[UNEDITED – EXCUSE THE MISTAKES]

EXTREMELY LONG UPDATE (4233 words)! HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T FALL ASLEEP HALF WAY THROUGH THE UPDATE!!!

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After changing Veer's dirty nappy to a fresh one, Rishab put him back in his comfy cradle. "Go back to sleep, my baby boy" he caressed his son's head and then he picked his daughter up in his arms and placed her on top the changing table to clean her.

"Why are you so tiny, my honey bee?" he cooed to his daughter as he did smart work in removing her nappy. "Will you put some weight for daddy?" he asked for which his baby girl made some incoherent sounds. "Good girl otherwise people will start calling you tiny-whiny." Naira was such a cry baby much to Rishab's dislike and when she cried it would be ear-shatteringly loud. "You don't want that name right?" Little Naira flailed her hands in no making Rishab laugh.

"Good morning" hearing Madhu's voice Rishab looked up and gave her a smile before wishing her back.

"You bathed them?"

"No, I just changed their dirty diapers and wiped their bodies with body wipes as it's too early to run them a bath." He replied. She nodded.

"You're leaving for work now?" Madhu asked subtly yawning.

"No. I have to be there only by eleven. It's only six now"

"Oh! Then why are you up early?" she asked rubbing her sleepy eyes. She wanted to get back to her bed and sleep.

"Did I disturb you?" Rishab asked guiltily.

"Not really. You were not in bed when I woke up an hour ago and again when I opened my eyes a minute ago you went missing so I came to see you before you leave for work"

"An hour back I was working out in gym, then I took my shower and now busy with our babies"

"Hmm"

"You look tired. Get back to bed"

"I didn't sleep well last night or for the past one and half months for that matter" her babies kept her wide awake whole night.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you in this matter" he shrugged apologetically

"Yeah because you don't have boobs" she laughed teasing him. He playfully slapped her cheek and then kissed the same cheek. Then he lifted his daughter up from the changing table so that he could put her back in her cradle. He placed his daughter closer to chest and rubbed her bare back. He frowned feeling his baby girl shiver in his arms.

"Madhu, feed her" he extended Naira for Madhu to take.

"I fed her an hour ago when you were in gym"

"It's okay. You feed her again. She is shivering."

"She must be cold. Put some clothes on her"

"New born babies don't shiver when they are cold, Madhu" he said and thrust the baby into Madhu's hands. She hugged her baby securely and went to the bed to sit and feed her.

"Then why is she shivering now?" Madhu asked worriedly as she nursed her baby.

"Probably she has an extremely low blood sugar" he said rubbing his forehead.

"What should we do now?"

"Feeding immediately will help."

"Our baby will be fine, right?" Madhu panicked as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"She will be fine right after she is fed so please don't start crying" he said sternly. "We will check with the doctor if her shivering persists, okay?"

She nodded her head blinking her tears back.

"You just make sure to feed her on time. Don't forget and feed our son again and again instead of feeding our daughter"

"Oh c'mon husband! We are not having identical twins to get confused and feed the same baby over and over again" she said with a chuckle.

"Thank goodness we are not having identical twins otherwise I'm sure you would do that mistake."

"No way!"

"Madhu, keep checking our babies' chest, tummy and back amd make sure they are always warm... feet and palms will be cool so never mind about them" he instructed her.

"Oh okay but why? And how do you know all this?"

"If babies are warm it means they are doing well"

"I see" she bit her bottom lip taking in the new piece of information.

"And I know all this from the pregnancy and baby care books I got that you never read but I did"

She grinned sheepishly and said "You see I am so busy unlike you, ACP Sir"

Rishab rolled his eyes in reply.

"Rishab, please bring Veer and put him on the bed beside me."

"Sure" Rishab did what she asked him to do. "He is sleeping as always" he commented. "Once he grows big I will train him to wake up by the crack of dawn. I don't want him to be lazy like his mommy" he didn't mention his daughter's name because she wasn't sleeping all the time like her brother. She was very actively... crying!

"I am not lazy, Mister"

"Yes, you are, sweetheart" he twitched her nose and turned to walk to the balcony to read daily newspaper.

"Rishab, I wanna talk to you..." She started hesitantly halting him in his track.

"About?" He asked as he turned and furrowed his brows.

"Last night..."

"What about last night?" He asked nonchalantly as he walked to the balcony and swiped the glass door open and sat on the couch. His hot tea was ready in the pot.

"You want some tea?" He offered as he poured some on his cup.

"No" she shook her head. He waited for few minutes for her to resume talking but she kept mum so he decided to go through the daily newspaper.

"Rishab" Madhu walked to him once she was done feeding Naira and placing her sleeping form on the bed and covering her up with a blankie.

He roughly folded the newspaper and discarded it on the coffee table. "Tell me" he said looking up at his wife

Instead of sitting beside him on the couch she knelt down on the floor in front of him and held his hands in hers. He was taken aback by her move.

"Hey, get up" he said as he slipped his hands under her arms and tried to lift her but she didn't budge.

"I am comfortable" she said and took his hand in hers again. He knitted his brows in confusion.

"I am sorry" she whispered looking straight into his eyes and squeezing his hand.

"Madhu..." he withdrew his hand from her hold. "...turn around and scoot forward, please" he ordered. She looked confused but obliged to him.

Rishab too sat down on the floor, popped his knees up, pulled Madhu to sit in between his legs and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Now, tell me what you were telling?" He hated when people he immensely respect sat at his feet.

Madhu smiled and slightly twisting her body she rested her head comfortably over his chest. He kissed the top of her head and started playing with her hair.

"I am sorry for my behavior, last night. I shouldn't have ruined our moment for which we both were dying for months."

"It's okay. We have tonight and many more nights coming up to have our romantic moments so no need to feel guilty." He said softly to her ear and nibbled it gently. "I just want to know why you got... um, awkward to show your body to me. Even when you were heavily pregnant we made love, didn't we?" He asked. She nodded her head without any hesitation. "That time neither you nor I were bothered about your physique? Then why all of a sudden you thought your baby fat would bother me now? In fact you look sexier now than before, Madhu and I expect you to believe my words" he said and kissed her blushing cheek.

"I am sorry. Yesterday, Mukkund bhaiya teased his wife for not losing her weight post-delivery and I thought even you would have complains about my excess weight..."

"My friend is an ass! He knows only to knock-up his poor wife without giving her a break..."

"Whoa! Rishab, chill. Like I said he teased his wife. I don't think he meant it in a mocking way... so you don't take him wrong, please"

"If he said it jokingly then why you took it seriously?" he questioned. She bit her bottom lips getting locked by his logical question. "You know what sometimes you put too much meaning into things which is actually nothing" he said shaking his head. "You have taken care of your fitness so well then why did you think I would tease you? Have I ever done that?" he asked caressing her soft belly.

"I know you won't tease but you have suggested me to work out regularly and lose some weight as I look fat to you. You know what? you said such mean remarks to me even before our marriage... to be exact, you said it on our first meet itself when you dropped me at my home after the train incident..."

"If your memory power is that strong then I hope you do remember what I replied to you when you argued that you weren't fat but bubbly"

"You said Alright! I will have you this way"

"Exactly, I don't care whether you look gross or petite. All I care is you. Get this point in your hard head"

She smiled blissfully and kissed his sculpted set of lips.

"I believed you when you said I look...sexy." She peeked him through her lashes. He eyed her suspiciously. "I swear..." She pinched her throat.

"Then what happened? Why you hid your treasures from me?"

"I... I just got shy and conscious, last night" She admitted as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He rolled his eyes heavenwards.

"Whenever I have too much of things swirling in my mind I tend to mess everything and put myself in total embarrassment. I guess that's what happened last night and now too." She thought with an inward sigh.

"What are those dangerous thoughts that messed up your mind?"

"I said that out loud?" she asked and bit her tongue with her teeth. He nodded.

"Before I tell what's it about I want to say one more sorry to you"

"What's this sorry for?"

"Yesterday evening before the party... in the terrace... I shouldn't have snatched Naira from your hand saying 'give my baby'... It's so wrong... I am really sorry, Rishab. I was so anxious at that time and I just wanted to hold Naira so without thinking I snatched her from you. Forgive me please" she tilted her head up and kissed his jaw. He looked deep into her cute pleading eyes for a moment and then kissed the tip of her nose forgiving her.

"I thought you were going to say sorry for punching me in my gut" he teased her, chuckling.

"You deserved that punch so no sorry for that" she said and elbowed him, playfully.

"Rishab, now coming to the main matter..." she paused and looked up into his eyes to make sure his attention was on her and it was so she continued "...I'm not happy" she blurted out

"What?" he looked shocked and hurt. "You are not happy... with me?"

"No. No. No" she shook her head frantically and bit her nails as she thought how to amend the statement she just said. "I'm happy with you, really happy. Don't ever doubt that"

"Then what makes you unhappy? Did my parents say something to hurt you? Are you not happy staying here in my parents' place? Tell me whatever it is Madhu I will try my best to sort it out for you"

"Oh God! None of the reasons you gave are the reasons for my issue"

"Then what it is? Tell me? Is it my job? Are you not happy with me coming home late daily? Are you upset that I am not spending quality time with you and our babies? Are you..." she shut his mouth by placing her palm over his lips.

"Calm down and behave like Rishab, all cool and composed, not like Madhu so hyper and impulsive."

He gave her a half smile realizing he indeed behaved like his wife. He didn't let her finish her sentence before that he jumped into various conclusions.

"I am not happy... with the way I am, with the way I think, with the way I handle things, with the way I express myself..." she paused struggling to string the words rightly. Though people around her were so loving and making her happy, her own worrisome mind wasn't letting her to live happy.

"Huh?" a confused frown marred his forehead.

"I don't know how to explain this to you... ugh! I'm so frustrated." She raked both her hands through her hair pushing them back from falling on her face as she struggled to put her thoughts in words.

"Relax. I will make it easy for you." he placed his hands on the sides of her arm and rubbed them soothingly. "Just say yes or no to my questions, okay?"

"Yeah, okay" she agreed.

"Three major things are bothering you?" he said showing his index to ring finger up.

She thought for a second before nodding her head and at the same time uttering a timid "Yeah, three, exactly."

"One is Naira's health. You worry too much for her right?" he asked. She nodded immediately as worry edged her eyes and fear gripped her heart.

"She is healthy but little weak... That's all, nothing to worry. She is not going anywhere leaving us, okay?" he reassured her. Madhu smiled weakly and prayer his words were true.

"Two is me..." she shook her head in no. "I mean what I said yesterday about you not being normal" he elaborated. "You worry your phobias will have an impact on our children?"

"Yes and you think so too, don't you?"

He sighed and agreed with a head nod.

"Look Madhu, all people suffer from one phobia or another to varying degrees... here in your case... Your phobias are an insurmountable problem. You need medical help..." He cupped her face with his palm and circled her cheek with his thumb in gentle caress. "...so that you can keep your anxiety level in check..."

"Do you have any phobias, Rishab?" she interrupted him completely ignoring the second half of whatever he said.

"As far as I know I don't have any extreme irrational fears..." he rubbed his chin before sheepishly adding "...but I have low level of Apiphobia. Fear of bees"

"Bee? Really?" Madhu asked as her eyes went wide in astonishment and her palm instinctively covered her mouth to prevent her laughter. "The Rishab Kundra, Assistant Commissioner of Police is scared of bees?" she teased. She tried to control her laugh but failed in her attempt and ended up laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Rishab grumbled. He didn't get why she was laughing so hard. Can't a policeman have fears? He wondered. As far as he knew almost every policeman had the 'fear of death' including him. They feared the moment the gun they were holding would point its ugly head at them and spat bullets, so why not he have fear of bees?

"Funny?" She laughed again. "Daddy is scared of bees but calling his daughter 'Honey bee'. How funny is that?"

"Oh my little girl too scared the hell out of me..." he said with a shudder "...so I nicknamed her 'Honey bee' besides she is so sweet and silky smooth like honey" he said with so much adoration for his daughter.

"Agreed and my baby boy is also so cute and cuddly like a teddy bear." Her eyes shone brightly thinking about her babies. Rishab smiled.

"Madhu..."

"What?" She asked cocking her brow up.

"Madhu, will you start your psychotherapy again?" he asked tenderly. She stared his eyes with a blank expression. "Even yesterday, Sameer told me its better you start with the personal counseling, medication and some program."

"Rishab, I can't go for therapies having two babies at home. They need their mommy." she shook her head.

"Weekly twice or thrice you need to attend the counseling that too for an hour or two. And you don't have to worry about kids; my mom will take care of them while you are gone for the therapy."

She still looked hesitant. "I am feeding so I can't take medication for at least another ten months..."

"You don't worry; your doctor knows the best."

"Hmm"

"Sameer has planned to conduct 'exposure therapy' with you. It will help you to overcome your anxiety and distress. The success rate of this therapy is 90% approximately."

"You both have planned everything for me, already" she didn't question but just stated. He nodded looking expectantly at her.

"I need some time, Rishab" she said looking away from him.

"Sooner the better, Madhu" he insisted.

She huffed in frustration. "Why can't I have a normal peaceful life? Why I have to go through all this shit?" She thought and this time she made sure to keep her mouth tight lipped so that her thoughts won't slip out through her mouth.

After thinking for a minute she realized her husband always had her best interest at heart so she was about to give in to his demand but hearing his standard "Madhu, please do this for me. This is the last thing I will ever ask you to do for me" line, her anger sky rocketed.

When he didn't get any response from her, he wielded his standard weapon which had effective results so far but this time it backfired.

"Stop it, Rishab! Don't you dare take that dialogue ever again! You know very well I will do anything for you if you ask me to do but this time, no; I am not going to do this for you. You can't always take advantage of my weakness. I know when to take up the treatment. You don't tell me what I should do and when I should do. You are my husband, not my daddy" she whip-lashed her anger at him.

"I won't even dream on being your daddy. I have two better kids than you" He muttered under his breath.

Then he rolled his neck back and placed his head on the couch and closed his eyes giving her a minute to calm herself down and she did calmed down too quickly.

"Rishab, you mad at me?" She asked gently placing her hands over his chest.

"From now on you don't have to do anything for me and I won't be taking advantage of your weakness ever!" he said still with his eyes closed and his arms crossed behind his head.

Okay! 'Weakness' is the offending word in my nonsense ranting. She guessed that with the way he stressed that one particular word. She gave herself a mental slap for her worst choice of words.

"This time you do this for our babies" he said not giving up with his demand.

"This is not fair, Rishab"

"If I ask you to do this big help for yourself will you listen to me? No right? You won't give a damn about your own life. You know what? You focus too much on your problem but never focused on the possibility you have to sort it out... But then you say you are not happy with the way you are, with the way you handle things and blah blah blah" he shouted.

"Tone down, Rishab. I don't want mom and dad to think we are fighting"

"Aren't we? Fighting?" he asked with a smirk.

"I don't think so." She shrugged.

"Good" he smiled genuinely and kissed her forehead. He hated to fight with her and if she thought they weren't fighting then he would believe so too.

"Okay" she whispered softly.

"You are agreeing to the therapy?" he asked stumped. She took a deep breath before nodding her head affirmatively.

He pulled her closer to him and took her face in his hands. His breath fanned her face and his thumb traced her bottom lip. She closed her eyes anticipating for his set of lips to tough hers but it didn't. "You are not going to kiss me?"

"Later. We are still in the middle of our discussion"

"Jerk!" she pushed his hands away, pissed.

"And finally you are bothered about the talk you had with your father, right?"

She blinked her eyes one, twice and thrice wondering how he hit the bull's-eye. "No one can know me better than you, Rishab. You are the best." She kissed his lips soundly.

They got startled and pulled apart when they heard someone clearing their throat. Rishab and Madhu tilted their heads up and looked at Radha who was looking everywhere but them.

"Mom, you here? Why don't you knock the door before entering in?" Rishab asked annoyed. Madhu glared at him for his rudeness.

"I knocked twice but you guys didn't respond" Radha said with an offended pout.

"Sorry, mom, we were talking and we didn't hear the sound of knocking" Madhu apologized and tried to stand up but Rishab held her hand urging her to stay put.

"You want something, mom?" Rishab asked.

"Why are you guys sitting on the floor?" Radha questioned instead of answering him.

"This damned couch rudely pushed us both down to the floor, mama" Rishab complained pointing his thumb to the couch on which he was leaning his back.

"Rishab!" Madhu admonished him for teasing her.

"Aww, my baby, after 25 years you called me 'mama' but not mom. You know what Rishu? Mama was the first word you uttered." Radha said emotionally and dabbed her eyes with the end of her saree to wipe off the imaginary tears.

"Mom, please, no emotional drama"

"Okay" Radha cleared her throat and said "I wish that damned couch threw you out of the balcony instead of pushing you down" Radha gave her son a sweet smile.

"Ahaan! That's like my mother" Rishab laughed and taking his mother's hand he kissed the back of it. "I love you so much, mama but right now you are disturbing us..."

"Rishab, behave!" Madhu hissed as she slapped his arm.

"I will be out of your hair once I grab my grandbabies"

"Then go grab them" he said impatiently.

"Mom, you take Veer and leave Naira here for me to take care..."

"No, mom, you please take both the babies with you." Rk said interrupting her.

"But Rishab..." Madhu always felt protective for both her babies but she took it a notch higher when it came to her daughter.

"Mom, call us if you need help" he dismissed.

"Alright" Radha picked the twins securely in her arms and walked out of the room.

"So where were we?" Rishab asked turning her face from looking at the door Radha exited to him. "Before we start, let's get back to our room and sit on the bed. I am not comfortable sitting on the cold marble floor"

"Sorry, come" she stood up and walked into the room and he followed her after shutting the balcony glass doors.

Rishab stretched on the bed and laid his head on his wife's lap as he patiently listened to her talk. She rewound the entire convo she had with her father, yesterday.

"He apologized to you?"

"Yes" she combed his hair with her fingers.

"Your father gave you this chain?" he asked pointing to the gold chain hanging around her neck which her father gifted.

She nodded looking down at her chain. "It's beautiful" he said taking hold of the fish pendant and admiring it as he realized how much her father loves Madhu.

She smiled agreeing with him.

"Madhu, listen carefully, I am not telling you what you should do but I am just suggesting you..." he paused gauging her expression.

"Go ahead"

"I know your father isn't a great father but he isn't bad either so why don't try to forgive him?" he asked.

"It's not easy"

"It is. Only you are making things complicated with your stubbornness."

"Stop blaming me for everything" she pushed his head off her lap and propped her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. "You are my husband and you should support me" she ordered.

"I guess I am doing exactly the same. I am trying to help you."

"This is no help!" she threw her hands in air in frustration.

He sighed tiredly. "It's high time you forgive your father and mend your relationship with him. You are not only punishing him but also your poor mother by distancing yourself from them. How would you feel if Naira or Veer stayed away from you?"

"Devastated" she muttered instantly.

"Exactly" he snapped his thumb and middle finger and pointed his forefinger at her. "You are going to meet your parents this weekend like you planned..." she shot her brow up silently asking how he knew about her plan "...Yesterday, I heard your talk with your mother" he admitted sheepishly. "So yeah, you are going to have a long talk with your parents like we had now and sort out things."

"When you say everything sounds so simply, Rishab" she smirked sarcastically.

"Because it is simple, Madhu. One sorry and one hug is all you need to convince your parents."

"Why should I say sorry?"

"And no ego!!!" he added. She pouted.

"You three need to make peace with your childhood incident and rebuilt your bond" he said with finality.

"I think you have a point there." She agreed. "I need peace. I need happiness. I need my parents." She said as a stray tear rolled down her cheeks.

"And they need you" he stroked her cheek lovingly. "Did you see the happiness in my mom's face when I called her 'mama', Madhu?" he asked. She nodded with a fond smile. "A simple word I used after 25 years made my mom euphoric then think about your parents' happiness when they get back their daughter after 20 years? Go, Madhu, go and make them happy. Your life will be better than now after your reunion with your parents"

"Husband, I love you" she launched herself on him and cried against his neck. "I love you so much" she kissed his lips pouring her love for him and he reciprocated her feelings.  

... to be continued!

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