LIFE AS WE KNEW IT

Shot 8

The next morning, Sathvik was a little nervous as he reached the office with little Muskaan.

Muskaan was wide awake as they walked into the office. She waved to the fishes in the big aquarium as they walked past it.

"Ishh, Sathee, Ishh," Muskaan squealed, pointing at the fishes and waving to them.

"Mamu, say mamu," Sathvik said for the umpteenth time, to which Muskaan grinned back and again called him Sathee.

Sathvik rolled his eyes playfully at the little girl in his arms.

Saumya, his personal assistant, smiled when they passed her desk in front of his cabin.

"Somu, bye-bye," Muskaan waved at Saumya, whom she had started referring to as Somu.

Muskaan seemed to enjoy calling everyone by their name. The only person whom Sathvik had heard her not calling by name is her deceased mother.

"You are one naughty girl with no manners, huh?" Sathvik said in mock anger and brushed his nose with hers.

Muskaan giggled loudly when he did that.

"More, more," she demanded, and Sathvik happily obliged.

Two hours later, his nervousness increased when Devangana didn't come in with his coffee.

He was about to call Saumya and ask her to send Devangana in when the door to his room opened, and his parents walked in.

"Dad, Mom! You didn't inform me that you would be back today," Sathvik asked as he stood up from his chair.

Muskaan looked up from where she was sitting and drew concentric circles on a paper Sathvik had given her a while ago.

She recognized the people as her momma had always shown her their pictures. She shot them a toothy smile, and Nilima's eyes started tearing up again.

"Nilima, please don't. We talked about this, didn't we?" Charan pleaded with his wife.

"Nilu, no," Muskaan copied, earning a chuckle from Charan.

"Listen to your granddaughter, Nilima," Charan said as Sathvik picked up Muskaan.

"She is your nani. Say nani," Sathvik said, knowing very well that she wouldn't listen to him.

"Nilu," Muskaan said stubbornly.

"Mannerless girl, calling everyone by name," Sathvik scolded her playfully and turned to Nilima.

"Mom, teach her some manners. She calls everyone by name— Sathee, Debaa, Somu, Ichu, and now Nilu," Sathvik said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Muskaan took the pen from his pocket and started poking Sathvik with it.

"Muskaan, no," Sathvik said, trying to get the pen from her, but she held on tightly.

"Sathvik, Harsh called me yesterday. That's why we are here. What were you thinking when you introduced the errand girl as your fiancee?" Charan asked furiously.

"Dad, I felt cornered. I didn't think about what I was doing," Sathvik confessed.

"And what if the girl took advantage of the situation? We are in this situation now because of a gold digger who trapped our girl. I don't want a repeat of that, Sathvik," Charan said.

"Devangana is not like that, Dad."

"And how do you know this? How long have you known her?" Charan asked.

"I have only known her for a week. But I can tell that she is not like that. Meet her once, and you will know," Sathvik said.

"Then call her, Sathvik. Let's meet her, Charan, before coming to any conclusions," Nilima said.