Shivanya's POV-

I trusted Abhimanyu enough to let him in. He saw me vulnerable and I don't even know him properly! I was a fool.

" Shivanya, there is a business party on Saturday this week, are you free to attend it?" Abhimanyu asked.

" Yeah, I'm free. I come." I replied.

" Thank you." He said.

I gave him a small smile.

We were home soon and I did dinner. Abhimanyu was on a call.

I quickly made broccoli and cheese baked potatoes.

" Dinner's ready." I peeked into his office.

He signaled 10 minutes. I nodded, exiting his office and went to the room to take bath.

As I got into the shower, the hot running water relaxed my muscles so I ended up spending half an hour in there.

I wore my night suit and went downstairs. Abhimanyu had changed and was sitting in front of the television watching cricket match.

" Shall I serve dinner?" I asked him.

" Yes." He said, got up and walked with me in the kitchen. He got him and myself a plate full.

" Thank you." He said as we ate in peace. Then he walked back to the match and I went to the room to get some work done.

" Do you have some obsession with your work?" I heard Abhimanyu said as he entered the room.

" The same way you have crazy obsession with cars?" I taunted him but he was right. It was almost 12 in the night.

He gave me a stern look.

" Anyways you don't get to lecture me. Weren't you working too?" I asked.

" Actually not. I was catching up with the game." He said and I rolled my eyes.

" Fine. I'm keeping it back." I said and shut my laptop down. It was a public holiday tomorrow. I could complete everything.

The next day bade papa dropped Sahil to home and he demanded to go to out.

" Let's go to the park." He exclaimed.

" That's a great idea Sahil. Let's go and ask papa if he wants to come with us." I said.

We walked to the room.

" Papa, let's go to the park with mumma" Sahil sang in front of Abhimanyu.

He looked up from his laptop to Sahil and then looked at me.

" Okay, let's go." He said, agreeing.

" Sahil, let's go and change your clothes, shall we?" I extended my hand to him.

" Yes mumma." I will never get tired of hearing mumma from him!

I got him into his little track pants and a tshirt and put sun screen on his hands and face and took him to the living room where Abhimanyu was waiting, dressed in a pair of jeans and tshirt. I realized that his was the first time I had seen him wear casuals in four months and he looked well......shut up stupid heart! My head exclaimed and I agreed.

" Give me five minutes. I'll change and come." I said, running to the room.

I quickly put on a yellow summer dress, pairing it with a demin jacket along with my sneakers, took my phone and wallet and went down, grabbling Sahil's football and a mat from his room.

" You look so cute mumma." Sahil said.

" Thank you baby." I replied, picking him up and he pecked my left cheek.

" No compliments for papa?" Abhimanyu asked Sahil and tickled him in the stomach.

Sahil laughed unstoppable.

" Mumma, ask papa to stop." He said, in between his laughter.

" Stop papa. Don't tickle my Sahil." I said childishly.

" Why mumma? I can tickle my son if I want." He replied, in a childish mood too.

" Not if my baby does not like it." I said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably.

" Okay, that was clearly a failed attempt to sound stern." Abhimanyu mocked me.

I rolled my eyes.

" Let's go mumma papa." Sahil exclaimed and got on his feet.

We walked towards one of Abhimanyu's less show off cars. I had given up on remembering the names.

" Mumma sit na, I don't wanna wait." Sahil exclaimed again.

I nodded quickly, pulling him up to my lap.

Abhimanyu drove to a park which was almost empty. Just a few kids playing along with their parents, looking like happy families.

" Let's play catch." Sahil said, picking the ball up.

I nodded.

For the next twenty minutes, we played catch.

Sahil got bored eventually.

" Papa, I want chocolate ice cream." He demanded, seeing the stall.

" Okay buddy." He said, picking Sahil up and tossing him up in the air.

" Again papa!" Sahil shouted, giggling.

Abhimanyu took Sahil to the stall that way and he was giggling constantly. I took their pictures secretly.

" Shivanya, which ice cream?" Abhimanyu asked.

I nodded, negatively.

" Why?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

" Because I don't like ice creams." I lied.

" I know you don't. Aditi told me that you love ice creams and how you both used to sneak out of your house to have them." He said, almost sadly.

That was the exact reason I did not want them. It reminded me of the fun times I spent with Di and it hurt.

I got teary eyed even though I tried to hold them back ridiculously.

" Shivanya, I know it has been hard for each and everyone of us but I knew Aditi enough to tell you that she would have screamed at you had she been here because you are thinking of her with tears in you eyes. She loved you so much that I had been jealous of you many times when she couldn't just stop talking about you." He confessed honestly, making me chuckle.

This man is so different! Instead of me consoling him about his wife, he is consoling me about his wife and my sister. It's almost like he has a part of Aditi di.

" She loved vanilla and I love chocolate but I loved ice creams so much that I used to snatch her's too and eat it. She let me do it but used to get done all her works by reminding me of how I had stolen her ice cream." I added, in a trance.

It was his turn to chuckle.

" Is someone getting ice cream for me?" Sahil asked, throwing his ball at Abhimanyu.

" Only if you promise to brush your teeth after we get home." I said sternly.

" I promise mumma. I will brushy my teeth." He replied.

" So Sahil and I are gonna have chocolate ice cream. You can have whatever you want to." I addressed Abhimanyu, showing fake attitude.

" Done ma'am." He replied, mocking.

He got three chocolate ice creams and we ate them before they could melt.

" I wanna play Rat-a-rat." Sahil exclaimed but Abhimanyu's phone rang.

" I have to take this call. I'll join both of you in sometime." He said to Sahil and walked away to sit on the mat that was lying.

" Okay Sahil, I will play pakdam pakdai with you. You want me to catch hold of you or you want to den?" I asked him.

" You run mumma. I'll catch you." He said.

" Okay, start counting till ten." I said and he obliged.

He counted till ten and started running in my direction to touch me. I ran further slowly.

" Come on Sahil, catch mumma!" I exclaimed.

" I will catch you mumma." He shouted and ran faster.

I somehow got tangled with a rope lying in the park and was about to fall when a strong pair of arms prevented me. I closed my eyes

It was not Sahil, it was Abhimanyu.

One of his hand was on my waist and the second one holding my wrist, I saw as I opened one eye.

" You okay?" He asked.

His arm around my waist had taken away my speaking power.

" Shivanya, are you okay?" He asked again.

Not trusting my voice, I nodded.

He made me stand straight. His hand has left my wrist to but his other arm was still around my waist.

He tucked a loose hair strand behind my ear.

" Thank you." I said, distancing myself from him.

" Careful." He said.

" Mumma, did you get hurt?" Sahil asked innocently.

" No babu. I am fine." I replied, trying to get the rope away from my feet but I got myself more tangled into them.

" Wait." Abhimanyu said and went down on one knee. Then he untangled my feet from the rope and put that rope in a corner.

We then played from some more time and Sahil got tired so Abhimanyu carried him back to the car. I walked alongside him with the ball and mat in my hand.

" Papa, can we go to the toy shop? I want a truck." Sahil asked.

" No no no......bad idea. Sahil, you already have so many cars!" I exclaimed.

" There is a difference between a car and a truck." Abhimanyu said, clearly offended that I had so little knowledge about vehicles.

" So what?" I asked.

He ignored me and acknowledged Sahil,

" Yes Sahil, we are going to the toy shop."

Getting out of the store, Sahil had five trucks, eight cars and two motorbikes. Abhimanyu will spoil him! Both of them are obsessed with cars and trucks and bikes!

" Where to now?" I asked.

" Home." Sahil and Abhimanyu said together.

" Thank god." I muttered to myself, sitting in the car.

It was already 7 in the evening when we were back at home. Sahil had fallen asleep in my arms and Abhimanyu was carrying his ball and mat which he dumped in the living room.

It just took one dirty glare from me for him to pick the ball and mat up and keep it in place. Wow!

I washed myself up, changed and went to the kitchen to quickly make dinner. I quickly did baked beans with rotis.

" Sahil baby please wake up. Have your dinner and then you can sleep." I said, shaking him lightly.

" Mumma I am not hungry." He said, sleepily.

" No beta, you will have to eat. We did not even eat lunch. Please wake up." I said.

He sat on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

I took him with me in the dining room, fed him and put him to sleep again. I then arranged his school bag according to the time table, switched the lights off, kissed my son's forehead and got out.

" He's asleep?" Abhimanyu asked, coming near Sahil's door.

I nodded.

" Dinner is ready." I said and we walked in the dining room.

I gave him his plate and took mine.

We were eating in peace when my phone rang. It was maa.

" Hello maa." I said, picking the call up.

" Hello beta. All of you are okay?" She asked, her voice concerned.

" Yes maa. All of us are fine." I replied.

" Listen beta, but please keep an open mind." Maa said.

" What is it maa?" I asked, feeling strange.

" Abhi's maasi will be coming there tomorrow and my sister is a lot narrow minded. She does not accept women going to office when they have kids and will want you to behave exactly like wives behave with their husbands with Abhimanyu. She will just be there for one day and then she has her flight to Delhi. Can you take a leave from your work tomorrow and tend to her?" Maa almost sounded desperate.

" Don't worry maa. I'll take care of her and will not go to the office tomorrow." I assured her.

" Thank you so much beta. Now you take care of yourself, Sahil and Abhimanyu. I'll call you tomorrow." She said.

" Bye maa. Good night." I replied.

" Good night beta." She replied and hung up.

" Why did mom call?" Abhimanyu asked.

" Your maasi will be here tomorrow for a day." I informed him.

He groaned.

" What is it?" I asked him.

" She is a pain in the .." He said.

" Abhimanyu!! She is elder." I shrieked.

" You should skip work tomorrow." He sighed.

" I am skipping work tomorrow." I told him.

" There is one more thing that maa said." I said.

" That we need to behave like a husband and wife." He groaned again.

" Come on! It's not that difficult. I'll boss you around in the morning till you leave for work. Then when you come back, I'll help you take your shoes off, touch your feet, address you as swami and do your evening aarti." I said, attempting to joke to lighten up the atmosphere.

It worked.

He started laughing.

It was the first time I actually saw him laugh and it was oddly satisfying. His laughter was music to my ears. I hope this laughter never dies!