Echoes of MaAn: Love beyond Separation

||40|| Aadhymaan and His Antics [Pt.1]

It was another typical chaotic morning in the Kapadia household, and Anuj was already running late for the office. He was trying to get dressed in his sharp business attire, juggling between buttoning up his shirt and responding to work emails on his phone. The air was thick with the smell of fresh breakfast, and the sun had just begun to stream through the windows, casting a warm, golden glow over the rooms.

Anuj had just managed to get his shirt tucked in when he felt a tug on his trousers. Looking down, he saw his six-month-old son, Aadhymaan, sitting on the floor, his chubby hands gripping his father's pant leg with all his might. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and he was clearly up to no good.

"Buddy, not now," Anuj muttered, trying to shake his leg gently without actually moving him. But Aadhymaan wasn't giving up. He had found his new hobby—troubling his father whenever he was trying to leave for work.

Anupama, who had just entered the room with a cup of tea, caught sight of the scene and burst out laughing. "Looks like someone doesn't want you to go to work today!"

Anuj groaned in mock frustration. "He's been doing this every morning! How am I supposed to get ready with a tiny human pulling at my clothes?"

But things were about to get worse. As Anuj bent down to pick up his son, Aadhymaan grabbed onto his glasses, his new favorite toy. With lightning speed, he yanked them off Anuj's face, leaving him half-blind and scrambling to catch them before they hit the floor.

From the living room, both sets of grandparents—Sushma and Madhav, Rajesh and Meera—had been watching the morning antics unfold, and at this latest development, they all erupted into laughter.

"Anuj beta," Rajesh called out between chuckles, "maybe it's a sign you should stay home today!"

"You've met your match," Meera added, wiping away tears of laughter. "He's not letting you go that easily."

Malvika, Anuj's younger sister, sauntered into the room, her usual mischievous grin plastered on her face. "Bhai, you're being outsmarted by a baby. Maybe you should just give up now and work from home."

"Very funny," Anuj muttered, trying to reclaim his glasses from Aadhymaan's death grip. But his son had no intention of letting go.

Aadhya, who was sprawled on the couch, watching the chaos unfold with great amusement, piped up. "Dad, you might want to invest in a baby-sized office suit. Looks like Aadhymaan's coming to work with you."

Anupama finally intervened, gently prying the glasses out of Aadhymaan's hands and lifting him into her arms. "Alright, my little troublemaker, let's give Daddy a break, shall we?"

With the situation momentarily under control, Anuj took a deep breath and tried to get back to the task of getting ready. But before he could even grab his tie, Malvika, holding Aadhymaan now, had another brilliant idea. "Let's put something on TV for him so you can get ready in peace. I'll distract him with some baby shows."

She walked over to the TV, sat down on the couch, and turned on a cute, animated show meant for babies. The colorful characters danced around the screen, singing nursery rhymes in cheerful voices.

But as Malvika settled into the couch, something entirely different happened. Aadhymaan, now seated comfortably on her lap, reached for the remote with his little hands. Before anyone could stop him, he pressed the buttons randomly, and the baby show disappeared from the screen. In its place appeared an incredibly melodramatic Hindi soap opera called Uska Pati Mera Hai.

The camera zoomed dramatically on the overly made-up face of a woman draped in heavy jewelry, crying hysterically as she confronted her rival.

Woman 1 (dramatically clutching her chest): "Tumne mere pati ko mujhse chheen liya, Leela! Tumhara paap kab tak chalega?!"
Woman 2 (smirking evilly): "Paap? Yeh paap nahi, yeh pyaar hai! Aur ab tumhare pati sirf mere hai!"

Cue overly dramatic music—Dhun-dhun-dhun!

The entire room froze. Malvika, who had been trying to shield Aadhymaan from the ridiculousness, now sat there, her mouth open in shock. Anuj, Anupama, and both sets of grandparents stared at the TV, wide-eyed, as the soap opera's melodrama unfolded before them.

Aadhya, sitting beside Malvika, let out a snort of laughter. "He actually changed it to Uska Pati Mera Hai?! What is this?"

But Aadhymaan? He was completely enthralled, staring at the screen with his mouth open in fascination. His big brown eyes were glued to the intense dialogue on the TV, as though he understood every bit of the high-pitched drama.

Woman 1 (sobbing, falling to her knees): "Leela! Tum nahi samjhogi, pati ka pyaar kya hota hai! Main tumhe kabhi maaf nahi karungi!"
Woman 2 (laughing sinisterly): "Maafi ki zarurat nahi. Tumhare pati ko pyaar ki zarurat hai, jo main usse de sakti hoon."

By this point, the entire family had lost it. Anuj, struggling to keep a straight face, muttered, "I don't know what's more shocking—the show or the fact that Aadhymaan is actually watching it."

Malvika could barely breathe, she was laughing so hard. "Bhai, I think your son has questionable taste in TV shows!"

Anupama, still holding back her own laughter, walked over to the couch and gently took the remote from Aadhymaan's hands. "Okay, okay, that's enough soap opera for you, young man."

Just as she switched off the TV, breakfast was ready, and the whole family made their way to the dining table. Anupama and Anuj sat down with Aadhymaan between them in his high chair, ready to be fed. Anupama scooped up a spoonful of his mashed veggies and brought it to his mouth.

But Aadhymaan, still in his mischievous mood, decided he wasn't going to eat without a fight. He swatted at the spoon, sending a splatter of baby puree flying straight onto Anuj's crisp white shirt.

Anuj froze, staring at the green mess now covering his front. "Really, Aadhymaan? My shirt?"

Aadhya, who had been watching from across the table, couldn't resist. "Dad, now you know how I felt yesterday when he knocked a glass of water all over my dress!"

The room erupted into laughter again. Anuj, now completely exasperated, looked at Anupama. "How is he so tiny but manages to cause so much chaos?"

"Welcome to parenting," Anupama said, smiling sympathetically as she reached for a napkin to help clean up the mess. "And we're only just getting started."

After breakfast, Anuj attempted to make his exit, now wearing a fresh shirt after a quick change. But just as he reached for his car keys, Aadhymaan, who had been placed on the floor with his toys, decided he wasn't done making his dad's morning difficult. He crawled over to Anuj's feet and grabbed onto his trousers again, refusing to let go.

"Not again," Anuj groaned, looking down at his son. "Buddy, Daddy has to go to work."

But Aadhymaan wasn't having it. He clung on tighter, giving his father a determined look.

Anupama, laughing from the kitchen, called out, "Looks like he's not ready to say goodbye yet!"

The whole family gathered at the door to watch as Anuj tried to gently pry his son's fingers from his pants, but the baby was relentless. Both sets of grandparents stood there, thoroughly entertained, while Malvika and Aadhya couldn't stop laughing.

Rajesh leaned over to Madhav and said, "You know, this is better than any TV show."

Finally, with a little help from Anupama, Anuj managed to get free, though not without a heavy sigh. He bent down, kissed his son on the head, and gave him a final wave. "Alright, buddy. Be good for Mommy today."

As he walked out the door, the family continued to giggle behind him, and Anuj couldn't help but smile. His mornings may have turned into a comedy show, but they were also filled with love and laughter—and that made all the chaos worth it.