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Chapter 4 | rule is a rule

"She likes tea too much."

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Heer walked into the kitchen to find Kabir and Advika giggling playing catch-catch with a lemon across the kitchen island. "Good morning!" She wished sitting on the stool beside the one where Advika sat.

"Morning!" The two said in unison not sparing a glance at her. Heer waited and waited. Advika was giggling as she continued to catch the lemon and then throw it back towards her father. Heer's eyes moved to Kabir he was as focused as his daughter on the game. "Guys!" Heer tried getting their attention. No luck. She glanced at Kabir whose lips were pulled into a grin as he looked at his daughter. 

In the past two weeks, Heer had learned that the only time he seemed like a normal human being was when he was with his daughter. He would smile a lot, laugh, even crack jokes, which were mostly very lame. He was an adorable person when in his daughter's radar. Heer got up from her stool walking around the kitchen island towards where Kabir stood. He immediately caught the lemon muttering a "time please," when he looked at her take the kettle.

"No!" He warned.

Heer looked up frowning. Kabir glanced at his daughter, "Advi what's the time?"

"Eight twenty-five." The girl read from the digital clock that hung on the kitchen wall. "Mom, you woke up late again!"

Heer scrunched up her nose. She loved sleeping in. "That's not late."

Advika looked up at her with her amber eyes blinking. "That's late. Your deadline is eight, so no tea for you." She completed her lips forming into a grin just like her father's.

"I need my morning cup of tea." Heer looked at Kabir. 

"Rule is a rule!" Kabir spoke turning to open the cooker. "Porridge is ready." He announced looking at his daughter.

"Kabir, I need tea," Heer repeated, getting irked. She didn't understand why the man took a sadistic pleasure in annoying her. He didn't allow Advika to snuggle with her in the mornings, his reason being she would spoil her good habits. He didn't let her sleep without brushing at night, because again that would be a bad impression on Advika. Like hell, she would come to know if she brushed or not. 

He glanced at her, "breakfast is ready." He wondered how this thirty-year-old woman couldn't manage to wake up on time. At times he felt his daughter was better self-disciplined than Heer. He had definitely found his daughter a mother who needed more policing than she did.

"Fine," Heer muttered making her way out if the kitchen. She did her best to not go mad and shout at Advika's father. But he managed to rile her up every time.

"Where are you going?" She heard his voice.

"To buy myself a cup of tea!" She muttered glancing back at him. No one messed with her morning tea. She needed it. Period. She walked out of the kitchen towards her room. Soon enough he was behind her. "That's not how you behave in front of Advika. What is she going to learn?"

Heer had had enough. She turned to face him. "It's about her or me? Why would you not let me have a cup of tea? Punishment for getting up late? Or torture?"

Kabir straightened up, "what are you saying!"

"I know you don't like me. Okay. Understandable. But you can't keep me from having tea. You don't even let me cook in that kitchen of yours. It's annoying." Heer blasted.