UNEDITED! SO KINDLY EXCUSE THE MISTAKES!

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5 years later

"Veer!" Startled by the sudden call, little Veer was about to trip and fall off the treadmill but before that his daddy rushed to his side and picked him up in his arms.

"I told you not to use the treadmill when I was not around you, Veer, didn't I?" Rishab asked in a stern voice as he sets his son down on the floor. Veer nodded his head in yes.

Today, Rishab was little late for his work-out session as he over slept and when he walked into the gym room, he found his son running fast on the treadmill.

"Ah, I bet my son will become an athlete someday" Rishab thought.

"And I told you not to run too fast! You can't keep up with this speed, buddy" Rishab softened his tone.

"I am sorry, daddy" Veer said bowing his head down.

"Look at me, Veer" Rishab sat on the Ab-bench and pulled his son closer to him. "Your mommy is insisting me to buy a folding treadmill so that you won't be able to use it because she will make sure I fold it after using it or she herself will to it just to prevent you from using it..."

"Daddy, please, I love running on treadmill."

"I know, baby..." Rishab held his son's shoulders with his large hands and looked proudly at his son.

"Daddy! I am not Naira so please don't 'baby' me" he whined making Rishab chuckle.

"You let mommy call you baby but why not daddy?" He asked.

"Mommy, just won't listen to me." Veer said in a low voice as if telling a secret. "I am tired of telling her not to call me baby but she never stopped. She says Naira and I will always be babies for her even when we are hundred years old" Veer whooshed. "Mothers!" He shook his head with his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. Rishab burst out laughing seeing his matured behavior at the age of five.

"You are not planning to get a folding treadmill, right?" Veer broached tentatively as he watch his daddy perform his exercise using dumbbells.

"I will talk to your mommy and convince her but you promise me not to enter the gym area when I am not around you."

"I promise. It won't happen again. Daily morning I will wait for you to wake me up and bring me here so that we can work-out together."

"Good" Rishab smiled. Ever since Veer was a toddler, he was so fascinated by gym equipments and he loved to sneak into the room just to watch his daddy work-out with those equipments.

"I wonder why can't mommy buy a padlock and lock this gym room instead of bothering to replace this gym-quality treadmill with a simple folding treadmill just to ensure my safety." Veer asked thoughtfully.

"Ah, point. Neither your mom nor I thought of this idea before" Rishab felt so dumb in front of his son's intelligence. "I will suggest this to her because just like you I don't want to replace this treadmill"

"Cool. Now, shall I run on the treadmill?"

"Sure, buddy but reduce the speed. I don't want you to have leg cramp later"

"Alright"

"Daddy" Rishab's lips automatically pulled up to a smile hearing the sweet and soft voice of his daughter.

"Why are you standing there? Come on in, honey bee" Rishab called his daughter who stood at the other side of the door and just poked her head in. She quickly ran to his side and hugged him.

"I came to give you good morning kiss, daddy" she said and kissed her daddy's cheek.

"Good morning, baby" he kissed her back on both her cheeks. "Your mommy is up?"

She shook her head before whispering "sleeping"

"You're going to take push-ups, daddy?" She asked. "Shall I count?"

His delicate doll never workouts but just sit with him and counts while he takes push-ups.

"Why don't you run a little on treadmill? Veer will help you practice?" He suggested.

"I don't want to run, my legs will pain, daddy" she whined leaning against him and circling her little arms around his neck.

"Lazy, Naira" Veer teased as he continued treading.

"Veer!" Rishab admonished him.

"I wanna sleep. I feel sleepy again." She rubbed her eyes with her fist hands. Well, she acted as if she was sleepy because she worried her daddy would ask her to do some exercise.

"Go; give company to your mommy. I will come and wake you up in an hour so that you can get ready for school" Rishab said with a smile.

"No school. Today Saturday"

"No, daddy, we have school. Half day." Veer interjected.

"Just activity class and physical training. Too boring. I don't want to go." Naira cutely pouted her lips.

"No, baby, you are going to school"

"Daddy, since last night my tum-mee is paining" she clutched her stomach and made a crying face.

"Drama queen, Naira!" Veer chipped in again.

"Veer, shut up!" Naira snapped.

"See, she is fine. No pain, nothing, just acting, daddy"

"Veer, I am talking to her. You keep quiet." Rishab ordered

"Alright" Veer stopped the treadmill and jumped out of it and ran to his room to play some video game before it was time to get ready for school.

"Daddy..."

"Go to school today, tomorrow daddy will take you and Veer to Planetarium"

"No! Veer wanna see Planetarium, I wanna see Aquarium"

Rishab sighed. "Alright, we will go to Aquarium this week and Planetarium next week"

"Really?" Naira asked in glee. He nodded, grinning at her excitement.

"I love you, daddy" she kissed his cheek soundly and ran to her mommy to tell their Sunday outing plan.

Naira was so typical like her mother, both in looks and character whereas Veer was perfect blend of both his parents. No one could surely say Veer was taken after his father because he had a smiling face and he was very mischievous boy so unlike Rishab.

Naira ran to her parents' room and climbing up on the bed, crawled under the covers and snuggled closer to her mommy.

"Mommy. Mommy." Naira gently twitched her mommy's lower lip waking her up.

"Hmm" Madhu groaned in her sleep.

"We are going to Aquarium, tomorrow. Daddy is taking us..."

"Yeah, just like how he took us to Zoo last Sunday, beach a week before that and for movie last month." Madhu said sarcastically. Naira's face fell hearing that.

"You think daddy will again ditch us giving work as an excuse?" Naira asked sadly.

"Daddy is a busy man. He protects people and he can't ditch work for you, silly girl" Veer commented, his voice dripping with attitude as he walked closer to the bed. He jumped up on the bed and straddled on his mommy "Good morning, mommy" he kissed both her cheeks.

"Good morning, baby monkey" Madhu pinched his cheek.

"Mommy, if daddy couldn't take us to Aquarium, would you?" Naira asked with eyes full of hope

"Like always, sweetie" Madhu was the one to keep up with all the promises made by Rishab. She hated to disappoint her kids.

"Aquarium? Gah! I thought daddy agreed to take us to Planetarium?"

"No! We are going to see fish" Naira squealed.

"Whatever!" Veer shook his head, disinterestedly. "Well mommy, there is some fault in our shower so can I use your bathroom?" Veer asked.

"Of course, baby, you can use it. There is no need for asking at all"

"Alright" Veer swiftly jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom.

"Ah, it's too early. Come, let's sleep a little longer." Madhu with a wink pulled her daughter in her arms and kissed the top of her head before going back to sleep.

--0-

"What you guys are eating?" Madhu asked barely hiding her yawn. She found her husband and kids eating breakfast not in the dining room but in the kitchen. Veer sitting on the counter top as he ate his sandwich and Naira sitting on her daddy's hip as he fed her mac-cheese, her favorite food.

"Naira, you are not a baby to still climb on daddy. Sit down on the chair and eat. You guys don't know table manners at all" Madhu chided them.

"They do know table manners. They behave well when we take them out to restaurants. Only at home they are being casual so you don't fuss over it" Rishab jumped in for his kids' defense.

Madhu threw him a glare before ordering "Naira, get down and eat on your own"

"Mommy, only now I get time to spend with daddy so why are you bothering?" Naira asked with a pretty pout and wrapped her arms tightly around Rishab's neck, clinging to him.

Naira was always a clingy baby. She loved to cuddle her mommy. She loved to be carried by her daddy and never lets him put her down and that resulted in her crawling for long when Veer had already started walking.

Rishab felt a pang of guilt hearing the longing in his daughter's voice though she said it dramatically.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Naira's feeling remorseful. "I'm so sorry, baby" Rishab whispered. Madhu gently rubbed his back silently asking him to control his emotions.

Madhu got used to his life style long back and she never complained much for his lack of attention towards his family though she got upset at times mainly when he upsets their children otherwise she was very understanding. She knew it was even harder for him to miss beautiful moments with his family.

Veer hero worshipped his daddy so he had no problem with his busy schedule.

Only Naira was taking it hard. She always wished to play with her daddy in park like every other kid, wished to eat dinner as a complete family, wished to watch her favorite cartoon with her daddy and wished her daddy to tuck her in bed and read bedtime stories for her before she goes to sleep.

Well, it wasn't like he hadn't done all that ever. He had done but occasionally otherwise it was Madhu who took care of their babies needs.

"Daddy will try to come early at night before my babies go to bed, okay?"

"Okay" Naira grinned widely and kissed his cheek.

"What sandwich is this?" Madhu asked taking a bite of it.

"Veer made it. It's a curd sandwich" Rishab said proudly.

"Ewww" Naira made a face looking at the sandwich her brother made.

"You cut the vegetables? I told you not to use any sharp things..." Madhu's protective instinct kicked in.

"He didn't. I helped him in chopping vegetables and also grated carrots. He only mixed them all together with curd, salt and pepper"

"Oh" She stuck her tongue out and grinned sheepishly. "Well, simple yet tasty food. Good job, Veer" she appreciated her son. Veer smiled.

"Last Saturday our ma'am taught that in activity class"

"What? You guys cook in activity class? I thought you guys do some craft work, fabric painting and stuff?" Madhu asked in shock. "How could they let kids near fire? I'm going to complain on this matter to your principal..."

"Mommy, relax, its cook without fire. No harm, okay?" Veer knelt up on the counter and held his mommy face with his little hands and softly made her understand. The soft tone and politeness was what Rishab lacked but his son was blessed with. "You don't worry, we will be fine. I will take care of Naira too" he promised and kissed his mommy's forehead and Rishab smiled adoring the mom-son duo's bond.

"Now, I will drop them in school and afternoon can you pick them up, Madhu as I have a meeting then?" Rishab asked.

"Sure, husband" she smiled.

"Kids go get your bags." Rishab said and finally set Naira on the floor. Veer and Naira raced to their room to pack their bags.

Then he turned towards his wife and pulled her in his arms. "You have bags under your eyes."

"Hmm" she hummed and rubbed the region below her eyes.

"Don't work too late and spoil your health, Madhu" he advised.

She was a content writer, editor and reviewer and she worked from home as she wanted to spend every single minute with her babies.

She was doing this job ever since she had quitted her full time reporter job, well not exactly from the date she quit but some two months later from then.

She was offered to work in her father's company with him but she denied.

Though Madhu and her father Malik had sorted out their differences five years ago and now they were bonding well, she was still little hesitant to get closely associated with him. Maybe she didn't want to expect anything from him.

"You too" she playfully punched his chest.

"You know you don't have to work..." he stated hesitantly.

"But I want to. I love writing articles, Rishab"

"Alright! Do whatever makes you happy." He surrendered lifting his hands up in the air and then he quickly pecked the corner of her mouth. They didn't attempt for a proper kiss because they knew their kids would come running to interrupt their romance. Well, they were right. Their kids did come running screaming mommy mommy...

"Mommy, bye" Naira kissed Madhu's left side cheek and Veer kissed her right side cheek and they ran out of the house to press the elevator button. When Madhu straightened up from her kneeling pose, Rishab mimicked his kids' voice "Mommy, bye" and kissed her cheek making her giggle.

--0--

"It was fun, right?" Madhu asked happily. As promised, this time Rishab took his family to Aquarium and now they were in a restaurant to have their dinner before heading back home.

"Yes, mommy. I loved all the fish. We should go to Aquarium every weekend, mommy. Right, daddy?" Naira asked.

"Haan? Yeah. Sure." Rishab said just to appease his daughter.

"Really? You will go to that boring place again, daddy?"

"Um... Why... Why not?"

"I know you don't like fish but then why are you taking Naira's side now?" Veer asked in an accusing tone.

"Veer, it's not..."

"You were scrolling your fb page the whole time we were in there..."

"Oh daddy! You didn't see those beautiful fish?"

"I did, honey bee. I swear. They were all big and beautiful"

"Tell me at least one fish name, daddy?" Naira questioned.

"Um... Huh... I..." Sweat bead broke on his forehead as he looked at his son for help.

Veer subtly opened the menu card and passed it to him.

"Haan... Got it! Surmai fish fry"

Veer slapped his hand over his forehead as he couldn't take his daddy's stupidity.

Madhu burst out laughing and earned a glare from Rishab.

Poor Naira didn't notice her daddy said that name from the menu card and failed to omit the 'fry' word.

"Surmai? I didn't see any fish with that name. Did you see, mommy?"

"No, baby" Madhu shook her head, pressing her lips tightly.

"Rishab" Madhu gently scratched his hand placed on the table.

"What?" He barked.

"Surmai is an Urdu word. In that Aquarium the names of the fish were in English so from where did you find this Urdu fish?" She teased him.

"From here" Veer busted it by pointing the name on the list of fish dishes and joined laughing with his mommy.

"This is why I am not coming anywhere with you guys!" Rishab pouted.

"Sir, ready to order?" The waiter came in for Rishab's rescue.

"Veer?" Rishab looked at his son because he was the one studying the menu card for long. Of course he was just five and he took time to read the words.

"Fried Chicken Biryani" he ordered his regular.

"Paneer fried rice and Gobi Manchurian" Madhu placed her order.

"Naira baby?"

"Daddy, I want coke and french fries" she said and smiled cutely.

"No coke, Naira! Have Faluda with French fries. Best combo" Madhu said.

"Madhu, tell her to order some proper food" he scolded gently.

"I want only French fries and fa..faluda. Btw what's faluda?" Naira asked her mommy because she had never tasted it before.

"When they bring it you will see"

"Baby, shall I order your favorite Paneer Tikka?" Naira also a pure vegetarian just like her mommy though Rishab had tried a couple of times feeding her chicken and prawns but she vomited them.

"Daddy, no. My tum-mee paining" she acted again making Veer roll his eyes.

"Alright. Get whatever she asked and get me a set of wheat parota and mutton chops"

"Naira baby, come sit with mommy. I will feed you some paneer fried rice."

"No"

"Naira!"

"Okay" Naira gave up and she went around the table and sat beside her mommy.

"Good"

After dinner they headed straight to home. Oh and of course Naira loved Faluda and French Fries combo.

--0--

"They slept?" Madhu asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, wiping her face with a small towel.

"Nope. I tucked them into bed but they didn't fall asleep. They asked me to go sleep, assuring me that they won't play video game but would sleep soon"

"Hmm" she hummed and laid beside him on the bed. He pulled her in his arms and she rested her head over his chest.

"Thanks, Rishab for today. You made kids happy"

"I wish I could do that often. It feels great to spend more time with them and listen to their happy chattering."

She smiled and kissed his chest.

"Madhu, I made kids happy. What about kids' mommy?"

She planted another kiss on his hard chest.

"What? Not happy? Tsk tsk! That's bad. I should make my babies' mommy happy too" he said thoughtfully and quickly flipped her to her back and then he towered over her.

"Kiss me" she insisted when he kept looking at her mesmerizing eyes.

"Nah, not before you say what I wanna hear"

"What's that?" She acted as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"That line you keep repeating ever since we got married"

"Ain't you bored of hearing that for the past 6+ years?"

"Nah! Never I have. Never will I"

Madhu's eyes twinkled with jubilation and love for her man.

"C'mon, love, say it" he encouraged her cupping her cheeks lovingly with his warm hands.

"Husband, I love you" she breathed and the very next moment their cold and warm lips mated.

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