My Lover's The Sunlight...

💝Jashn-e-Bahaaraa💝

Life was better with Ishan and Aleya, Shubman realised after a couple weeks of living together. Waking up everyday to see the cute faces of the two most important people in his life was all he could dream of. It was one such lazy morning. The day's practice had been cancelled as it was Bhuvi bhai's birthday and the entire team was scheduled to fly to his residence in Meerut. The flight being at 10 a.m., they had enough time, Shubman deduced after a glance at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was just 7 a.m. in the morning. Aleya was snuggled up against him, her soft hair tickling his chest. Ishan was on her other side, curled up against her, with his hand protectively wrapped over his daughter and Shubman's waist as an extension. He took a cute picture of the sleeping beauties before saving it on his hidden folder.

He looked up from his phone to find a pair of doe eyes looking at him. "Photo no permission!" Aleya whisper-yelled at him. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes, hands ready to poke her father into the land of the awake to land the younger cricketer in trouble. Shubi caught the two little grubby hands in his own. The little bundle tried to squirm and shout, but his another palm covered her mouth only to be bitten by her. Shubman groaned low in his throat and gave her his puppy eyes, silently begging her to stay quite. Aleya's eyes crinkled like a businesswoman who had landed her client in the exact position she wanted him in. The opener sighed in his mind, he was about to be roped into another crazy, crazy adventure. "Please don't shout, princess." He begged as he removed his hand from her mouth, it was already wet with saliva, but he couldn't care less. "Ice-cream!" She demanded. 

Shubman closed his eyes for a long moment, opening them only when he was pinched by a meanie devil. "Ice-cream or I tell papa!" Aleya glared at him. Shubi knew he was going to die either way, so better make a good impression with the kid. He squirmed out of the bed and let Aleya down too, replacing her with a pillow, so that Ishan wouldn't wake up. After brushing both of their teeth, he carried his queen to the kitchen, handing her a glass bowl and a spoon. "What flavour does my lady want?" "Vanilla with choco syrup." Shubman gave her a scoop of the icy sweetness only to receive a dead stare. He added one more. Aleya dug in, completely unaware of the problem she had landed both of them in. 

When Ishan woke up, he was a bit scared to find Shubman gone with Aleya. He calmed down a bit when he heard hushed voices from the kitchen. After completing his morning routine,  he tip-toed there, eager to catch the culprits red-handed. "SHUBMAN GILL!" The said man froze at the baritone voice, hand halfway to give Aleya her third scoop of ice cream. "Ishu, believe me..." "Don't you dare Ishu me!" Ishan's temperament made both father and daughter gulp. "Papa..." "Aleya, baby, go up for a few minutes. Papa needs to have a heartfelt talk with ShuShu." Ishan's voice scared the shit out of Shubman. He was fucked, royally fucked. But at that moment, Goddess Aleya decided to diffuse all the tension in the little kitchen.

"Papa, not Dada's fault!" She pouted, unaware of what effect her words had on the elders. "What did you ca-call him, Meri Jaan?" "Dada!" She shrugged like it was not a big deal. Shubman was crying silently as he felt the warmth emanating from Aleya seep into his soul. "Princess!" He hugged her where she was sitting on the kitchen island, kissing the top of her forehead over and over again. Was this the feeling of being a father? His heart swelled so much in his chest, that he could feel it trying to burst out of his ribs. Breaking records was nothing to the pride he felt, standing in his kitchen with a little bundle of happiness in his hands. Ishan joined in on the hug, completing their happy family, resting his head on Shubman's shoulder. This was the moment when Shubman realized, he could die to keep the smiles on these two faces, but he was afraid too. Aleya had accepted him as her father, but what about Ishan? He was sure that he would die if Ishan was to reject him. He had so many things to say, so many apologies to deliver, so many gifts to shower on him, so many dates to take him on, but all of it came to this... He was afraid of losing his Jaan once more.