Page 199 of Lawfully Yours
The moment Kushal and Arundhati entered their home together that evening, a tiny set of feet came pattering at full speed.
“Maaaammaaa!”
“Daddyyyy!”
Amaira Nair, their five and a half years old daughter, curly-haired, bright-eyed, loud enough to wake the neighbours, and already frighteningly sharp, barrelled into Arundhati first. Her tiny arms wrapped around her mother’s legs, who bent down, scooping her up.
“Hi, my baby,” she cooed, kissing Amaira’s cheek.
“You came late,” Amaira tattled instantly. “I counted the minutes.”
Kushal raised his brows. “Did you? How many?”
Amaira held up her fingers… then gave up and said, “More than FIVE. Too many.”
She then launched herself toward her father, Kushal, who lifted her effortlessly, tossing her slightly before catching her, then raining kisses on her cheek. She shrieked with laughter.
“Daddyyyy stop! I’m a big girl!”
“Not big enough to escape my kisses,” he teased, planting three more on her cheeks until she wriggled like a worm.
From the living room, Raj Verma, wrapped in a soft shawl, lifted his mug of tea dramatically. After retirement, he had moved in with them at their penthouse because both Kushal and Arundhati had refused to let him live alone anymore. Besides, even Amaira needed someone to spoil her when her parents were busy working.
So whenever Raj wasn’t travelling the world with his close-knit group of old friends, he lived with them, helping, advising, teasing, and mostly pampering his granddaughter all the time.
Today, however, the pampering seemed to be on trial.
“Oh, good, you’re home,” he said dramatically. “Someone save me from this pint-sized dictator.”
“That’s a serious complaint.” Arundhati grinned, knowing this was just another day where her uncle Raj had a tough time handling Amaira.
“No,” Amaira insisted, wiggling her finger at him, “I’ve a SERIOUS complaint with Grandpa.”
“Oh no, no, no. Don’t start again. I didn’t do anything!” Raj Verma groaned loudly.
Amaira whipped around in Kushal’s arms, lips pursed, her expression very close to Arundhati’s famous court glare.
“Grandpa made me sad today,” she announced with great tragedy.
Kushal’s arms tightened around her instinctively.
“What? Why? What happened?”
Raj sat up straighter, annoyed.
“Don’t listen to her version. She hides the actual facts.”
Arundhati bit her lip to hide her smile while Kushal looked at Amaira like asking silently,what did you do?
Amaira began, speaking slowly. “Today after school… Grandpa said… ‘No cookie.’”
“That’s it?” Kushal blinked.
Amaira nodded. “Yes, but I was very good today.”
Raj cut in, exasperated.
“But you already had four gulab jamuns in the morning. So much of sweet is not good in one day.”
