13 Chapter 13

Janani followed Armaan out of the kids' room.

"Mr Verma?" Janani called out to gain his attention.

"Yes?" Armaan raised an eyebrow in enquiry

"I want to talk to you about something" Janani said hesitantly

"Go ahead" He told her

"It's just that, we need to go shopping." Janani said hesitantly not wanting to hurt his feelings.

And his ego!.

"Right! I was wondering when that demand would come" Armaan retorted dryly, making Janani frown.

But when she realised what he was implying she lost her cool.

Screw his feelings and ego!!

"Mr Verma, the designer wardrobe you have provided for your three year old little girl is neither practical nor comfortable. It would do your daughter some good if you could provide her with some casual clothes in which she can feel comfortable" Janani said equally dryly.

"Oh I thought" Armaan was cut off by the sarcastic look on Janani's face

"Of course you will think! Why am I not surprised?" She asked sarcastically

"Well, you do have quite a reputation Janani Trivedi" Armaan reminded her yet again

"Yeah, that's right! But what to do! Now I am off shopping, period! As you already know, my interests are pretty inconsistent. Don't worry, I will let you know when I regain my interest in shopping. Then you can take me shopping for a new wardrobe" she said airily, cocking her hip to one side and leaning against the wall giving him a bright smile.

Armaan scowled.

"Get ready. We will go shopping and buy things for Ava and Advi" Armaan said

"But Advi has everything" Janani said

"And I want to buy things for my son! Do I need your permission for that too Ms Trivedi?" Armaan asked gritting his teeth

"Well, it's your money. You can burn it for all I care" Janani said and turned around walking in to get the kids ready for the shopping.

Once she got herself and the kids ready, they came downstairs.

Ava was hesitant to come out of the room.

She had never stepped out of that room in the past three months.

But, then Janani had tempted her with the new comfortable clothes and toys.

"Janani? Is there any lunch left?" Aadesh asked, grinning at her.

Janani rolled her eyes.

So much for never using the home kitchen.

"Sure, do you want some too??" She asked turning to Armaan

"Oh no! He doesn't. He wouldn't want to get used to it" Aadesh said, smirking at his elder brother.

Janani shrugged and walked inside the kitchen and served lunch for Aadesh.

Aadesh took a bite and moaned.

"You have magic in your hands, Janani" Aadesh said making Janani chuckle

They looked up when Armaan took a seat next to Aadesh.

Aadesh in turn raised an eyebrow at his big brother.

"You want something Maan??" Aadesh asked cheekily

"We are going shopping. I don't want to waste their time stopping for lunch. So I will have something before we leave" Armaan said, glaring at his brother.

"But I thought you don't want to get used to this" Aadesh waved a hand across the kitchen island indicating the lunch

"Well, I am not getting used to anything. Today is just an aberration" Armaan said taking a plate for himself and looked at Janani waiting for her to serve.

Janani raised an eyebrow at his expectant look.

"Serve" he said curtly

"Ah!! Are we having a repeat performance from the morning?? If you had told me earlier I would have recorded it in the morning. We wouldn't have to waste our energy on the same thing" Janani retorted leaning against the kitchen island.

"You did serve him without complaining. Why this double standard, huh??" Armaan asked

"He was polite" Janani shrugged

Armaan pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Well, I do have two perfectly functioning hands" Armaan said, starting to serve himself.

"Sh*t Sherlock!! I thought you had only one" Janani said, making Armaan grunt in irritation.

Armaan took a bite and sighed.

He could forgive her if this is how she always cooks!!

"Have you heard of the saying Janani, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach??" Aadesh asked grinning and Janani nodded smiling

"I think you are already paving the road" Aadesh added

"My heart is off limits, Aadesh. No matter what" Armaan said wondering why Aadesh is making such statements

"Duh, I was talking about my heart" Aadesh said smirking earning a glare from his brother

*****

It's been an hour, they have been inside the baby shop.

It is the most happening baby shop in the city.

A wide range of things are available here.

Anything and everything a child under the age of five needs, you could find here.

They are in the clothes section now.

Advi is out like a count in his stroller and Armaan was standing guard for him while Janani has picked a variety of clothes for Ava and dropped it into the shopping bag which the sales woman is holding now

"Now we will go try all this" Janani beamed at Ava and picked her up walking towards the trial rooms.

"You are going to try all these??" Armaan asked in horror

There might at least be three dozen dresses inside the shopping bag.

"Of course. How else did you buy her previous wardrobe??" Janani asked frowning

"Er. I had a designer come home and take her measurements" Armaan said, rubbing his hands on the back of his neck.

"Wonderful" Janani said sarcastically and walked inside the trial room with Ava in her arms

"Would you like something to drink Mr Verma??" The manager who had been shadowing him since he entered the building asked.

"Whiskey" Armaan answered and the manager looked taken aback.

"Never mind" Armaan said waving him off

He sat on the couch and pulled Advi's stroller nearer and sighed.

He had cancelled an important meeting with a Japanese client for this unexpected shopping trip.

There would be heavy losses.

Then he remembered the smile on his little girl's face when Janani showed her a pretty yellow coloured frock.

It's worth every penny he lost!!

He heard some shuffling from the stroller and peeked in to see Advi stretching and yawning and opening his cute little eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment and then Advi let out a loud wail.

Armaan bent down and picked him up

"Hush baby, hush!!" Armaan tried to console his son, but he was inconsolable.

Advi grabbed a fistful of his father's hair and tugged at it making Armaan wince

"Uh oh" Armaan tried to gently pry Advi's fingers from his hair which made his grip stronger and wail louder.

"Mama" he cried loudly.

Armaan walked towards the trial room with a crying Advi.

"Janani, come out" he called urgently

Janani who heard Advi's angry wail came out with Ava

Janani made Ava sit on the couch and took Advi from Armaan.

"Armaan, can you please get me my bag"

Armaam immediately brought the bag and Janani took Advi's milk bottle from her bag.

"He is just hungry." Janani said

"How did you know he is hungry??" Armaan asked wondering how she can understand that

"I just know" Janani said and brought the bottle towards Advi's lip

Advi immediately latched on it and started sucking hungrily.

"Sit here" Janani asked Armaan to sit on the couch.

Armaan frowned and sat there

"Now hold him. Keep a hand under his head and another on the bottle" Janani said as she placed Advi in Armaan's lap.

"Me???" Armaan asked in absolute horror

"Nahi. Aap ka padosi." Janani said rolling her eyes

(No. Your neighbour)

"I don't know how" Armaan muttered awkwardly.

"Are you ,The great Armaan Verma telling me he can't even feed his own son??" Janani asked, gasping dramatically, making Armaan grit his teeth.

Armaan glared at her and held the bottle firmly.

Janani helped him position the baby comfortably in his arms.

Armaan looked down to see his son staring at him while drinking his milk.

His son!

He saw Janani taking a small tiffin box from her bag.There were some orange segments inside it.

She was feeding Ava the fruits.

"Ava, baby, spit out the seeds" Janani asked and Ava did so.

"If you didn't spit out the seeds, they will grow inside your stomach and become big trees" Janani was telling Ava with all the animations

He couldn't help but smile.

She does have her way with children.