Mumma, Do You Love Me?

Chapter 8 - Shivaay and Annika Need A Chance

"Papa, wake up!" Ansh excitedly jumped and settled himself on Shivaay's stomach. Surprisingly, his father was already awake and upset. There were dark circles under his eyes and the colour of his face was drained.

"Papa, are you sick?" Ansh asked worried, as he put the back of his palm to feel his father's forehead. Shivaay caught his hand half-way and placed a chaste kiss on his hand.

"I'm fine, Ansh. Just feeling a little weak." He answered with a small smile and Ansh noted how his father's eyes were red and swollen.

"Papa, your eyes are so red!" Ansh exclaimed.

"Oh, it must be because I haven't slept properly. Anyways, what's the time now?"

"Papa, were you crying?" Ansh questioned all of a sudden. That question became his undoing and his tears began to roll down as Shivaay struggled to keep a stoic face.

"Papa, what happened?" Ansh began to worry and Shivaay immediately wrapped his arms around his son, pulling him for a hug.

"Papa? Please don't cry, I'm also feeling very sad seeing you like this!" Ansh began to sob, being the sensitive child he always was.

"Hey, Champ! There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not crying, see?" Shivaay immediately wiped off his tears, with no idea where he found the courage to sideline his overwhelming feelings.

"You cried earlier." Ansh whisper-stated while looking up at his father's face.

"And I'm smiling now. You're all I need, Champ! See, Papa is fine now!" Ansh looked at him, being sceptical of whether or not his father was pretending, but he knew that he wasn't when his father's smile reached up to his eyes.

"I love you, Papa!"

"I love you too, Ansh. I love you so much!" Shivaay sighed truthfully while squeezing Ansh into his embrace, planting a kiss on his head.

"Papa, we're getting late and I'm hungry!" Ansh pouted after a while when his father showed no signs of waking up.

"Hmmm, its Friday today, right?" Ansh nodded right away and lifted his head.

"Shall we take a lazy day, today? We'll spend the whole morning on bed!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"We'll eat on bed. I'll order us something and let's watch a lot of Spongebob today! What say? Huh?"

"Okay!"

"Okay?"

"Okay Papa!" Ansh began giggling as his father suddenly transformed into the tickle monster and tickle him away.

"Papa, stop!"

"No!"

"Papa, stop, please!" Ansh pleaded as he squirmed to escape Shivaay's fingers. A few seconds later, he had finally let go of Ansh once they were both breathless. Soon, the boys moved out of bed to brush their teeth and grab whatever snack that was in the fridge and lazily binge-watched Spongebob.

It was about the time to leave to office when Om had walked into Shivaay's room. He was surprised to find the ever functional father-son duo to be lazing around in their pyjamas, as they watched cartoon.

"Guys, what's going on?" Om asked out of curious while Rudra who had just entered the room was turning green with envy due to the sight in front of him.

"We are taking a lazy day, O Chachu!" Amsh squealed as he happily jumped on the bed while clapping.

"I also want a lazy day!" Rudra whined and was about to hit the bed when Ansh blocked him.