"Arjun! Enough of sleeping. Wake up!"

"Manasa.. What? I just slept. It's not even midnight yet!"

"Precisely. It's going to be midnight and if you don't wake up now, then you will have to face severe consequences!"
Arjun woke up frowning.

"What?"

They were distracted by a call.

"Ma.. ma.. Mmmaaa.."

"Oh no.. Srinika.."

"Exactly!"

"Oh noooo... Sharvas!"

Manasa just shrugged and went to the crib for the source of the call.

"Ammalu.. You are awake?"

"Na..nnnnaaaa.."

"Shall we go to him?"

She took the beautiful baby in her arms and cooed to her.

"Sha.. Baa.. vvaaa."

"What have you done to my daughter? She is all about that fellow!"

"Come on.. They are just kids. They are growing up together in this family."

"She is not even a year old. She can't even utter words properly but look at her, calling his name and the relationship she has with him. I am not going to tolerate this."

"Arjun! Chill. He is also just 3 years old. And all the kids of this house are always together. So it's natural for them to address each other. Don't you call Vennela as Vennu much to the annoyance of Jai?"

"That is different. She is my sister."

"Vennela calls Naagulu Annaiyya as bava"

"She calls Bava as BAVA.. BAAAVVVAAA!"

"Oh shut up Arjun"

Manasa said and opened the door. She frowned seeing a little form standing with her hands on her hips.

"Laasyavi? What happened?"

"Where is Mavaiyya?"

Manasa pointed inside to Arjun who was sitting on the bed scratching his head and yawning.

Laasyavi marched inside and stood on the bed beside him. Arjun looked up and before he could grasp the situation, she landed a blow behind his neck him yelp.

"Amma nee.. Osei.. Why are you hitting me?"

"What are you doing here? Still? We had everything planned right? You were supposed to be there on the terrace with Athaiyya and Srinika. Nana was supposed to bring Naagulu pedanana, Ganga pedamma and Balamani and Nakshith and others. But you both are sitting on the bed and scratching your heads"

The 6 year old crackled rapidly.

"Did you hit your father the same way?"

"Amma did and send me here to take care of you."

"That's right."

"Enough of sollu khaburulu. Come Mavaiyya. Let's go."

She said pulling Arjun along.

"Osei let me wear my tracks. I am still in my shorts."

"Amma asked me to pull you as you are. Even if you are in shorts. She said there is nothing more to see in you as you used to run around this very house without even a towel after a bath."

"Osei rakshasi, I was your age then."

"Now you have grown tall. That's the only thing that has changed."

"Vennu! What have you taught your daughter.."

"All good things"

The banter continued as Manasa followed them shaking her head. Srinika followed the suit making her chuckle.

There the terrace was decorated with lights that looked like stars. There stood all the family members smiling.

"One lazy is here. One more yet to come."

Naagulu said and got a smack from Ganganamma. Arjun laughed.

"Vennela taught her too?"

"Long back. I kept covering it in front of others."

"How come? You always talk non sense kada? How did you cover?"

"I talked less, or talked in an undertone."

Arjun chuckled.

"Good idea."

"Not for you. Your wife can sniff your words nanna.."

"Right bro."

Jai said entering the terrace with a small bouncing bundle in his arms. Vennela glared at him.

At that moment the big grandfather clock in the house chimed striking 12 midnight announcing the start of a new day.

"All kids ready?"

They heard squeals which came from a year and three months old Balamani and Nakshith, the twin girl and boy of Ganganamma Naagulu couple, followed by the cooing of Srinika, ten months old daughter of Arjun and Manasa which was followed by an excited YES of Laasyavi.

"You can open your eyes now Sharvas."

Jai called to his son who was turning Three today.

"Amma?"

"I am here too!"

"Srinika, Bala, Naksh and Akka?"

"All are here! Open your eyes now"

Vennela said impatiently making Jai chuckle.

"The mother son Duo!"

Arjun said in disbelief.

"They share the same birthday, so they will be sharing some qualities too."

"Just like me and Nana."

"Yeah. That is one weird family!"

"We are one big weird family Mavaiyya."

Laasyavi and Sharvas said together making everyone chuckle.

"Happy Birthday kids!"

Arjun said and handed them each a big chocolate bar.

"Happy birthday Sharvas"

Laasyavi and Jai said handing him a coloring set of different crayons and then turned to Vennela and procured a bowl which Lakshmi passed to them. Vennela grinned.

"Atukula Payasam!"

But the sound was in chorus and everyone turned to Arjun.

"He is father a kid and look at him behaving like one!"

Vennela said making Arjun glare at her.

"You act like one too.."

"ITs my birthday!"

"And that's my favorite payasam."

"MY BIRTHDAY!"

Sharvas raised his voice to get attention.

"Orei.. its my birthday too.."

"Then have the payasam. Srini is waiting for me to give her payasam too."

"These two!"

Vennela said shaking her head as Jai fed her payasam. She smiled at him. Laasyavi fed her next and Vennela fed her too. Both widened their eyes and licked the payasam around their lips enjoying the delicacy. Deva chuckled.

"Mavaiyya."

"Be happy amma."

"I will be when you all are there with me."

She said and hugged Deva who caressed her hair lovingly.

"Done?"

Sharvas asked.

"Abba.. Here!"

Vennela said and took another bowl passed by Lalli. It was Pappu Paramannam.

"Happy birthday ra pedda manishi!"

She said feeding him the paramannam.

"To you too!"

The boy said and fed her the payasam and gave a peck on her cheek.

"Aaahh.. Nanna sharvas, thank you for reminding me."

"What nana?"

"That you should kiss when you wish."

Jai said and before anyone could understand, placed a peck on Vennela's cheeks earning a smack from her. But all he did was just laugh merrily. The family who was now used to this antics could only smile.

"Get a room you two!"

"We are the parents of two already. So we are shameless."

"But we are not that senior yet!"

Naagulu said.

"Naagulu bava. You don't talk. You went for doubles in a single ball. I am the one who had many dot balls and at last managed to get a single after all these years."

Arjun said and Manasa pinched him.

"Shut your stinking garbage mouth!"

"HE right Manasa. Who thought that Naagulu could do that? Twins that two in two years into his marriage."

"Ayya baboi.. Naaku siggestundi!"

Naagulu said smiling coyly and hid behind Ganganamma making everyone laugh harder. But sudden silence fell and they heard only a small voice and a happy baby noise.

"Let them be Srinika. Here, eat this. You like Paramannam kada."

Said Sharvas feeding Srinika the paramannam. Srinika ate it and giggled clapping her hands.

"Sha.. bbbaa.. Vvaaa."

She cooed and pushed the bowl to him.

"You want me to eat?"

She only clapped her hands and squealed.

"What is happening here?"

Arjun asked with his hands on his hips.

"Birthday celebrations!"

Sharvas replied back copying Arjun's stance.

"With my daughter alone?"

"You all busy with big talks. We small. We are bored. We celebrate alone."

He said and showed his tongue.

"Orei.. Ninnu.."

Arjun said and chased Sharvas who pushed the bowl into Jai's hands and ran away from there.

"Aagu ra.."

"No.. No.. Nooooo"

Elders chuckled and followed them to see the scene unfolding. Vennela slowly went into Jai's arms and laid her head on his shoulders.

Laasyavi who saw this, smiling, slowly moved from there to see if her Mavaiyya needed any help in saving him from her naughty little brother.

"Vennela.."

"Hmm.."

"Are you happy?"

Scowling, she smacked him making Jai chuckle.

"How could you ask that?"

"I will ask the same thing always. I want you to be happy and I want to be sure about that."

"How can I not be Bava.. Look at our family. One big happy family. And you.."

"And our family is growing."

"I am not complaining."

"I know. I am not complaining either. I never knew what it was to be in such a huge family. It's all because of you."

"Well, you spared me from being chased away to some far away land in the name of marriage to a thella tholu vedhava. So chellu."

Vennela said. Jai just chuckled.

"Oka chance.."

"Ichanu.. And I am here!"

She said placing her head on his chest where his heart was beating fast. Jai put his arms around her and pulled her closer.

The moon shone brightly as if it was smiling upon them.