𝖘𝖆𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖉𝖊

03 || ｔｈｒｅｅ

27th July
Mumbai, India

Shivaansh stared at the picture of the four of them that had been hung up on the wall right below the messy painting of flowers and birds that his father had painted for Shivani's nursery.

He smiled faintly, walking close towards the enlarged photo—— a melancholic pang in his chest.

It had been taken seventeen years ago, a few weeks after Shivani's first birthday and a few days before the day that turned his entire world upside down.

Annika had been craving to go to the park for quite a while—— something his father's busy schedule had prevented him from partaking in. Annika's patience had reached a limit and she had ended up dumping Shivaay's laptop into the pool and walking off in an agitated huff, as an open mouthed six-year-old Shivaansh and gaping three-year-old Radhika and two-year-old Dhruv had looked on, beside a Maasi who had been struggling to not laugh while holding a year-old Shivani in her arms.

Omkara and Rudra had ended up recording the entire thing, ignoring Bhavya's warning to delete the video.

Shivaansh shook his head, letting out a watery chuckle.

His father had spent the entire afternoon trying to pacify his wife, only to have her ignore him every minute of the day until the evening when he had picked her up in his arms and told Shivaansh to bring Shivani along with them.

Shivaansh had done as he had been told, ever the obedient son—— only to see his mother be surprised in an hour when Shivaay had taken them to the nearby park which had been decorated with paper lanterns and fairy lights. Shivaansh had never seen his mother beaming so brightly.

The four had spent four happy hours at the park, with Annika showering Shivaansh with kisses and hugs while Shivaay had dotted on Shivani—— something which Shivaansh had done as well.

"I miss you, Mom," he choked out. Annika's warm brown eyes and heartwarming smile stared back at him. He missed the way she would run her fingers through his year, and sing to him. He missed the way she would pepper his face with kisses every morning to wake him up. He reached out a hand and ran it over her face. "I love you."

He had always been his mother's Prince.

While Shivani had been Shivaay's little Princess.

"SHIVANI!" Radhika's scream broke him out of his reverie and his head snapped to look at the closed door. Shivaansh's heart lurched in his throat as he nearly tore the door off its hinges, opening the door, only to see Shivani holding her ears with a pout, while Dhruv and Radhika held a banner behind her with the words: Sholly Bhaiya—— written in still-wet paint.

Shivaansh gaped. "Are you serious?" He said in an exasperated tone.

"Aur kya karti?" Shivani whined. "You weren't talking to me."

"Pagal hain kya tu?" Shivaansh stared at his sister with a frown.

"Obviously hain," Dhruv piped up from behind the two. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Dhruv, shut up!" Radhika groaned.

"Bhaiya," Shivani used the puppy dog eyes which she knew her brother could never say no to.

Shivaansh engulfed Shivani in a hug, "Don't ever scare me like that again." He ran his hand over the back of her head, as he looked at Dhruv, "Stop bothering my Princess."

Dhruv gaped, "No fair."

"Shut up," Radhika rolled her eyes, dragging Dhruv away, leaving the two children of Shivaay and Annika to themselves.