A Father Daughter Talk

Ayra's arrival, along with Rayansh's family, filled the new home with joy & laughter. The most awaited element was Ayra settling into her new home & room. She was cheerful, as her father was around. The next couple of weeks passed in vacation mode.

As all good things must come to an end, it was time for Rayansh's family to depart. That morning, hell broke loose & Ayra cried inconsolably. The adults consoled & guaranteed Ayra that her grandparents would visit & so would Rayansh's family. As the kids spent the last few hours playing, Bhabhi double checked the luggage & travel documents. Vishaka walked into the room with her stomach in knots.

Vishaka sat at the edge of the bed & asked, "Bhabhi, what am I going to do?"

Bhabhi brushed off the worries with a hug, "Don't you worry. You will come out with flying colours."

Rayansh's departure left a void. Ayra was irritable & fussed about everything. A few days passed & nothing changed. Krish managed Ayra, yet Vishaka's anxiety was a few notches up.

One night, as they lay in bed, Vishaka rested her heavy head on Krish's shoulder. He narrated about his day & weekend plan to take Ayra to a nearby park. Vishaka's mind was stuck on Ayra's tantrums of the evening & barely heard him. She raised her head and met his eyes. He stopped mid-sentence.

She apologetically whispered, "Ayra... What have I done?"

He held her in his arms & planted a kiss on her forehead, "Ayra will settle down, give her some time."

Vishaka was not convinced. She swallowed hard, closed her eyes tight, & tried to get some sleep. Another painful week passed & it was time for Ayra to start school. The child was reluctant to do anything, let alone go to a new school. It was a herculean task for Krish & Vishaka to coax the child & send her off to school. In a month, Ayra appeared to be getting along well in school. As each day passed, her spirits lifted. Finally, Vishaka sighed in relief & slept well.

As months passed, the trio did well. Krish & Vishaka had their share of conflicts, disagreements & fights, though never in Ayra's presence. Almost a year had passed & it was Easter holidays. As a routine, Krish took Ayra to a nearby park. While he jogged, she played on a swing. After his run, he sat on a bench to sip some water & Ayra joined him. He pulled out a snack box for her & let his feet rest.

Ayra munched on a snack & questioned, "Papa, may I ask you something?"

Krish wiped the sweat off his brow & answered, "Yes, sweetheart."

Ayra seemed to weigh what was on her mind & took time to present the question. Krish's breathing slowed & tried not to stare at his daughter.

Ayra mustered the courage & questioned, " Viks is your flatmate, right?"

Krish was stumped & reacted with a drag, "Yes..."

Ayra continued, "Why don't you… I think you should make her your girlfriend."

Krish blanked & wondered if he had heard his daughter correctly. He took a deep breath and sipped some more water.

He enquired, "What do you mean, sweetheart?"

She coolly explained how her best friend Daniel's dad had a girlfriend & that they live together. Krish's mind raced at supersonic speed.

Finally, he understood what Vishaka meant when she had said, "Also, I want to know if Ayra can accept me as your partner & her co-parent. It is easier to do it abroad than here, trust me."

Ayra was unaware of her father's turmoil & focused on her snack.

He curiously enquired, "What is the difference between flatmate & girlfriend?"

Ayra chewed on a sandwich & looked at her dad, wondering, 'How can he not know this?' She finished her sandwich & sipped some water.

She slowly explained, "Flatmates share rent & stay in different rooms, as we do now. Girlfriends also share rent, but she can sleep in your room. You can hold her hand, hug & kiss."

Krish's jaw dropped at his daughter's understanding & acceptance. He smiled within; little did Ayra know of the sleeping arrangements.

He pressed on, "What else?"

She thought for a few minutes & expressed, "We do everything together. So, we are good."

On the way back home, Krish questioned, "What if she says no? What if she doesn't like me?"

Ayra looked at her dad with an expression, 'Don't be silly, Papa.' His confused expression paused her walk. She put her hands on her hips & scowled, "Oh, come on, Papa, let me talk to her."

As Ayra walked with determination to convince Vishaka, Krish chuckled.

Ayra entered the house screaming, "Viks... Viks..."

Vishaka called out, "I'm in the bathroom... What is it, sweety pie?"

Ayra barged into the bathroom to find Vishaka massaging her scalp with oil.

Ayra screamed at the top of her lungs, "Papa... come here."

Vishaka continued her hair routine & Ayra waited for her father. Krish casually walked in, sipping water.

He laughed at Vishaka's plight, "What are you up to?"

Vishaka replied, "What? I am trying to save the last bit of hair left on my head."

Ayra looked at her dad to initiate the conversation. Krish ignored Ayra's signals & continued to sip water. Ayra poked & nudged him, he widened his eyes & shook his head, conveying a 'No'.

Vishaka looked at the duo, "What is it?"

Krish replied, "Ayra wanted to ask you something, not me!"

Vishaka looked puzzled & turned towards Ayra. Ayra was furious at her father, as the responsibility lay with her. Vishaka sensed something must be bothering the child. She secured her oily hair into a bun & kneeled near Ayra.

Ayra requested, "Will you please be Papa's girlfriend?"

Vishaka looked up at Krish. He leaned against the bathroom door, folded his arms & raised his eyebrows with a grin. Vishaka turned towards Ayra with confusion. Ayra did a recap of her conversation in the park. Vishaka smiled but was quick to suppress it.

Vishaka innocently voiced, "Ayra, you know, at times your father is mean to me. He gets angry when I don't make chai like he wants."

Vishaka quickly glanced at him & he had a look, 'Really?'

Ayra frowned at her dad & turned back to Vishaka, "I will make sure that he is nice to you. Okay?"

Vishaka seemed to be in deep thought & a few moments later, she replied, "Sure, I can be your father's girlfriend."

Ayra jumped with excitement & hugged them both with immense joy. Ayra was thrilled with her father's new relationship & grabbed his phone. She wanted to share the exciting news with Daniel & Rayansh.

Vishaka grinned at Krish, "What just happened?"

He raised his shoulders, "I have absolutely no clue. Ayra brought up the topic by herself."

Vishaka snuggled in his arms & warmly expressed, "We must be on the right path."

Takeaway: 

• Children are like a sponge; they absorb everything.

• Acceptance is another form of love, trust & bonding; all it takes is for one to have a big heart to love & other to accept it.

P.S.:

• Yes, I finally named the characters as Krish & Vishaka (synonym for Radha); I had them on my mind from the time of "Break-up vs Algebra".

• The story is a sequel to "Wardrobe Space"