It was summer already, and the climate was far too hot to keep classes for the children. So I thought to give them a break for a while.

At least, that was the excuse I told everyone as I stayed home.

Two days ago, one of the kids insisted that I check my table drawer because a stranger had given me a present. When I looked inside, sure enough, there was a sari wrapped in a brown paper bag along with a note inside written by my husband.

He told me that my students seem lovely, and he had them deliver the present to me in secret. I felt a little disappointed that he couldn't meet me, as he didn't want to raise suspicions. He also asked me to close the school for a while because he was nearing the end of his plan, and he didn't want Baldev to harm me in between.

The shameless man also asked me to specifically wear the scandalous sari for him on the night that he returns. It was orange and glittering. The last time I had worn something so beautiful was on the day before Bhairav Ji's funeral. It made my heart flutter to think that I'd be able to look pretty again.

Another wonderful surprise was that Keshav had asked Bhargav and Aradhya to come home for a while. I figured it was because he thought I'd have a sister to talk to. She was already in her fifth month of pregnancy, and I was relieved that her stomach didn't appear as large as mine had. Twins were definitely a handful.

"Kuch bologi nahi?" Aradhya asked as we sat on the verandah, watching the soft summer showers. The smell of earth was so beautiful. I had a bowl of curd in my hands as well, which I had been struggling to make the twins eat, until I gave up on them.

(You won't say anything?)

"Kya bolna hai?" I replied, eating a spoonful myself.

(What do I say?)

"Aapke devar ne sab kuch keh diya hai... Us raat ke baare mein. Aap... Kuch dino se ajeeb bartaav kar rahe ho. Sabhi chinta kar rahe hai," she watched me with concern in her eyes.

(Your devar told me everything... About that night. Um... You've been acting strange for a few days now. Everyone is worried...)

"Sach jaanna chahti ho?" I licked the spoon a little.

(You want to know the truth?)

"Mmm, batao," she leaned closer and glanced around to make sure that nobody was listening.

(Mmm, you can tell me.)

"Woh wapas zinda aagaye aur puri raat hume sone nahi diye," I shrugged.

(He came back alive and didn't let me sleep the whole night.)

"Woh maane?" She frowned.

(What do you mean by 'he'?)

"Mere pati maharaj."

(My great husband.)

Her eyes widened for a brief second until she pushed my arm, "Kuch bhi keh deti ho... Sach sach batao, kya hua us raat? Un logo ne... Tum par haath uthaya? Humare devar keh rahe the ki hum kanoon tak jaa sakte hai, bas aap ek shabd keh de..."

(You really talk randomly... Be honest, what happened that night? Did those people... Touch you? Our devar was saying that we can raise a case in court, but you need to communicate with us first...)

Even if I did tell them, nobody would believe me that Bhairav Ji hadn't actually died until they saw him with their own eyes. They didn't know him like me. They didn't understand that the man was a professional mastermind and manipulator. He could fake his own death and adopt an entirely different personality with barely any trouble.

"Baldev ne mujhe thappad maara... Aur puri raat mujhe ek kamre mein band karke rakha. Aakhir mei maine dhamki di ki mai police ko lekar zaroor aaungi, toh unhone chod diya."

(Baldev slapped me... And I was kept locked in a room for the whole night. When I finally threatened them with the police, they let me go.)

Aradhya didn't look very convinced, but she sighed, "Theek hai... Tumhe jab bhi baat karni ho toh, mere paas aa jaana."

(Fine... Whenever you decide to be honest, I'll be here to listen.)

I smiled at her and leaned closer, "Kucch aur baat karte hai... Kaisi ho? Itne dino se baat hi nahi ki. Ab bhi ulti aati hai?"

(Let's change the topic... How are you? We haven't talked in so long. Do you still feel sick in the mornings?)

"Kabhi kabhi..." She blushed, "Par ab dheere se per aur kamar mei dard ho raha hai... Pata nahi kya karu."

(Sometimes... But now my feet and back have started to ache as well... I don't know what to do.)

"Tumhare pati ji se keh di?" I fed her a spoonful of curd.

(Did you tell your dear husband?)

She rolled her eyes, "Unse kuch nahi keh sakti. Turant aspatal lekar jaate hai! Kuch bhi sune bagair... Mujhse zyada ghabrahat unhe hoti hai. Aur agar mai per mei dard kahu, woh shayad per bhi chu jayenge. Unka kuch nahi ho sakta."

(I can't tell him anything. He'll take me to the hospital immediately! He doesn't even listen to me... He gets more nervous than me. And if I tell him that my feet are aching, he might touch them. He's hopeless.)

I chuckled, "Sabhi bhai ek jaise hai... Thakur Ji bahut ache se humare per ki maalish karte the."

(All brothers are the same... Thakur Ji used to massage my feet quite well.)

She gasped, "Unhone tumhare per chue?! Nahi... Mai nahi maanti... Agar mere pati ne aisa kuch kiya, phir bhi samajh sakti hu. Par Jeth Ji? Tum mazak kar rahi ho."

(He touched your feet?! No... I don't believe it... It would be more convincing if it was my husband, but Jeth Ji? You're joking.)

"Mai mazaak kyu karu?" I replied proudly, "Bahut baar kiya hai. Maine mana karne ki itni koshish ki... Sunte hi nahi. Bhargav bhi kam nahi hai."

(Why would I? He's done it many times. I've tried to stop him so many times... But he never listens to me either. Bhargav isn't any better.)

She sighed, "Aapko unki... Bahut yaad aati hogi..."

(You must miss him... Quite a lot...)

I squeezed the bowl while turning ahead to face the soft rain. Meanwhile, the kids came running outside, and Raghav squeezed his tiny arms around my neck while squealing and giggling.

"Maa! Maa! Baarish! Baarish!"

(Maa! Maa! It's raining! It's raining!)

I could barely breathe as I struggled to free myself from his grasp. Janaki was no better as she shook my shoulders and screamed in my ear, same as her brother.

"Haan... Haan... Baarish hai..." I sighed and pushed them away, but they fought my arm and pushed the bowl aside before forcefully sitting on my lap. Raghav immediately tried to wrestle his sister, saying she wasn't giving him any space to sit. I kept the bowl aside to prevent any accidents and made them both sit on my lap. Gosh, they were getting heavier.

(Yes... Yes... It's raining...)

"Mera per ab se dukh raha hai..." I said, took the bowl in one hand before wrapping my arms around their little bodies, "Par ab tum dono phas gaye ho. Aur der baithne ke liye dahi khaani padegi. Chalo, muh kholo."

(My legs are already hurting... But now you're both trapped. To sit on my lap longer, you need to eat curd. Go on, open your mouth.)

Janaki was the first to comply as I fed her a spoon and kissed her forehead as well.

"Mujhe bhi chahiye! Aaa!" Raghav opened his mouth wider, making me chuckle. I fed him as well, and the kids continued making strange comments about the rain while on my lap.

(Even I want it! Aaa!)

"Jab woh zinda the, itna pareshan karte the... Din raat is tarah peeche padhe the... Kabhi kabhi daftar bulate the, kabhi jaldi wapas ghar aate the... Mai us samay itni shikayate karti thi. Unke guzarne ke baad mai kuch bhi soch nahi paayi. Mujhe ab aise tang karne ke liye koi nahi hai... Par bachon ne woh kami ko bhi pura kar diya."

(When he was alive, he used to annoy me so much... Day and night... Sometimes he'd call me to his office, sometimes he'd come home early... I used to complain so much. After his passing, I wasn't even able to think. There's nobody to annoy me now... But at least the children make up for his absence.)

Aradhya smiled at this and watched me feed the twins. Whenever Raghav got excited, he'd rock himself hard, and his head struck my chin, making me wince in pain. But my little boy didn't have a care in the world as he admired the rain.

"Maa! Maindak!" Janaki jumped from my lap, running after a frog in the garden.

(Maa! A frog!)

"Janaki! Idhar aao!" I raised my voice just as she stepped down. She froze and turned to look at me like she had committed a crime.

(Janaki! Come here!)

"Wapas aa jao, bimar pad sakti ho... Jaldi aa jao," I sighed. She was already getting wet in the rain.

(Come back, you'll fall sick... Hurry up.)

But my daughter pouted and used her puppy eyes while lifting her little finger, "Sirf ek mendak... Maa... Itna sa..." She described its size animatedly.

(Just one frog... Maa... It's so tiny...)

In that moment, standing in the rain in her blue frock, she looked so adorable that I could kiss her chubby cheeks a hundred times. I'd have to bathe them later anyway.

"Theek hai..." I sighed.

(Fine...)

She grinned at me, showing her little rabbit teeth. Even I couldn't help smiling as she dirtied herself in the mud, trying to catch the frog.

"Nahi jaa rahe maindak ko pakadne?" I kissed Raghav's head as he leaned back against me and opened his mouth for another spoon of curd.

(You won't go behind the frog?)

"Dar lagta hai..." He whispered.

(It's scary...)

"Maindak se?" I was amused.

(The frog?)

Raghav turned, burying himself against my chest. I didn't know it scared him that much. Might as well have some fun with it.

"Pata hai bure bachon ko kya hota hai?"

(Do you know what happens to naughty children?)

"Kya hota hai?" He looked up at me with large eyes as I cradled him in my lap.

(What appens?)

I slowly ran my fingers over his knees and arms, "Jab woh raat mei akele sote hai... Dur se ek aawaz aati hai..."

(When they're sleeping alone at night... A voice comes from afar...)

"Kaisi awaz?!" My son gasped.

(What kind of voice?!)

"Ribbit ribbit," I whispered in his ear. His eyes widened, and he clutched my sari tighter. I was trying hard to fight my urge to laugh.

"Aur woh awaaz aise badte... Badte... Jaati hai. Aur jab bure bachon ke saamne woh awaaz aati hai-" I pressed my hand over his face, like a frog, "Ek bhayanak maindak raat bhar uske chehre se aise chipakkar baiththa hai!" I roared.

(And the voice keeps getting louder... And louder. And when the voice comes before the naughty children- One terrifying frog jumps onto their face like this.)

My son screamed, making both me and Aradhya laugh hysterically. His eyes were teary as he hugged me tight, "A-apke bina nahi sona... N-nai sona...!" He whined.

(I- I don't want to sleep without you... I won't!)

I hugged him back, "Par yeh sab sirf bure bachon ke saath hote hai, Raghu. Tum mere ache bache hona?"

(But this only happens to naughty kids, Raghu. You're my good boy, right?)

"H-haan... Acha bacha hu..." He sniffed.

(Yes... I- I'm a good boy...)

I kissed his face and rocked him gently in my arms. Meanwhile, my other offspring had managed to cover most of her frock in mud, and she had caught not one, but two frogs with her bare hands.

A/N - Are you guys still invested? Liking the story? How does this arc feel?

Happy 90 chapters!