Snapshots - Oberoi Family Edition

36. Better Than "I Love You"

Shivaay: ...and Belle's love for the beast turned him into the handsome prince he once was.

Shivaay was sitting in the rocking chair with Shivika in his arms, gently patting her and narrating a bedtime story to her. As he finished the story, Shivika was sound asleep. With practised and careful movements, Shivaay got up from the rocking chair and placed Shivika in her cot. She had outgrown her cradle and Shivaay spent 3 hours in the store finding the perfect baby cot (he probably would've taken more time but Anika's patience ran out and she gave him 10 minutes to finalise and buy one). He leaned against the cot railings and looked at his daughter. It felt like she was born just yesterday and she would be turning 1 very soon. After standing there for a sufficiently long time, Shivaay double-checked the baby monitor and headed out from the nursery.

Shivaay went to see the room but through the glass window, saw Anika sitting by the pool with her feet dipped in the water, leaning back on her arms and looking at the sky. Shivaay went towards the pool, rolled his pants and sat beside Anika, dipping his feet in the water as well. Anika's attention was caught by the splashing of water.

Anika: Shivaay aap kab aaye? Aur aap soye kyoon nahi abhi tak?

Shivaay: Abhi aaya, Shivika ko sula raha tha aur... *puts his arm on Anika's shoulder* meri biwi yahaan hain toh main kaise sone jaa sakta hoon? Waise tum yahaan kya kar rahi thi?

Anika: *keeps her head on his shoulder* Chaand dekh rahi thi.

Shivaay looked up and saw a crescent moon in the clear sky and, despite the light pollution of Mumbai, a few twinkling stars.

Shivaay: I'm not much of a selenophile but this is a beautiful sky!

Anika: *confused* Seleno... Selena... yeh woh Angrezi singer nahi hain jiske gaane Sahil sunta rehta hain?

Shivaay: Huh? What? ...Oh no no! Singer is Selena Gomez. Selenophile means moon-lovers. Log jinhe chaand dekhna bahot pasand hain.

Anika: Ohhhhh.

Anika nodded and continued to lean on Shivaay, who had arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Anika: Aapka din kaisa gaya?

Shivaay: The usual. Naye phone model ka prototype is ready which will be reviewed by the board tomorrow. And I read Beauty and the Beast to Shivika today, *laughs* which I think she found rather boring because she fell asleep really fast.

Anika: Beauty and the Beast... yeh wahi kahaani hain na jismein ek bolne wali ketli, ghadi aur mombatti hain?

Shivaay: Actually they were humans, castle staff jo Enchantress ke curse ki wajah se household items ban gayi. Mrs Potts turned into a teapot, Cogsworth into a mantle clock and Lumière into a candelabra.

Anika pulled away and gave him a weird look?

Shivaay: Kya hua?

Anika: Aapko ek pariyon ki kahaani itni detail mein kaise pata hain!?

Shivaay: *shrugs* Maine Shivika ko sunane ke liye padhi thi and uski movie ek-do baar Prinku ke saath dekhi hain.

Anika fondly looked towards Shivaay and smiled.

Anika: Shivaay...

Shivaay: *looks towards her* Hmm?

Anika: I love you.

Shivaay: I love you too-

Anika: Nahi.. mera matlab... uh...