Khushi’s eyes went
agog for a moment as she took in the mess lying before her. Little knick knacks
scattered all over the floor, waiting for someone to trip and fall over them at
any moment. Her typically even temper rose slightly as she let out a huff of
frustration. How many times would she have to repeat herself before the message
finally got through? She didn’t want to be the one insisting at all times. And
she would not let all-too-kind Hari Prakash ji cover it up. She looked around the
room once more. “Bass!” Khushi sighed aloud. Something definitely had to be
done, and this time she would not be the one to clean the clutter either. She
stepped out the room in search of that certain
someone responsible for the state of
disarray when she was drawn to the sound of boisterous cheering coming from the
mezzanine. Khushi followed the noise and headed in that direction.
“Score!!” Arnav
cheered as he gave his little munchkin a high five.
“Yessss!!” Little
Mannat jumped onto her Papa and returned his high five, followed by a triumphant
hug and kiss.
Arnav’s smile
widened as he caught her close. He cherished the fact his daughter took joy in
the same things as him, yet still managed to put her own sweet touch to them.
Sports victories were always celebrated not just with high fives but with warm
hugs and affectionate kisses. She would play office, but with her Barbie dolls.
And his little monkey even had her own little garden, except hers was planted
with colorful marigolds, petunias and tulips. It resided right along his so she
could water her flowers whenever he watered his plants. She wanted to do
everything he did, yet added her mother’s flair to it. The perfect combination of himself and his
Khushi. At the mention of his wife, she instantly appeared before him, bounding
down the steps with purpose.
“Mannat Singh
Raizada!” Khushi bellowed.
“Uh-oh. Papa hide
me!”
Arnav watched in
confusion as his three and a half year old daughter curled up into a ball
against his chest and hid her face behind her hands. He then turned his
attention to his wife. “Khushi, kya hua?” (“Khushi, what happened?”)
“Ask your daughter”
Khushi replied in a curt tone.
Arnav put a
protective hand over his Mannat. What had she done?? He felt her little form
burrowing into him, trying to seek refuge. “Munchkin? Tell Papa…” he encouraged softly. She managed to lift a
worried gaze towards him but answered with silence.
“Mannat, you know you’re
supposed to put away all your toys before you watch television, right?” Khushi
asked in a motherly tone with her hands on her hips.
Little Mannat
nodded guiltily. Arnav rose to his daughter’s defense. “Khushi, chhoro na (just
let it go). I brought her here to watch cricket with me…”
Khushi gave her
husband a stern glare, effectively silencing him. Hell hath no fury like the look of a mother. “Mannat, to your
room. Right now.” Khushi’s heart broke the tiniest bit as she watched her little
angel hang her head low as she made her way to her room. Khushi fisted her
hands at her sides to resist the strong urge to hug her close. She waited until
their daughter was out of view. “Arnavji, you shouldn’t encourage her! I have
been trying to get her into the habit of cleaning up after herself.”
“Khushi, she’s only
three.”
“She is almost
four and will be going to school soon. I don’t want to wait for the teacher to
send her home with a note saying she doesn’t know basic tidiness rules!”
“Khushi, she’s just
a kid. Don’t be so hard on her.” Arnav continued to explain as he stood. He
kept his tone soft to let his wife know he wasn’t arguing with her.
Khushi shook her
head. “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.” With that retort, she
turned to walk away but quickly found herself spun into her husband’s arms.
Arnav let his eyes
penetrate deeply into his wife’s. Past the guarded walls she was trying to
erect. Little did she know how her hazel depths betrayed her and always told
him everything. He leaned in, ever so slightly into her space. “Maybe she gets
that from you…” he drawled
huskily before placing a lingering kiss on the apple of her cheek.
Khushi’s face
warmed involuntarily and she suppressed her gasp of surprise. This was nor the time
or place! Her husband, however, took every opportunity available to keep an
underlying flame simmering between them. Before she felt the full impact of their
heat, she pushed away, avoiding his smoldering gaze and curbed her urge to smile.
Khushi went back
to her Little Mannat’s room, just in time to see her stow away her last toy.
She knelt down to her daughter’s level and grabbed her hand. “Mumma nay tumhe
danta…burrah laga?” (“Mumma scolded you…it made you feel bad?”) she asked gently. Her
daughter only nodded slowly, avoiding her gaze to instead fixate on playing
with her fingers. Khushi gently tipped her chin up to meet her gaze. Once she
held Mannat’s attention, Khushi held one of her own ears. “Mumma ko maaf kardo?”
(“Forgive Mumma?”)
Mannat gasped and
quickly removed her Mumma’s hand away from her ear. “Mumma no! You don’t do
that! I do that!” Mannat quickly grabbed both of her own ears and pouted. “I’m
sorry.”
Khushi grabbed her
little monkey and hugged her close. She let out a breath of relief when she
felt two chubby arms wind tightly around her neck. She lightly rubbed her back
with soothing circles then pulled away to place a kiss on her daughter’s sweet
little forehead. She smiled when Mannat kissed her forehead right back and
grinned wide, showing all her baby teeth. “Hmm…I think this calls for a little tea party.”
“Tea party!! Yayy!!
I’ll get Mr. Stuffie! He loves tea parties.”
Khushi began to arrange
the toy tea set on her daughter’s play table as she ran to grab her teddy.
Everywhere Little Mannat went, there was Mr. Stuffie, her best pal. No trip to
the park, meal, nap, or tea party,
was ever complete without him. Khushi smiled.
Arnav leaned
against the doorframe, crossing his arms and ankles to watch his Raizada Ranis
for a moment. All was good now in the royal castle. That is…between
mother and daughter. “Now, to appease
my wife…” he thought to himself as he walked away.
When Khushi
entered her bedroom later that night, she had to take a moment to stop in her
tracks and make sure she was in the right room. There were fairy lights strung
about, twinkling invitingly at her. Soft music played in the background,
beckoning her into the room. She smiled. Her husband had discovered the secret
way to diffuse her ire. Fairy lights and
a slow dance. She finally stepped in as her eyes landed on her husband
standing nearby.
Arnav had been
waiting for his Khushi. He removed his hands from his pockets and immediately
went to hold her. He was relieved to see she came willingly. “Khushi about
earlier…”
“Arnavji, you
didn’t know, it’s ok.” Khushi replied as she slid her hands onto his strong,
muscled shoulders.
Their bodies had
begun to sway together, on their own volition. Arnav brushed back a few
tendrils of his Khushi’s silky locks. “I don’t want you to think that you’re
always the bad cop. She’s our daughter. I’m on the same page as you.”
Khushi wrapped an
arm around her husband’s broad back and cupped his rugged face, stroking her
thumb across his cheek. Her fingertip tingled as it traversed over the short
prickles of his five o’clock shadow. “I know Arnavji.” She gazed into the warm,
chocolate eyes of the man who always managed to sweep her away from the present
and make her feel as if she were living a fairytale.
Arnav leaned
forward and placed a tender kiss on his wife’s irresistibly pink mouth. He
hugged her closer as she rested her head under his chin and their bodies
continued to rock together. His gaze darted up when the door opened ajar. “We
have a little visitor” he whispered into his Khushi’s ear.
“Mumma? Papa?”
Khushi turned her
head to find their precious daughter standing at the door. She looked
especially adorable in her onesie jammies, hair mussed, eyes filled with unrequited
sleep. And of course, teddy in tote.
Arnav gave her an
inviting nod. “Come here, munchkin.” He watched as their Little Mannat eagerly
ran towards them. Her dark brown hair flew wildly as her little feet quickly
carried her over to where they stood. She looked up at him expectantly, with
her big, round, honey eyes and his heart constricted. She was as beautiful as
her mother. He refused to think of the day his little girl would be all grown
up. He’d be ready with rifle in hand to keep away anyone that even dared to lay
their eyes on her. He caressed a hand to sweep back her unruly hair then
tweaked her nose with a soft pinch. “Hop on.”
Khushi smiled as
she watched their daughter grab hold of her Papa’s thigh as she stepped onto
his one foot with both of her little feet. She continued to wrap her tiny arms
around his leg, as if it were a tree trunk, encircling him, and Mr. Stuffie, in a tight hold.
Arnav waited until
he felt their daughter rest her head trustingly against his thigh before
bringing his Khushi in close again. He wound an arm around her waist and felt
her hand wrap around his back in return.
Khushi placed her
free hand atop her little angel’s crown. Her fingers brushed through her baby
soft hair before her Arnavji’s hand joined hers. As each of them held one
another, the three of them slow danced together to the soft croon of music
drifting through the room. All too soon the song came to an end. Little Mannat
looked up at them inquisitively.
“Can I have a
bedtime story?”
As if he had the capacity to say no to that face! Arnav scooped up his little munchkin and placed a
smooch on her cheek before holding her close against his chest.
Khushi smiled at
father and daughter as she stroked Mannat’s back lovingly. “Which one do you
want to hear baby?”
Mannat placed a
hand on each of her parent’s cheeks. She lifted her gaze to first look
adoringly at her Papa. “Tell me the one about the Raj Kumar…” she then turned affectionate eyes towards her
Mumma “…and his Raj
Kumari.”
Khushi kissed her
daughter’s tiny palm then locked eyes with her Arnavji. They smiled silently as
they read one another’s gaze. If their Little
Mannat only knew.
