AMMA's DAY OFF
"Tchh", Arnav moved away from the thing poking him in the back. Irritated he tossed the other side to get away from it when he heard a whisper shout, " daaddie, daddie". His half opened lids sorted the source of the sound only to land on a tiny figure clad in baby pink pajamas with puffed sleeves, wide dark ambers similar to his staring at him worried.
" Ishu?!", he sat upright rubbing his eyes. " What happened, baby?", he asked making her sit on his lap.
" sshh Daaddie, Amma will wake up", she said putting her tiny hands over his mouth quieting him.
" Why don't you want Amma to be awake?", he asked kissing her hand that covered his mouth a second before.
" You forgot?!", she uttered accusingly.
"What?" he asked confused. She rolled her eyes at her father's cluelessness.
" Breakfast! We are cooking Amma a breakfast. Today is Sunday, her holiday from being Amma and Biwi. And you forgot", she glared at him.
" ohh!"
" Yes Ohh! Daaddie" , she mocked still glaring. Amused at his five year old daughter chiding him, Arnav apologized holding his ear.
After guiding her father through how to brush your teeth properly? Ishita and her Daddy where standing in the kitchen contemplating on what to cook ?.
" What are you doing Daaddie?" she whispered seeing her father picking the bread packet from the tray.
" What ? and why are you still whispering your Amma is in the other room?", he stated.
" Still she can hear us. When we play hide and seek she always hears me when I ask Banke to keep quiet". Arnav couldn't help smiling at the mention of Khushi's meant nothing's name which now graced a Labrador pup his daughter owned. Though he denies being behind the christening of the pup but the reaction he got out from riling her up delighted him to no ends.
" Okay Honey ! And I making toast ", he whispered back.
" But Amma don't eat Toast. She likes Aaloo Puri" .
" I know but I don't know to make that".
" But google knows", she suggested.
Listening to his daughter's suggestions he positioned an ipad on the counter on one side and his daughter on one as farther away from the stove.
" Here goes Mr. Potato in the pan and now we cut the onions", he closed the lid of the pan and started chopping the onions.
" aahn Daaddie"
"What Baby?", he asked worried moving towards her. " it hurts Daaddie ", she said pointing to the onions. He looked at the onions and then at his daughter and ran out of the kitchen asking Ishita not to move. He came back with his black aviators and put them on her.
" Daaddie now I look like you", she said grinning at him with half of her face covered by the sunglasses.
" Yes Baby, you do".
Arnav returned to the task at his hand while Ishu sat cross legged on the counter watching her daddy work.
" Daaddie, I think something is wrong with aata(flour)", said Ishita looking at the gooey dough sliding of her fathers hands.
" You think so?", he asked with a knitted brow. Ishita nodded at him thoughtfully.
" I think it needs more flour", he said reaching for the flour.
" I'll help you, Daddie ".
"Wait ishu", he exclaimed. Before he could stop her , she already had her tiny hands inside the slushy mixture.
" eww Daddie !! its sticky", she said making a face. " See. Now you soiled your hands. Lets get them cleaned", he said.
He reached for Ishita and while doing so drop the flour container at the edge fell landing on his toe making a white cloud around them.
" Ouww!"
" Daaddie!"
He leaned against the counter holding his injured toe in one hand.
" you hurt Daaddie", she asked cupping his face with her tiny hands.
" Daaddie is fine, sweetheart", he smiled assuring her. He looked at the flour scattered on the counter and floor when he heard his daughter giggle. He turned towards her amused, " What?"
" You look funny, Daaddie", she giggled " And Sticky", she poked at the print of her dough covered hands on his cheeks.
" And who did that?", he raised an eyebrow. Ishita shrugged her shoulders pouting. Arnav gathered a handful of flour of the counter and smeared on her cheeks .
" Now who looks funny, huh?" he teased. " Daaddie !!!" , Ishita shrieked. Grabbing the flour of the counter Ishita tried to climb down the counter when Arnav held her and landed her safely taking off running towards the living room, his daughter chasing him .
This how Khushi found her beloveds running around leaving a trail of white powder behind them.
"gotacha " exclaimed Ishita as she climbed over Arnav's chest as he lay flat on the ground due to his tumbling while escaping her.
Khushi looked at the most adorable picture presented before her, her usually grumpy husband covered in white flour giggling away with her equally flour covered daughter.
" Ahem Ahem" Khushi cleared her throat. The father- daughter broke out of their bubble turned towards the sound. If the previous picture was adorable then now it was outright funny, the two pair of caramel eyes wide and worried stared at her.
" Khushi ", Arnav got up holding Ishita against his side with one arm around her middle and her hands around his neck. " we.. we were just
" cooking, Amma ", she interrupted her father's stuttering while trying to place the huge aviators sliding of her face.
" Why?", she asked suppressing a smile.
"coz. Its your day off, Amma. It's your holiday today", she explained.
Khushi walked towards them with a stern. The father-daughter looked at her sheepishly.
She picked her daughter from Arnav's arm and kissed her loudly . " Thank you Jalebi", she grinned at her.
" You are welcome, Amma", she kissed her mother back.
" Now off you go to bathe . I'll be in a minute", she send Ishita to her room and turned to her husband.
" You too. go and get cleaned. I'll help Ishu",she said and turned to leave when she was pulled back by her waist and collided with her husband's chest.
" Arnavji!"
" I too. need help", he said his eyes smoldering. " Arnavji, Aap kya.." she stopped and her hold tighten on his shirt as she felt her her husband morning stubble brush against her cheek and then on the other.
" Done. Clean", she slowly opened her eyes staring at her husband's smug face. " Hatiye ", she pushed him and he tighten his hold. Her gaze shifted from his eyes to his lips that were leaning towards hers. His lips were inches away. " Somethings burning ", he heard her and moved away looking at her scrunching her nose. Then he too. whiffed the smell.
"SHIT!" he exclaimed running off to the kitchen .
Arnav turned off the stove and picked up the lid to the vessel to find the potatoes turned black sticking to the bottom. Khushi who followed him switched the exhaust on and leaned against the counter besides him.
" So what is the menu for breakfast ?", she asked .
" Toast and juice? ", he said sheepishly . Khushi laughed at her husband who stood clueless.
I hope you like it.
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