That Sunday morning was unusually a gloomy morning. Ansh who would normally be awake by 5 to 6 in the morning had overslept and came to woke his parents up at around eight in the morning. But, to his dismay, his parents were already up and they seemed to be arguing about something. Ansh stood silently by the door to listen to their talks.

"Om should have at least told us from the beginning!" Shivaay roared angrily.

"He said he's regretting it, right? So why are you making an issue out of it?" Annika retorted.

"Annika, do you even realize the danger he's put us into? There's a child in our house! You are here now! What if those people traced Gauri here? We had been so careless all these while when we should have taken precaution from the very beginning. Don't do you dare side with them in this! I know that I'm right this time around!"

"What? No 'end of discussion' this time around?" Annika sarcastically commented, upon hearing his argument.

Ansh observed his mother's shoulder heaving and dropping as if she was crying. He swiftly opened the door wider, alarming the couple of the presence of their son and rushed towards his mother, jumping into her arms, straddling against her waist. He didn't even dare to turn and look at either of his parents. Ansh simply buried his head deep into the nook of Annika's neck, trying his best to not cry. Just yesterday, he had seen his parents being so happy together and now they're fighting again. Will they ever stop fighting?

"Mumma, were you crying?" Ansh softly spoke as the kid himself was teary eyed.

Annika quickly took one of her hands and lifted Ansh's face from her neck. Her heart almost broke when she saw the little soul being so close to breaking into tears, avoiding her gaze.

"Hey, Ansh, baby, look at Mumma! See, I'm not crying. I was not crying. Take a look baby!" Annika urged him while Shivaay stood still watching their bond. He had wanted to jump in and make it a family hug, but he stopped himself. He was still upset with Annika for justifying Om and Gauri's act.

Ansh quickly covered his face in his tiny palms and removed one of them to take a peak of his mother's face. She was indeed telling the truth. She wasn't crying. Her honey-brown orbs were devoid of any signs of tears having resided there before. Even her nose wasn't as red as a crown's nose. This sight caused the little kid's lips to twitch upwards as he sighed a huge relief, causing the young mother to involuntarily let out a chuckle.

Ansh then turned around to find his father looking at them from a distance. He made no efforts to come closer or even acknowledge his presence there.

"Papa?" Shivaay was quick to reply when his son called out to him, but remain rooted at his place.

Ansh twitched his tongue and waved to his father, summoning him to walk up to them. Shivaay did as he was asked to and walked closer while Ansh wriggled himself out of Annika's arms to stand on the ground.

He stood opposite his parents and rested his arms on either sides of his hips, Ansh demanded, " both of you, get on your knees!".

"What?" Shivaay asked quizzically while Annika just watched the father-son duo, being confused.

"Get down on your knees!" Ansh demanded yet again and with no other options left, both his parents complied.

"Good! Now turn around and face each other while still being on your knees!"

Annika and Shivaay obeyed despite the fact that they were not knowing where this was leaded to. They avoided looking at each other, but Ansh forced them to do so. Right after that, he made Shivaay hold Annika's earlobes and Annika Shivaay's.

"Ansh, beta, what are you doing?" Annika questioned hed son.

"This is your punishment for fighting early in the morning! This is how Mrs. Dunphy punishes us whenever we fight in the class. Now, you both hold this position until you're sorry and make sure you mean it! Don't cheat!" Ansh sounded exactly like his school teacher with the tone that he used and the choice of his words. "Oh and yes, good morning Mumma! Good morning Papa! I love you both!" All of the sudden, he was back to being their adorable, cute son and left the room not before giving a peck on both his parent's cheeks after being called by Aditya.

As soon as Ansh left, Shivaay pulled his hands away from Annika and tried to stand up when he found her pulling him back into the same position.

"Anni?"

"Shivaay, Ansh had told us to remain in this position until and unless we're both sorry and really meant it! I don't think you apologised. So, get back here. Hold my ears!" Her mischeviousness was cleverly concealed behind her pursed lips.

"Annika, what's this childishness? Let me go, I have work to do and I'm pretty sure you do too, right?"

"I'm not being childish. I'm just doing what my child had told me to do. I'm just trying to be a good mother here! I know that you're the best father, but I at least need to be good, right?" Annika copied his tone as she tried her level best to keep the threatening laughter from showing.

"Okay, fine then! I'll not apologise at any cost!" Shivaay faked his anger and turned his head the other way swiftly, causing Annika to chuckle as she falls onto him while swiftky clutching the lapels of his shirt tightly, for her support. Her contagious laughter caused him to break into a laughter as well, while his hands raised up to her waist almost immediately, holding her tight. They took their own time to control their laughter and leaned back to look at each other, only to burst into laughters again, while still kneeling.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Shivaay asked once he regained his composure.

"Why were you laughing?" Annika retorted, while still chuckling herself. She raised both her eyebrows, challenging him to answer her.

"Huh?"

"What huh?" Shivaay questioned back as he bite back his lower lips mischeviously, giving Annika the hint of the tickle monster threat.

"No... no... no... not the tickle monster!" Annika squealed as she tried to get free from his tightening clutches, but much to her surprise he was giggling instead.

"Tickle monster was never going to come!" She sighed in relief upon hearing that from her husband, yet keeping her guards on. He can, has and most probably be lying to her. And, once she's off-guard, he'll pounce on her. That's how the Tickle Monster is.

"I swear, no tickle monster!"

"Okay, fine! I trust you!"

"So tell me, why did you laugh? I was so angry at you and now I can't even be mad at you!" Shivaay huffed as he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers.

Annika took a moment to look at him first, before replying. His eyes were closed, as if he was cherishing this moment between them. He truly was not angry nor was he going to unleash the monster that she was dreaded off.

"Shivaay, we are both adults. We were having an important and serious argument when Ansh came in. I was on the verge of breaking down when he just waltzed in and made us both kneel in front of each other. Our child just child-handled us and here we are, forgetting everything that we were fighting about and reconciled like nothing ever happened. Like that argument didn't even exist! It's like act like a child, get treated like a child! Ansh used that formula on us and you without realising it was getting pissed off!" Annika chuckled as she saw realisation hitting his face.

"Oh shit!" He chuckled.

"I wish we had someone to do this for us everytime we had an argument. At least that way, we wouldn't have stayed apart for so long!"

Shivaay immediately closed the distance between their lips and took hers in between his. He was already insecure about their relationship now, and she was just adding fuel to the fire. He didn't want to listen to her talking about the past anymore. They decided to move on. It doesn't matter any more. Whoever there was in Annika's life and whoever that is wanting to come, may just as well leave for all he cares. For now, the only thing that mattered to him was the woman, his woman, in his arms.

Annika slowly broke the kiss upon feeling breathless and was struggling to open her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered, as a red hue crept up to her cheeks. She could feel his heavy breath and the burn of his beard on the sides of her cheeks that were slowly descending towards her jawline.

"Shivaay, what are you doing?" She moaned as he started leaving marks on the side of her neck. Her palms travelled from his waist to his forearm, stopping them from moving further or below waist.

"Claiming you mine!" His possessiveness was evident in the growl that escaped his throat.

The guttural groan was enough to weaken Annika's knees. She could feel herself slowly drowning in his pool of love. Slowly, without her realising, she sank her fingers into his deep brown locks while his palms began entering underneath her shirt, grazing her soft skin.

"Fuck! I'm so sorry!" They heard someone cursing and Annika pushed Shivaay away from herself as she looked away from the person.

Screw it! The door was open ajar!

"What is it Rudra? Can't you see we were busy?" Shivaay whined, earning a slap from Annika on his shoulder while she still looked away.

She was so embarrassed upon having caught red-handed by Rudra of all people and her husband was shamelessly being an imbecile.

"Bhaiya, I'm so sorry. I'll just wait downstairs. You guys come quick. Om is leaving the house!" Rudra mumbled while not looking at them. He had turned himself around the moment he barged into his brother and sister-in-law's heated make-out. He really wanted to let them continue but his other brother and sister-in-law were leaving and only Shivaay can stop him from doing so.

"Why is Om leaving?" Shivaay asked, being puzzled.

"Don't you remember what you told him before darting into the room?"

Shivaay's smile dropped. He knew this was his mistake that he needs to correct. Composing himself, Shivaay took fast strides to the living room where Gauri and Om stood with all their packed bags. Annika who was right behind him, held him back and stepped ahead, to stop the young couple from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going?" Annika questiomed Gauri as she took the bag from her hand. Gauri glanced beside her at Om before shaking her head as her shoulder slumped down.

"Gauri, I'm asking you something?"

"Gauri, take your bag from Annika Bhabhi. Let's leave!" Om stood firm in his decision.

"Om, what is this? Why are you leaving like this?" Shivaay was quick to interject before Annika could open her mouth to speak further.

"Shivaay, first off, I'm sorry that I put your family in danger. And secondly, just the way you care for your family, I should care the same for mine!"

"What are you blabbering O? We are all the same family!" Rudra was quick to push the discomfort that was creeping his way through Om's reply.

"Oh really? Why didn't you say this when your brother dearest was stating this very facts a few moments ago? Why?" Om spat out calmly, yet his anger was so evident.

"O, you know that Shivaay Bhaiyaa doesn't really think before he talks when he's angry and most certainly he doesn't mean them! Why are you blowing it out of proportion?" Rudra tried explaining.

Om snickered before fixating his glance at Shivaay, "He gets to say whatever he wants when he's angry and once he's calm, people should run back to him simply because he didn't mean them? Is that what you're trying to imply, Rudy?"

"O, don't twist my words!" Rudra grunted as he stomped his feet on the ground. Both his elder brothers were being impossible! How hard would it be for them to just move past things and look forward?

"I'm not twisting my words and why are you being an advocate for Shivaay when the person himself is present here and is remaining a statue?"

"Om, of all person, you know that sometimes in anger, I just speak my mind out before thinking through it. I really didn't mean whatever I said earlier!"

"Shivaay, you accused me of putting everyone's life in danger for a mere random girl. Well, guess what? Gauri isn't a mere random girl! She's my wife and I love her! I had to marry her secretly in order to protect her from the goon, Kali. Her father was a respected man before he passed. He was her only family and he took some loans from that loan shark for Gauri's firther studies. Once her father passed, Kali claimed all their property and wanted to keep Gauri as his mistress! I couldn't watch the woman I love being in such a problem. Despite her refusal, I had gone back to India and tried to pay back that nasty man's money but he didn't want it. You blamed me of not trying any other alternatives. I tried, okay? I tried my best. I took legal approach and failed. I tried to pay the debt and failed. I even tried to gather evidence against him myself, but still failed. And only then I got married to her so that I can bring her to New York with spousal visa and for her own safety reasons I was the one who asked her to be Chulbul! I didn't want this matter to be revealed in such manner. I, sorry, we, as in me and Gauri wanted to solve whatever going on between you and Annika first before disclosing this to anyone. But you know what? Enough is enough! The world doesn't revolve around you! We all have different priorities! Just the way you had proved to me today that I'm nowhere on your priority list, I'm also going to walk away from your life and your house! It's high time to say this to you! You think you're changing towards the better, but you're still the same! The same old selfish Shivaay! I'm done being there for you when I can't have my elder brother by my side when I need him the most. You're just so full of yourself and I'm done with your shitty attitude! Just a few days back, you told me that you fucked everything up, right? Well, guess what? You had successfully fucked us up too!"

"Om... please at least listen to me once..." Shivaay tried to explain, but he was yet again interjected by Om.

"Enough, Shivaay. I'm so sick and tired of this! I'm done! I'm just done! I have more pressing matters to be handled than handling a grown-up baby like you! And, not everyone is like Annika Bhabhi to be forgiving and saint-like! Do you have any idea how much of trouble she's been through because of you and your stupid impulsive decision? Ever since you entered her life, all you do is make her cry and she's still crying because of you!" Om turned to give Annika an apologetic glance before grabbing his bag and turning towards Gauri.

"Gauri, grab your bags. Let's go!"

No one dared to stop Om after he had vented out all his suppressed feelings. All they could do was nothing but to watch those two figures leaving through the door.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Rudra questioned Shivaay after they had left.

"Why didn't you Bhaiyaa?"

"Rudra, I... I tried!"

"Well, you didn't try hard enough!" Rudra angrily left Shivaay and Annika in the living room.

"Shivaay, we'll get them back. Don't worry!" Annika consoled him, while he kept his gaze fixated at the door through which his brother had walked out a few moments ago.

"I'll ask the court to speed up the divorce process. You can have Ansh's custody as well! I'm sorry that I only brought sadness in your life!" A lifeless Shivaay stated as he turned to leave Annika there.

"Divorce?" They heard Ansh's voice. He had just entered the house with his uncle, Aditya. The little kid had dropped his new Spongebob soft-toy and quickly turned to hug his uncle's leg to muffle his cries.

"God! Why am I keep ruining everything?" Shivaay sighed as he tried to walk up to Ansh and Aditya when he was stopped by Aditya.

"Don't touch him! You both solve whatever that has been going on between you right now! I'm taking Ansh out to our old apartment." Aditya picked Ansh up in his arms and left the house.

"Annika... " he stopped as he felt her palm hitting him across his face.

"Why do you keep breaking my heart like this?"

-To be continued-

P.S. I know that escalated pretty quick, but Shivaay really needed a wake up call. Please don't forget to vote and comment!!! Would love to hear all your insights!!!