Shiva went to the bedroom where Shalini was standing before their wardrobe, holding one hand to the side of her forehead while she held the wall with her other hand to steady herself.

"Lini, what happened? Are you okay?"

She turned around slowly with a frown on hearing his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Her voice was low and he could see the strain in her face. She was obviously not fine.

"Are you having a headache?" asked Shiva, taking the pile of clothes from Shalini's hands and dumping it in the wardrobe.

"I was just neatening up the wardrobe. What are you doing?"

"It doesn't matter. You can neaten it up later. First, you tell me, you're having a headache, aren't you?" Shiva raised his hands to her shoulders.

"Slight."

"You won't say even when you have a slight headache until it's gone. I'm sure you're having a bad one right now," claimed Shiva, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Leave me, I need to cook lunch. You came early today and I didn't get to make lunch yet with this headache." Shalini tried to turn away but Shiva did not withdraw his hands from her shoulders.

"Most wives would be happy when their husband comes home early. But my wife is sad because she hasn't made lunch yet. What are you gonna make with this headache? Let Anu or Narain come first, we'll order for food delivery for lunch then."

"No need, I'll cook."

Shiva ignored her response and led her towards the bed, holding her shoulders. "First, let me put some balm to soothe your headache. Then, you can go cook if you want. Lunch will be delivered home anyway. So even if you cook, nobody here will eat the food you cook today."

Shiva smirked at his wife expecting her glare but Shalini was too tired to even glare at him and just remained silent with a frown, which gave away how awful the throbbing pain was in her forehead.

Shiva rubbed a little balm on her forehead and her temples while Shalini just kept her eyes shut for a moment.

"Rain, rain, go away. Mommy, Daddy is romancy. Little Nila wants to play. Rain, rain, go away." A familiar voice made the parents groan.

"Nila! Daddy is just putting balm for me. Nothing else is happening here."

"Why balm, Mommy?" asked Nila, stepping towards them from the door of the bedroom.

Shiva quickly explained to his daughter, "Mommy is having a headache, Nilu. You should have helped Mommy in the morning when Daddy was not here."

"Mommy didn't tell Nila that Mommy has headache." Nila pouted.

"Mommy is like that. She won't say. You have to be a good girl and help her next time, okay? Poor Mommy answered all your questions till now even though she's having headache. Mommy is best Mommy, right?"

"Bestest Mommy! I love you, Mommy!" Nila ran over and gave her mother a warm tight hug which Shalini reciprocated.

"Then, Daddy?"

Nila giggled impishly, before pondering for a long moment and then replying, "Hmm, let me think, Daddy."

Shalini laughed a bit, seeing the way her daughter was teasing Shiva.

"Okay, Daddy also bestest Daddy! I love you, Daddy!" Nila ran over to him and gave him a tight hug too.

"You had to think so long for that?" demanded Shiva, pretending to be angry.

Nila grinned cheekily before skipping out of the room. She stopped at the door, lost in her thoughts for a moment before she turned back to her parents. "Who will put balm for Mama when Mama has headache?"

Shiva's and Shalini's smile faded.

"Mama will put on her own, Nila," Shalini responded in a minute.

"Just like how Mommy usually puts on her own. Today because Daddy is home, Daddy put for Mommy. But Daddy isn't usually here for that, right?" added Shiva.

Nila thought for a long moment. "Mama doesn't have Daddy to put balm for Mama?"

"Daddy?"

"Like Mommy have Daddy, Mama doesn't have a Daddy to put balm for Mama?"

"No, baby."

"Why?"

"You have to ask your Mama that."

Nila left the bedroom in silence before going to the living room. Her mother's mobile phone was lying on the table. She took it and dialled Anuradha's number.

Anuradha answered the call instantly. "Hi, Shalu. I'm just leaving my apartment now. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"Mama?"

"Nila baby, it's you who called? Mama thought it's your Mommy."

"No, Mama, it's me."

"Oh, okay. What happened, baby?"

"Are you having headache, Mama?"

"No, baby. Why?"

"Nothing, Mama. Come home quickly, okay Mama?"

"Sure, baby. Mama's on the way."

"Bye, Mama. It's raining, Mama. Be careful."

"Aww, my darling. Mama'll be very careful. Bye."

Anuradha cut the call and Nila waited for a few moments. Papa will also be coming. It's raining. I'll tell Papa to be careful too. Nila quickly dialled Narain's number as well. Narain too answered the call instantly.

"Hello, Shalini. What happened? Any problem? Hasn't Shiva reached home yet?"

"Papa, relax, Papa!"

"Nila baby, what happened? Everything okay?"

"All okay, Papa! Papa not coming home?"

"Papa has little more work to finish. Will come in half an hour. Sorry Papa's late today, baby."

"No problem, darling! Come as quick as Papa can come. Nila baby waiting, okay?"

"Okay, darling. Papa will come as quickly as possible."

"Okay, Papa, bye! It's raining, it's pouring, Papa come carefully, okay?"

"Okay baby. Papa will come carefully to see you later. Bye."

Nila waited for Narain to cut the call before putting it down on the table just the way it had been earlier and running to continue doing the activities in her activity book.

About fifteen minutes later, Anuradha arrived and rang the doorbell.

Nila darted towards the door and opened it, before jumping into Anuradha's arms.

Anuradha expected the child to say another flattering line as usual but instead, Nila inquired, "Mama, do you have headache now?"

"No, baby. Why?"

"Nothing, Mama." Nila seemed disappointed.

Anuradha felt amused. Why is she asking me if I'm having a headache? Did somebody tell her I'm having one?

They entered the house and Nila quietly went to her books. Though Anuradha tried to talk to her, she was very serious and thoughtful, without paying her full attention to what Anuradha was saying.

Shiva came from the bedroom and smiled upon noticing Anuradha. "Shalini's having a headache. She refused to rest. I told her to sleep for a while. You'll be okay with Nila's company and Narain will be late anyway."

"Oh okay. Must be work tension; I felt she was having a headache when I spoke to her this morning. No worries, I'll be fine with Nila."

Hearing Anuradha's voice utter the word 'headache', Nila ran up to her with wide eyes. "Are you having headache now, Mama?"

"No, baby."

"Okay." Her face fell and she returned to her activity book in silence.

Feeling puzzled, Anuradha watched her for a moment. Why does she seem like she wants me to have a headache?

"Nila, you wanted to ask Mommy and Daddy one question earlier, right? Why don't you ask Mama the question?" asked Shiva with an impish grin.

Oh no. Anuradha glanced at Nila nervously. One question or a hundred? The last time she asked me one question after the other regarding dresses and fashion. Even I didn't know that much about fashion when I was her age. I wonder what she has to ask today.

"What question, Daddy?" the little child asked innocently.

"You forgot? You asked Mommy one question earlier and she asked you to ask Daddy. Why don't you ask it to Mama?"

"I don't know. What is the question, Daddy?"

She forgot. Great. "You didn't tell Daddy. It's okay; you can ask your Mama when you remember it."

Nila turned back to Anuradha. "Do you have headache now, Mama?"

"No, baby. Is that your question?" responded Anuradha.

She shrugged her shoulders glumly before returning to her table.

"I don't think so. Maybe she forgot her question after she saw that Shalini has a headache," voiced Shiva with a chuckle. "I don't know why she's asking you if you have one though."

"Yeah, she's asked me a few times already today."

Anuradha seated herself next to Nila, watching her drawing in the book. Soon, Nila took her colouring book and the two of them started colouring adjacent pages of the book.

As they were colouring, Anuradha frowned a bit without realizing.

"Did you get headache, Mama?" The question came as soon as Nila noticed Anuradha's frown.

"No, baby. Why are you asking that?"

"Nothing, Mama."

"Tell Mama, baby. Why do you want to know if Mama has headache?"

"I want to put balm for Mama when Mama has headache."

"Aww." Anuradha was surprised.

"Mama don't have Daddy to put balm for Mama." She pouted.

"Daddy? Oh." She must have seen Shiva applying balm for Shalini. "If Mama have headache, Mama will put balm myself, okay?"

Nila's face fell. "Mama don't have Daddy?"

"No, baby."

"Like Mommy love Daddy, Mama don't want Daddy?"

Anuradha frowned a bit. "No."

"Why, Mama?"

"Mama don't want."

"But Nila want Mama to have a Daddy."

Anuradha's frown deepened.

"Why Mama don't love any Daddy?"

Anuradha remained silent for a moment before turning her face away, saying, "Mama loved one person before. But he was not nice like your Daddy."

"If Mama's Daddy is not nice, throw and take new bestest Daddy like my Daddy."

Anuradha smiled. Nila was too cute. But the task was not as easy as she could say it. "But baby, you cannot throw your Mommy or Daddy like that."

"No, my Mommy and Daddy are bestest Mommy and bestest Daddy. Can never throw my bestest Mommy and my bestest Daddy. If Mama want help, Nila baby will find bestest Daddy for my bestest Mama. Okay?"

Anuradha broke into a grin. She couldn't believe the words she was hearing from the six-year-old girl.

"Please say okay, Mama, please! Mama's Nila baby is asking, right?"

"Okay, baby." Which man will she be able to find for me? She hardly knows any men other than her father and his friend. And if she's thinking of his friend for me, then that guy won't agree to me for sure.

"Yay! I love you, Mama!" squealed Nila before giving Anuradha a bear hug.

To be continued...

A/N: Hey peeps, hope you liked the chapter.
What do you think of Nila and her thinking?
Please vote and comment. :)