MY NIECE'S AUNT (COMPLETED)✔️

CHAPTER 5- HAPPY EVER AFTER

'Then what did you do?' Mahdia's mother said wide-eyed.

'There was no way I would say yes to that jerk, so I rejected him.' Mahdia said. She and her mother are in the kitchen with Mahdia washing the dishes and her mother drying them. They had just finished dinner. Mariam was sent to her room for brushing her teeth and getting ready to sleep.

'Aren't you scared?' her mother asked. Mahdia smiled feeling proud of that fact that she isn't. She shook her head, 'There is nothing he can do if I have you.' she said happily. Her mother smiled little, she looked little worried.

Mahdia smirked as a naughty thought came in her mind, she touched her mother's nose with her foamy fingers.

'Arghh...' her mother said as Mahdia giggled.

'You!' her mother pretended to be angry, she dipped her fingers into the foamy soap case and touched her daughter's cheek.

'Ma!' Mahdia groaned. Now, it was her mother's turn to laugh.

'What are you guys laughing about, that too without me.' the mother-daughter duo stopped laughing on hearing a stern but soft voice. They looked at the door, a frowning Mariam at the door. Her hands folded across her chest.

'I want to play too.' She pouted.

'Of course...'

'No,' Mahdia interrupted her mother, she then looked at her nine-year-old niece, 'It is time for bed. See the time, you have school tomorrow.' Mahdia said turning around.

'No.' Mariam groaned.

'Arey, Mahdia let her play a little.'

'No, Ma. No Means no.' Mahdia washed her hands and wiped her wet hands on her apron that is wrapped around her waist.

'Maddy please.' Mariam whined but Mahdia wasn't ready to take no for answer, she grabbed Mariam by her waist and picked her up. Ignoring her whines and threats she carried her niece to their bedroom.

Her mother glanced at the remaining dishes and sighed, 'guess I must wash the remaining.' She said to herself. Taking a deep breath, she pulled up her sleeves and got to work.

***********************************

Mariam lay on the bed, flat on her back staring at the ceiling, she is trying to sleep for long but couldn't. She turned her head and looked at her Aunt who sat beside her reading a novel in the dim night lamp.

'Maddy?'

'Hmmm....' Mahdia replied flipping a page of her Taming the Duke novel. Mariam blinked at her Aunt who seemed to be reading the book with uttermost concentration. Her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed tightly. She noticed Mahdia bite the inside of her lips.

'Maddy!' Mariam poked her thigh.

'Kya hai. Sleep.' Mahdia said irritated, still not looking out from the book. Mariam frowned, she glanced at her aunt and then carefully sat up, she quickly snatched the book from her hand.

'Huh! What?' Mahdia gasped. Mariam giggled looking at the expressions on her Maddy's face.

'I can't sleep, please tell me a story.' Mariam pouted sadly.

Mahdia looked at Mariam seriously before smiling at her.

'Come here.' she gestured Mariam to come sit on her lap. Mariam smiled happily and jumped on her lap. Mahdia wrapped her arms around Mariam and pressed her cheek against hers, she swayed little to their sides, 'You have become very naughty.' Mahdia faked anger. Mariam giggled in response.

'Okay, what story you want to hear?' Mahdia asked

Mariam thought for a while tapping her index finger on her chin, 'Ninja Turtles.' She said happily.

'What?' Mahdia made a face, she tilted her head little and looked at her niece. How can a nine-year-old girl like ninja turtles, she should be interested in Barbie, princess, prince. Mahdia being a 23-year-old woman is still interested in them.

Mariam watched Mahdia as she searched for a book in her cupboard, finally, she took out a book.

'TADA!'

Mariam groaned on seeing it is a cinderalla story. Mahdia's face fell on noticing that Mariam isn't happy.

'Arey but cinderella is a wonderful story. It has a prince charming.' Mahdia gushed happily, a dreamy smile on her face. Mariam rolled her eyes.

'But I don't want to hear prince charming stories. It is all false, Maddy. I am a nine-year-old and I know better than you.' she said irritated.

Mahdia gasped and looked aghast at Mariam as though her niece has just committed a heinous crime.

'But.... but....it has beautiful girl with big dreams and the prince charming that sweeps her off her feet...and....'

'Maddy it is all lies.' Mariam explained her Aunt patiently, she sounded serious. Mahdia is shocked, how can someone not believe in true love, prince charming on a white horse?

'Baby, it isn't. It happens...see...it also has happy ever after.' Mahdia quickly flipped to the last page and showed it to the little girl. She pointed at the paragraph of the story written along with a colorful drawing of a young bride and groom hand in hand walking towards the sunset.

'Maddy! Please.' Mariam shifted away. Mahdia is alarmed.

'There is no such thing as happy ever after. If there was then my parents would have been with me and I and you would have been living with them, happily.' Mariam said angrily.

Hearing this Mahdia is speechless, her grip on the book loosened and it fell open to the bed beside her.

Mariam turned to her side and covered herself with a duvet. Mahdia looked at her figure, she is breathing unevenly. Mahdia felt bad. She too misses her brother, very much.

But she is caught up running around for her café that she doesn't have time to pause and think about her brother. But at times when she notices her niece's fallen face and at nights she misses her brother and Bhabhi, she misses her complete family.

Mahdia blinked back her tears and took a deep breath. She shifted throwing her arm around Mariam and hugged her from behind.

'Good night, baby.' She kissed the side of her forehead.

'Good night.' Mariam mumbled, her eyes still closed.