The Fault In Our Stars

12;)

12. Crwy

"Siddharth?", Vaishnavi had asked confused. "What are you doing here?"

Siddharth shrugged, trying to look past the standing Vaishnavi and Anushka to see who was there with Avneet.

"Recorded the song already.", he said and then raised the cup in his hands, "I was starving so bought myself some hot chocolate."

"What's going on here?", he then asked keeping his bag on one of the chair. His eyes meeting with Avneet's stressed looking ones for a fleeting second.

"Ishaan has been crying.", Anushka informed as she caressed the boy's head who had his face buried inside his mother's chest and Siddharth could see his body shaking and soft sniffles and some even softer cries.

His eyes softened immediately. "What happened to him?", he asked to no one in particular.

Avneet decided to answer because, of course, it was her child who has been crying.

"I don't know. He just kept crying ever since he came from school. Jannat picked him up but he even he couldn't shush him.", she said, sighing as the boy let out a loud wail.

"Baby, it's okay.", she softly rocked the boy in her lap. "No, baby. Don't cry.", she continued to shush the boy.

Siddharth moved and immediately crouched in front of the couch where Avneet sat. He kept the hot chocolate in his hand on the table beside the couch.

"Hey, little man!", he called to the boy carefully as Avneet peeled the boy away from her embrace slowly so he could see the older.

The boy sniffed and looked at Siddharth's face which had a small smile. "Sid?", he asked cutely rubbing his eyes, his chin and plushy lower lip wobbling as he spoke.

Siddharth coo-ed sadly at the boy and wiped his tears off with his fingers. "Why is the strongest baby crying, hm?", he asked the boy in the softest voice possible.

The boy's eyes did not take a second to fill up with tears again and he burst into wails again but this time he did not clung to Avneet, instead he latched his hands around Siddharth's neck and cried into his neck.

Siddharth was startled but he was quick to wrap his arms around the little body of the boy. One of his hand reaching into his hair, running soothingly while the palm of his other hand rubbing his small back.

"Ae, don't cry, little one. You're such a strong baby. Don't cry. Hush, little man.", Siddharth whispered soothingly to him.

Avneet was shocked. Very very shocked.

Ishaan never - she means it when she says never - hugs someone while crying other than Avneet and Jannat.

Hell, he did not even cry to his own grandmother, Avneet's mom. He stuffed his face in a pillow instead but did not hug her while crying.

Siddharth stood up and then settled up on the couch beside Avneet, pulling the little boy to his lap who had now somewhat quietened down.

Siddharth exhaled heavily and then pulled the boy away from his hug. He kissed his forehead and then nose. "Stop crying or sid will cry too.", he said to the boy as he pinched his nose lightly after wiping his tears away.

The boy looked up at him with blinking soft eyes and then shook his head. "Sid no cwry.", he mumbled and then pouted.

Siddharth pouted back at him. "Otay then Ishaan no crwy too.", he baby talked back at the boy making him giggle.

Vaishnavi sat beside Avneet on the other side of the couch while Anushka took a chair. All were staring at the duo, surprised by how fast did Siddharth manage to stop him from crying.