love my Aru, who was practical in life, timid, young spirit woman but the present Aru I now know is different from the previous one."

"I know Harsh I was desirous and thoughtless however now I have decided to change myself. I want to live up for my loved ones. I don't have anyone other than you and Sonu. Please, Harsh, forgive me."

"I forgave you."

"Huh?"

"I forgave you. I can't be angered towards my beloved. I have always loved however I can't forget it. It all takes time."

"I know."

"Like you even I was at fault for the situation we are in days. You are the most." He told.

"I understand. I will try my best to keep up with these words. I will win over my love. This time it's not for Sonu but myself and you." She concluded by wiping her tears. "Can I- get- an h-hug?" She whispered.

Harsh remained immobile heeding her words. It had been years since this kind of intimacy they had. His heart thumped hard against his ribcage, his Aru was gradually back. He thought. His smile widened through the crystal reflecting tears, he stretched his arms vast nodding at her.

Immediately watching his indication, Arundhati rushed to him, crushing and wrapping her arms around his torso. His body was no more muscular but now had loose muscles hanging on. With this, she sensed how much her husband had changed, though she glanced at him regularly. She missed him, she concluded.

"It takes time. Lots of time." Harsh murmured while pressing his lips on her forehead. "For you and Sonu!"

•• 

Annika sat on the recliner debating whether it was the right moment to inform her husband about the offer her Sasur Ji bestowed.

Better than never.

"Shivaay?" She called out aloud.

"Yeah." He responded. "Are you upset? Suddenly Shivaay?" He cracked the bathroom door asking her louder with the water slashing around.

"Come out soon! I need to speak to you." She told nibbling her nails instead of the dish, her husband had prepared.

A few minutes later, Shivaay walked wrapping a grey towel around his waist, and a shirt hanging on his neck.

"I made that finger-licking Vadi's and here you are nibbling nails. How shameful!" Shivaay commented tossing the shirt on the bed, as he walked into the wardrobe to get his pants and inners.

"I, on pregnancy check-up day spoke to Sasur Ji." She told folding her legs crossing each other, facing his back.

"So? That's normal right!"

"Uhm. No, this time it was something serious. And I don't know if I can agree with him."

"Oh come on babe. You and baade papa can never get on the same page. What's different in that?" Shivaay humorously laughed slipping into his inner before his track pants. He then tossed the towel aside and marched to Annika, seeing how serious she was.

"What happened?" He asked sitting beside her.

"He wants me to work under him. He sees me as a future representative of Oberoi industries."

"That's wonderful. I have disappointed him badly, at least he has 'the one to train' now. My wife is the solution to everything." Shivaay exclaimed happily.

"I know right. But-"

"But what? Listen babe it's your wish to drop out of your current job. If you don't want to work under him or in the industries then it is your own choice. Don't force them! Alright?"

"I'm not forcing." She confided while he frowned upon hearing. "He is such a great businessman and it's a lifetime opportunity to assist him. Perhaps I-"

"You can trust me, I won't judge you." He softly uttered, kneeling to her height on the carpeted floor.

"I know. Years back I had called him a product of nepotism. Watching him closely related, I realised that he still works hard just I was wrong. I'm just guilty of my behaviour. I shouldn't have told him that day." Being emotionally charged, Annika sniffed rubbing her red nose.

"I'm also frightened thinking about how will the workers accept me. Will, they also call me a product of nepotism?" She was honestly affected by this point.

"You know baade papa, himself confessed that you wouldn't be getting any special needs. I trust him and his instincts."

"I do so. What if the employees don't see that happening? And most importantly, will I will be up to the mark? What if I spoil Oberoi's reputation?"

"You are using your mind too much. Stop overthinking."

"But-"

"No buts and if. It's your call. Whatever you decide I will stand by you."

"Awe! You are the best husband." She muttered in awe before crashing down into his bare chest. Smiling her, he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other patted her head.

"What about our home and lifestyle Annika?"

"I don't know." She answered unsure about it herself. "But Sasur Ji told us that he can shift his base to the U.S. if we wanted to stay on there."

"I can't leave my restaurants for too long. It's just started to grow on terms of economically." Shivaay frowned thinking about the chances of winning on both sides.

"What about the baby?"

"What about the baby?" He asked interested in this case.

"You know what I mean," Annika told in a duh tone glaring at her beloved man.

"What?" He still asked the same thing as Annika whacked his head and tsk-tsked.

"You know I'm pregnant-"

"Yeah, I know that. You are eight weeks long and you want a baby girl or twins. And I want a healthy baby that's it. What else?"

"Will you listen to me?"

He widened his eyes and raised his brows while twisting his mouth. "Yup go on." He muttered.

"You know in Mississippi we have no one to guide us in this period. Neither you are educated nor I in this pregnancy thing and handling baby. I am thinking of shifting back to India. What say?"

"No. Annika we have been working in Mississippi for years, also we are going great at adjusting. Even though I have restaurants to run-" he stopped watching her pale complexity.

"I'm sorry Shivi. I am always thinking about myself and my availability." She whimpered.

"Hey! Don't be sorry. I don't know what to expect now. Truth be told, I feel we have settled down there here and remember we even did apply for the citizenship in States."

"But we will visit here frequently right?"

"Obviously. I forgot to mention that-"

"Mention what?"

"Harsh Uncle is tagging along with us. He wants to be part of his grandchild." Annika squealed.

"Aai?"

"I don't know about her, but he was too much excited for the baby."

"So you mean to say that, baba is coming, along with Sasur Ji and mummy. If they appear then dadi, Papa, and mom and at last Aai would trail behind them. So it means that the whole Oberoi and Gaikwad fam is settling down with us?" She asked flapping her hands happily.

"I guess so." Shivaay grinned pressing his lips on her forehead as he rubbed her flat belly. Rubbing small circles on her clothed belly he leaned down capturing her plump lips with his.

"Someone over there," Shivaay grunted as he segregated from her and strode to open the door after heeding continuous knocks.

"Hey, Shivaay!" Om greeted graciously as his cousin stood with his scowling face. Shivaay raised his brows questioning his sudden, arrival.

"I wanted to speak to Annika. Just five minutes."

***
This chapter is for my lovely, adorable best friend Prevdha, who just gained a victory by finishing the exams. Welcome back❤