FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

Will you be my father? (Part 2)

Neel stood still, shocked. He could not believe his ears for a moment. He looked up to Manjari who har silent tears streaming down her cheeks, and was making no efforts to hide them. It was an emotional moment for both of them. Amaira stood up straight and looked squarely in the eyes of Neel. "You do not wish to be my father?", she asked tremulously.
"I do, I do," Neel hastened to assure her and hugged her to him. "I love you. And it will be an honor to be known as your father."
Amaira held his hand as she skipped the rest of the way to, the hotel. Neel noticed that Manjari was oddly silent. He glanced at her once or twice, but she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. They parted at the hotel as Neel wanted to make arrangements for their departure tomorrow. Manjari took Amaira up to her room and helped her get ready for the bed. When Amaira was in the bed, Manjari turned to her. There was a question burning in her mind and she wanted an answer for it. She gathered Amaira in her arms and kissing the top of her head, said, "can I ask you something?"Amaira threw her tiny arms around Manjari's body and rubbing her eyes said, "Yes Mumma".
"Why did you ask Neel to be your father?"
"Because I like him."
"Just that? Because you like him?"
Amaira was silent for a while and Manjari thought she was asleep. Then Amaira looked at her and said, "He takes good care of me Mumma and like you never gets angry at me. He gets me treats, picks me up from school and plays games with me. He also helps me with my homework and has taught me to ride a bike too. He does things with me that fathers do with their children. I want him as my father. I hate it that I have only one parent while everyone has two."
Manjari could only look at her daughter in shock. She knew that Amaira was starved for male parent attention, but she had never guessed the extent of it. Amaira touched Mnajari's cheeks and made her request again, "Can I please have him as my father?"Manjari did not say anything and just hugged her daughter tight as she rocked her to sleep.Manjari was still holding Amaira who was fast asleep when Neel came to her room. She motioned with her fingers for him to be quiet as she laid down Amaira on the bed. Neel extended his hand towards Manjari who put her hand in his. He started pulling her in the direction of his room making sure to leave the adjoining room open, just in case Amaira woke up."She wants me to be her father, "he said with amazement in his voice as he sat Manjari on a chair and took the one next to her. Manjari nodded her head.  Something was weighing on her mind, he could make that out. "What is the matter?", he prodded. Instead of answering him, she began to pace his room, muttering under her breath. He knew enough from his previous experience to not force himself on her and demand an answer. He let her be and after forty minutes of pacing, she settled herself in the chair again, facing him squarely.There was a look of determination on her face and he was curious about what she was going to say next. But what she said next, completely took the wind out of his sails. "Why do you want me? I have a child and emotional baggage worth its weight in gold. I have a daughter. Most men would run for the hills instead of spending time with someone like me. But not you. Why? Why would you want to be the father of a child that is biologically not yours? Her father wanted nothing to do with her and here you...", she said as she choked back a sob turning her back to him.Finally! Neel thought. He had expected Manjari to ask these questions for a while now. Her insecurities were out in the open. Exposed. She was a mother and her protective instincts were out. He understood that she wanted to be sure about his motives as a lot was at stake here. He had also given these questions a lot of thought. "I want you because I love you. Your daughter reflects on you. How can I not love her too?" he said in a low voice. "I see your sweet side, your feisty side, your caring side and I see how beautiful you are. I look at you and I want you. I love you because of the way Amaira is. I see how amazing you are through her". He turned her around to face him and grabbing her arms pressed it to his heart. "I want you here...." he raises her hand to his heart, it pounded ferociously. "I want you and I love you because you are you- kid, emotional baggage and all-and I find you sexy as hell'."He smashed his mouth against hers, not letting her argue any further. Manjari let out a sob which he swallowed and let him kiss her. He was kissing her like she was the only woman in the world like she was the only woman who mattered. She revelled in the experience. God, she needed this. She needed to be kissed like she was the only woman in the world.... Manjari tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, yearning for more than just a kiss from him...she needed more.  But Amaira was asleep in the adjacent room. She reluctantly pulled herself apart from Neel and giving him one last kiss, went to her room to sleep. She did not notice but there was a huge smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep.

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It could be safely said that the Disney trip had been a success. Manjari had made Amaira promise that she would not tell her grandparents how she had asked Neel to be her father. That was a conversation that Manjari wanted to have face to face.  After all, she would have to explain to her parents why she wanted to spend the rest of her life with a 'gay' partner!The next couple of weeks flew by and before Manjari knew it, it was April and time for Amaira to go back to India. Her ticket was for the 15th of April and she was flying back with her brother who would be in New York. This time around, he was not coming to Yale. Instead, he had asked Manjari to bring Amaira to JFK. As Amaira's day of departure loomed closer, Manjari tried to squeeze in as much time a possible with her. Even Neel had taken to dropping by at every available moment. On the day of Amaira's departure, Neel came by her house and announce that he was accompanying her to JFK.Manjari could only stare at his declaration. He ruffled Amaira's hair and kissed the top of her head. On the way to the airport, he kept holding Amaira's hand. The flight was at 10 pm and they reached the airport at 7 pm. Manjari had packed a light dinner for Amaira just in case she got hungry. She located her brother who whose eyebrows shot up on seeing Neel accompany them. But there was no time to ask questions as they joined the queue to check-in their baggage. Manjari and Neel stayed with Amaira till she had to go for a security check. Manjari hugged her daughter and promise her that she would be home soon. Neel had held himself back all this while. He wanted to avoid any uncomfortable questions for Manjari, but he realized that it would be his last chance to hug Amaira. Throwing caution to the wind, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her. He promised her that he would come and meet her the moment he would be in India. Amaira did not cry at all. She knew that if she did her mother would become sadder. She knew that her mother would come back in July, but her Neel papa was coming back in June and he had promised to come and meet her. She remembered her mother's warning- she could tell no one about Neel papa till Mumma came back. She could wait and then she would introduce her father to everyone