Two years later

- Ok, can somebody tell me where the twins are? - Arnav shouted across the common room. Couple of heads turned but none expressed any knowledge on this subject. Maami-ji suggested:

- Maybe they are in the garden; I saw them chase Laddoo to the door...

Arnav's head turned towards the glass door that led to the play garden - but nothing magically appeared as a response to his demanding gaze. He was about to exit when his Di came in whispering something to a little girl she was holding. The girl giggled happily and then turned around calmly as if nothing was happening. She was a lady, after all!

Arnav asked again:

- Di, have you seen the twins?

- No, Chote... - Anjali winked at little girl causing one more fit of laughter and giggles from her, - but we've heard them. They are in the play garden with Khushi and Laddoo. I think they were playing catch...

Arnav groaned:

- That's what I was afraid of! Leave it to Khushi to play catch with two little boys and a puppy! She's pregnant, for God sakes! What is she thinking about?!

- My thinking abilities are quite all right, thank you very much! - announced Khushi's voice when she came in with two dark-haired boys in a tow. Her face was victorious... and really dirty. As her clothes. And both boys. And labrador-retriever puppy called Laddoo.

Anjali chuckled:

- Khushi, are you sure you were playing catch and not making mud cookies?

Laddoo heard "cookies" and ran off to the kitchen to grab a bite. In a meantime Khushi waved off Di's accusations:

- The water hose may have been involved in my escape plan from these two... and I was successful! But I'm telling you - these are definitely little demons! I guess, like father - like son!

- I beg your pardon, bhabhi, but when did I ever express any demonic behavior? - asked soft voice that came from the entrance door. Javed gave his briefcase and travel bag to the servant and went to join the family.

Little girl leaped to the floor and ran towards Javed, two boys were chasing her, spreading dirt all over pale beige floor.

- Papa! Daddy! Taya!

Javed kneeled to get all the kids in his wide embrace. He kissed them all and then took the girl in his hands and stood up. Javed asked her very seriously:

- Annu, from the way twins look I'm guessing they weren't behaving when I was away?

Annu shook her head and gave out theatrical sight of despair:

- Papa, they ran away. I can't play with Laddoo. Bad twins!

Javed eyed boys sternly and looked back to his daughter:

- Well, chéri, we'll see what we can do about that... maybe, we'll get you your own puppy... how does it sound?

- Yes! Yes! Yes! - Annu was almost jumping on Javed's hand and clapping loudly.

Boys already ran back to Khushi making another muddy path. Javed entered the common room and went to stand by his wife. He whispered something to her ear - probably something very intimate because Anjali blushed instantly and looked away biting her lips to conceal her smile. Everybody pretended not to notice this little personal moment - Javed was away for over a week and it was understandable why he wouldn't wait for privacy to adore his wife so openly.

To change subject Arnav went back to his initial complaint:

- Khushi, what were you thinking rolling in the mud with twins? You're pregnant!

Khushi came closer to him but didn't touch him yet. She said calmly but firmly:

- Arnav, I wasn't rolling in the mud, just got dirty because of all the puddles we've made. And I'm only three month pregnant, it's not like I can't move around... I'm not sick, you know...

Arnav shrugged with bad memories... Of all the kids in the family, arrival of their son Kaan was the most problematic and even dangerous... doctors had to go for emergency C-section to save his son... so this time Arnav wasn't taking any chances!

- Khushi, if something... I...

- Shhh... - Khushi came closer circling Arnav's waist with her hands, - everything will be fine. I am fine. Our little girl is fine. I promise.

Arnav smiled shyly:

- You can't know it's a girl.

Khushi tilted her head and answered stubbornly:

- And yet I do. You've already given me two sons; this time I want a girl! Because if it's a boy... get used to see me rolling in a mud pregnant again!

Everybody laughed at this pretend threat - Khushi kept saying they needed to even up the boys/girls quotation in the house so her little bundle of joy had to be a girl! Or the next one... or the next one... as long as it took! Javed secretly made a bet with Akash about the gender of this baby - Akash was sure it's going to be a boy, Javed was sure Khushi can't be wrong. They had to wait six more months to find out which one was it.

...

Khushi turned around and caught one of the twins who was chewing tassels on her dupatta. She raised him to eyes level and said very seriously:

- Omi, don't do this! It's dirty! Let's go clean up - I will give you my new dupatta to chew on.

Nani-ji who was sitting on sofa with two of her closet friends explained to them:

- Omi is teething so he uses crocheted beads on Khushi's dupattas as chewing toy.

Both ladies nodded with understanding and Nani-ji asked Khushi:

- And what about Kaan? Does he still have trouble sleeping?

Khushi straitened her son's curly hair and answered:

- No, I apply Bua-ji's herbal powder and his teeth don't bother him at night. He sleeps well now.

With that Khushi took both boys by the hand and went to the closest bathroom to get them cleaned as promised. Anjali left Annu with Javed and went to the boys' room to pick new clothes for them.

Arnav followed his wife with concerned gaze and sighted:

- I'll go finish that contract and I'm done for today. The driver will bring Aarav in two hours. Is there anything you need from me, Jev?

Javed who was murmuring something to his daughter halted and looked at Arnav for a long second trying to understand the questing he missed. Arnav repeated patiently:

- Jev, focus! Birthday party for Annu and Omi! Do you need my help with arrangements?

Javed shrugged:

- I wish I knew, bhai. The ladies were doing all the preparations; I was left out the same way you were... I think we are on assembly duty only - you should bring Aarav from school... and Shashi-ji and Garima-ji from the medical center.

Javed looked at Nani-ji and asked:

- I guess, Bua-ji and Maama-ji are home?

Maami-ji answered instead:

- Sure that unbearable woman is home! She's always where she can irritate me the most!

Nani-ji answered regally giving Manorama a stern look:

- Yes, Javed, beta, they are home. And we'd already sent one of the drivers to pick up Khushi's and Payal's parents. What about your parents - are they coming?

Javed nodded tiredly:

- Yeah, I need to pick them up at the airport in two hours. Just enough time to freshen up... I feel like I live in the airport these days.

Arnav took pity on his miserable friend:

- Bhai, I can pick them up on my way from the office. You stay and get kids ready - it's as much your party as theirs.

Javed looked at his daughter and told her in conspiratorial tone:

- So today papa gets to ride a pony too!

He turned to Arnav's to accept his generous offer:

- Thank you, bhai, you're my savior! To be honest I'm exhausted! 17 hours flight! I'm a dead man walking!

Arnav said moving past Javed:

- Don't be dramatic, Javed, it's not your first time. Anyway, I have to go, see you later.

Arnav nodded his goodbyes to Maami-ji, Nani-ji and her guests and left from the side exit that led to garage. Javed also paid his adieus to the ladies with impeccable bow that was very graceful considering he held a little girl. Nani-ji smiled letting them go - and so Javed took Annu away telling her some funny story about bunnies he'd met when he changed flights in Amsterdam.

...

Tiny old lady with big round spectacles that made her look like an owl asked:

- Devyani, I'm confused here... I thought Annu and Omi were twins - yet it seems like everybody calls Omi and Kaan twins.

Nani-ji nodded along with a question - she'd heard it before, she was used to answering it:

- You see, Padme, Omi and Kaan are so much alike - both in appearance and personality - that we call them twins. Maybe because their fathers are very much alike too or because twins are only two month apart and they grow up together...

She remembered something fondly and smiled:

- You know, Javed took Anjali to Paris for their honeymoon... and one year later when his parents reconciled he invited the whole family to go back there for anniversary celebration. His mother, Genevieve, she is very exquisite, very sophisticated, very...

- ...French! - intruded Manorama earning herself one more stern glance from her saasu-ma. But Nani-ji couldn't scold Manorama for her rudeness just yet so she'd went on telling the story:

- While there Genevieve and Annu were mesmerized by each other so completely we barely saw any of them till the end of our one-month stay. When we came back we found out that we have ourselves a little French madmuazel - she's calm, dignified, but very strong-willed...

- My Asha is dignified too! - Manorama just couldn't keep it to herself feeling her granddaughter left out of praise. Nani-ji gave her the look that said "much more than you are" but out loud she said:

- Yes, Asha is very much a lady too; she and Annu are great friends already. It's nice to have a lot of kids in the house - they always have somebody to play with.

The other old lady in a bright pink saree asked:

- What about Aarav? He's so much older, how is he with little ones?

- He's great... very mature, very responsible... and very naughty! Most of the times the kids get into trouble are by carrying out one of Aarav's genius plans... But he is great! It actually was him who gave Annu and Omi their nicknames.

- Oh, really? I didn't know those were nicknames...

Manorama let out forced laughter:

- Please, Ritu-ji, what kind of name would it be - "Omi Khan"? His full name is Omar, from Arabic "life". And Annu originally was Annette - her grandmother insisted on a French name. I think it means "grace" or something like that...

Padme-ji thought of another question along these lines:

- Well, I know that Asha is Sanskrit for "hope", but what does Kaan mean? Is it Hindu name?

Manorama hurried to answer before her saasu-ma:

- It's a weird one! It's Turkish, it means "khan" or "king". Maybe its because Khushi's obsession with Salman Khan... or it has something to do with Javed...

- Manorama!

Nani-ji was fuming because of the suggestive tone Manorama used for this last part... her bahu was up for an earful later today! But to address this outrageous idea she said quickly:

- Arnav gave his son this name... yes, Kaan is named after his uncle... our family owes a lot to Javed... Arnav felt this was a nice retribution. Also... Kaan Singh Raizada sounds good, don't you think?

Both ladies nodded immediately - indeed, it was such an unusual yet fitting combination. Manorama snorted displeased that her clever gossip material was disregarded so easily. She stood up and excused herself:

- I'll be going, ladies, my son and his family will soon come back from their shopping trip - they were buying presents for Omi and Annu - and I need to arrange some refreshments for them. Our servants are so lazy - they wouldn't do a thing without my command.

Nani-ji waved her off:

- Yes, Manorama, go, be useful some place else. We'll have the whole evening to talk...

That sounded like a threat and Manorama knew she was in a big trouble. She gulped audibly and left the room. Nani-ji turned to her guest eager to talk more about her big happy family.

...

Somewhere in the depth of the huge house Shantivan now was Anjali came to her room. She'd already put girls to sleep, Khushi was taking care of boys... so next few hours were the calm before party storm will engulf in their house.

Javed was just out of the shower, drying his broad chest with a towel. He heard her enter the room... recognized the sound of her bracelets... the delicate aroma of that French perfume he gave her for her last birthday... the warm feeling that spread across his body when she was around. It was all just too much to be away from her - Javed crossed their bedroom in few wide steps... Anjali was taking off her bracelets but stopped the moment Javed's hands embraced her from behind. She leaned backward letting him to burry his face in her hair - he loved the sensation of her hair, she loved the tingling feeling down her back that his breath caused...

- I've missed you, milady...

- I've missed you too... Oh, Javed, I've missed you so much! - Anjali turned around to kiss him, her hands got lost in his wet tousled curls, her mind got lost in his presence...

Anjali could never tiptoe to kiss Javed because of her bad leg... he bent a little, caught her by the waist and lifted her off the floor. He carried his wife across the room and carefully lowered her to the bed. Javed was already breathless when he whispered:

- You have no right to be so beautiful... I've almost fallen to my knees when I saw you downstairs. Spare me, milady, your husband don't have that much self-restraint...

His voice broke now and then when he was placing soft kisses on Anjali's neck. She tilted her head back to give him better access... and kept playing with poor man's emotions:

- My husband should not tell me such things in front of people, I felt like I was burning and everybody was watching...

"Oh, so you want to talk? Two can play this game!" Javed thought to himself and parried:

- You're right, next time when you'll try to kill me with your gorgeous looks, I will skip the compliments and go directly to telling you how my body missed yours and what I'm planning to do about it once we reach the bedroom... Like... I will mention that sensitive spot on the nape of your spine... and how you like it when I bite there lightly...

- Mari... - Anjali moaned arching in his hands. She was blind at this point - her eyes saw nothing but the pictures Javed was describing to her ear with that special rich velvet voice that melted her bones. Every time.

- Yes, milady, yes... Vos désirs sont des ordres.

...Javed's last coherent thought had been "I hope Arnav didn't guess the real reason he's picking up my parents". But... Javed couldn't care less - hell could've broken loose but his heaven was with him. Javed was home.