Her Sanctuary

Epilogue

+++Avinash POV+++

She stared at my salt and pepper hair, and still bulging biceps. This little bundle of joy with brown eyes and a smile, rested her head on my forearm.

"NO, HOW CAN SHE FORGET IT?" Ashish, my seven year old screamed in the lobby at his mother, as I put Natasha, one of the twins we adopted two months ago in her cradle and walk out to the dining room.

"What did I just hear?" I ask, with my voice raised as he runs to cower behind his elder brother Danish.

"Who do you think you are, speaking to your mother like that? In my presence at that? She's my queen and she's your queen. This is your millionth and last warning. Don't make me reform your grandma's no spanking rule." I say as he nods, with his head slightly peaking from behind Danish.

"Dad, I have an extra class, after coaching at my..." Danish says, and I could see the Adams apple bulging, in accordance with how thick and somewhat deep his voice had gotten. My eldest had grown up. In his teenage, I could get the reflection of the handsome, compassionate young man he would grow up to be.

Nothing like his father...

"We had the conversation a few days ago. You remember that?" I ask as he nods, almost blushing. He has been given the talk of safe sex and all taboos have been cleared. We expect him to be responsible, and respect girls at the same time. He is after all a brother to 3 sisters.

"I... that..."

"But also study hard. Did you decide on a stream?" I say finding the drawing book that Ashish had been throwing a tantrum over and putting it in his school bag.

"I'm thinking... um... Forensic medicine seems interesting to me." He says as I nod.

"I hope it's not all the crime documentaries you've been watching." I say as Mohina walks down the stairs with Tanusha, our 4 year old.

Their pleats for school were made and that meant Sabina was done with her duties, and already in the shower.

"Tanusha, your swimming instructor called. No class today so you'll come home directly with the others and Mohina, best of luck for your maths test, child."

Tanusha was adopted when she was 1 and a half year old, and she's the smartest of them all, already reading full fledged sentences. Mohina is wise and responsible. Danish is the eldest and takes care of them all.

Adopting the kids was our wish, and therefore our responsibility. We never expected Danish to help us out, with his siblings. But he does, and we're beyond grateful. Jeet and Naina are too old to run after these little ones, but they do a good job sharing their wisdom and the kids love them.

Ashish... Well, I'm trying to find something worthwhile in this one. Except the tendency to get me angry. He's good in sports, makes friends quickly. He is outgoing and social but if I could use adult terms... He's a dick. His mother says, he gets it from me. He might, he is my blood, even though he's the most irritating of the lot.

"Because of you." Danish says as I frown.

"Forensic medicine, because I like what you do." He says as I smile, and pull him to kiss on his head.

"Dad, I'm a grown up." He whines and I shake my head.

He hasn't been legally adopted, since his father is well alive, but over the years he has started addressing to me as dad, like the other kids. And I'm beyond grateful. I'm closest to Danish when it comes to talking.

"Okay, tell Gina aunty to put the tiffins in your bags. Grandma will be back from her physiotherapy and serve you breakfast. Don't eat without her." I say as I see Jeet enter from the backyard with his yoga mat as he walked with the help of his cane to the room for the twins, Natasha and Ritish as I smile, kissing my girls Tanusha and Mohina before slipping upstairs, as Ashish was on his way to the kitchen.