Published on: 16 December 2020

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After moments of companionable silence Omkara spoke up clearing his throat, "I think we should go out now and make sure everything is alright outside."

He stood up, dusted his pants and waited. Waited for Rudra and Khanna to take the cue, follow him and give the couple some privacy. But did they understand? Nope.

Did they not hear him say 'we'? Sighing, he asked, "Rudy - Khanna, Chalein?"

"Is Chammak Challo waiting outside again that you need me or Khanna to accompany you?" Rudy said with a small smirk (more specifically taunted), referring to the time Om had refused to walk alone in the corridors and wanted Gauri to accompany him, for Chammak Challo loved attacking Omkara. Annika, Rudra and Shivaay giggled remembering Omkara's lame excuse to have Gauri all to himself. But little did they know, Omkara was only speaking the truth...

"Chalo, I will accompany you" Shivaay said, instead.

And all Omkara could do was facepalm internally as he eyed Shivaay - who was undoubtedly followed by Khanna. Clearly, that man had either not read through Omkara's attempt, or he was just trying to evade being murdered by Annika, and then being eaten up by Chammak Challo.

Being eaten up by Chammak Challo, as if Chammak Challo didn't have any taste!

Omkara turned to look at Rudy now, hoping to at least give Annika some alone time, to let her digest the news in a better way. But again, when did things happen the way he wanted!

"O, if you want to go, you go. I am not coming." Said Rudra as he wrapped his arms around Annika.

Om sighed and walked away, clearly he was the dumb one who expected SMRT Singh Oberoi to act Smart.

But before leaving he turned, "Annika?" He asked, to which he was rewarded with a "Ja na phattu, kitna darta hai Chammak Challo sey!" from Annika.

And then silence settled in as Rudra rocked them back and forth gently.

"I don't know how we are going to handle this situation, your pregnancy in disguise and stuff, but I know one thing for sure," Rudra said as he wrapped his arms tighter around Annika as she turned to face him with a smile, "I know that you guys are going to be the best parents a child can have!" Saying so, he placed a kiss on his Bhabi's cheek as she smiled at him, freeing one of her hands from his embrace to ruffle his hair.

Rudra was not more than 5 years old when he regularly witnessed his parents fighting. It was just another day where Jahnvi was sobbing in a corner of her room, silently. Everyone had gone out except for little Rudra, who was recovering from a fever. Everyone had told him not to disturb Jaanvi, but he wondered whether she was crying because even she wanted the limited edition 'Sumo wrestler soft toy', just like the one he had and Prinku wanted.

As little Rudy tried to climb his parents' bed to grab the toy to give it to her, he fell. And it was then he heard it and saw her. He saw his mother giggle at him despite her tears. And that sight made him happy, more happy than the time he had received his Sumo wrestler soft toy.....

His parents' fight was the reason his brothers were serious and his Dadi was gloomy. There wasn't much he could do either to stop them from fighting, but what he could do was to lift the spirits of others. So he repeated what he had done with his mother. He fell, and they giggled. He acted dumb, and they laughed.

So just like that, little Rudra concluded that if a few dumb acts could create little joy, then it was okay to be that way and to do that way.

So he made jokes, lame ones. He made mistakes, funny ones. He made shayaris, cringe worthy ones. He created dialogues, legendary ones. And he made joy, huge ones.

Unfortunately for him (or fortunately for Khannaji's Fanfictions), it became his nature, too.

He didn't care whether his brothers and his family read through his lame attempts or not, it was all fine when his family was happy. 5But what bothered him was what others thought, what Sumo thought of him.

So when his Annika Bhabi called him to meet them and stay with them for a few days in Goa during the days initial days of their stay there, despite his brother's anger towards his 'childish acts', and said that she had a gift for him, he got to know that at least his Bhabi understood him, his jokes and his reasons behind his actions. That day, she tended to him like her own child, listened to his rant as he laid his head on her lap and cried, and she stroked his hair while she told him that everyone knew how mature he was and how everyone was indeed happy just because of him, but that didn't allow him to act that rash and hurt himself, she told him that it didn't allow him to point that gun on himself.

Rudra could not be happier to know that his Bhaiya had such an understanding wife, and the added bonus was the fact that his Chulbul Bhabi understood him the same way, too, if not more - after all she supported and took part in his 'childish acts' at times.

And at such instances Rudra wished badly that Annika was actually his mother, for that would mean he would have the coolest mother, who he knew would love him no less than his actual mother - unless he left her alone to deal with Shivaay's lecture meant for both of them or if he took Shivaay's side in an argument between the couple, obviously.

But he was overjoyed only when he found out what the 'gift' his Bhabis were talking about the whole day, arrived.

Saumya.

His gift was Saumya.

He got to know that Saumya understood him, and had understood him from the beginning - after all she was a budding Psychiatrist - but never voiced it out for that would allow him do his dork dance, and did she, or anyone want that (except Khannaji's fanfictions' readers)? Nope.

And that evening, his Annika Bhabi cleared his and Bhaiya's differences, like a mother - by twisting their ears, obviously because there was no other way.

Now, he rested his head on her lap and she instantly started stroking his hair, as slowly as she would stroke Chammak Challo. And he said what he should've said long ago.

"That day When you and Bhaiya were leaving for Goa, I pointed that gun at myself not only to blackmail you both to stay, but also because I wanted to blackmail Mom and Dad to stop you both. I thought, if they were really doing this - sending you away for our good - then they would stop you from going away if I showed them what would happen to me if something happened to you. I expected Mom and Dad to stop you from going away, if not Dad, then I expected at least mom would melt and stop you both. If not stop you both, maybe they would at least stop me from pointing that gun on my head. Little did I know, they did not even care enough about me to snatch the gun away from me, than to stop you both! They just wanted to make sure that we had the property in our names so that the society wouldn't mock us."

Tears rolled down Rudra's cheek as he said the last line, and Annika wiped his tears.

"You know, I atleast expected Dad to snatch the gun away from me, tell me that what they were doing was our own good and that I was being a stubborn child. I expected mom to scold me, too. I expected them to slap me, beat me, lock me in my room. But you know what happened instead?" He turned to look at her, a small smile suddenly playing on his lips, as if remembering a rather fond memory.

"My real father slapped me and my real mother defended me! Bhaiya said that I was being stubborn and you shielded me from Bhaiya, came to stand in between us and said 'Bachcha hai woh, Shivaay!' " He imitated Annika's shrill voice and flailed his hands, which earned him a mock slap from Annika who chuckled despite her moist eyes.

"At that moment I had felt," he grabbed Annika's palm and kissed it "that I have the best parents in the world!" And Annika smiled, because she knew that when he said something emotional and seriously, he meant it.

"And just as much as I am going to love this child," he said smiling pointing at Annika's stomach "I am going to be so jealous, too! Damn, not only would I have to share the best father in the whole world, but I would have to share the bestestestestest mummy in the world, too!" He said as he sat up and kissed Annika's cheek, whose eyes burned from all the tears she had shed that day.

"You know what I used to think each time the topic of Bhaiya's girlfriend came up? I used to think that he should date and marry someone who was beautiful, cool and fun. But then I was confused, for Mallika di was beautiful, cool and fun yet I couldn't imagine her as bhaiya's wife. Girlfriend, maybe. But wife, Nah. I couldn't not imagine her as his wife.

"So do you know what Om told me back then? He said that if I considered Bhaiya as my father, then I should be able to believe that his wife is our mother. 

"Now, I understand what he meant. Bhaiya ko toh Baap maana hi tha, aapko maa bhi maan liya. Bhabhi aapki jaisi ho toh Bhai paraya nahi, Bhabhi apni ho jaati hai!" He said smiling, one last time before closing up the window of the less fun Rudra.

He stood up. "Now I am going to save my Bhaiyas, who I am sure would have definitely been attacked by Chammak Challo by now, so you stay here and rest and also realize that now you are allowed to get fat, okay?"

She nodded and chuckled, and he left the room, not before wiping his tears and putting on his charming smile again.

And as he left, Annika smiled and sighed, laid down on the bed and thought, "Koyi nahi, utni buri maa bhi nahi banungi mein, kuch ho gaya toh Shivaay par daal dungi", giggling at her own thought before allowing herself to finally acknowledge the happy fluttering in her heart and stomach, allowing herself to realize that she was going to have a little of her own.....

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Word count- 1862  words

I was looking for Rudra-ish Dialogues for this update and ended up finding this -

Needless to say, I cried.

And the part where it is mentioned that Annika loves Rudra a little less whenever he leaves her during Shivaay's lecture meant for both of them, was suggested by @Berry2598

And when Rudra took Shivaay's side in an argument between the couple- @unnipgc