Beyond Control

Shot 51

Neha's cheeks were in a permanent state of being puffed up, since Pihu came. It was so very clear that Neha was annoyed.

"Hey, look who's here!" Poonam exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as Pihu entered the room.

"Ugh, it's the little monster," Neha muttered under her breath, though her annoyance was met with amused glances from her friends.

Pihu was like a shadow behind Poonam, following her around, asking cute questions, making Poonam smile from time to time.

No wonder Neha is jealous. Ever since they reached, Poonam has only been a typical strict mom. Zian felt a bit of anger towards Poonam for making Neha feel she isn't enough.

Admittedly, Udhay Bhatia has spoiled his little girl rotten and Poonam only seems to compensate for that by being a bit strict, but Neha isn't mature enough to understand that.

To those listening, Neha's jealousy only seems funny, but Zian could clearly see the deep insecurity behind it.

Pihu, however, seemed unfazed by Neha's irritation. She marched over to the dining table, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Hi, hi, hi! I am Pihu!" she chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi, Pihu. I am Zada," Zada replied with a warm smile.

"Hi, Zada! Are you Neha's friend?"

"Yes, I am. And this is Kushi," Zada said, gesturing to Kushi.

"I know Kushi. I have seen her before." Pihu said cutely.

"Aww, you remember me." Kushi replied, her lips twitching into a smile as she played along with Pihu's cheerful interrogation.

As the introductions continued around the table, Pihu's curiosity seemed insatiable. She bombarded the group with questions about their favourite colours, animals, and even their shoe sizes.

When it was Zahir's turn, Pihu regarded him with wide, innocent eyes.

"And who are you?"

Zahir leaned back in his chair, adopting a casual posture.

"I am Zahir. And I am a prince." Zahir said and Kushi rolled her eyes at that mention.

"Wow, a prince? Like in the fairytales?" Pihu's eyes grew even wider, her face a picture of awe.

"Yes, exactly like in the fairytales." Zahir smirked, clearly enjoying the attention.

Pihu's gaze shifted to Zian.

"And you? You look just like him." Pihu said in wide eyed wonder.

"I am Zian, and I am Zahir's brother," Zian replied with a chuckle.

Pihu's head tilted to the side, as if she was deep in thought.

"So, are you also a prince?" Pihu asked cutely.

"Yes, but my prince." Neha slotted in with an annoyed look on her face.

Udhay raised his eyebrow at that bold declaration.

Zian looked around the table awkwardly. His siblings were trying to hide their smiles.

The atmosphere turned a bit tense, as Udhay focused his laser sharp eyes on Zian, whom his daughter proclaimed to be her prince.

Zian shot a sheepish smile at Udhay and focused on the delicacies on his plate.

The only two people unaware of the sudden tension were Pihu and Neha herself, who caused it.

The breakfast table was soon filled with laughter and lively chatter, as Pihu's presence injected a dose of childlike wonder into the gathering. Poonam moved around the table, ensuring everyone had enough to eat and drink.

"Poo Poo, can I have a chocolate donut, please?" Pihu asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.

"Of course, sweetie. I will get you one right now," Poonam replied, heading toward the kitchen.

Neha huffed in annoyance hearing the endearment her momma used while calling the little devil. Zian's brows marred with worry, as he sensed her insecurities were running deeper than anybody realised.

"Neha, darling, did you try out these idly? They are awesome." Zian said fondly, as he served her some idly. He knows nobody knows Poonam's awesome cooking skills better than Neha, but anything to distract her.

Neha beamed at Zian as he called her darling.

"You are the best, Zi - Zi." Neha beamed as she dug into her food.

As breakfast continued, the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed. Stories were shared, jokes were exchanged. It was as if the morning sunlight had seeped into the room, casting a warm glow over the group.

Eventually, as the laughter subsided and plates were cleared, Poonam addressed everyone.

"I hope you all enjoyed breakfast. We have some plans for the day, but feel free to make yourselves at home."

"Thank you so much for the wonderful breakfast, Poonam Maa. Everything was delicious," Zada said sincerely.

"Yes, thank you, Poonam Maa. It was amazing," Zian added.

Poonam smiled warmly.

"You are all very welcome. Now, why don't you take some time to relax and settle in? We will discuss our plans for the day soon."

With that, the group dispersed, each person finding a comfortable corner to unwind and chat.

"I need a power nap. I woke up early today, I need to pack up my energy." Neha said and hurried to her bedroom for her much needed sleep. Zada and Kushi walked out to have a walk around the beautiful cottage.

A few minutes later, Zian went after Neha to check whether she was okay.

Maybe he should have a talk with Poonam regarding Neha's insecurity. They might have dismissed it thinking it was simply Neha being Neha.

Maybe it was just the lover in him being overly worried about Neha. Maybe it was nothing at all. But he couldn't stay calm until he was absolutely sure.

As he reached the room and peeped in, he saw Poonam pulling up the blanket up to Neha's chin, caressing her hair and dropping an affectionate kiss on top of her head before silently walking out.

She stopped short when she found him at the doorstep.

"Oh hey, Zahir? Or Zian?" Poonam asked in confusion and he chuckled.

"It's Zian, Poonam Maa. I just came to check whether Neha is alright." Zian said and Poonam frowned at that.

"Why? What happened?" Poonam asked anxiously, turning back to look at her only daughter once again to make sure she is absolutely alright.

"You adore her." Zian said. It wasn't a question, it was an observation.

"Obviously. She is my only daughter. I adore her." Poonam said, with a little laugh as she closed the door behind her, so that Neha could have an uninterrupted sleep.

"She is insecure, Poonam Maa. She thinks you love Pihu more than her." Zian said and Poonam looked at him in surprise.

"That's nonsense. Yes, I love Pihu. I have known her since the moment she was born. But that doesn't mean I love her more than my own daughter." Poonam said with a frown.

"I understand that. Kushi mentioned something like you started being strict with Neha as she grew up and it coincided with Pihu's birth. And Neha has got it into her head that you stopped loving her when Pihu was born." Zian said softly and Poonam sucked in a sharp breath.

"I didn't mean to offend you in any way, Poonam Maa. I just care for Neha and I don't like seeing her upset over anything. Maybe you could have a woman to woman talk with her and clear all her insecurities?" Zian prompted with a smile. Poonam nodded and walked away.

"Maybe it's time we have a man to man talk, hmm?" Udhay asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Uh oh!"