A week passed in a jiffy. With the kids busy at college and the elders immersed in their work, the day before Kritika's 21st birthday arrived. Fortunately, it fell on a Sunday, and the excitement was palpable as the family began planning a full day of celebration.
Meanwhile, in Bangalore, Akash was ready to fly. He was eager to surprise his princess—and perhaps the rest of the family too. He sat in a café near the airport, waiting expectantly.
On the call:
" Aaj ke din aapke darshan honge ya aavaj se hi kaam chalana pdega? " Akash asked teasingly.
" Jara piche mudke dekhenge to ham kya, jamana dikh jayega janab, " she retorted in the same playful manner.
He turned around and stilled for a moment. There she was, looking as beautiful as always. Today, she had clearly put in extra effort, applying a touch of makeup and wearing his favorite dress—something she did only for truly important occasions. He rose and pulled out a chair for her, his eyes never leaving her face.
"Stop staring," she said, snapping her fingers playfully.
Once he realized he was caught, he gave her that shy smile that appeared only for her, because of her.
"Looks like someone is in a killing mood today," he said, dramatically clutching his chest.
"Toh? Itni jaldi thodi na picha chodungi tumhara, " she replied with a mischievous smile.
Their playful banter was interrupted when the waiter arrived with their order. Since it was late afternoon, Akash had already requested a black coffee for himself and a latte for her, along with their favorite Pad Thai noodles and her favorite chocolate truffle pastry.
"Oh my! Where is that health-conscious man who is always lecturing about healthy food? You... you actually ordered pastry for me?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening dramatically.
" Aapki khusi ke liye sab kuch hajir hai madam, " he said, smiling warmly.
Then, his tone softening, he added, "And I always want you smiling." He placed his hand over hers, giving it a light, reassuring squeeze.
"I will miss you," she said softly.
"Me too," he replied.
" Jaana jaruri hai? " she asked sadly.
"You know it is. It's for Kittu," he replied gently.
"Make sure to give her my gift," she said, offering a small smile.
"Yes, I'll let her know it's from her favorite Didi... or should I say, Bha—"
" Tum bhi na! Chup raho, " she interrupted him, a shy blush creeping across her cheeks.
" Kabtak aaoge? " she asked expectantly.
"You already know the answer, and I can't stay away from you for long anyway," he replied, affectionately feeding her a piece of pastry.
"I know the birthday madness is about to start, but promise me you'll keep me updated? Don't get so lost in the fun that you forget to take care of yourself," she insisted softly.
" Ye bhi koi kehne ki baat hai? " He chuckled.
Then, he adopted a mock-serious tone. "And you, eat healthy and don't stress about work. You're doing great, but don't get so engrossed that you forget to check your phone or charge it. Call me anytime; I'm always there for you."
"I don't stress that much, and my phone is charged!" she replied defensively.
" Oh accha? Abhi kitni hai charging? " he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She glanced at her phone; it was barely clinging to life at 7%. She quickly pivoted, as she usually did.
" Meri phone charging ka chodo! You're the one traveling. Is your phone charged? Did you take a water bottle? Packed everything necessary?" she bombarded him with questions.
"Yupp, everything is sorted—except for your phone, which could die any second."
He gestured to the waiter to ask about a charging point. While her phone powered up, they finished their meal, talking about everything and nothing. This was, after all, their last date before he headed home. Finally, they shared a lingering hug and said their goodbyes. As Akash walked toward the airport entrance, she watched his retreating back until he disappeared completely. A few tears rolled off her cheeks without warning, and she quickly wiped them away.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai...
Kritika was still at college. Everyone else had return early, carving time out of their busy schedules. Everyone except Nayan and Kritika knew that Akash was coming. Nayan and Riyan were in charge of decorations; they planned to set everything up after dinner once everyone had retired to their rooms to keep it hidden from Kritika.
Though they always held a midnight celebration, they wanted this one to be different. Paakhi suggested the terrace, and everyone agreed. Nayan and Riyan kept the fairy lights ready to assemble. The terrace featured a beautiful patio, perfect for the occasion. Preparing the birthday cake and desserts was the responsibility of Raghav and Kaashi; Raghav loved baking, and Kaashi was a master in the kitchen. Priyanka enthusiastically assisted with the finer details of the terrace decorations, while Mohan meticulously ensured that every gift was elegantly wrapped and securely hidden from prying eyes. Paakhi's job was the most difficult: keeping Kritika occupied so she wouldn't spoil her own surprise.
Everyone was busy with their own roles except Paakhi, who was busy doing her assignment along with Kritika's, which was due on Monday. She was certain that Kritika hadn't completed it, as usual, and knew that with tonight's birthday excitement and tomorrow's festivities, she would be so occupied that she wouldn't even remember it, no matter how many times Paakhi reminded her. She didn't want the birthday girl to get in trouble the very next day, so this assignment would be a birthday gift, Paakhi thought to herself. She always covered for Kritika's mistakes in a way that sometimes even Kritika didn't remember them; like this time, she would be completing the assignment and putting it in her backpack just to be submitted.
She has done this many times over the last three years since Akash left home for his job. With Akash around, it is almost impossible to hide anything from him, as he specifically focuses on academics, unlike the other elders who are mostly busy with their own work and don't interfere much in their studies except on the rare occasion when they find out. Consequently, 95% of their kaands are hidden from the family. Raghav and Mohan have always been loving and pampering; both of them, due to the nature of their jobs, used to be busy all day, so when they went home at night, they would simply be fun and playful dads. They rarely scolded the kids. They seldom paid attention to school or university emails, so they wouldn't know anything unless they received a call, whereas Akash was always the one to know each and every thing happening in their school or classes.
The same applied to Priyanka as it did to Raghav and Mohan, except she always made time to look after their academics from the start; Paakhi and Nayan inherited their hardworking trait from her. She looked after all the kids' education until Akash completed 8th grade. After that, she started her own law consultancy firm, which took up most of her free time, and so she formally gave the responsibility of the kids' studies to Akash, as he was always the topper and a diligent kid. She would help him whenever possible, but mostly, Akash had to look after all the younger ones. Kaashi had always been a cool mom; she constantly encouraged the kids to participate in extracurriculars and focused on their health and behavior rather than academics. As Akash grew up watching all this, his focus naturally developed toward academics, health, and behavior, with discipline being the core of it all. His morals and ethics were set on the basis of this foundation.
Kritika arrived home late, around 7:30 PM. Normally, Kaashi would have questioned her whereabouts, but no one dared upset the birthday girl. Dinner was finished by 8:30 PM, and by 9:00 PM, everyone headed to their rooms.
Kritika was in Paakhi's room, relentlessly poking her to reveal the plans. But Paakhi simply played it cool.
"Everyone is tired. They'll probably just wish you tomorrow. Besides, aren't you too old to be this excited for a midnight celebration?"
" Nhi batana hai to mat batao, aisa to mat bolo at least! " Kritika huffed, annoyed.
Too old? She was turning 21! To her, this meant she was finally a "free bird" who wouldn't have to answer to anyone—or so she thought.
Deep down, she was sure they would celebrate, but a part of her was genuinely sad because her Ashu Bhaiya wouldn't be there for the first time ever. He had never missed her birthday and was always the first one to wish her. She had talked to him earlier in the day, but he had been far too busy to talk much. Too busy to talk to his baby sister when he's missing her birthday? So not fair, she thought poutingly.
Her mind drifted back to their childhood. They had always been incredibly close. She was barely two when Riyan was born prematurely, causing their parents' entire attention to shift to the baby. It was Akash who took over, looking after her even though he was only seven. Even after Priyanka and Raghav moved in, baby Kritika wasn't used to them; she wanted her parents, but they were occupied with a sick child.
During that time, Akash became her ultimate comfort. He used to feed her, get her ready, play with her, and console her whenever she cried. Fortunately, it was summer vacation, so he was home all day to be there for her. As time passed, Paakhi—who was just six months older than Kritika—became her best friend. Gradually, both Kritika and Akash grew comfortable around Raghav and the rest of the family.
Akash and Nayan had also bonded quickly, with Nayan following Akash around like a shadow, wanting to do everything his older brother did. This used to irritate Kritika; she was already struggling with her parents' attention being on Riyan, and now Akash's attention was being divided by Nayan and Paakhi. She and Nayan used to fight constantly, bickering over every little thing.
However, Nayan observantly watched the tender way Akash cared for Kritika, and gradually, he began mimicking those actions toward both her and Paakhi until it became his natural habit. For Kritika, he seamlessly transitioned from an annoying shadow to a loyal partner-in-crime—the one who vigilantly ensured she never had to face the consequences of her mischief. With only a two-year age gap, they were more like friends. This dynamic continued even after the vacation ended and the older boys returned to school, leaving Priyanka to look after the little ones.
By 10:00 PM, Nayan and Riyan slipped onto the terrace to decorate. Meanwhile, Paakhi barged into Kritika's room to continue teasing her, claiming she'd stay with her so she wouldn't feel "lonely" since no one else was coming.
By 11:00 PM, the house was buzzing with quiet anticipation. A cab pulled up outside. Mohan and Raghav hurried out to help with the luggage. On the terrace, Riyan was quick enough to cover Nayan's mouth before he could scream out of surprise. Inside, Paakhi already had music playing at full volume in Kritika's room to drown out the noise. Kaashi and Priyanka were waiting in Kaashi's room.
Akash entered the room, bag slung over his shoulder. Kaashi was over the moon; they hadn't met in almost eight months.
" Aa gaya mera baccha, " Kaashi whispered, her eyes tearing up.
" Mummmaaaaa, missed you so much! "
Kaashi just chuckled, hugging him tightly.
"I am here Maa. Home....finally," Akash said softly.
Author's Note
Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed today's chapter ❤️
Don't forget to like and Comment if you enjoyed the chapter! It keeps me motivated to write more. See you in the next one! ✨
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