Hidden Longing's

❤️Bonus

5 years later~~

Arjun pov:

As I ended the call with Dev, insisting on those files, I let out a sigh, placing my phone on the table. Just as I was about to dive back into work, I felt a gentle tug at my pant leg. I glanced down to see my two-year-old daughter, Hrushika—our little blessing from Mahadev—looking up at me with her big, curious eyes. I couldn’t help but smile as I scooped her up into my arms, pressing a kiss to her temple. She giggled, her laughter filling the room and lifting my spirits.

I carried her to the living room where I found our other children—Darshini, Ishan, and Chaitu—engrossed in their favorite TV show. Shaking my head with a chuckle, I turned to see Aishwarya approaching me.

"Bava, do you want some tea?" she asked with a warm smile.

I nodded gratefully. "Yes, please, maa."

She then turned to the kids. "Do you all want milk?"

They eagerly nodded, and Aishwarya headed to the kitchen to prepare our drinks. As she walked away, I called after her, "Where's Prem? I don't see him around."

"He went to get some groceries, Bava," she replied, her voice carrying from the kitchen.

Curious, I asked, "And where are the others? The house seems too quiet without all the usual chaos."

She returned with a tray of tea and milk, handing me my cup before answering, "Anirudh Bava and Poorvika went out on a date, Bava." She giggled, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with her.

Just then, Siddharth walked in with Preeti by his side. "Good morning," he greeted, his voice full of cheer.

"Good morning, Sidhu," I nodded in return. Preeti echoed his greeting, and I gave her a warm smile.

Sidhu glanced around before asking, "Where’s Vadhina, Annaya?"

I let out a small sigh. "Your Vadhina doesn’t have time at all. She did her night shift and is exhausted, so she’s still sleeping in our room."

Sidhu smiled knowingly and nodded. "She works too hard," he remarked, a touch of admiration in his voice.

The doorbell rang just as we settled into our seats. Preeti went to answer it, and soon enough, Aaru's cheerful voice filled the house. "Hello, guys!" she chirped, followed by the unmistakable voice of her little girl, Akriti, echoing, "Hellooooo gussssss!"

We all burst into laughter at the sound of Akriti’s enthusiastic greeting. Rudra trailed in behind them and made his way to the sofa, sinking into it with a contented sigh. Aaru, never one to miss an opportunity to tease, called out, "Hello, Annaya, how are you?" she said to Sidhu with a mischievous grin.

Sidhu smirked, "I was fine until you showed up, Aaru."

Aaru pouted dramatically, while Akriti, ever the bundle of energy, darted over to me. "Mamuuuuuu!" she squealed, throwing her arms around me. I smiled and kissed her cheek, her infectious giggles making my heart swell with joy.

"Good morning, little one," I said. "Where’s Ishaan Bava?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"They're watching TV, maa. Go join them," I replied, and with that, she was off, dashing towards the living room.

Hrushika giggled at Akriti's antics, her tiny hands clapping in delight. Just then, Sitara walked in with Adithya, her husband of four years, and their one-year-old son, Prudhvi, in tow. Today being Sunday, we all gathered for a much-needed family reunion, a rare occurrence now that everyone was caught up in their professional and personal lives.