The Ex's At War

Chapter 3 - I Hate You Like I Love You

We looked around to find her amongst the crowd. I knew it wouldn't be difficult to find her as she was the only kid around and besides the security arrangements were well taken care of yet I panicked. The whole feeling of not having Manini before my eyes was extremely disturbing. Manik went ahead asking the guests about her where as I inquired with the delegated staff for the party.

"Manik you should have been careful na", I charged at him yet my focus was in locating Manini.

"Even you could have kept an eye on her but no you were busy posing and smiling with that Moron George", he had to dig at me and how on earth was it possible that he would accept his mistake.

"Really!!!what the??"

"Oh cut it!!.. lets look for her first...I can listen to your lectures later", the restlessness in his body language was quite evident.

We moved aside to look for Manini while a few socialites who had been looking at us since quite some time began discussing.

"What a cute couple they make!!!", said one of them to another.

"Really in your dreams ...don't you know they aren't together anymore?"

"Are you serious but they look so good together with the baby of theirs?", the first lady shook her head in curiosity.

"They are not divorced or something but they live separately...I still get amazed how these two stay away from each other"

"But not quite...didn't you notice how he was grabbing her while posing", and both of them broke in fits of giggles. Rewa was over hearing this conversation between them and was raring to explode.

***

Manik and I finally found our breath back when we located Manini at the dessert corner. Both of us heaved a lungful of breath to see that our baby was safe. I rushed to her and grabbed her before she could vanish again. She was busy walking from one counter to another tasting different ice cream flavors. The food staff was more than happy to treat her. She had a mouthful of ice cream most of which was on her dress too. I could absolutely see the flavors she had tried because the same were also decorating her dress.

"Kaddu baby...what are you doing??",

Both father and daughter rolled their eyes and looked at each other at my pet name. I looked at her carefully, she was completely messed, there was ice cream all over her mouth, on her hand till her elbows.

"Mommy shee I had ayven ice cleams today... Daddy got me thlee and I had fol hele", cheerfully she rose both her palms to show a count of nine on her fingers. I quickly closed down two of her fingers to correct it and she got busy in trying that.

I darted an angry glare at Manik, his affection for his daughter was idiotically crazy. He gave her whatever she wanted without thinking that the she could get sick as well.

"Fine now if coughy coughy happens ask your Daddy to feed you the yucky medicines you okay", I said in a strict tone partly to scold her and more so to her overtly loving father, "Why did you get her Manik?? Now look she has spoilt the entire dress..what am I going to do now??"

"Clean her up what else??", Manik got annoyed at my paranoid behavior as if I loved making a hill out of a mole.

I picked her up and took her to the washroom and Manik followed us.

"Where do you think you are coming?? This is ladies wash room", I tried to make him notice pointing at the sign board.

"Haan so...I am here for my daughter not to ogle at ladies", he opened the door and led us in.