After 7 months,

Mrunal was sitting on the couch outside her house and listening to the gurgling made by her daughter – Meera. 

- 💕(AI image of Mrunal post-delivery)💕

".... say Appupa...Appupa..." Arjun pleaded the baby who could only blink her doe eyes at the way the wrinkled man was trying his level best.

Mrunal smiled at the way the new grandfather was playing constantly with the little Meera who had won over her loved ones in a short time. Especially her favourite grandmother – Sonia who was thrilled when Mrunal named her little wonder as 'Meera' – Sonia's maternal name.

Most of the family members except Prisha, would visit their darling Meera and spend some quality time with her. So, when at times when Rajeev would visit his daughter; Mrunal would escape to the terrace or any other room to hide her evil aura from her saviour.

No amount of advice or scolding would make the new mother meet Rajeev who only wished to see her new glowing motherly self (as enthusiastically described by his Deepika mom).

"...hiya Bubba!...what is my little Mimi doing?!..." came the voice from the front porch as Sonia approached the baby girl who squeaked with her little scream hearing her favourite sound in the world.

Mrunal's room.

Latha was sipping on her tea while glancing at Mrunal who opted to be silent on the new member suddenly visiting her regular visit from her Sonia Amma. 

❤️(Baby Meera)😘

"...Bobobo!!!...*laughs*...Buji?...did you get her vaccination...?!...my friend...Dr. Urmila called me...regarding it..." As Sonia asked the hesitant Mrunal, who replied.

"...um...No...Amma...I need to...maybe...Friday..."

Sonia nodded and went back to play with her Meera who couldn't stop her giggles and gurgling.

Latha tsked and kept the tea cup speaking "...Nia...did you inform her?..."

Sonia halted her plays and looked a little hesitant to which Latha continued

"...Mrunal...we are keeping a homa for the family members this Sunday...for you know the peace and serenity of the family and their wellbeing...so...it would be pivotal for you and Meera to join us..."

"..."

"...before you say something...I want to tell you that your refusal is not taken into consideration here...as being the part of the family...we expect you to be there...with Meera...without fail...hm?" the stern voice of Latha didn't stop Mrunal from trying to avoid the family, especially...

"...I appreciate your concern for me and my involvement in the family affairs...but Aunty...I may not come...but I will surely send Meera...as she is the rightful person than me...to join her family...I am...sorry Aunty...I won't come..."

She then went outside the room taking the snacks tray to the kitchen, angering Latha and upsetting Sonia.

Before leaving the Kumars, Latha watched over how Mrunal didn't stray her eyes from her on not changing her decision. But Mrunal's brow creased when her Latha Aunt gave a mischievous smile at her, confusing the new mom.

As Mrunal stepped out of the paediatrician's clinic, Deepika told her to visit the shopping centre.

Being not able refuse her shopping spree mother, Mrunal abided by her and drove off to the nearest shopping centre.

At the shopping centre

As Mrunal was cradling her little darling in her arms, humming a sweet song to her babbles. Deepika was scavenging through the arrays of clothing with a pout on her grumbling face, making the onlookers wonder.

"...ahh!...got it!...Buji!!...come here!...check this...it will look great on both of you...." Deepika then strutted the said clothing on Mrunal's bodice to make her appreciate her mother's choice of dressing. 

Mrunal wondered on why did her mother select a particular dressing which had no relevance in her daily clothing. Nevertheless, she smiled to not let her mother despise her for being so selective and loving to her darlings.

"...oh, both will look beautiful in those!!!.... you will love them!!!"

"...I already do, Amma...I miss them... especially..."

"...*tsk*...don't worry...me and Latha will handle your Buji...*chuckles*..."

As the cashier handed over the card to Deepika who was continuously smiling talking on the phone with Rajeev and immediately tried to cut the call, on seeing her daughter approaching her.

"... done, Ma?...I need to buy some diapers and rash cream for Meera...can we stop at the medical shop, huh?..." Mrunal asked as her mother was struggling to keep her phone inside her bag and smiled awkwardly to her.

Kumar residence

Mrunal was puzzled on the line of diapers in her room as Meera laughed looking at her face.

"...did Appa order it?!!.... hm. Bubba, let's go for a bath, shall we?" speaking she picked her baby to give her a soothing bath for her daughter who was a water baby. Meera loved playing in the water and was her favourite time in the entire day.

She put her sleepy baby on the bed for her after bath routine...

- Hair oil for her curly locks.

- Massage oil for her growing chubby limbs.

- Baby powder for her chubby, soft body.

- Rash cream for the naughty crevasse in between her limbs.

As she searched for the rash cream, she reached out to the drawer and voila...

Two cartons of the medicated rash cream was kept beside the drawer...

'...Appa?!' the thought was confusing as Arjun was not the organised one in the family. Unbeknownst to her, Rajeev would purchase from time to time all the childcare goodies and medicare for his daughter and stoic wife.

Lost in her thoughts, she heard the way her Meera gurgled for her pre-nap milk and snuggled in Mrunal's arms.

As the baby slept in her arms, Mrunal backed her a little and softly rubbed her milk laden pouty lips with a smile.

"..." Deepika peeped inside the room seeing Mrunal folding the clothes sitting on the edge of the bed, with Meera slept peacefully in the centre of the soft bed.

"...Buji?..." Deepika handed her the health drink which the doctor had advised for the new mother.

Deepika and Sonia would from time to time, make the new mother have plenty of healthy foods along with herbal drink, fresh fruits and proteins for keeping up her stamina to take care of herself and her growing baby.

On Saturday

As Mrunal dried the clothes on the wire in the balcony, she heard the husky voice calling out her daughter entering; tensing on the chances of the certain person's arrival.

She hurried inside and her face relaxed to see her 'Appa' who smiled at his angels.

"...Buji?!!..." Mrunal smiled at Vinay cradling Meera who was trying to catch his beard with an angry face at her trials to not get them.

"...why are you not coming for the homa, hm?" the repetitive question got her slightly angered but she composed herself replying her valid reasons.

Vinay tsked trying to convince her with the importance of the daughter-in-law of the Nair household, but in vain.

Finally Vinay thought to use his trump card and spoke "...So, you wanted to send Meera with the maid, huh?...well, then I guess she will be fine when she would be cranking at the smoke that would frail over the house during the homa...or when she would want the warmth of her loved ones to console her...or when she is teary eyed with the continuous chanting noises of the priest...wanting some peace in the arms of her mother...coz as you know that most of the household people will be busy with the arrangements and procedures during the homa...hm?"

Mrunal thought about it and got up to keep the bottle in the sterilizer questioning her motherly instincts and needs to leave her baby with just a maid.

In the evening,

Nair Mansion

"...and also get the flowers for the ladies...ok?...don't forget the sweets order from the shop asap...I don't want the priest to have a fit at missing any of the homa items...ok?" Reena instructed the head servant who was taking down the same and moved out of the room.

Sonia was telling the maid to clean the garden area properly to arrange for the food post the homa.

"..." Latha looked over the front door corridor as the one person entered the mansion after a period of one year with little Meera giggling to see the known faces altogether.

Prisha smiled looking over the new mother who seems to hide away her eyes from her Raj's Chech.

'...I need to solve the misunderstanding between us...' was the thought the mafia associate had while holding her little Saesha in her hands.

The proud and happy mother-in-law took her Buji to the new room that she had designed specifically for her long back. 

Mrunal saw the way 'their' bedroom was transformed into a nursery by her smart and caring Sonia Amma.

"...Amma?..." she enquired to her who smiled knowingly replying "...don't worry...he won't come...coz he knows...that...um...you won't like it..."

Sonia then went outside, leaving a worried Mrunal with her sleeping Meera in the cradle.

After some time, Mrunal came out of the washroom taking a quick shower to arrange for the clothing in the wardrobe when...

Knock! Knock!

Prisha smiled to her who immediately glanced at the perky Saesha – the splitting image of her brave and composed mother.

Mrunal took the baby in her hand who squealed a little making Prisha chuckle at the little one's happiness.

"...she must be tired?...has she had her TT dose?..." Prisha asked the mother while caressing Meera's chubby arms.

Mrunal shaked her head making Saesha bounce a little in her arms. She then placed the playful Saesha on the soft bed, handing her some soft chewable toys for her teething.

"...baby!...baby!!!..." Saesha was babbling pointing towards Meera's cradle, making Prisha nod to her words.

"...Buji?...I know I have not been a good sister...but...what I did...was for my family...and I feel like a complete idiot at not knowing the actual trauma that you had suffered...I am so sorry, Buji...please forgive me...please...I have been carrying this burden since I came to know that...you...I didn't have thecourage to face you...*sniffs*...please...I am so sorry...please!!..."

Mrunal rushed to console the teared-up Prisha and held her hands replying "...no Chech!!...I am not angry at you...or anyone for that matter...I knew the consequences of my deeds, when I...*exhales deeply*...Chech...what you did was to protect your family...and what I did was to save those innocent girls...and I didn't wanted to in the first place...but when...that devil?!!...*gritting her teeth*...he couldn't even spare a small...*gulps*...I had to ...and I knew that eventually I will be taken by the authorities... I was mentally prepared for this Chech...I just...couldn't...stay away from...my..."

Prisha looked at her and suggested "...then go and meet him...he is also...waiting for you...Buji!...he..."

"...No Chech!...I can't!...not when... I have betrayed his trust on me...not when...I was the reason for his ordeal...the way he carried my burden...No, Chech I won't...He deserves better than this...the best...not me!..."

"...what are you talking about, Buji!...no way!...No...you can't...not when...and...what about Meera then, huh?...are you going to abandon her from his fatherly love...huh?...or take her away from her family?...tell me, Buji?!..." Prisha asked her with concern over the way she was trying to move out of their radar again.

"...Meera is not going anywhere..." Saying so, Mrunal kept quiet, straying away her teary eyes from the terrified ones.

Before Prisha could put some sense into the stubborn girl, the maid came to call her as per Latha's instructions. 

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