||~~The Brewer's Girl~~||

👼Necessity👼

☺Chapter - 15☺

❤Dedicated to yashon9 for being a sport and keeping up with me always❤

❤Necessity❤

Kabir

Any minute now, my brain will explode. I can literally see a throbbing forehead nerve in the reflection of the utensil I'm holding.

"She is not here na beta, my princess how will she come and make you one? Look I am making a healthy sandwich for you look," I hold the plate up in the air, lifting the upper layer of bread to reveal what's inside and Riddhi's tear filled eyes stare right at the distraction, "Look, aha tamatar laal laal! Red tomatoes!" I cheer but she again twists her expressions in a crying face and wails, "no tomatoes!".

I sigh, keeping the plate back at the counter and run my hands through my hair. Why now! Mom has gone to the Gurdwara and I am spending the day with Riddhi. Everything was going smoothly until she suddenly wanted to eat sandwiches and not only sandwiches but sandwiches that Aashna used to prepare for Riddhi in her own special way. It's getting frustrating, everyday Riddhi asking for her, wanting to play the game Aashna played with her or wanting to eat special snacks that only Aashna made for her. I try to trick my baby but she is too smart to know that Aashna isn't around and these sandwiches that I've made aren't hers or prepared the same way because I haven't seen Aashna making them for my princess in my quest to avoid her whenever she visited and neither Riddhu could tell me what she used to put. I won't call her just for this because there are a lot of things that my princess demands which Aashna did and how on earth they got to spend so much time and when did they bond like this is out of my territory of knowledge. I must be busy in the brewery business.

"Shh, come here baby!" I wipe my hands on the kitchen towel and bend down to hug Riddhu. As she's growing up, she has learned to cry in a very screeching tone of voice which screams her two new personality traits, demanding and stubbornness.

Who says parenting alone is going to be easy because my head is bursting with so much loud crying from her. I let her drink water from her bottle and sit on the kitchen floor with her in my lap. These are the times I really feel sad because bringing her up in this age where she gets attached with people so easily, it's difficult to keep her inside and not play along with the neighbors kid all day and night or developing habits in her like sleeping early. With most things, she was good before but ever since Aashna has left and she realized that we are not calling her for Riddhi, our actions have led to some reactions from this little devil and she has turned rebellious.

There is Aashna everywhere even when she has left.

What did she say? I am here for my Rui ka gola Kabir and I am going to stay and all that shit. I should have never believed her and let loose giving her time to get close with my daughter. Seeing Riddhi so happy with her, I had given in but I should have known better that she would leave and here I am.

Riddhi hiccups a few times and I cuddle her close, rubbing her back and letting her drink some more water.

What Aashna had done to me, I won't let her do the same with Riddhi too. She didn't have the courage to tell me why then and she didn't have the courage to say goodbye this time too.

"Princess!" I try to hold her but she climbs out of my lap and runs towards the main door. I frown and follow her as she calls out "Aashu?"

It has been a month and this is kinda routine for her. She goes to the door everyday waiting for her 'Aashu' and becomes silent as her eyes fill with tears of longing. I never knew they shared such a strong bond. My steps are lazy as I prepare myself for her usual disappointed scrunched up face followed by teary eyes which breaks my heart but I am surprised when I hear her gleeful cry as she exclaims, "Aashu!".