A month had passed, and it was finally time for Aradhya to return home. The baby's naming ceremony was a grand occasion. Bhargav took charge of almost everything with Bhairav Ji's help, while I was having a hard time managing the twins as they had a disagreement with each other.

Rekha Bhargav Chaudhary was my niece's name. I thought it was beautiful.

Aradhya was still feeling quite unwell, and she stayed in her bedroom most of the time. The midwife mentioned that it would take her at least a few months to get well entirely. Bhargav stayed by her side at all times. Her parents stayed at the haveli for another week before returning to their village.

"Rekha... Gudiya... Aise rote nahi beta," I rubbed her back while strolling the inner courtyard with her. Aradhya was sitting on the steps, braiding her long hair.

(Rekha... My doll... Don't cry like this...)

"Namaste Badi Malkin."

It was Payal's voice, and we looked up in surprise to find her carrying a large basket with guavas.

"Ghar ke hai... Maa Ji ne bola aapko bhi dene ke liye... Aradhya Didi aur Thakurain Sahiba ko bhi bahut pasand aayega," she smiled sweetly. Maa led her to the courtyard, and she sat beside Aradhya.

(They are from our home... Maa Ji asked me to give you some as well... Aradhya Didi and Thakurain Sahiba will also like it a lot.)

"Itne saare amrood?" She asked in surprise. Payal smiled as she cut them into smaller pieces for everyone. "Saarang! Bacho! Kaha ho?" I called the children, and all three of them came running into the courtyard.

(These many guavas?)

(Saarang! Kids! Where are you?)

"Kya tumhare aur Jagdish ke beech sab kuch theek ho chuka hai? Usne zaroor madad ki hogi itne saare amrood ped se todne mein."

(Is everything fine between you and Jagdish now? He must have helped you pluck all these guavas.)

"Unhone kaha madad ki?" She scoffed, "Ghar mein thodi rehte hai. Abhi woh din raat sheher mein hi samay guzarte hain aur ghar ke kharcho ke liye kabhi kabhi paise bhejte hain. Main sirf wahan naukarani hoon."

(He never helped me. He doesn't even stay at home. Most of the time he'll be in the city and sends money sometimes to meet the daily expenses. I'm just a maid now.)

Her words saddened us. When the kids ran off to play again, I sat beside her with Rekha in my arms. She had stopped crying after smelling the sweet guava.

"Payal... Do saal pehle tumne bhagne ka irada chod diya kyunki mai akeli thi... Par ab aisa nahi hai. Mujhe nahi lagta woh ab badalne wala hai... Agar jaane se khushi milegi toh tumhe jaana chahiye."

(Payal... You dropped the idea of running away because I'd be left alone... But now it's not the same. I don't think he's going to change... If you're happier without him, then you should leave.)

"Mai jaldi kahi jaungi zaroor..." She mumbled.

(I'll go somewhere soon...)

"Kya matlab hai?" Aradhya frowned. "Kaha jaogi?"

(What do you mean? Where will you go?)

"Pata nahi..." Her hands paused as she stared down at the knife and the bleeding guava.

(I don't know...)

"Bhabhi? Yeh amrood ki khushbu kaha se aa rahi hai?" Keshav appeared around the corner, and his face lit up immediately.

(Bhabhi? Where are these guavas from?)

"Bahut zor ki bhook lagi hai... Kya mai bhi kha sakta hoon?" He asked politely and knelt beside us. I noticed that Payal didn't fix her pallu as she stared at him in surprise. There was a strange look in her eyes that truly made me doubt things. Even during Aradhya's godbharai, I had seen them together like this.

(I'm starving... Can I have some as well?)

"Aapke haath gande dikh rahe hai, Keshav Babu..." She whispered, staring back at the fruits. Her cheeks were a warm pink.

(Your hands look dirty, Keshav Babu...)

"Abhi haath dhokar aata hoon," he smiled and left quickly. Aradhya pulled down Payal's pallu at that time, and I sighed. When Keshav returned, he sat beside us and ate the guava while kicking his feet like a child.

(I'll wash them now.)

He rarely stuck around like this. What was he trying to do?

"Chachu ke paas aana chahogi?" He smiled and took Rekha into his arms. Our little darling squealed, and Keshav made funny faces to entertain her and us.

(Would you like to come to Chachu?)

"Aaj ka kaam ho gaya tumhara?" I asked, seeing he had returned early.

(Is your work done for today?)

"Nahi nahi... Kuch kagaz lene aaya tha... Bhaiya puch rahe the. Abhi phirse nikalna hoga."

(No no... I had to get some documents... Bhaiya was asking for it. I'll need to go out again.)

"Woh ghar wapas kab aane waale hai?" I sighed.

(When is he going to come back home?)

"Bhagwan jaane... Abhi chachu ko jaana hoga, meri pyaari pari!" He kissed her forehead and handed her back to Aradhya before leaving. Keshav took a guava with him as well.

(God knows... Now Chachu has to leave as well, my little angel!)

"M-mujhe bhi shayad jaana hoga..." Payal replied hurriedly and left soon.

(I- I need to go as well...)

Maybe I was just imagining things. Maybe it was only a mild attraction between them... After all, they were young. Yes, it could be nothing more than that.

I later helped Aradhya back to her room so that she could feed Rekha. The men returned home late at night, and I warmed dinner for everyone. The haveli certainly felt livelier as everyone gathered to eat.

Bhargav recited jokes from his college days, and Keshav reminisced about our time at school as well. After dinner, the children were excited to play with Rekha, and we taught them how to hold the sweet baby.

She even fell asleep in my husband's arms. I wondered what kind of magician he was, because the same had happened with our twins. Even when he held me, it felt so relaxing.

Everyone retired to their rooms to sleep, and the children insisted on sleeping with us tonight. Bhairav Ji was on his armchair on the balcony with Raghu in his arms as he explained about different stars and galaxies of the universe. Saarang was fast asleep on his stomach, and I ran a hand through his hair. Meanwhile, my daughter was in my arms as she hugged me tightly and slept.

"Janu beta... Tumne doodh sirf aadhi pee hai," I kissed my princess's forehead as she nuzzled against my neck.

(Janu dear... You only drank half your milk.)

"Maa... Mumma... Doodh nahi..." She mumbled and began chewing on the end of my sari in her sleep. God, she was so cute that I just wanted to gobble her up.

(Maa... Mumma... No more milk...)

Raghu came running into the bedroom at that time, and he hit his sister without warning before hugging Saarang. Janaki raised her hand to hit him back, but I grabbed her hand. My son smiled devilishly as she began crying, "Mujhe maara! Maa! Baba!" She screamed.

(He hit me! Maa! Baba!)

The very next moment, Bhairav Ji gave him a firm smack on his bum. "Behen ko aise maar kyu rahe ho? Chup chap so jao isi waqt," he glared. Even Raghu had tears in his eyes as he hugged Saarang tighter to sleep.

(Why are you hitting your sister like this? Go to sleep right now.)

"B-baba...!" Janu whined and used her chance to climb into her father's lap. He rubbed the spot where Raghu had hit her, but then she got too cocky and kicked him in the bum.

"Janaki!" I hissed.

Bhairav Ji twisted her ear, and she cried in pain even more, "Raghu ko maine maara tha na? Phir se us par haath uthaane ki kya zaroorat hai huh?! So jao tum dono. Agar ek aur baar shor machaoge toh dono ko kamre se bahar phek dunga!"

(I already hit your brother, right? Then why would you hit him again?! Go to sleep, both of you. If you make noise one more time, I'll throw you both out of the room.)

Even Janu crawled towards Saarang and slept on his other side while sniffing. My brother rubbed his eyes and stared at us both in confusion. I patted his head, "Tum so jao, beta. Kuch nahi hai." He went back to sleep as carefree as ever.

(You can go back to sleep, beta. It's nothing.)

Bhairav Ji got up to change so that he could shower before bed. I was busy taking out his fresh clothes.

"Tumne Keshav se baat ki?" He asked suddenly.

(Did you talk to Keshav?)

"Mai kaam mei bahut vyasth thi... Aur mujhe samajh nahi aata ki mai usse kya puchu."

(I was busy with work... And I don't understand what I should ask him.)

He sighed, "Kya mushkil hai? Uska kisi ladki ke saath chakkar hai ya nahi... Sirf woh puchna hai. Itni aasaan kaam bhi nahi kar sakti?"

(What's the confusion? Just ask him if he's spending time with any girl... You can't do something so easy?)

I muttered under my breath, "Itni aasaan hai toh aap hi puch lijiye."

(If it's that easy, then ask it yourself.)

Bhairav Ji glanced at the kids once before whispering to me, "Jab main aaj daftar gaya tha, waha phir se woh ajeeb si khusbu thi. Kahin mahino se sunghte aa raha hoon... Mujhe lagta hai ki woh koi ladki ki khushbu hai."

(When I went to my office again today, I got that strange smell. I've been sensing it for months now... I think it's a girl's smell.)

My eyes widened, "Aapko lagta hai ki woh ladki aur Keshav ki ladki dono ek hai?!"

(You think that girl and Keshav's girl are the same?!)

"Dheere bolo... Shaitan so rahe hain," he pressed his hand over my mouth. "Mujhe us par shak hai. Woh khushbu toh zaroor koi ladki ki hai... Hume jaldi pata lagana hoga taaki uski shaadi ho paye."

(Talk softly... The devils are sleeping.)

(I'm suspicious of him. It definitely smelled like a girl... We need to find out quickly so that I can get him married.)

I smiled, "Agar woh ek dusre se pyaar karte hai... Aap unhe shaadi karne ki ijaazat denge?"

(You will let them marry for love?)

"Pehle uski kundli dekhni padegi... Phir main shayad shaadi ke liye haan keh dunga. Mere liye woh ab bhi bacha jaisa hai. Uski shaadi karwana mera farz hai," he told me.

(First I'll have to check their horoscope... And maybe I'll say yes to the marriage. But for me he's still a child. Getting him married is my responsibility.)

A part of me was concerned about whether the girl he mentioned was, in fact, Payal. But I didn't think they'd go that far. They weren't that stupid. Besides, even though Payal hated her husband... She wouldn't get back at him like this. It was probably a different girl. I wouldn't be surprised if he had multiple girls, but Keshav didn't seem as much of a playboy as his brothers.

"Waise..." Bhairav Ji stepped closer and rubbed my stomach softly, "Tumne aaj ki davai kha li?"

(By the way... Did you eat your medicine today?)

"Mm... Kha li. Aap nahane jaiye, bache dekhenge," I blushed and pushed his hand away. He squeezed the towel around his neck. "Dekhne se kya ho jaega? Woh aakhir aaye kaha se hai?" He muttered while stepping into the bathroom.

(Mm... I ate it. Go take a shower; the kids might see us.)

(And what if they see? Where did they even come from?)