The Stranger Called Papa [√]

Sleepover with Papa.

6 weeks later

"Pihu, You are my brave girl right. Your Papa wants to spend more time with you. Just for one night and in the morning Papa would bring you back to me " her mom told Pihu as she packed her school bag earlier that day.

Pihu liked her Papa but staying away from her mom scared her. Her mom told Pihu that her Papa would be the one picking her up from school today and also that Pihu would be spending the night with him.

Pihu wanted to say no because she would miss her mom. But she didn't want to hurt her Papa as well. So she agreed and when she stepped out of her school, she even smiled at the sight of her Papa waiting for her.

Pihu ran towards him and got into his car. Her Papa had several cars and after two weeks of seeing him in different cars. Pihu had a favourite one among them.

"This is my favourite car because it is in my favourite colour green "Pihu told him once and from then her Papa had only drove that car around her.

" How was your day Pihu?" her Papa asked and Pihu was more than happy to tell him about everything that happen at school today.

Unlike her Mom, her Papa doesn't talk in between. He would simply listen as Pihu talks about everything. So Pihu didn't wait for him to respond but told him all about her day. The fun she had painting in her colour book, how she was the first to learn the Rhyme because her mom already taught her about it. Also the fight she had with her best friend over a cookie.

"She promised to break it into half for each of us. But her side was bigger Papa and she didn't even apologize when I pointed it out. " Pihu claimed incredibly upset at Roshini betrayal.

"What was the cookie name? , Papa will buy you an entire box of it" her Papa answered back and Pihu felt bit disappointed that he didn't commiserate with her about Roshini's betrayal more.

"Mommy made that cookie for me" Pihu answered her Papa's question but she didn't tell him more about her day because she didn't think he would understand her.

Pihu knew her mom would have said the same thing, but she would have also told Pihu to forgive Roshini even if Roshini made a mistake.

Her mom was like that always asking Pihu to forgive everyone. Sometime people or customers at the bakery tend to be mean towards Mom, they would call her rude names and it always made Pihu angry. She definitely didn't like the word Murderer used to be whispered around her mom.

Each time her mom would console Pihu and say those people are mistaken and didn't know the truth. She would reassure Pihu that she should forgive them and not be upset at them. But Pihu had overheard her mom and her Papa talking few weeks ago.

"Do you forgive me?" her Papa had asked her mom and Pihu who had been sleeping on her mommy's lap woke up at the voices.

"I do Ram, but sometimes that isn't enough. I do forgive you but I can't go back in time with you" her mom had answered and Pihu chalked it upto yet another adult conversation she didn't understand in her life.

Pihu had briefly forgot about everything she was worried about when her Papa lifted her up in his arms and walked inside his house. This is the second time Pihu went inside his house.

The first time she had been scared and worried for her mom that the place looked scary too. Now knowing that it was her Papa's home, she didn't feel scared at all.

Her Papa showed her around the house and then walked her towards her room.

"This would be your room Pihu and if you need anything or didn't like anything. Tell me and I would change it" her Papa told her as he walked her inside a room.