At the dinner table,

Vinay and Sameer were discussing their trip to Greece for meeting the Lord as they had to discuss about the most important decision regarding the Underboss of the feline team – Tigris.

"...Mom...Some Sambar Sadham (rice and sambar) with Idichakka thooran (Jackfruit savoury) please...I am really hungry..." a cheerful Rajeev jogged to his happy looking mother who was serving the food on the table to her equally happy family and chatting along with them to keep up to their daily dose of joy.

"...Rama...did you give the food to Mrunal and check if she wanted hot water for Meera, ok?...and also ask her if she wanted anyone of us to be with her in the room for the night...hm?" Latha instructed the maid and servant who were assigned specially for the new mother and the sweet baby by the new father – Rajeev.

Rajeev smiled and mouthed 'thank you' at his aunt for being so observant as always. He went towards his new room as being advised by his mother who knew the hesitant that she had observed in Mrunal.

Rajeev's new room

He was sipping on his wine while hearing the sweet cries of his Meera from the adjacent room and how his wife was trying to baby talk to calm her down. His smart mother knew the eagerness of the new father to the least hear them and planned to shift the refurnished room with nursery adjacent to that of Rajeev's new room.

After some time, the baby gurgled back to her mother complaining on being late to take her in her caring cradle.

'...hm...so...this was the reason for the fake cries, huh?...naughty hungry baby!...'

'...hm (angry tone) ...'

'...don't you try that on me, Missy!!...I know all your tricks...bubba!...'

'...hm...*gurgles*...'

'...sweet baby...'

Rajeev hummed at the way she was so near yet so far from his warm hug. He tsked moving to his lonely bed and shaked his head at his stubborn wife who didn't even bless him with her cuddly chubby self and slyly moved to her new room.

The morning of the Homa

The priest was chanting the mantras as the family members came to participate in the yagna.

Latha was instructing the servants to help out the priests with Sonia who was awaiting for Mrunal to come down for the homa.

Rajeev was sitting with Vinay who had a serious conversation with him and Pradeep.

"...I think we should talk about it later...notnow..." Sameer advised them as he didn't want the other family members worryunnecessarily. 

"...*cries*..." Sonia looked over the way baby Meera was crying badly on her mother's shoulder as they descended down the stairs towards the homa.

Before Soumya could try to pacify the baby and take her away to the garden area, a buff arm cradled the baby Meera who finally found the much-required solace.

Mrunal had a scared look on her face but was happy that her Meera was pacified with the warmth of her father's protectiveness and the soft murmur of sweet nothings, as always.

Afternoon

"...Buji?!...come...both of you need to sit together with Meera..." Reena came to Mrunal who was hesitant to approach Rajeev who was playing with baby Meera on the couch. Meera got little scared of the sudden smoke and loud chants.

"..." Rajeev smiled at the soft manner she stood beside him and understood the reason. He didn't even glance at her and moved towards the homa for the blessing from the high priests. 

As the new parents sat with their baby, the high priest blessed them for a long and prosperous life together, the baby suddenly squealed surprising the people around.

As giggling Mrunal unknowingly caught hold of her baby's chubby fingers bouncing ontop her father's lap, she accidently looked at his droopy caring brown smiling eyes and got ashamed. She immediately straightened herself and promised to be composed through the entirety of the Homa, avoiding his eyes.

Mrunal didn't realise that her husband waited for this moment for so long and finally was able to have her at least near him.

The high priest bought their hands together and told them to repeat the chants after him. Mrunal didn't dare to look even at his hands which was one of her weakness and wanted to go through the torment as fast as possible.

Unbeknownst to her, the restless Rajeev was sneakingly twirling her wet hair ends, falling on her plumpy backside with his free hand. His Deepika Amma was right, his babygirl was looking pretty in the pink cotton silk saree and totally huggable: to his much helplessness.

Finally, Mrunal got up from her seat and moved immediately towards the garden area, angering Rajeev who wanted to put some sense into her.

Didn't she know how much he longed for her soft self in his arms?

They together with their little wonder and their fulfilled life – as the priest had offered them with the almighty's blessings.

"...Don't Raj!..." Rajeev looked back at her who negated on his anger burst on the naïve scared wife.

"...But Chech?..." Veena held him back making him understand the hesitant and confused state that the new mother was going through which would at times bring out the worst side of even the sanest of the woman.

"...Even though Chech...she needs to know that we are her family now...and moreover, I feel that somebody or rather someone ...needs to put some reality check on her...Raj...there is something crucial you need to know...that Buji has decided..." Prisha came to the duo and tried to explain to them the most cruel and adamant verdict that Mrunal had taken for herself and Meera.

When Prisha finished the summary of the conversation that she had with Mrunal, Veena looked over Rajeev who glared at his wife and muttered "...don't worry Chech...she is not going anywhere...not in my clock...she needs to know who this Rajeev is .... *glances back at them*...and what he can do!..." moving out of their scanner, he went to set his mind on bringing his heart back to her rightful place.

Veena held Prisha's hands who chuckled at the way her Raj's mind began its mechanism to bring Mrunal in her rightful abode with their precious baby. Prisha thought it to be her salvation from the sin that she had performed on two souls. Her one mistake had separated them for so long and if she could bring them together, then that would be the atonement she would get for being their criminal.

Late in the evening, Sonia and Reena tried to convince Mrunal to stay for another few days as they would want to spend some quality time with their darlings.

While leaning on the front door frame, Rajeev looked over the adamant mother who was shaking her head to politely refuse her in-laws.

Just then he saw the one person he never imagined would be her chauffer – Vivek. 

The sleepy Meera smiled as she saw her Vivek uncle who took her in his strong arms and expressed his gratitude towards the elders.

"...Vivek... do tell your friend to stay back...I mean we do want our Meera to be with her family for some time..." Reena expressed her heartfelt desire for their Mrunal and baby Meera among her family and make her know the missed love.

"..." Mrunal looked down with a slight crease on her tensed brow making Vivek explain to them.

"...Aunty, actually...Meera has her monthly health check-up...so, *glances at Mrunal*..."

After few exchanges of longing hugs and kisses, the family finally bid bye to their heart – Buji and baby Meera.

The vein in the Mafia's fist threatened to pop up out, when Vivek placed his hands on her back guiding her inside the car. Rajeev could only think of ways to twist and turn the limbs of the one person who was trying to crawl into his Buji's heart and mind.

He was not the jealous type but the territorial one. His principle was 'I need to protect what is mine...', often confusing people of him being jealous, who only wanted to safeguard his love.

After a month,

Mrunal held the hands of the smiling Shyma who caressed it as she told the wonderful news to her big sister.

"...wow!...isn't it great?!!...I mean a pure traditional wedding in the village!!...long time since we went to one..." Arjun explained as he sipped his tea hearing the chuckle from Deepika.

Dhiraj informed that he would directly reach the village for Shyma's brother's wedding being kept next week.

But Mrunal was in a dilemma as the doctor had advised to not travel long distance with little Meera. As the change of weather may affect the child and make her even cranky.

The ladies were trying to make the maid stay the night with the extra monetary benefits for her. But she also had a family and politely denied the offer.

As they were discussing their problem, Sonia came in to see her Meera.

She had a pep talk with the interns in the nearby MFA Arts school. Her motherly instincts guided her to Meera who equally missed her grandma.

As Sonia ate the tiramisu prepared by Mrunal, she hummed in delight at the burst of flavours in her mouth. 

Mrunal was an expert baker and even spelled her mild dream to open her own bakery shop – if time permits.

"...is that all?!!...uffo!!...Deepika, you worry for nothing!!..." saying so the carefree Sonia went to babble talk with her Meera. Deepika glanced over the confused Mrunal who murmured '...do I need to stay over at the Nairs'?!...' to which Deepika shrugged being clueless when...

"...I will tell Vinay to shift his work here...till the time you come back from the wedding...anyways...I have this intern workshop for another...um...*glances at her organiser*...three days!...then I am totally free to .... play with my Mimi!!...isn't that right?!...oh my darling!!..." Meera hummed in comfort as she found the caress on her back, and tangled the chain on her grandma's neck.

The cunning Sonia gave an innocent look to Mrunal who smiled at her getting relaxed. Deepika was getting tensed onto what next plan had her bestie devised?

SoVin Industries Ltd.

"..." Vinay kept the call from his wife who seems to have blabbered something which he couldn't totally understand but even though agreed.

"...Dad...um...here is the quote...the final one...don't worry about the one with the Tokyo client...we got that...Dad?!!..." Rajeev came inside the cabin murmuring the concall with their clients and saw that his father was giving him a puzzled look, tensing him at first.

But then...a small smile came across the Mafia Capo's face who saw the cunning smile of his father who got another line of tease for his son. Vinay narrated Sonia's plan to his smart son who fully understood the assignment to tame the stubborn new mom.

The day of departure to the village.

Mrunal was teary eyed when she bid her bye to the little worried parents and Shyma. They would surely miss the giggles and babbles of their sweet and mischievous Meera.

Sonia held the shoulder of Mrunal murmuring encouraging words to the new mother.

In the garden.

Sonia looked over the way Arjun had beautifully laid the fruit and vegetable patch on one side of the garden area. She twisted her face with the way the garden was looking more organized than hers.

"...Amma?...Appa would be back in the early evening, right?...so, shall I tell the cook to make some soup and an early dinner with chapati or lentil congee...hm?" Mrunal came beside the little grumpy Sonia who adjusted her glasses and hummed in response 'chapati and mixed green veggies'.

As Mrunal smiled knowing the reason behind her sullen nature, she returned to give Meera her bath.

In the afternoon, Sonia was sitting beside the sleepy Meera and caressing her baby hairs from her chubby face. 

https://youtu.be/wNau_RxVrp0

The sweet voice of Sonia singing the lullaby made the child sleep peacefully with the light breeze hitting her soft self.

Mrunal was happy to have her Amma stay with her; as the mother-daughter enjoyed the happy time that God had offered her.

Her Appa and Amma had been her strength from the start, just like her...

The worried crease came back to her face with anxiety which had increased ever since the homa.

She rushed to the washroom to release her stuck cries which she had tried many a times.

She couldn't understand why she was not able to cry like before. The tears had seemed to have dried off in her wanting eyes.

She could have glanced for a second in his droopy eyes...

She could have held his protective hands...

She could have embraced his strong but caring self...

Why didn't she...just why?

As the thoughts descended her mind over and over again, she slumped on the bathroom floor – still not crying.

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