Aimal.. Khushi walked towards her daughter calling her name putting an end to her insecurities.

Aimal jumped from Arnav's lap into Khushi's arms merrily and Khushi could finally breathe in the relief but what she failed to notice but Aman did see was Arnav's fallen face and an emotion of something amiss.

Mommy asked you to sleep, didn't she love?
Khushi asked Aimal with her affectionate anger to which her daughter hugged her tightly giving a sheepish smile knowing it would work.

True to her experience, her mommy's anger vanished who kissed her head.

She turned around to leave but had to stop shortly feeling something hindering her from moving.

She turned around to find Arnav holding Aimal's hands in his.

She looked at him amused for a while and was startled to hear him.

She was playing with me happily.

So? She asked casually to which  he stepped ahead with his clenched jaw startling her and barked-

Why are you trying to keep her away from me?

Her nostrils flared with his audacity, sending her daughter to play, she turned around and with sheer anger and annoyance said-

She is not your daughter Arnav, if that's what you think?

Arnav stood aghast with what she heard while Aman closed his eyes in dismay, things, indeed are turning pretty ugly.

What?
When did I even say that?
Infact, why would I even think like that dammit?

Arnav finally asked and that's when Khushi realised her stupidity. She became overwhelmed and hence she did this.

Stay away from her Arnav. She said just this, no more, no less which accelerated his anger more.

I won't, she was happy with me. He reasoned and the reply he received surfaced a painful expression on his face.

And soon you will make her cry.

She said and turned to leave when he held her hand and jerked her towards him starling both her and Aman.

Their fiery eyes met and they would have lost if not Arnav had remembered her words.

Pulling her closer with anger, ge asked-

W-what?
Why will I make her cry Khushi?
I was just playing with her dammit.

He just didn't understand why Khushi was this upset with their closeness and why the hell is he going this raged and mad with the thought of being away from Aimal.

Khushi pushed it forcefully taking advantage of his lost state and then she announced-

Okk, let's be clear on this Arnav. I never stop Aimal mingling with anyone. I won't stop her mingling with you even but please, try to stay away from my daughter.

Khushi waa way too angry or may be scared and that made Arnav ease down a bit. He needs to be little docile to make her understand that she is worrying about something useless.

He walked close to her while she looked here and there and said-

Why are you being like this?
I was just playing with your daughter dammit. Its not like I will snatch her away from you.

And there, he did a mistake.

There, he touched her sensitive spot.

To which, she roared like a lioness-

No one can snatch away my daughter from me.

Arnav looked too shocked to understand while Aman came in between relaxing Khushi.

Khushi, relax. He said and Khushi looked at him who had her face and eyes red in anger and distraugh.

Aman, tell your friend to keep a check on his limits regarding my daughter.

She said looking at Arnav to which he asked in anger-

I ask, why?

She breathed heavily and then shouted-

Because you don't know how to take care of people, their heart and their feelings.

You can hurt her and I won't spare you if a single tear rolls down her eyes because of you.

Arnav looked at her with anger building high and high within him and said-

You are crazy.
Do you even understand, it doesn't make any sense?

Khushi was about to back answer him when Aimal came running and looked at both at them with confused eyes.

The look her mommy was giving cleared that she has scolded her friend.

Shaking her head at her mommy, she asked-

Mommy..
Why are you scholding (scolding)  my friend?

Khushi looked at her daughter and that look was enough for her to smile sheepishly and then fly away like a butterfly followed by her mommy.

No sooner they left, Arnav turned towards Aman and asked with annoyance-

What's her problem man?
Why was she so angry?
What did I do?

And why the hell did she say something like this?

Aman gave him a disappointed look and left from there without saying a word making Arnav bang his fist and shout-

Ahh! 
These gupta cousin are crazy.

An hour later, Arnav saw Aimal playing along other kids. He couldn't help but admire the little munchkin. Her eyes are so similar to Khushi, sparkling and twinkling, but she had black eyes unlike Khushi, may be, that she inherited from her father.

The mere reminder of her father made his stomach grumble with unknown uneasiness.

He likes Khyshi, loves Aimal but feels irk towards the man whom these two belongs to.

Why?
Well, he doesn't have an answer for it, this time and he don't want to ponder upon it either.

He smiled when he saw Aimal covering her Gunnu with mud and laughing loudly when it shrugs the mud away.

A sudden urge to play with the baby grounds him but then he remembers what her over-possessive mother told him rather warned him.

But a human is a weird creation, fascination to do the restricted attracts him the most and here the restricted thing is too hard to resist.

Khushi and Aimal, attracts him more than any magnetic force and he become too helpless to resist it.

And why not, they are such a duo and very slowly and without his realisation he is becoming addictive to them which could be fatal or may be a blessing.

So, giving no heed to the earlier warning of Khushi, who isnt his priority as for now, he walked towards Aimal. Bending a little, he ruffles her hair and cooed-

Hey pretty doll!

Aimal looked up at her new friend and smiled brightly replying-

Hey Arnie!

Arnav's eyebrows raised high with his amusing smirk.

This baby girl is really something.

Typical baby version of Khushi. Knows how to grab anyone's attention without any try except for being straight-forward and well, charming.

Arnie? He asked sitting beside her.

Yeah! She replied shrugging her shoulders and then putting some mud on his cheeks with a giggle.

For some unknown reason, Arnav didn't feel offended or irritate. Instead, he smiled and punched her cheeks playfully while she was giggling.

Where is your mommy? He said being a bit conscious. Lest, he wants to take a chance of getting into another, unneeded and pointless verbal fight with her.

Ohh! Mommy and Tanvi Mami went for shopping.

You know, its Amy Mamu and Tans Mami wedding.

We will get to get ready, to dance and to eeeeeeaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttt.

Umm, chicken, Panipuri, pasta, naan, fish annnnnndddddd Jalebiiiiiiiii.

Arnav smiled rolling his eyes.

Khushi's daughter is just like her.

Totally adorable and foody. He remembers how Khushi was all nervous on their first date looking everywhere except him adjusting her spects on her nose every now and then and then her every inch of nervousness flew away the moment, her eyes landed on the food, waiter had brought.

Long gone her nervousness was, who was now chatting and laughing freely with him while gobbling the food.

All he could do at that time was playing with his food being enhanced by a laughing bespectecled, naive and foody girl and then kiss the hell out of her in the parking lot being heavily casted in her created spell.

How magical their first kiss felt!  Her flushed, blushing face with red cheeks and nose and little bruised soft, pink lips with the soft yet rough kiss looked the most beautiful thing. 

He remembers how he never got enough of that girl, always craving for her like a lunatic.

But then he started getting bored and eventually broke up with her.

He was brought back into present by a frowning Aimal who was rather annoyed seeing him lost in only he knows what.

He admired Aimal and a sudden restless feeling of guilt and loss engulfed her.

What if he had not broke-up with Khushi and had give-in to her idea and proposal of marriage?

Probably, he wouldn't be a virgin. He would have a beautiful and intelligent wife Khushi and most importantly, Aimal, his latest attraction would have been their daughter. HIS daughter. He could hold every damn right on this baby and could play with her and shower her with his immense love.

Getting restless with these thoughts and not understanding why he wants Aimal more, a part of his life this desperately, he stood to leave.

Its true that he has extra fondess for kids but the kind of feeling he has developed for Aimal in just a day is not fondness, its more, its something like claiming. He wants her to be known as their, his daughter.

Why?
Is he being a lunatic here?
How can he feel like that?

Is it because she is daughter of Khushi?
Is there any hell chance that there are some serious feelings for Khushi in his heart and that's why he is so in love with Aimal that he wants the world to know Aimal as his daughter?

Did he commit a grave mistake of his life by breaking up with Khushi?

To be continued..

Happy IPKKND Anniversary.

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