Loved but not forgiven ✅

One Step Closer

The sun rose but peep in to disturb the father daughter as the curtains were down, Arya hid more in Manik disturbing his sleep, he blinked open his eyes and looked at his Pumpkin sleeping peacefully in his arms

He smiled and creased her hairs, it was after years he had a peaceful sleep, he smiled and looked around to see it was seven in the morning

"Rise and shine Pumpkin" he said trying to wake her up but she was not even moving or showing any signs to get up

"Arya?" Manik called again

"Sone do" she said turning to other side

"Arey school nahi jana?" Manik aked her but she didn't reply

"Hu Nandini par nahi gai hai" he said it the other way as he choosed praising Nandini instead of cursing himself

So he himself got up as Arya slept in his arms

"Arya utho tho" he said trying his luck

"Ha I am up, I am up" Arya said in her sleep and Manik wanted to bang his head, as he saw himself in her

"Arya school nahi jana?" Manik asked and she only nodded her head

"How does Nandini wakes her up!" Manik said seeing his daughter not budging

So getting no other way he picked her up and took her to the bathroom and stood below the shower starting it

"Tsunami! Tsunami! Flood! Bacho! Rain!" Arya yelled making Manik deaf but held her close as he saw her scared

"Hey Pumpkin I am here" he said cooing her

"Mr Malhotra aap pagal hai? Do you want me to die out of fear" she said fully awake

"Arya!" he took her name strenly making her zip her mouth and make a puppy face

"Drama queen" Manik said seeing her antict

"Challo get freshen up you have school to attend" he said as he was ready to leave when Arya held his hand

"You broke my sleep so apko punishment milegi" she said and for a spilt second Manik was scared and saw her sitting there on the slab folding her hand

"And here I thought she was like me" Manik muttered seeing her doing excatly the same what her mother did when he pissed her off, 'pampering'

"Tho Kya karna hai?" he asked and saw Arya looking at him from corner of her eyes

"Get me ready for school" she said and Manik's eyes widen

"What?!!" Manik said stunt

"Utho school jana hai! Utho school jana hai kare utha rahe the na" she asked him and he nodded

"So aab school ke liye ready karo" she said in dismissing tone

"And you have 45 minutes to get me ready" she said and next she saw was Manik running in the bathroom near a cabinet, he saw a fresh brush and turn on the hot water tap getting it clean, then he put some toothpaste on it and walked to Arya who was observing him

He gestured her to show her teeth doing 'eeeeeeeeee' and Arya did 'eeeeeee' coping him, he brushed her teeth carefully though he wasn't pro but he was trying to do it properly

He never did something like this even for Samara and Rudra, Arya made him do his many first just like Nandini

Then he cleaned her mouth with water and then he started the tap

"Warm water?" Manik asked her and she bobbed her head, Manik checked the water seeing that it's good for her to take her bath and started giving her bath and all Arya did was toucher him running here and there in the bathroom, adding more body wash in the water and then playing with the bubbles and at the end of the bath Arya was all clean and Manik all dreanched so making Arya laugh loudly