AryLie : Jungli Kitten Vs Gentle Golden Retriever

3 Months Later....

Chhotu scanned the perimeter of the vast hall.

All Clear.

He wiped His sweaty face with the dirty sleeve of His school uniform, muddying his face in the process, as He clutched His School Bag close to His back and took sneaky steps in, His School Shoes leaving muddy footprints on the floor of the Rathore Mansion.

.... And stopped, seeing a tall familiar shadow looming over him.

"Hey Champ. How was School ? What have you got there ?"

Uh oh.

Busted.

Chhotu turned around to face His Baba and met Aryan's curious gaze, with puppy eyes that starkly resembled His Amma's.

Like Mother, Like Son. Aryan suppressed a laugh.

"Woh.... Woh .... Baba..."

Aryan kneeled down and drew Chhotu close and chuckled at His muddied form that had been impeccably neat and tidy in the morning.

Wait ..... Was His Bag .... wiggling ???

"Champ .... I think there's something in Your Bag."

Aryan spun Chhotu around gently as He opened the bag and ....

"Mmbooww... Meow."

Aryan stared on at the little scared faces of a Golden Retriever Puppy which seemed just about a month old, holding on to a Tiny Grey-White Kitten, happily nostalgic as He recollected a memory about 15 Years back, on a bright sunny evening when He had brought Home Cheeku, and both of them had caught Imlie smuggling in Mirchi.

They had really come full-circle !

"Baba."

"Haa Champ."

"I saw them in my school ground - they were together, in a plastic cover ! Baba, they'll go hungry ! Please don't take them back !"

Aryan took out the Puppy and Kitten and scooped His Son closer, rubbing the dirt off of Chhotu's face with his handkerchief, fatherly pride bubbling in Him.

"You did the right thing, Chhotu. So you're going to be a big brother and look after both of them ?"

Chhotu nodded His head in vigorously.

"But before we keep them, we've to inform everyone in the House. Your Daadi would want to welcome your siblings. And Your Amma would - wait, is your Amma back from Office yet ?"

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Imlie plucked the ripest among the ripe mangoes one by one as She swung on the thick branch of the huge mango tree, her expert feet quite at home on the tree.

"Amma, Baba's calling you Jungli !"

Imlie gazed down towards the source of Her Son's voice, spotting Chhotu riding on Aryan's shoulders, both staring up at Her in identical smirks.

"Chhotu, tell your Baba that He has to sleep on the couch tonight."

"Not gonna happen Jungli. Are you going to come down, or should I come up ?"

"Himmat hai toh yaha aao."

Imlie munched on the Mango as She sat comfortably atop the trunk.

"Amma you have to wash the Mango before eating. Bad Girl Amma 🙄"

"Chal hatt !"

"Imlie I can see a worm on that Mango. You're eating it right now, sticky, slimy -"

Imlie threw the Mango and quickly climbed down the Mango Tree as Aryan and Chhotu hi-fived.

"Amma Darr gayi ! 🤣🤣"

"Naahi ! Hum Darr se nahi, Darr hum se bhaagat hai !"

"Is that why you ran down the Tree ?"

"Dekho ABP Tum -"

"Amma Baba Time-Out !! First Thing Amma, something happened in School. 2nd Thing, Daadi, Bua, Fufa, Jaggu Bhaiyya are waiting for us."

"Oh ? And why are they waiting for us ?"

"That's the 3rd Thing Amma 🤦And Third Thing.... "

"Naahi Chhotu don't you dare !"

"Third Thing Udhaar rahi !🙈"

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The Trio joined the hall as Imlie spotted everyone huddled around in the centre. Narmada was holding a traditional welcome plate.

Imlie failed to control her tears as She spotted the tiny golden retriever puppy and the tiny grey-white kitten huddled closer in Jaggu's arms, their big beautiful eyes happily gazing at their New Forever Family with all the Love in the World, the puppy's tail wagging furiously at a mile a minute, both their necks adorned by adorable little bells fastened using the softest little red collars, both their foreheads sporting red tikas that their Daadi had put on to officially welcome them to the Family.

"Chhotu, why don't you tell everybody how you found your little siblings ?"

"Haa Baba. Soooo... I had P.T. the last hour, and when I was playing with Farhaan, we both heard a rustling nearby ! We searched and searched and found a plastic cover moving in the bush ! Farhaan got scared !"

Narmada : "Aur?"

Chhotu : "Par Main... Darr se nahi, Darr mujhse bhaagat hai ! Because I. AM. ARVIND SINGH RATHORE. I went and opened the Plastic Cover, and found these 2 inside. Amma, Bua, they were so scared ! I brought them home in my Bag, and then Baba saw us !"

"Well.... It reminded me of a certain Jungli here who once smuggled in our Mirchi, the same day I had brought Cheeku Home. And these 2 even look like them .... So what do you guys think ? Maa, Sundar Ji ? They're with us ?"

Sundar, cuddling both : "Aur nahi toh ? Saale Saab, everyone misses both Cheeku and Mirchi a lot."

Narmada : "It is Not like we are replacing them with these 2 here - but they both had lived happy lives and were so loved, and they are in a better place, so the Best Way to Honour Mirchi and Cheeku is to be the Family of these 2."

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ON THE OTHER SIDE, ACROSS THE RAINBOW BRIDGE :

Sita Maiyya, scratching Cheeku's head and petting Mirchi lounging on Her Lap : "Mirchi, you're a Genius ! Your Idea of sending a new puppy and kitten to them worked ! 😃"

Cheeku : "Smart-Ass😌. Well, that was actually a damn good idea."

Mirchi : "It is better being a Smart-Ass, than a Dumbass like you, you big doofus. I know that I'm Intelligent."

Cheeku : "Really ?"

Mirchi : "Yup. Because I'm a Cat. 😎 Although, I was a bit worried about them forgetting both of us."

Cheeku : "Ha ! 😎 Now THAT, I was Not Worried about at all ! I knew they weren't such people. Who is the Smart-Ass now, Jungli ?"

Mirchi : "Show-Off. Koni maarungi."

Cheeku : "Koni mera paas bhi hai Mirchi."

Mirchi : "But you don't have the guts to hit me 😎"

Sita Maiyya : "Time-Out. You both be Good Kids now, or else .... Koni meri pass bhi hai 😌."

And thus, they waited across the Rainbow Bridge, to meet their Family once again, and this time ... In a Forever.

THE END.

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