"Bittuji and Roma I want you two to take care of all the decoration works. I want our house to look grandeur and colorful with balloons, lights, streamers, flowers and other decorative things." Rk instructed to Bittuji and Roma. It was also Rk's plan to make them work together so that they can work out something between them. In short, a bonding time.

"Madhu and I will go and check with the cater service and finalize the dinner menu."

"Chief, what about Ruhi? Will you take her along with you?"

"Um... I'm planning to take her because you guys will be busy..."

"Rk, I can look after her." Sofia volunteered.

"Will you be able to manage her?" he asked doubtfully as she was 5 months pregnant.

"Yes, of course I can. She is such a sweet child."

"Sweet she is but naughty too. I don't want you to exert yourself running after her."

"Ruhi, baby, will you stay with Sofia aunty?" Madhu asked to Ruhi who was sitting on her hip and playing with her momma's hair. Madhu was no more jealous of Sofia. She realized that Rk and Sofia indeed share a brother-sister relation.

"Okie, mama." Ruhi agreed and kissed her momma's cheek.

"Don't trouble Sofia aunty, okay?" Madhu warned her in a gentle tone.

"Okie, mama"

"My darling is such a good girl." Rk took his daughter from Madhu and kissed her cheek.

"Can I play with her, papa?" she asked cutely

"Yes, sweetie you can but no running and jumping. I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself, okay?"

"Okie, papa" she smiled sweetly. Rk then handed over Ruhi to Sofia and taking Madhu's hand in his he walked out of their house.

~~0~~

"You seem so excited?" Rk asked noticing the pleasant smile playing on her face throughout the day.

"I'm actually so happy." She confessed. "It's our Ruhi's birthday tomorrow. It feels like just yesterday... I held her in my arms... she was so soft and tiny..." she said feeling nostalgic. "Oh God! I can't explain exactly what I felt then... I just wished I could freeze the moment, right there... and live in it forever..." Uff! She breathed out and looked upwards. "I don't think I will ever get that moment again." She said with a sigh. Rk wished to say they can recreate that special moment and promise her that this time he will also be there by her side to love her and their babies but he didn't say not wanting to spoil her good mood. "... and now she is with me for two years." She felt so emotional to speak. "I have and I will cherish every moment with her, Rk. She is the best thing ever happen to me. Thanks to you." she took his hand in hers and kissed it taking him by surprise. Not even in his wildest dream he would have expected her to kiss him. He just gave her smile and looked out of the window unseeing the scenes moving. He felt sad realizing what all he missed in his life.

~~0~~

"Soiee, you big" Ruhi said to Sofia pointing her five months pregnant belly. Sofia laughed hearing Ruhi call her "Soiee"

"There is a baby in here so my tummy is big." Sofia said pulling Ruhi's chubby cheek. Ruhi's eyes widen hearing her. She scrambled back on the table and moved away from Sofia who was sitting on the dining chair and feeding Ruhi.

"Come, here... I can't reach you when you go far away. Come closer so that I can feed you."

"No. You will eath (eat) me." Ruhi pushed the fruit basket kept on the table and all the fruits rolled down. "You eath (eat) babies. You bad." Ruhi picked an orange and threw it at Sofia but it landed little shorter.

"Ruhi.. Baby... I am not going to eat you. Come here, baby" Sofia walked around to Ruhi's side but she stood up on the huge dining table and ran in circles not letting Sofia catch her.

"You get that baby out. I want to play with her" Ruhi angrily said Sofia pointing to her belly.

"I will get this baby out when she is fully grown so that you can play with her." Sofia said taking hold of Ruhi's hand. Ruhi frowned not understand what she was telling.

"leavwe meee" Ruhi screamed bloody loudly making Sofia to release her hand.

"Ruhi, you will fall down so stop running."

"I will tell papa, mama... You bad. You baby eawther. (eater)" Ruhi scolded Sofia with her pouty lips and slowly got down from the table to the chair and from chair to the floor then she ran away to her playroom.

~~0~~

"I think we should get a flat cake with Ruhi's miniature on it." Rk suggested.

"No, Rk, I don't want our daughter's image on the cake we cut. We will get something which goes with the fairy-tale theme."

"Okay... I am cool with your idea. How about we get a huge castle cake?"

"Oh brilliant. I am cool with your idea as well." she smiled.

"Now flavour. Chocolate? Strawberry? Pineapple? Black forest?"

"How about we get a layered cake with all the flavours you have suggested in each layer? I would suggest you the base layer be in chocolate flavour as Ruhi loves that flavour."

"Good" Rk agreed. Soon they ordered the cake and headed to meet the caters. They have already decided the entre, main course and dessert for the dinner. They just wanted to confirm the quantity. "How many kids from you dance school will attend the party?"

"I don't know for sure. I have invited all the batch students. Hope they all will come"

"Okay. So it will be us, your dance school students and our staffs from cafe and bouquet shop right?" he asked. She nodded. Based on the approximate head counts they ordered the meal for tomorrow's dinner.

~~0~~

"Uncie Ittu?" Ruhi stretched her hands out asking Bittuji to pick her up.

"Hey, little princess" Bittuji scooped up her in his arms.

"Play with me?" Ruhi asked cutely.

"Oh darling I want to play with you but I have lots of work. I have to decorate this whole penthouse for your party."

"Partie?" she asked

"Yes, sweetie. It's your birthday nah?"

"Me what?"

"Tomorrow your birthday. You will cut cake and celebrate it."

"Cake? I love cake. I want cake."

"Your Papa and momma have gone to order cake for you only."

"I want papa... Nah, I want mama" Ruhi demanded forgetting her earlier demand to eat cake.

"They will be coming soon."

"Uncie Ittu, I wanna talk to papa, puh-lease" she asked cutely

"Okay, I will call him & ask him to talk with you" Bittuji quickly dialed Rk's phone number and had a word with him.

"Give the phone to my daughter, Bittuji" Rk instructed from the other end dying to speak to his little angel.

"Papa, I miss you." Ruhi said looking at the phone. Bittuji had put the call in speaker mode.

"I miss you too, darling."

"Come home soon. I wanna play with you and mama"

"Okay, darling"

"Get me cake, papa, puh-lease"

"Okay"

"Baaabeee doll?"

"I will get that as well"

"Thank you. I love you, papa"

"I love you too" he whispered.

"Mama?"

"Haan, baby?" Madhu smiled hearing her sweet baby voice

"I love you" Ruhi cooed

"I love you too, sweetheart" Madhu grinned widely. No one can ever make her this happy other than her daughter.

"Bye" Ruhi said discarding the phone on Bittuji's lap and ran away to her playroom. After instructing Bittuji to ask Roma or Sofia to put Ruhi to her noon nap, Rk quitted the call.

"I'm surprised she could make proper sentence and talk clearly at this age." Madhu said in awe of her little girl.

"Yeah. She has very good grasping power. She is pretty smart and intelligent kid. She remembers well what I told her the other day about saying "please" when you ask for a favour or something and say "thank you" when they agree or grant your wish."

"I am glad she is learning the basic manners. She even learned bathroom manners." Madhu said with a proud smile. Her daughter was not wetting her clothes anymore and that was a huge relief for her.

"Yeah. She comes running to me asking me to take her to loo."Rk laughed.

"Now, we should work on her table manners. She really embarrass me whenever we go to a restaurant. Everyone laughs at her seeing her sit on top of the table. Even at home she always sits on the glass dining table while eating and not on her high chair." Madhu huffed

"She will learn once she grows big."

"Oh and she should cut down her voice. She is so loud. When she screams she make sure to bring the place down." Madhu complained. "the other day in my dance school she screamed bloody louder and for a second I thought she fell down and got hurt. When I asked her the reason for screaming "mamaaa!" she gave me her toothy smile and said she was bored of dancing and wanted to have choco sticks." Madhu said seriously. She was sure she will get heart attack at a very young age because of her daughter.

Rk burst out laughing hearing the hungama his daughter created.

"What? You think it's funny? She always embarrasses me in large crowd. Now, I am worried what she will do in her party tomorrow... "

"Madhu stop this yaar. You can't expect her to be so perfect. She is a baby after all and its her right to be naughty, mischievous and... "

"Demanding" Madhu added. "Very demanding baby she is. She knows how to charm her daddy and get all her demands fulfilled" Madhu shook her head in disapproval.

"Now you are behaving like a baby. A complaining baby." he teased her. Madhu slapped his arm playfully.

"It feels nice to talk like normal parents right?" Rk said testing the waters.

Madhu glanced at him through her lashes and softly whispered "It does"

Rk smiled happily as he drove back the car to their home.

~~0~~

"Roma, you give the balloons and streamers to me. I will stick them to the wall" Bittuji asked politely.

"No, thanks, I can do this work on my own" Roma said showing attitude and stood on the shaky stool to hang the balloons.

"Uncie Ittu, I want that" Ruhi asked pointing to a baby pink heart shaped balloon.

Bittuji gave one balloon to her to play with it. Ruhi thanked him and went a little away and started throwing the balloon up and catching it.

Bittuji stood beside the stool adoring Roma with drool sliding down from the corner of his mouth. "Her face! Her grace! Her hair! Her care! Her eyes! Wow so nice!" Bittuji wrote a mental poem and mentally patted the back of his shoulder proudly. "I should better confess my feelings to her in Ruhi's birthday party" Bittuji thought.

Ruhi threw the balloon in the air and this time it went little away. Ruhi ran to take the balloon and at the time Rk and Madhu walked into the living room carrying all the shopping bags.

"Hey, Ruhi" Rk waved his hand.

"Papa" Ruhi shrieked and came running and before she could reach him, Rk stepped his foot on the balloon without noticing it as he had his eyes on his beautiful little girl and it burst with a loud "tapp" sound which scared both Ruhi and Roma. Roma lost her balance as she jumped up on the shaky stool hearing the balloon bursting sound. Before she could fall down, Bittuji craddled her in his arms but she was too heavy for this short pumpkin like man to carry so he fell down on the floor along with Roma. Clumsy!

Rk gasped in shock taking in the sight. "Hey, bagwan, this is not fair. Not at all fair. This scene should have happened between me and my Madhu. She would have perfectly landed in my arms and I would have held her tightly, securely and closely to my chest with my strong arms. I wouldn't have dropped her down and created a clumsy mess. Bittuji you have turned one of the most romantic scenes a comedy." Rk grumbled in his head.

"Roma, Bittuji... Are you okay?" Madhu asked them in concern. RK wasn't in the mood to ask them "Are you okay crap!" He was busy plotting how to make Madhu fall from a stool and catch her in his arms.

"Papa" Ruhi peeped from behind the sofa. He had momentarily forgotten that his little kitten got scared and ran away.

"Ruhi, come here. Don't get scared, my jaanu." he walked to her and lifted her up in his arms and kissed her cheek.

"I want my balloon"

"Oh. Here." he picked another pale pink heart balloon from the floor and gave it to her. Bittuji and Roma had blown over 100 balloons... Of course using the blowing pumps but still it was definitely a tedious work.

"Play with it, sweetie" he said setting her down on the floor.

"No. You break it" she placed it on the floor and tried to lift her daddy's leg so that he can stamp it.

Rk knew where it was going but still he obliged to her and broke the balloon effortlessly. Ruhi ran and picked another balloon asking his to break it as well. Now, that was her game. To pick all the balloons and give them to her daddy so that he can burst them and she can laugh and clap her hands in joy.

"Chief, enough, please" Bittuji pleaded

"Rk, stop it. She will ask you to break all the 100 plus balloons." Madhu warned him

"It's okay. For her happiness I can do this." Rk said laughing along with his daughter enjoying the game.

"But we have to blow the balloons again right?" Roma asked already getting tired with that thought.

"Of course" Rk shrugged casually not even looking at them.

"Ruhi! Stop this, now. Then you won't get your blueberry pastry." Madhu threatened.

"Papa, you will get me right?"

"Of course, love" Rk kissed Ruhi's head and released her cute little ponytail from the band and ruffled her hair. He loved his daughter more with her messy hair. She just looked so kissable.

"Rk! You are going to blow all the balloons and do the remaining decoration work, that too without anyone's help and that's my order" Madhu said glaring at him. Rk stopped playing with his daughter and looked up at Madhu.

"Are you going to gear up your "wild cat" avatar?"

"If you don't stop this game now then surely I will"

How tempting? I missed seeing her wild cat avatar! But I better stop this game. I really I don't want to make Madhu angry. Rk thought.

"Okay" he raised his hands up as if surrendering.

"Papa... but we have lot... lot... lot of balloons... " Ruhi stretched her hands wide."... to burst."

"We will burst them later. Now, let's eat Ruhi's favorite pastry" Rk twitched Ruhi's nose and scooping her up in his arms he walked to the kitchen.

~~0~~

"Ruhi, now go to your papa and ask him to put you baby powder on your body and then put your jumpsuit, okay?" Madhu asked. Madhu had just given Ruhi a bath, wiped her wet body and put on her underwear. Rest she left it for Rk to do so that she can take a quick shower before going to bed.

"Okie, mama" Ruhi said so obediently giving a chance for Madhu to look at her daughter suspiciously and wonder what trouble she was about to create.

Madhu shook her head and walked back to the bathroom.

Ruhi went to the next room to call her papa to get her dressed.

"Papa?" she called.

"I am in the bathroom, Ruhi" came the reply from Rk.

"Papa, you in there?" Ruhi placed her ear on the door to hear him clearly.

"Yes, baby"

"Come out"

"Why?"

"Come. Dress me."

"Oh. You wait in your room. I will come out in two minutes"

"No, you come now"

"Please, darling. Papa is in shower. I can't come now."

"Okie" she said and sprinted back to her room.

~~0~~

Ruhi waited for her daddy or her mommy to come and dress her up but they took their time. Our little princess got bored so she decided to get ready on her own.

She remembered her momma telling her to put baby powder before putting her night clothes so she took her body powder puff kit from the dressing table and placed it on the floor. She tried hard and finally opened the cap of the powder container.

Ruhi held the container upside down and pressed it with both her hands spritzing it all over the floor.

She shook the container and more powdered spritzed out and she spread the powder on the marble floor with her hand making a powder art.

"Ruhi Rishab Kundra!!!" Madhu yelled seeing what a mess her daughter was making.

"Yes, you called me?" Rk piped in as he walked into the room well showered and dressed.

"I called Ruhi!" Madhu snapped at him. For the first time Madhu had called Ruhi with her full name and it made Rk so happy. He got to hear his own name from her sweet mouth. He quickly did a happy dance in his head.

"Look, what she has done!" Madhu pointed to Ruhi who was sitting on the floor, Indian style, looking up at her momma so innocently. She had powder on her face, stomach, hands and legs. Thank goodness she didn't put powder over her hair.

"What is this darling?" Rk asked softly shoving his hands in his pockets. He pressed his lips tightly in a straight line so that he won't burst out laughing. His daughter looked so cute and funny.

"Powder is to put on your body not on the floor!" Madhu chided Ruhi. She hung her head down sadly.

"It's okay darling. You don't get upset. Just say sorry to momma then papa will clean everything, okay?"

"This is not done, Rk! Every time she creates a mess and you clear it up for her. Let her learn to do..."

"Is that time of the month for you?" he asked her. She frowned and blushed.

"No. Why?"

"Then why you are so tetchy and irritable from morning?" he asked.

"You both are making me mad" she reasoned her action.

"I'm just defending my little girl." Rk shrugged.

"Okay, fine. Now clear the mess. I am gonna put her to sleep" Madhu ordered and took a step only to get slipped as the floor was powdery but before she could fall Rk held her in his arms but the stay was too short as he too lost his balance and fell down on the floor taking Madhu with him.

"Hey, bhagwan, you never disappoint me. This is scene is far better than Bittuji and Roma's clumsy fall and catch one. I got my Madhu in my arms perfectly and now she is lying on top of me." Rk said a silent thank you to God and inhaled Madhu's sweet scent. Madhu had her head on his chest trying to catch her breath as she gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Are you okay?" Rk asked softly though she landed on him and not directly on the hard floor like him.

"Yeah." She lifted her head up and met his eyes. Rk slowly caressed her cheek with thumb and cupped her face lovingly. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

"Don't close you beautiful eyes, Madhu. Just keep looking at me?" he whispered, pleasingly. She slowly opened her doe eyes and gazed at him with passion. Then she lowered her gaze from his eyes to his lips. They slowly inched forward in unison both wanting to mate their tongue in a kiss. Their breath mingled in the air.

They were so close to kiss when Ruhi knelt beside them and placed her hands on her momma's cheeks and turned her to face her.

"Mama, get up. You are hurting papa" Ruhi said sweetly cupping her momma's face. She was waiting for her momma to move off her daddy's body but she didn't. Madhu just settled comfortably pressing her body to his enjoying the feel of being close to him.

Madhu quickly rolled off of him and sat up adjusting her night gown. Rk wished to scream "No! No! No! You are not at all heavy or hurting me. So don't go away. Just stay with me. Please, come back to my arms. Ruhi even you can climb on top of your momma pressing her closer to me" but he didn't utter a word.

Madhu's cheeks turned crimson in embarrassment.

Rk looked so disappointed.

Ruhi looked confused. She didn't get the reason behind the awkwardness.

"Why Ruhi?" he turned his head to his side and asked his daughter softly.

Ruhi grinned and climbed on top of his torso. "My papa" she said possessively resting her chest on his head.

"My Ruhi" he wrapped his hands around her small body and hugged her.

"Rk, you sleep with us." Madhu said without looking at him as she arranged the pillows. "We will wish her together at 12 AM, okay?"

Rk kept staring at her stunned.

"What?"

"Sure. I would love to sleep with you two." Rk picked up Ruhi and gently deposited her on the bed. After dusting off the powder from his track pants and Tshirt he laid next to Ruhi on his side. Madhu took the other side and turned to her side facing Rk. They both patted their hands on Ruhi's tummy as they looked each other's eyes with an unnamed emotion. What was it? Yearning? Longing? Lust? Or Love?

Once Ruhi went to deep sleep they stopped patting her and they interlinked their fingers placed over Ruhi's stomach. Leaning forward they both kissed Ruhi's temple on either side before closing their eyes to sleep.

... To be continued!

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