CHAPTER 65! FAMILY TIME #2
As they stepped onto the front porch, the subtle hum of two dark SUVs parked near the gate echoed in the driveway.
Armed men stood near the perimeter, standing at strict attention as the family emerged.
His phone vibrated against his thigh.
Aryav didn't pull it out.
He reached into his pocket, hit the side button to silence the call, and kept his eyes on his son, who was practically vibrating with excitement next to him.
His phone vibrated again. He didn't need to look at the screen to know it wouldn't be good news.
Aryav's jaw tightened subtly, his thumb pressing down harder to turn the device off completely.
Ayaan was already pulling his hand, pointing at the lead car, while Aadhira looked back at Aryav with a soft, knowing gaze.
She saw the tension in his shoulders, but for once, Aryav let the silence fall.
Ayaan was holding his hand. Aadhira was walking beside him.
And Aryav had spent too many years believing he had to lose them to keep them safe.
Not today.
.
.
.
"Mumma, please! It'll be so much fun," Ayaan pleaded, tugging at his mother's sleeve with a dramatic, two-handed pull.
Aadhira stood her ground, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "No, Ayaan. I am not going up there. You go with Papa. I'll wait right here."
Ayaan turned up his eyes, trying every trick in his small repertoire. "Please? We can all go together! The giant wheel isn't even scary, right, Papa?"
Ayaan turned toward Aryav with hopeful eyes.
Aryav stood between them, hands in his pockets, watching the argument unfold with the patient silence of a man who had long ago learned that getting involved in a battle between Aadhira and her stubbornness was a dangerous career choice.
Five minutes. Five whole minutes of Ayaan pleading and Aadhira refusing.
And if Aryav knew Aadhira as well as he believed he did, Ayaan was going to lose.
Winning an argument against Aadhira when she had made up her mind was practically impossible.
"Mumma, please come..." Ayaan tried one last time, his voice dropping into a desperate whine.
"No," Aadhira said, resolute.
Realizing his own negotiation skills had hit a wall, Ayaan looked up at his father with wide, pleading eyes.
Aryav finally stepped in. "Come on, Ayaan. We'll go ourselves."
He took his son's small hand, then added casually, without turning around, "Though you might want to tell Mumma that if some pretty didi ends up sitting beside me, it really won't be my fault."
Aadhira's head snapped toward him. Aryav looked completely innocent. Ayaan blinked.
Aryav continued, as though he were genuinely concerned, "You won't kill us afterward, will you?"
Aadhira stared at him. For one second, she said nothing. Then realization hit.
Bastard.
He was doing it deliberately. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew she hated the idea of other women breathing anywhere near him, and now he had planted the image in her head before they had even reached the ride.
There might not even be any girls. But now It didn't matter. The damage was already done.
Aadhira narrowed her eyes at him. "You're manipulating me."
Aryav's mouth twitched. "I would never do that to you, Aadhira."
She stared at him, unblinking. "You're already doing it."
"And still you're not coming."
Ayaan was already bouncing with excitement. "Mumma, please!"
Aadhira rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm coming."
Ayaan threw both hands into the air. "Yes!"
Aadhira glared at Aryav. "You're looking far too pleased with yourself."
"I got what I wanted."
"You manipulated me."
Aryav offered a slight, victorious smirk. "I'm simply happy my family is joining me."
Something about the way he said my family made her irritation soften before she could stop it. She looked away, muttering, "Come."
Moments later, the three of them settled into the swinging metal cab of the ferris wheel.
As the attendant secured the safety bar with a loud metallic clack, Aadhira's composure began to fray. She rubbed her hands together, her palms cold and damp with nervous sweat.
Ayaan, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear-until the wheel lurched forward and began its slow, heavy ascent.
The moment the ground dropped beneath them, his brave front collapsed.
"Papaaaaa...." Ayaan let out a sharp yell and dove sideways, landing face-first in Aryav's lap with his arms wrapped tightly around his father's waist.
Aadhira wasn't faring much better. A sudden gust of wind rocked the cabin, and she swallowed back a gasp, clutching the metal edge.
Before she could spiral, Aryav reached out, his arm wrapping firmly around her waist.
With effortless strength, he pulled her flush against his side. She didn't fight it. Sliding closer, she pressed her forehead into the firm warmth of his chest and squeezed her eyes shut, letting his steady breathing anchor her until the wheel finally ground to a halt.
When they stepped back onto solid ground, Aadhira smoothed her outfit and threw a playful glare at her son.
"Well? Ayaan it's so much fun right?Do you want to go again?"
Ayaan pouted, hiding slightly behind his father. "Mumma don't tease me but I will go if Dad promises to hold me again."
"Oh, so Papa is your personal safety belt now?" Aadhira teased softly, the lingering adrenaline finally melting away.
Ayaan nodded with absolute seriousness. "Yes."
Aryav glided a hand over the boy's head. "Now, where to next?"
Ayaan pointed excitedly toward a brightly lit game booth nearby. "There!"
As they walked up, the stall owner greeted them with a wide smile. Ayaan immediately leaned over the counter.
"Uncle, I want that Captain America!"
"Step right up, kiddo!" the stall owner said, handing Ayaan a stack of five plastic rings. "Land a ring over any prize on the board, and it's yours to take home."
Ayaan looked at the colorful layout, his eyes landing instantly on a detailed Captain America action figure nestled deep in the center.
But instead of throwing them himself, he turned and pushed the rings into Aryav's hands. "Papa, you do it for me. I want that Captain America."
Aryav raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"
"Because you're Papa."
Apparently, that was explanation enough.
Aryav took the rings, stepping up to the wooden counter. "Alright. Let's try."
He tossed the first ring. It clipped the top of the action figure's box and bounced off onto the floor.
Ayaan's shoulders slumped, but he put on a brave face. "It's okay! We still have four more."
Aryav threw the second. It sailed completely over the target area.
The third ring landed closer, skimming the base before rattling away. Ayaan's face fell completely.
He looked up at the stall owner, his voice small. "Uncle Can we please get more chances than five?"
The shopkeeper smiled sympathetically but shook his head. "Sorry, little man. Rules are rules-five rings per turn."
Ayaan turned back to Aryav, clutching his shirt. "Papa, focus!"
"Okay, okay, let me try again." Aryav murmured softly, stepping up again. He tossed the fourth ring. It missed by a hair, skidding uselessly into a corner.
Ayaan swallowed hard, trying not to let his disappointment show. "It's fine, Papa. Let's just go."
Aadhira leaned down, gently touching Ayaan's back. "My little cupcake don't be sad baby, papa still have one chance left."
Ayaan nodded sadly, his eyes fixed on the ground, accepting defeat before it even happened.