𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞'𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞

Chapter 04

The sun had barely begun to cast its soft morning glow as Abhi quietly slipped out of bed. It was his routine to wake up early and go for a morning jog with Rohan, a habit they had developed over the last few months. The morning air was crisp, and the rhythmic patter of their running shoes on the pavement was like a soothing melody to them.

Back at home, the house was a hub of energy. With the kids growing fast and welcoming a new member into the family, little Anandh Chauhan, there was never a dull moment. Anandh, being the youngest, was also the naughtiest, always keeping everyone on their toes. Meanwhile, Sid and Akkash continued their friendly bickering, adding to the liveliness of the family.

After their morning jog, Priya urged the boys to wake up the others. School days were always a rush, and there was no time to waste. Rohan headed to Anandh's room, meanwhile Abhi proceeded to wake the twins and then made his way to Adhya's room. There, he found her cocooned in her blankets, cuddling her teddy bear as if her life depended on it.

Gently, Abhi whispered to himself, "I shouldn't have given her that teddy bear; she seems to love it more than she loves me." A tinge of jealousy crept into his voice as he gently pulled back her blanket and uttered, "Angel, it's time to wake up."

Adhya stirred, her sleepy eyes fluttering open. She blinked up at Abhi, her gaze still hazy with sleep. "Maan, pleaseeee, let me sleep for five more minutes, pleaseee," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper, and snuggled deeper into her blankets, clinging tightly to her teddy bear.

Abhi had a knack for waking Adhya up in his own unique way. He strolled over to the balcony and swung the door open, allowing the morning sunlight to cascade over her face. Adhya stirred and let out a sigh, reluctantly waking from her peaceful slumber. She grumbled, "Maan, you really know how to get on my nerves."

Abhi simply shrugged off her comment and carried her in a bridal-style hold, making his way to the bathroom. Adhya couldn't help but gasp at his sudden action. She protested, "Maan, I have legs, you know. I can walk." He gently placed her on the bathroom countertop and handed her a toothbrush. With a smirk, he replied, "I know you have legs, but I also know that if I let you go, you'll crawl back into bed and fall asleep again. So, get ready quickly. We're already running late for school." With that, he left to freshen up, leaving Adhya to prepare herself for the day.

Once everyone was ready, they gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. Sanaya and Priya had already set the table, Prem, Surya, and Rudra joined the family at the breakfast table. Each of the them leaned down to kiss Adhya on her forehead, saying "Good morning, princess." Adhya responded to them with her usual greetings: "Good morning, Baba" to Surya, "Good morning, Chachu" to Rudra, and "Good morning, Papa" to Prem (she affectionately refers Prem as "father," so she called him Papa).

The rest of the brothers playfully rolled their eyes at the special treatment Adhya received. Sid couldn't resist, asked why they didn't greet him with a "Good morning" as well. In response, they affectionately ruffled his hair and said, "Good morning, boys."

Adhya, ever quick-witted, didn't miss a beat and said "Sid bhai, you're just jealous," (she always referred to the twins as "bhai" even though they were younger because they had always taken care of her and the twins called her di as she was elder), Sid retorted, "Oh yes di, I am jealous because they picked you up from the street." Adhya shot him a glare and then turned to Abhi and Rohan, playfully remarking, "Maan, see, Bhai is making fun of me again."

Rohan swiftly smacked Sid's head and warned, "Don't you dare talk to my princess that way," while Abhi fixed him with an intimidating glare. Meanwhile akkash and anandh, the quieter ones among the brothers, watched the friendly banter with a smile. Akkash is a man of few words but had a deep affection for his sister and his brothers. Anandh is introverted so he doesn't talk much.