★ Aarohi's POV ★

Weekends in our house were never peaceful.

There was always noise.

TV volume too loud.

Mummy shouting from the kitchen.

Papa pretending he wasn't stealing snacks before dinner.

Me existing dramatically.

And today?

Extra chaos.

Because Radhika di and Keshav jeez were coming over.

Which automatically meant two things-

One: The house would become louder.

Two: Mummy would cook enough food to feed an entire wedding procession.

I walked into the living room holding a bowl of chips only to find Papa already standing near the door like an excited Labrador waiting for guests.

"Papa relax," I said. "They live twenty minutes away, not London."

"Tu chup reh."
("You shut up.")

Rude.

Very rude.

Before I could defend my human rights, the doorbell rang.

And suddenly-

chaos officially entered.

Radhika di walked in first, one hand on her baby bump while Keshav jeez followed behind her carrying three bags, two boxes, and the expression of a man who had accepted his fate after marriage.

"MUMMYYYYY," I yelled dramatically before immediately abandoning my chips and hugging Di carefully.

"Pagal," she laughed. "Dheere."
("Idiot. Slow")

"Baby ko hello bol rahi hu."
("I'm saying hello to the baby.")

"Baby ko ya mujhe?"
("Baby or me?")

"Baby ko."
("Baby")

"Besharam."
("Shameless.")

I grinned.

Then my eyes shifted behind them.

And softened slightly.

Surbhi di stood near the door quietly, holding little Rishabh in her arms.

Tiny.

Wrapped in a pale blue blanket.

Fast asleep.

For a second, the house became quieter in my head.

Not outside.

Outside Papa was already arguing with Keshav jiju about who would carry the bags.

But inside me-

quiet.

Surbhi di smiled softly when she noticed me looking.

And honestly?

That itself felt big.

Because after Rithvik jeez died-

something inside her had dimmed.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

Just...

slowly.

Like someone turning down the brightness of a room little by little.

She still smiled.

Still talked.

Still existed.

But it never fully reached her eyes.

At least not before.

Now though-

holding Rishabh-

she looked calmer.

Not healed.

No.

Some losses never healed completely.

But peaceful.

Like even after losing the love of her life-

a tiny piece of him still stayed back with her.

In the form of sleepy eyes and tiny hands.

"Ruhi?" Radhika di snapped fingers in front of my face. "Kaha kho gayi?"
("Where are you lost?")

I blinked.

"Huh?"

"Bag le lo Surbhi ka."
("Take the bag from Surbhi.")

"Oh."

I quickly took the diaper bag from Surbhi di.

"Heavier than my emotional baggage," I muttered.

Keshav jeez nodded seriously. "Impossible."

"Excuse me."

"Fact."

Traitor.

Absolute traitor.

Mummy immediately rushed toward Rishabh the second Surbhi di sat down.

"Areee mera bachaa."
("Aww my child.")

Papa was no better.

The same man who looked ready to interrogate every man near his daughters now stood making baby voices at a one-month-old.

Character assassination.

"Dekho dekho smile kiya!" Papa gasped dramatically.
("Look look he smiled!")

"Papa woh gas bhi ho sakti hai," I said.
("Papa it can be gas too.")

Mummy glared.

"Chup."
("Shut up.")

I sat beside Surbhi di carefully.

Up close, she looked tired.

Not bad tired.

Mother tired.

The kind hidden behind soft smiles and interrupted sleep.

Rishabh stirred slightly in her arms.

Tiny fingers curling near his cheek.

So small.

Actual potato-sized human.

"He looks exactly like jeez," I said quietly before I could stop myself.

For a second-

Surbhi di went still.

And immediately I wanted to throw myself out the window.

Stupid.

Stupid Aarohi.

Because everyone has started avoiding mentioning him again and again.

But then-

very softly-

she smiled.

"Haan," she whispered.
("Yeah")

That smile hurt a little to look at.

Not because it was sad.

Because it carried love.

So much love.

The kind that stayed even after someone was gone.

Keshav jeez sat beside Surbhi di then, gently taking Rishabh into his arms with surprising ease.

"Aaj iska diaper duty tumhari," he informed me.
("Today you're on his diaper duty.")

I looked offended.

"Why me?"

"Family bonding."

"This feels like exploitation."

Radhika di laughed.

"Ruhi baby pakad ke dekho."
("Ruhi try holding him.")

"No."

"Haan."
("Yes.")

"No."

Before I could escape-

Rishabh was suddenly placed into my arms.

OH GOD.

Human child.

Tiny human child.

Fragile.

Expensive looking.

I froze instantly.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

"Why does he feel so... small?" I whispered in horror.

Papa proudly took out his phone.

"Meri photo bhejo jaldi."
("Send my photo fast.")

"Papa if he falls, I'll change my identity and run away."

"He won't fall," Surbhi di laughed softly.

And for the first time since she'd entered-

the laughter properly reached her eyes.

Rishabh moved slightly in my arms, making tiny sleepy sounds before gripping my finger weakly.

And something inside me paused.

Just for a second.

His hand was impossibly small.

Warm.

Trusting.

He didn't know me.

Didn't understand the world.

Didn't know loss or heartbreak or grief or complicated things adults carried quietly inside themselves.

He just slept peacefully-

completely unaware that everyone around him already loved him too much.

"Awwwww," Radhika di melted dramatically.

"Ruhi looks emotional."

"I do not."

"You literally do."

"Shut up."

Keshav jeez grinned.

"Dekho family instincts."
("See family instincts.")

"There are no instincts. Only fear."

Papa zoomed into my face with his camera.

"Smile."

"I look terrified."

"Natural photo."

Mummy sat beside me then, adjusting the blanket around Rishabh carefully.

And suddenly-

the house felt warm.

Not physically.

Something else.

TV noises.

Kitchen sounds.

Everyone talking over each other.

Papa still taking fifty unnecessary photos.

Keshav jeez irritating me peacefully.

Radhika di laughing too loudly.

Surbhi di smiling softly while watching her son sleep.

Messy.

Loud.

Chaotic.

But full.

Complete somehow.

And sitting there with tiny Rishabh sleeping in my arms-

for the first time in days-

my brain finally went quiet.

Unfortunately-

peace never lasted long in this family.

The second my brain started experiencing emotions peacefully-

disaster arrived.

In the form of-

Rishabh opening his eyes.

Tiny.

Sleepy.

Confused little eyes blinked up at me slowly.

And suddenly everyone in the room reacted like he'd delivered a motivational speech.

"Dekha?!"
("You saw?!")

"He opened his eyes!"

"Awwww mera bachaa."
("Awwww my baby.")

"Photo lo jaldi!"
("Take a photo fast.")

FLASH.

FLASH.

FLASH.

"Papa," I whispered aggressively, "you're blinding him."

"Memories important hoti hai."

"He is ONE MONTH old. He won't remember this."

"I'll remember."

Fair point.

Annoying.

But fair.

Rishabh continued staring at me like a tiny confused potato trying to understand why existence was so loud.

Then-

his face scrunched.

Oh no.

No no no.

I knew that expression.

Danger expression.

"Di..." I whispered nervously.

"Hm?"

"Why is his face doing that?"

Everyone looked.

Surbhi di immediately sat straighter.

Keshav jeez backed away.

Coward.

Absolute coward.

And then-

Rishabh started crying.

Not normal crying.

Tiny human betrayal crying.

LOUD.

Very loud.

Shockingly loud for something so small.

My entire nervous system collapsed instantly.

"WHY IS HE CRYING?!"

"Ruhi relax-"

"I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING."

Mummy took him from my arms expertly.

Within two seconds-

silence.

Complete silence.

I stared.

Offended.

Deeply offended.

"Wow," I muttered. "Rejected by a newborn."

Papa laughed loudly.

"Skill issue."

"Betrayal runs strong in this house."

Surbhi di smiled while adjusting Rishabh's tiny cap.

"He was probably hungry."

"Good," I said immediately. "At least not because he sensed my incompetence."

"Which is also possible," Keshav jeez added helpfully.

I threw a cushion at him.

Missed completely.

Corporate stress had ruined my aim.

Meanwhile Radhika di slowly sat beside me while holding her stomach carefully.

I glanced down instantly.

"Baby kick maara?"
("Baby kicked?")

"Haan."
("Yup")

"Again?!"

"She's very active."

"Clearly related to you."

"Excuse me."

"Violence runs in your bloodline."

She looked offended.

"YOU used to bite people as a child."

"Self-defense."

"You bit me because I changed the TV channel."

"Again. Self-defense."

Keshav jeez nearly choked laughing.

Surbhi di shook her head softly.

"Poor baby," she said, looking at Di's stomach. "Already entering this family."

"Too late now," Papa sighed dramatically. "Bhagwan usko shakti de." ("May God give it strength.")

"Papa!"

Mummy entered the living room carrying snacks at that exact moment.

And by snacks-

I mean enough food to feed a small village.

Samosas.

Sandwiches.

Pakoras.

Chutney.

Tea.

Biscuits.

Possibly national reserves.

I stared at the table emotionally.

"Mummy."

"Hm?"

"I would fight wars for you."

"I know."

I grabbed a samosa immediately before civilization collapsed.

Beside me, Surbhi di carefully adjusted sleeping Rishabh against her shoulder again.

And for a second-

I watched quietly.

The way she held him automatically.

Protectively.

Like even breathing near him too loudly would disturb him.

There was something heartbreaking and beautiful about it at the same time.

Because grief still existed.

You could see it sometimes.

In the quiet pauses.

In the way her smile occasionally faded for one second too long.

In the way Rithvik jiju's name still softened the room.

But now-

there was also Rishabh.

Tiny.

Warm.

Alive.

A piece of love left behind.

And somehow-

that mattered.

A lot.

"Ruhi," Papa suddenly called.

"Hm?"

"Photo bhej mujhe."
("Send me the photo.")

"You took them from your own phone."

"Haan but tumhare angle achhe aate hai."
("Yeah but your angles are good.")

Valid.

I was naturally gifted.

I opened my gallery dramatically.

And immediately froze.

Because right there between random office screenshots and memes-

was Bikash's chat.

Still dry.

Still weird.

Still sitting in my brain annoyingly.

My mood dipped slightly before I could stop it.

Tiny.

Barely noticeable.

But enough.

Unfortunately-

Radhika di noticed.

Because elder sisters were government surveillance systems.

"Kya hua?" she asked casually while eating chips.
("What happened?")

"Nothing."

"Hm."

Dangerous hm.

Very dangerous hm.

Before she could investigate further though-

Rishabh sneezed.

And suddenly the entire house forgot everything else.

"AWWWW."

"Tiny sneeze!"

"Mera bachaa."

(A/n: guyz you serious? He just sneezed. Human disastrous sneeze😭)

Papa genuinely looked ready to frame the moment.

I started laughing.

Actual laughing.

The kind that escaped before you could stop it.

Loud house.

Loud family.

Too much love.

Too much chaos.

And somehow-

despite everything-

it felt nice.

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Q/A TIME PEEPS

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