It Was All Destiny

part 31

Days passed, pulling Akansh more towards Neetika. He could not refuse the attraction he felt towards her, not just physically but emotionally too, he craved to spend his time with her.

After their project was successfully done, Akansh had happily hugged Neetika in the conference Hall itself, after making all the employees retire to their work. Neetika reciprocated his hug with equal zeal and Akansh felt like he has got the world.

Neetika, on the other hand, was getting attached to Akansh and his mother. At times when she was alone in the bed, she fights the conflict of her mind and her heart.

Her heart, which wants to live the happy life with Akansh like a family, and her brain, which reminds her how she was deceiving his parents. It felt extremely cunning to her when she looked at herself through her third eye.

She had bagged the job through source; involved her boss in her personal matter and made him a part of her mess; he had to build a web of lie to make everyone believe on them; and most importantly, he had two extra burdens. Prince and her.

The nights felt everlasting and lonely when no one was on her side, but those were only when Akansh and Prince would play in the terrace till late night and sleep there itself.

Such was this night.

The clock ticked to 1:00 a.m. at night and Neetika huffed, getting down from the bed. She moved to the terrace and found Prince trying to crawl on the stairs that opened to the roof. Akansh was attentively covering him from the back and was supporting him time to time.

"Good, now he got one more thing to trouble me with. He will now do up and down throughout the day and make me run behind me. All credits to you! " Neetika complained while taking a seat on the sofa and crossed her arms like a whiny kid.

"So what? What's the problem in it? He can do whatever he wants, no one can stop him. " Akansh replied , his attention not drifting from Prince.

"Exactly! No one stops him and let him do all the mischiefs. And when I scold him even a little, maa stops me or this little devil cries and everyone starts looking at me like I am the cruelest! " Neetika shook her head, opening and closing her arms periodically, and Akansh chuckled seeing her.

He pulled Prince in his arms and got down, sitting beside Neetika. "Don't scold him then, simple. "

"And let him turn like you, no thanks! Neither you not this little kid listens to me and are hell bent on making me mad. "

"Really? " Akansh asked in amusement, pulling her by her waist and wrapping her arm around her. He kept his chin in her shoulder and the soft strawberry fragrance of her night cream hit his nostrils.

"You are addicting! " He mumbled softly nuzzling his cheek on her neck. She grasped a loud breath and fisted her hands to control her sensory organs.

His hold on her waist tightened as he controlled the urge to kiss her soft skin and bite on it. He was right. She was addicting to him. It was getting hard for him to act like her husband, behave like her husband but not claiming the rights of being her husband.

"Akansh " They heard the loud panic voice of his mother, Vaani and they maintained the proper distance in an instant. Like their touch burned each other. And it actually did.

They were burning inside for each other.

"Mom." Neetika stood up, looking down and trying to get a control on her heating cheeks.

"vohh.. I.. I came here to take Prince. Your dad and I wanted him to sleep with us for some days as we are leaving for a week soon. " Vaani told and Neetika nodded, not able to form her words properly.

Vaani took Prince in her arms and gave a teasing smile to the young couple before departing the terrace. When she was sure that she was out of her children's gaze, she giggled softly and looked at Prince with lively eyes.

"Your parents are very romantic. " She giggled again and went to her room.

Akansh stood up and cleared the wrinkled off his pants. He ran his hand through his hair locks and looked at Neetika. Who was busy fisting her dupatta and biting her lips to stop herself from uttering even a small noice.

"Your dupatta will be teared. " He softly separated her hand from the cloth and gave a small smile to her, before going back to their room.

"One day, he will be death of me. " She took a deep breath, following him.

___

The entire family was having their breakfast with Prince trying to get his hands on each of their plates and Neetika trying to stop him. Akansh was teasing her by giving support to the naughty kid and his father laughed seeing them.

Neetika looked at Vaani to get some support from her but frowned when she saw how Vaani was lost in her own thoughts. She was moving her spoon in the empty side of plate and her eyes were fixed on her glass of water.

"Mom." Neetika called out to bring Vaani back to her senses and the latter looked at her, realizing she was zoned-out. "Look at them, they are not listening me. "

"Baccho, stop troubling her. " That's it. Vaani, instead of threatening the two to beat them with her spoon, spoke just mere words. But Neetika let it go and continued.

After the breakfast, Neetika joined Vaani to clean the kitchen and noticed how dull Vaani was, today.

"Mom, what is it? " She asked, finally running out of patience.

Vaani sighed, wanting to get rid of her thoughts. " Tomorrow is Anshad's birthday, and he has still not returned. "

The moment felt accurate to ask more about the mysterious Anshad that kept Akansh so emotional.

"Where is he? "

"He.. I don't know. He just left us in the hospital and said that he will return only with his wife and son. " Okay, that was what Akansh told her.

"Was she angry with her that she didn't want to come with him? "

"No. My elder daughter-in-law was epitome of innocence. She was what we call an ideal daughter-in-law. She was from a small village but her mind was impeccable. She managed every big problem like it was as small as an ant. She was full of life, Neetika. " Vaani's eyes sparkled, remembering her elder daughter-in-law.

Before they became dull again. "She gave birth to a beautiful healthy boy. We all were so happy, especially Anshad. But her health was deteriorating, we had to hospitalize her.

That day, Anshad was with her and the baby. When he went out to bring medicines for her, we do not know what happened that She ran away with their baby. She only left a letter, that asked us to not look out for her." A tear left Vaani's eyes, recollecting the inauspicious day.

"Anshad was angry, it was obvious to be. He promised us to go home and wait for him. He will come with our daughter-in-law and the baby. And from that day, we never heard from him. I don't even know how he is, or how he is living. .. " Vaani sobbed and Neetika collected her in her arms.

"Even his dad doesn't care about him. I begged him to find my son, but he just doesn't listen to me. " She sobbed, clutching Neetika and showing the pain she felt.