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After almost an hour of playing, Nila was feeling tired. She looked around and spotted Anuradha and Narain, who were at two opposite corners of the park.

What do I do with this Papa and Mama? They don't know how to be like Mommy and Daddy at all. They should learn to hold hands and walk and talk and smile at me while I'm playing here. But no, this Mama and Papa only smile at me or look around and walk. They don't do anything else correctly. Only my Daddy and Mommy know to do everything correctly. Nila shook her head in disappointment. Now where do I go? Run to Mama or Papa? If I run to Mama, Mama will tell Papa see Nila only loves me. If I run to Papa, Papa will tell Mama Nila only loves me. What do I do now?

Nila pondered for a moment before grinning a bit, seeing the car park diagonally the same distance from Narain and Anuradha. She dashed over to Narain's car and rested herself against it, panting for breath. Noticing Nila running towards the car park, Anuradha and Narain quickly made their way towards her.

"I'm tired!" exclaimed Nila as soon as Narain and Anuradha were close enough to hear her.

"Tired already? What happened? You played a lot in school earlier, is it?" asked Narain with a smile.

Nila nodded.

"Come, let's go home then." Anuradha walked over to Nila and turned to the car.

Narain unlocked the car and Anuradha opened the door for Nila to get in before she got into the front seat beside Narain again.

As Narain drove away from the park, they passed by an ice cream parlour.

Nila instantly sat forward. "Ice cream! I want ice cream, please Papa? Please Mama? Let's have ice cream nowy?"

Anuradha glanced from Nila to Narain. "There's one ice cream parlour near the apartment."

"Yeah, we'll go there." Narain didn't take his eyes off the road.

"Yay! Nila want chocy ice cream!"

The car soon drove up to the ice cream parlour and came to a halt. The three of them stepped out of the car and walked into the ice cream parlour.

As soon as they reached the counter, Narain spoke, "One chocolate ice cream."

"For me!" added Nila to the salesman who smiled down at her.

Narain glanced at Anuradha. "One butterscotch ice cream," he stated without waiting for her to speak.

She glanced at him in shock. How does he know what ice cream I want? This guy is getting creepy.

Narain turned to her with a frown. I gave my order. Why is she taking so long to give her order?

"What ice cream do you want?" prompted Narain after waiting for a moment.

"Umm..." Anuradha trailed off. What? He took my favourite butterscotch. I thought he was talking for me. Okay, at least that's not creepy. But still, how could he choose my fav? What do I choose now then?

"Mama also like butterscotch ice cream very much so same same like Papa." Nila turned from Narain to the salesman.

Narain frowned and turned away. Why does she have to like the same?

"So one chocolate and two butterscotch?" asked the salesman.

Anuradha replied, "No, I'll have vanilla." I definitely don't wanna order the same ice cream as him.

"Mama! Mama like butterscotch ice cream not vanilla ice cream! Why Mama say vanilla ice cream?" Nila turned to Anuradha with a frown.

"No, I don't like butterscotch. I'll have vanilla." When you find someone irritating, everything they do seems irritating to you. Even your favourite ice cream. Because he ordered it for himself. Anuradha turned her face away, annoyed.

Nila frowned and turned to Narain. "Papa, Mama's favourite is butterscotch ice cream only. Mama is lying."

"If you like butterscotch ice cream, take it. It's nice here too, right?" Narain glanced at Anuradha.

"I don't like butterscotch," insisted Anuradha. "You can have it. I'll have vanilla."

Narain paid for the ice creams and by then, the salesman served the tray of ice cream bowls to them.

Anuradha took the tray and led Nila to a table. Seating themselves, Nila quickly grabbed the bowl of chocolate ice cream and started enjoying a spoonful of it in content. Narain approached the table after paying the bill. Anuradha hesitated to take her bowl of ice cream since vanilla was not a flavour she actually liked much.

Coincidentally, the bowl of butterscotch ice cream was nearer to Anuradha. She glared at it. And now, I've to lose you to him. Wait, why should I give up my favourite for him? Let him have the vanilla if he wants. Anuradha grabbed the nearer bowl and ate a spoonful.

Narain, who had just seated himself at the table, frowned when he noticed that the only bowl left on the table contained vanilla ice cream. He glanced at Nila, who had a moustache of chocolate from the ice cream she was eating before turning to Anuradha. "Hey, you took my ice cream."

Anuradha ignored him for a moment as she enjoyed the taste of her favourite ice cream in her mouth before she glanced at him. "Oh sorry, I already started eating it." She showed him the bowl of butterscotch ice cream that was in her hand after she had eaten a spoon of it. I told you I'll get back to you for letting your father's friend misunderstand that I'm your wife. Anuradha smirked.

"If you wanted butterscotch ice cream, you should have asked for it when we were at the counter. Why did you ask for vanilla then?"

"I don't know. I felt like having vanilla then so I asked for vanilla. Now I felt like having butterscotch, so I ate the butterscotch."

"Hello, I'm the one who paid for it and butterscotch was my choice. You better buy me a butterscotch ice cream in return now."

"I won't. What will you do?"

"I came down so much and bought for you ice cream. Can't you just buy one ice cream for me?"

"I didn't ask you to buy me ice cream. And sure, I'll buy as many bowls of vanilla ice cream or any other flavour for you if you want. But don't expect me to buy you any butterscotch ice cream."

"What is your problem?"

"Mama, Papa, another world war again? For one small bowl of ice cream, why such a big world war?" Nila glanced from Anuradha to Narain and back to Anuradha. "No problem darlings! Nila will eat all the ice creams!"

Narain and Anuradha fell silent in shock as Nila dragged the two bowls of ice cream towards her with both her hands and emptied them into her bowl of chocolate ice cream one by one.

Nila swirled the three ice creams together with her spoon, chanting, "Mixy mixy mix! It's time for mixy ice cream!"

***

After checking that Nila was done with her homework and ensuring that she had packed her bag for school the next day, Narain stood up and headed towards the kitchen to make dinner as usual that night.

"Papa, we call Mommy Daddy now?" Nila hopped a few steps towards him on one leg.

"Oh, right." Narain quickly drew out his mobile phone from his pocket. Everyday, Nila would remember at the exact time about calling her parents. It was like she had a natural alarm clock to call her parents. She was not so punctual in anything else but about her parents, she would remember to call them at the exact time.

Narain dialled his friend's number and passed the phone to Nila to speak.

Meanwhile, Anuradha headed to the kitchen and started making dinner as usual before she remembered there was an extra person with her and Nila that night. Should I make dinner for him too? Nah, why should I? But if I don't make for him, what if he comes and makes something and forces Nila to eat it too? My poor baby girl. For her sake, I'll make dinner for him too. But if he dares to complain about the food, I won't keep any food in this house for him anymore.

A few minutes later, Narain walked into the kitchen and frowned upon noticing her. She was standing at the sink, wiping her eyes.

"You're crying?"

Anuradha turned and glared at him. "Obviously."

"Why?"

"Because of you."

"What did I do now?"

Anuradha rolled her eyes. This guy is seriously too naive. Do I have to spell it out? "Can't you see what you're doing? You're staying here, refusing to leave and giving me no privacy."

"Oh, thanks."

"Thanks?" demanded Anuradha in shock.

"I can't help it. If you're already crying on the first day, then I'm sure you won't last another week here and soon you'll leave me with my baby and go."

"Hello Mr., stop dreaming. I was just cutting onions. Don't think you are so great that I would cry for you or because of you. And I won't leave this place until my friends return. That's final."

Narain raised his eyebrow before walking out of the kitchen. I don't want to spend another second inside there. She's just so irritating and she'll never leave.

A short while later, Anuradha served the food she had made on the dining table and entered the living room. "Dinner is ready."

Without waiting for Narain, she returned to the dining room with Nila and served the food onto plates for her and the child.

Narain entered the dining room and noticed there was an extra plate on the dining table for him.

"Come, Papa, come! Mama cook yummy food for us."

Anuradha smiled at Nila. So sweet my Nila baby.

In silence, he seated himself at the table and served food for himself before eating. Anuradha glanced at him every minute or two, warning him in her mind that he better not think of giving a bad remark about it.

As soon as they were done eating, Nila asked, "Papa, yummy yummy food, right?"

"Hmm, okay."

Anuradha glared at him as he stood up and walked out of the dining room to the kitchen with his plate. All these men are like this; they don't know how to say a good word about the food cooked for them. Let him get lost. My baby said it's yummy. That's enough for me.

Narain headed to the kitchen and started washing the dishes in the sink. I usually do everything myself. I don't need her help. As she cooked for us, I will do this.

As he turned to leave the kitchen after washing everything, Anuradha spoke. "Thanks."

"Did I thank you for cooking dinner? No, right? Similarly, you don't have to thank me for this. I can do my things myself," claimed Narain, before walking out of the kitchen without looking at her.

Anuradha frowned as he left. She scanned the kitchen one last time before switching off the light and going to the bedroom. She got Nila and herself ready for bed before Nila ran into the living room to call Narain.

"Papa! It's time to sleep. Come, Papa."

Narain, who was working on his laptop, glanced up at the child. "You go sleep, baby. Papa will sleep here."

"Here? But there's no bed here, Papa."

"It's okay, Papa will sleep on the couch."

"It's not okay. When Daddy sleep on the couch, Daddy have neck pain later. Mommy will scold you if you sleep on the couch, Papa."

"It's okay. Papa will manage. There's lots of floor space also." Narain sighed, before turning back to his laptop.

Nila remained silent for a long moment with her head hung low. She slowly approached Narain. "Papa, Daddy and Mommy is not so poor. That's why they save lots of money and buy big bed for our bedroom."

Narain felt like laughing seeing the grave expression on her face. "You don't need that much lots of money to buy a normal double bed, baby."

"Okay Papa, Daddy and Mommy save little money to buy big bed for us. There's lot of space in the bed. There's space for Daddy, Mommy, Nila and more babies. That's why I told Mommy I want baby. If Papa and Mama and me also, there's lots of space for one more baby, two more baby-"

Before Nila could continue counting with her hands any further, Narain interrupted her, "Enough darling, what do you want now?" A typical medium-sized double bed. Nila can make a big deal about it and even think of how many people she can squeeze into it.

"I want Papa to sleep with me and Mama."

"Okay fine, come." Narain walked with her to the bedroom but stopped outside the door.

In her nightdress, Anuradha turned and glanced at him as he shifted from foot to foot without stepping into the bedroom.

"You can come in."

Narain glanced at her for a moment before walking past her towards the bathroom. "Papa will have a shower first, okay baby?"

"Okay Papa, Nila will waity!"

Narain grabbed his towel and things from the cupboard. I hope she sleeps in these few minutes.

As soon as Narain had gone in, Anuradha seated herself next to Nila and tucked her into bed. Nevertheless, Nila lay with her eyes open, determined to wait for her Papa while Anuradha read her a bedtime story.

About five minutes later, Narain walked out of the bathroom and smiled, seeing Nila lying in bed with her eyes closed.

"She slept?" He asked Anuradha, who was sitting beside Nila, caressing the child's head.

"She just slept now."

"Okay, good." Narain headed towards the door of the bedroom. He stopped but did not turn back to face Anuradha. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Anuradha smiled in relief as Narain walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Thank God he's gone and Nila slept. Otherwise, she would have forced him to sleep here.

With a smile, Anuradha lay next to Nila in the bed and pulled the blanket over them. In her sleep, Nila snuggled closer to Anuradha. Anuradha smiled at the child before giving in to her sleep and letting her eyes close on its own. Soon, she drifted off into a deep sleep; she could not remember when was the last time she had felt safe and slept peacefully without any pangs of fear or loneliness at night.

To be continued...

A/N: Hey peeps, hope you liked this chapter.

So that is their first night together in the same house. The first evening had only fights as starters. Do you think the second day will be any different?

Please vote, comment and share this book with others if you can. :)