After the naming ceremony, with Tej in his arms, Arjun was standing in front of the wall where all their ancestors' portraits were hanged.

He was standing in front of his mother's portrait as if talking to her. Tia quietly came and stood beside him. There was silence for a few minutes till he spoke up.

"Aaj Maa-sa hoti to kitni khush hoti...." he smiled sadly.

"Vo jaha kahi bhi hogi, sab dekh rahi hogi aur khush bhi hongi."

"Hmm..."

There was silence again.

"I miss her a lot...." his cracked voice broke the silence.

She turned her gaze from the portrait to him and saw his eyes turn glassy. She kept a hand over his shoulder.

"She must be very proud of you. Jaise tumne Gayatri ko sambhala, vo bohot khush huyi hongi."

"Shayad..." he took a pause before continuing "Gayatri aur Tejaswini bohot chhote the jab vo haatsa hua. Gayatri to nasamjh thi, unnhe realize karne mein hi bohot waqt laga. Use lagta tha Maa-sa Meera-maa, I mean...Tejaswini ki Maa ke saath humesha ki tarha ghumne gayi hongi. Aur Tejaswini...vo to literally Meera-maa ka pallu pakar ke ghumti thi. Use to bohot bara sadma laga tha...."

Tia was intently listening to him but her eyes were stuck on Tej.

"Rani-sa, aapne innka naam...." he couldn't even finish the question.

"Tej kyun rakkha?" just like always she completed his question with a chuckle. "Baaton baaton mein Gayatri ne mujhe bata dia tha. Aur isska aarth bhi to kitna achchha hain. Innke naam ki tarha innhone bhi to humari zindagi mein ujala kia hain," she placed a light kiss on his forehead, "And he's my pride, that's why Pratap," she rubbed her nose with the baby's with a huge grin.

A smile automatically curved on his face.

"Rani-sa, ek baat bataiye..."

"Hmm," she replies lightly caressing Tej's head as he sleeps peacefully in his father's arms.

"Hume samajh mein nehi aata ki aap humesha hamari aadhi-aadhuri baatein kaise samajh jati hain?" he laughed in surprise.

"Maybe....." she acts to be thinking, "Maybe we are soulmates!"

Both bursted out laughing which broke Tej's peaceful sleep.

"Oh so sorry, baby," Tia took him in her arms as he yawned cutely.

"Awww, he yawns so cutely."

"Just like you..." Tia blurted out and immediately bit her tongue.

"Hmm....someome seems to be observing me very closely. Hain na, baby?" Arjun asks Tej teasing Tia.

Tia blushed.

As they were busy playing with their little bundle of joy, someone cleared their throat. They turned around to find Gayatri, closely followed by her friends.

"Sorry to disturb, newbie parents. But everyone wants to see our little prince charming," teased Gayatri.

One-by-one Reema, Freda and Payal hugged Tia, while Nikhil shook hands with Arjun. Yohan just waved at them from a distance.

"Oh my God, he's so cute!" chirped Payal.

"Akhir bhateeja kiska hain," Gayatri dramatically flicks her hair.

"Ha ha ha! Very funny," says Reema.

"Isski aankhein kitni pyaari hain," exclaims Freda.

"Bilkul Arjun ki tarha," replied Tia with a smile.

"Aur naak bhi dekhiye! Bilkul aapni naakchari Maa ke jaisi hain," Arjun teased.

"What did you say?" Tia was angry, "Maine itna achchha compliment dia aur tum meri burai kar rahe ho!" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Humne kab aapki burai ki? I meant, innki naak bhi aapki tarha bohot cute hain," Arjun pinched her cute little nose lightly.

"Awww!" Everyone exclaimed at once and laughed.

Yohan watched from a distance as they laughed and talked together.

At midnight, Tia squirms in sleep. Her hand lands on the bedsheet beside her. Immediately she opened her eyes and found that side empty.

"Arjun aur Tej kaha gaye?" she wondered.

While getting down from the bed, she looks towards the balcony. She sees Arjun walking in the balcony, trying to put Tej back to sleep. She admires the view and silently takes a picture of it.

"Mujhe uthaya kyun nehi?" she asks in a low voice as she enters the balcony.

He turns around, surprised to see her awake.

"I didn't want to disturb your sleep. Aap bohot ghehre neend mein thi."

"Tumhe subhe office bhi to jana hain. Tej ko mere paas do, tum soone jao."

"No," he held her hand to stop her from taking Tej. "Rani-sa, agar hume office jana hain to aapko bhi to jald se jald university resume karna hain. Aap achchhi tarha se aapni neend puri karlije. Hum hain na."

"Par tum kaise..."

"Tej humari bhi zimmedari hain, hum sambhal lenge innhe. Aap soone jaiye," he assured her. "Aur aaj se ye rule hain ki jiss kisi ki bhi neend pehle tutegi, vo Tej ko sambhalega. Lekin dusre ko bina jagay. Deal?" he forwards his free hand.

She chuckles and takes his hand, "Deal."

~

Sitting against the headboard, Tia was reading a book.

"Hey, hi," Tia greets as Arjun enters.

"Hi. Tej kaha hain?" he sits beside her on the bed.

"Gayu aur Baba-sa ke saath hain. Lekin tum itne jaldi kaise aagaye?"

"Mann nehi lag raha tha office mein. Iss liye chala aya."

"Did you have lunch? Ya main khana lagane ko kahu?"

"Nehi, office mein karlia tha. Aap bataiye, aap kaisi hain?"

"Much better."

"Toh....university kabse resume kar rahi hain?"

"Arjun, abhi ek mahina bhi pure nehi huye mere hospital se laute huye. Itni jaldi main kaise resume karu? Tej ko thora bara to hone do."

"Rani-sa, he is not going anywhere. Lekin aap aapki padhai aise bich mein nehi chhor sakti. Tej jab bare honge to unnhe kinta bura lagega janke ki unnki Maa-sa ek university drop-out hain?"

He questioned that so dramatically that Tia burst out laughing very hard.

"On a serious note, aap Tej ki chinta kyun karti hain! Ghar mein kitne sare log hain unnhe kuch ghanto ke liye sambhalne ke liye. Aur Baba-sa to bohot khush honge agar unnhe Tej ke saath akele time mil jaye toh!"

"Haan, vo toh hain. Main sochungi uss bare mein," a yawn escapes from her mouth, "Abhi ke liye... I am very sleepy."

"Thik hain, aap thora araam karlijiye," Arjun searches for something in the bedside table drawers.

"I wasn't asking for your permission, but thanks," she says getting down from the bed.

"Hmm," his full concentration was on the search.

"Kya dhund rahe ho?"

"Ek important paper tha.... Mil nehi raha," he continued his search.

"Mujhe batao, main help kar deti hu."

"No, it's fine. Hum dhund lenge. Aap jaiye."

"Okay," she shrugged her shoulders and went to the washroom.

After a while, Tia came out of the washroom and was surprised to see Arjun already asleep.

"Kamal hain! Neend mujhe aarahi thi lekin soo Arjun gaya," she chuckled.

She got on her side of the bed and admired him sleeping. She bent down and planted a kiss on his forehead. On pulling back, she found him staring at her with a grin.

Laughing, she said, "Tum sooye nehi?"

"No..." he rolled over her and said, "Aap puchh rahi thi na ki hum kya dhund rahe hain?"

She nodded slightly. He slid his hand under his pillow and brought a paper out. He turned it towards her for her to see it.

"Contract of Marriage. Of Arjun Goenka & Tia," all the colors from her face drained as soon as she read it.

Realization hit her! It reminded her the deal they had, which she had forgotten long back. She had forgotten it because she thought their relationship was evolving with every passing day and it might become something more than just a contract marriage. But maybe she was wrong...

Cupping her face, Arjun kissed on her forehead. His lips lingered on her forehead longer than necessary, which confused her. He pulled back and stared deeply into her eyes before doing something she had never expected him to do....

He tore the paper into smallest possible pieces! She couldn't believe her eyes. The hope she lost just a few minutes earlier, was back on track again. She could finally see their relation actually becoming something more than just a deal. Her inner self was doing a happy dance while her outer self was frozen.

"From now onwards..... Friends?" he smiled at her.

She smiled back, "Friends!"

He planted another kiss before getting down the bed.

"I don't think that was very friend-ish..." she narrowed her eyes at his retreating figure.

"That was for the mother of my child," he chuckled, "Hum Tej ko leke aate hain," and closed the door behind him.

As he left, her mind was busy considering all the possible future they could have together.

~

Tia arrives outside Maharaj's room with a tray with a glass of milk and finds it open. On entering she sees him going through a photo album with a smile.

"Baba-sa," She goes beside him and peeks into the album. "Aapke medicines ke liye doodh."

"Hmm.... Table pe rakh dijiye," his eyes were glued at the photos.

"Baba-sa...ye kya hain?" She enquires keeping the glass on the bedside table.

"Ye humare bohot achchhe dost Maharana Viren hain. Ye dekhiye... Arjun, Tejaswini, Gayatri, Jai aur Praneet," he chuckled seeing a picture of them playing.

"Ye kaun hain? She's so beautiful...." Tia stops at a photo of a young pretty woman with little Arjun.

"Ye Maharani Meerabai, Tejaswini ki Maa. Kadambari ki bohot achchhi dost thi. Humari aur Viren ki dosti inn dono ke wajah se hi huyi thi. Arjun toh innhe itna pasand karta tha ki 'Meera-maa' pukarta tha innhe. Humari dosti ko rishtedari mein badalne ka sujhav bhi innka hi tha."

Tia turned over some more pages as Maharaj narrated.

"Yaha pe kya horaha hain?" She pointed towards a picture where Maharana Viren and Maharaj are scribbling something on a paper.

He frowns seeing the picture, "Ye ussdin ki tasveer hain jissdin humne humari dosti ko rishtedari mein badalne ki socha. Hum yuhi baethe the jab humne socha ki...." he pauses.

"Baba-sa, aap mujhe baata sakte hain," she keeps a hand on his shoulder.

He smiles at her and continues, "Humne socha tha ki Arjun-Tejaswini aur Gayatri-Jai ka rishta humare dono vansho ki jurne ki neev banegi. Aur agar unnka koi beta hua, toh unnka naam Neevansh rakkhenge," he smiles caressing the photo, "Yaha pe hum wahi likh rahe the."

"Neevansh?" she repeats the name. "Aapne ye naamkaran ke waqt kyun nehi bataya? Agar aapka itna mann tha ye naam rakhne ke liye, aap bata sakte the. Kitna pyaara naam hain!"

He looks at her astonished, "Ye naam sirf humne aapne pote ke liye nehi, Viren ne aapne nati ke liye bhi socha tha. Hume laga ye khudgarzi hogi agar humne humare pote ka naam ye rakkha to," he says sadly.

"Ow..."

After giving medicines to Maharaj, Tia came back to their room where Arjun was playing with Tej.

"Aap kaha reh gayi thi?"

"Sorry, vo Baba-sa ko davai dene gayi thi."

"Thik hain, aap rukiye Tej ke saath. Hum nahake aate hain."

Tia nods as Arjun goes for a shower.

She took Tej in her arms and talks to him, "Aap to bohot kismat wale hain. Aap itne chhote se hain, lekin aapke liye harr kisike paas kitne sare naam hain. Aap mein Chauhan ka khoon na sahi, lekin aap mere aur Arjun ke rishte ka neev zarur hain. Iss liye...aapko hum 'Neev' bulayenge, thik hain?"

Tej smiles a bit.

"Lagta hain aapko ye naam pasand aya hain. Lekin ye baat Mumma aur Neevu ke bich secret rehni chahiye, okay?"

He smiles again as if agreeing to her.

"That's like my good boy!" She kisses his cheek.

~

Tia is demonstrating Arjun how to put a diaper on Tej. He watches with full concentration.

"Understood?" Tia asks once she's done.

"Yes! Now my turn."

"Arjun, this is your one and only chance. Barbar diaper pehenana aur utarna thik nehi hain."

"Arre, Rani-sa, aap chinta matt kijiye. Hum ekbar mein hi karlenge!" he says confidently.

"Thik hain, dekhte hain."

As soon as Arjun unstraps the diaper, Tej pisses on him. Tia couldn't help but burst into laughter seeing Arjun's shocked face. He glares at her angrily.

"Ye aapne kya kia, Tej..."

"Jao, jaake change karlo," she manages to say in between her giggles.

"Hans lijiye, Rani-sa, jitna hansna hain hans lijiye. Isska badla zarur milega! I am warning you...."

Tia rolls her eyes at him and takes Tej in her arms to change his clothes.

"Awwllee mera baby, Mumma..." her speech gets interrupted as Tej pisses on her as well.

"Baby, Mumma ne aapka kya bigara tha...." she pouts.

This time Arjun laughs uncontrollably like a mad person.

"Arjun, stop laughing!" Tia hisses in anger.

The subtle chuckling of their little one interrupted their fighting session. They turned around to see Tej chuckling which made them smile in adoration as well.

~Updated on 20th Dec'18~

Another super loooooong chapter. This was supposed to be a 4k+ words chapter, but moved the last portions to another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to comment about the good parts you liked and the parts you didn't liked. Your feedbacks are the most precious for me.
Thank you❤