Bonus Chapter-5（The tiny Malhotras）
Few Years Later.
If someone had told me years ago that my life would end up like this,
I would've laughed in their face.
Because Riya Rajput.
The ruthless businesswoman.
The woman who terrified boardrooms.
Was currently being held hostage.
By a two-year-old.
And a six-month-old.
"NOOOOOOOO."
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The daily battle cry.
I walked into the living room.
And immediately found the culprit.
Avi Malhotra.
Age: 2.
Occupation: Professional Menace.
Face: Dhruv's exact copy.
Same eyes.
Same hair.
Same expressions.
Same attitude.
Same stubbornness.
Unfortunately.
He stood on the sofa.
Tiny arms crossed.
Tiny brows furrowed.
Tiny face full of attitude.
Just like his father.
Dhruv sat opposite him on the couch.
Also with arms crossed.
Also glaring.
The resemblance was honestly terrifying.
I looked between them.
"What's happening?"
Dhruv pointed at Avi.
"He called me old."
I blinked.
"What?"
Avi pointed back.
"Dadda old."
Dhruv looked offended.
"I'm in my thirties!."
Avi nodded seriously.
"Vewy old."
I turned away.
Trying not to laugh.
Dhruv looked at me.
"Riya."
"I didn't say anything."
"You laughed."
"I absolutely did."
A tiny squeal suddenly came from nearby.
We all turned.
And found Ayra.
Six months old.
Chubby cheeks.
Tiny curls.
Huge eyes.
And absolutely no fear.
None.
Zero.
She sat on the carpet.
Holding a TV remote she'd somehow stolen.
Again.
I sighed.
"How did she get that?"
Dhruv sighed.
"No idea."
Ayra immediately shoved the remote into her mouth.
I rushed forward.
"Ayra!"
She growled.
Actually growled.
Like a tiny angry tiger.
Dhruv started laughing.
"She got that from you."
I gasped.
"Excuse me?"
"Look at her."
Ayra glared at me.
Then shoved the remote further into her mouth.
I pointed dramatically.
"THAT is you."
Dhruv looked proud.
Honestly proud.
Like our daughter committing crimes was some achievement.
"DADDDDAAAA."
Avi suddenly climbed onto Dhruv.
Immediately.
Like a monkey.
Dhruv caught him automatically.
Avi grabbed his face.
"Dadda."
"What?"
"I luv you."
Dhruv instantly melted.
Immediately.
Gone.
Finished.
The mighty Dhruv Malhotra reduced to mush.
Just like that.
"I love you too."
Avi smiled.
Then slapped Dhruv's cheek.
Hard.
I choked.
Dhruv froze.
Avi pointed.
"No shave."
Silence.
Then I burst out laughing.
Because apparently Avi hated stubble.
And had been campaigning against it for months.
Just then,
The front door opened.
And in walked the true ruler of this family.
Dhruv's mother.
The grandmother.
The destroyer of discipline.
The spoiler of children.
The reason Avi and Ayra had become impossible.
She entered carrying six shopping bags.
Immediately.
I knew trouble had arrived.
Dhruv groaned.
"Ma."
She smiled.
"My babies!"
Avi gasped dramatically.
"DADIIIIIIIII." (Translation: Grandmother)
Then launched himself toward her.
Five seconds ago he loved Dhruv.
Now?
Gone.
Forgotten.
Dadi had arrived.
Nothing else mattered.
Dhruv's mother scooped him up.
Kissing his cheeks repeatedly.
"My handsome boy."
Avi nodded proudly.
"Hansum."
I rolled my eyes.
Then she looked at Ayra.
And instantly melted.
"Oh my princess."
Big mistake.
Huge mistake.
Because Ayra immediately grabbed her glasses.
And threw them.
Across the room.
Dhruv's mother gasped.
"Ayra!"
Ayra laughed.
A full evil villain laugh.
At six months old.
I swear that child enjoyed violence.
Dhruv picked her up.
Holding her against his chest.
She immediately pulled his hair.
Hard.
He winced.
"Demon."
Ayra smiled.
Showing two tiny baby teeth.
Then pulled harder.
Meanwhile,
Dhruv's mother had started unpacking gifts.
More toys.
More clothes.
More nonsense.
I looked horrified.
"No."
She ignored me.
"Look what Dadi bought."
Avi gasped.
A toy car.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
"Dadi!"
My son looked like he'd won the lottery.
I looked like I was about to file a complaint.
"Ma."
"What?"
"They already have toys."
"So?"
"There are hundreds."
"So?"
Dhruv looked at me.
Then at his mother.
Then wisely decided not to get involved.
Coward.
Avi suddenly pointed toward the staircase.
"Dadda."
"What?"
"Up."
"No."
"UP."
"No."
Avi narrowed his eyes.
The exact same way Dhruv did during negotiations.
I immediately noticed.
And burst out laughing.
Dhruv noticed too.
"Oh no."
Avi pointed again.
"UP."
"No."
Silence.
Then,
Avi dramatically threw himself backward.
Onto the carpet.
"DADDA MEAN."
I screamed laughing.
Dhruv looked horrified.
"WHO TAUGHT HIM THAT?"
I pointed at him.
"YOU."
A few minutes later,
I sat beside Dhruv on the couch.
Ayra sleeping against his chest.
Tiny fist wrapped around his shirt.
Avi asleep beside Dadi.
Toy car still clutched in his hand.
The mansion had finally become quiet.
For once.
I leaned against Dhruv.
Exhausted.
Happy.
Peaceful.
He kissed my forehead.
Looking down at our children.
His expression softer than I'd ever seen.
Years ago.
The world feared him.
Businessmen feared him.
Politicians feared him.
Entire industries feared him.
Now?
His greatest enemy was a toddler who called him old.
And a baby who pulled his hair.
I smiled.
"You know."
"Hm?"
"You used to threaten billionaires."
He looked at Avi sleeping.
Then at Ayra.
And sighed.
"These two are scarier."
I laughed.
He laughed too.
Then wrapped an arm around me.
Pulling me closer.
And for a moment,
Everything felt perfect.
No betrayals.
No kidnappings.
No revenge.
No pain.
Just us.
A family.
The family we'd fought so hard to find.
And as I watched my husband holding our daughter while our son snored loudly beside his grandmother,
I realized something.
After everything we'd survived...
This.
This was always the happy ending.
Saturday.
Which meant one thing.
Family day.
No board meetings.
No mergers.
No billion-dollar deals.
Just Dhruv.
Me.
And our two tiny terrorists.
Unfortunately, those two terrorists had somehow convinced us to take them shopping.
A luxurious mall in London.
I walked beside Dhruv.
Ayra sat on his shoulders.
Because apparently normal parents carried children.
My husband carried them like royalty.
The six-month-old menace happily sat up there.
Tiny hands tangled in his hair.
Using his head as public property.
"Dadaaa."
Dhruv sighed.
"What now?"
She smacked his forehead.
Then giggled.
I laughed.
Dhruv looked offended.
"Your daughter assaulted me."
"Our daughter."
"Mostly yours."
Ayra immediately smacked him again.
Harder.
I laughed even more.
Meanwhile,
Avi had somehow escaped.
Again.
"DADDA!"
We turned.
And found him sprinting through the mall.
Tiny sneakers flashing.
Holding a giant stuffed dinosaur almost as big as himself.
"LOOK."
Dhruv pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Where did that come from?"
Avi pointed proudly.
"Mine."
"No."
"Yesh."
"No."
"Yesh."
"No."
Avi gasped dramatically.
Then turned toward me.
"Mama."
I sighed.
"How much?"
The saleswoman smiled.
"Only ￡600."
Dhruv nearly choked.
I burst out laughing.
Avi hugged the dinosaur tighter.
"Dino stay."
Dhruv stared at him.
Avi stared back.
The exact same expression.
The exact same stubbornness.
The exact same eyes.
I immediately pulled out my phone.
Taking a picture.
Because nobody would believe this otherwise.
One hour later.
The dinosaur had been purchased.
Obviously.
Because nobody in this family could ever say no to Avi.
Especially not Dhruv.
Next stop.
The arcade.
Avi's favorite place.
The second we entered—
He vanished.
Immediately.
Straight toward the racing games.
"DADDA LOOK."
He climbed into a racing simulator.
Tiny hands gripping the steering wheel.
Tiny feet not even reaching the pedals.
"Dada I FAST."
Dhruv crossed his arms.
"You're literally stationary."
Avi ignored facts.
"DADA I WIN."
"Against who?"
Avi pointed randomly.
"Everybody."
I laughed.
Then looked toward Dhruv.
Who now crouched beside Ayra on the floor.
Holding her tiny hands while she aggressively tried to attack an arcade claw machine.
The machine was losing.
Badly.
The owner probably regretted letting her near it.
Ayra slapped the glass.
Then slapped it again.
Then tried biting it.
Dhruv sighed.
"Definitely your daughter."
I gasped.
"Why is everything bad mine?"
"Because everything violent is yours."
Fair.
Then,
A familiar voice spoke.
"Well."
"That's definitely Dhruv Malhotra."
I looked up.
And froze.
"Armaan?"
A smile appeared on my face immediately.
Because it had been years.
Years.
Armaan looked exactly the same.
Maybe a little older.
A little calmer.
But still Armaan.
Then my eyes fell on the tiny baby in his arms.
A little girl.
Huge eyes.
Curly hair.
Pink dress.
Absolutely adorable.
My heart melted instantly.
"Oh my God."
I stood immediately.
"Who's this angel?"
The little girl blinked.
Then hid her face against Armaan's shoulder.
Armaan laughed.
"This is Aria."
I melted further.
"She's beautiful."
Aria peeked at me again.
Then smiled.
My heart officially exploded.
Dhruv stood too.
Immediately moving closer beside me.
Possessive as always.
Armaan noticed.
Of course he noticed.
His smile widened slightly.
Still amused after all these years.
I looked around.
"Where's your wife?"
Armaan laughed.
"No wife."
I blinked.
"What?"
"No wife."
I looked confused.
Then at Aria.
Then back at him.
Armaan smiled softly.
"I adopted her."
My heart clenched.
"What?"
He looked down at the little girl.
The softness in his eyes immediately gave everything away.
"Best decision I ever made."
Aria grabbed his nose.
He laughed.
Kissing her tiny forehead.
And for a moment,
I could see it.
The happiness.
The peace.
The love.
The same way I looked at Avi and Ayra.
"She's gorgeous."
Armaan nodded.
"I know."
Proud father mode activated.
Completely.
"She runs my life."
I laughed.
"Welcome to parenthood."
Then,
Avi came running over.
"DADDA!"
Then froze.
Seeing Aria.
Aria froze too.
Seeing Avi.
Both toddlers stared at each other.
Suspiciously.
Like rival mafia bosses.
I immediately knew trouble was coming.
Avi pointed.
"Baby."
Aria pointed back.
"Baby."
Avi frowned.
"I'm Avi."
Aria blinked.
Then confidently replied,
"Baby."
I nearly died laughing.
Armaan looked at me.
Then at Dhruv.
Then smiled slightly.
A sad smile.
But peaceful.
Not painful anymore.
Just honest.
"You know."
He shifted Aria higher on his shoulder.
"You were my first love."
The words were calm.
I smiled gently.
Because I already knew.
Always had.
Armaan continued.
"But life works out the way it's supposed to."
His eyes moved toward Dhruv.
Then toward our children.
Then back to Aria.
"I got her."
He kissed Aria's head.
"And honestly?"
Aria immediately grabbed his hair.
He winced.
I laughed lightly.
Armaan laughed too.
"She's enough to keep me busy forever."
Then he looked at Dhruv.
A dangerous grin appearing.
Uh oh.
I knew that grin.
Dhruv knew that grin too.
Because his eyes narrowed immediately.
"What?"
Armaan smirked.
"Nothing."
"What."
Armaan shrugged.
"Just saying."
A pause.
"Next lifetime I'm finding her before you do."
Silence.
Dead silence.
I closed my eyes.
Here we go.
Dhruv stared.
Then slowly handed Ayra to me.
Like a man preparing for war.
"Next lifetime?"
Armaan nodded seriously.
"Next lifetime."
Dhruv folded his arms.
"Bold of you to assume I'd allow that."
I groaned.
"Oh my God."
Armaan laughed.
"I'm just saying."
Dhruv looked offended.
"No."
"I'll be there first too."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
Dhruv pointed at me.
"She's my soul."
I smacked his arm.
Immediately.
Armaan burst out laughing.
Then Avi suddenly tugged Dhruv's shirt.
"Dadda."
"What?"
Avi pointed at Aria.
"Can keep?"
Silence.
Armaan choked.
I choked.
Dhruv froze.
Aria smiled proudly.
"DADDA."
Avi pointed again.
"Can keep."
I burst into laughter so hard tears formed.
Armaan nearly dropped Aria laughing.
Even Dhruv lost his serious expression.
A few minutes later.
We all stood near the exit.
Getting ready to leave.
Armaan adjusted Aria in his arms.
I hugged him briefly.
Genuinely happy.
Because after everything,
he looked content.
Happy.
At peace.
And that mattered.
As we walked away,
Avi sat on Dhruv's shoulders.
Ayra in my arms.
The evening sun pouring through the mall windows.
I glanced back once.
Armaan stood there.
Aria holding his finger.
Both waving goodbye.
I waved back.
Then turned toward my family.
Toward my husband.
Toward the life we'd built together.
And honestly?
There wasn't a single thing I would've changed.