Tip #4

Never Forget That You Are A Father Too!

‘Akanksha…Akanksha?’ Shrey was shouting like a maniac in the lobby of his palatial house.

‘What happened? Why are you screaming?’ Akanksha asked from the stairs.

‘I’m going out with Abhinav. He’s coming to fetch me, so I won’t be able to take the boys out today.’

‘Of course, you can! Take them with you wherever you’re going, they’ll be fine.’

‘No, I can’t! I mean, Abhinav and I are hanging after a long time, and we’re going to a bar in a mall and watch football there. A man carrying two babies in a beer bar won’t look cool, will it?’

‘Well, explain it to the boys then. They’ve been waiting for this day since weeks now!’ Akanksha tread upstairs leaving Shrey in dilemma.

Akshan and Nirvaan were now four years old, and old enough to understand everything. Shrey had promised them to take them out to a gaming section, but his sudden plan with Abhinav rendered him helpless. He couldn’t do anything but apologize to the boys for not being able to keep his promise.

‘NO!’ screamed Akshan, he wasn’t in a mood to listen to any excuse when he had made all the plans for the big day. He was dressed up in a Ben-10 tee-shirt and Nirvaan was wearing superman dress. They both were excited and cancellation of this plan came as an unexpected blow.

‘But you said you’ll take us, this is unfair!’ Akshan tried to be the logical one.

‘Yes, you are not a good human being, dad, you lie!’ Nirvaan tried to be moralistic one!

‘Fine, fine, let’s go. But don’t tell your mom that I was with uncle Abhinav, okay? I will drop you off to the gaming section of the mall, and I will be in a restaurant with uncle. If you need me, ask the instructor there to drop a call, got it?’

The boys were overjoyed. The dressing up finally paid off. Akshan wore his green Ben-10 watch to match his tee, while Nirvaan was trying hard to wear an underwear outside his costume.

‘What are you doing?’ Akshan pointed at the pink underwear that was stuck between little Nirvaan’s tiny legs.

‘Superman wears this outside his dress, so I’m doing the same.’

‘But his is a red one, pink is so girly!’

‘Pink is similar to red, I don’t have a red one.’

‘You don’t have a red one, but you have a ‘pink’? Really?’ Akshan was a typical tiny Shrey, even when he was four.

‘No, this is not mine, I got this from mom’s cupboard.’

As they were discussing their costumes and dresses, Akanksha entered, ‘Aren’t you boys ready yet? Your dad is waiting outside, wait…what is this?’ She looked at the pair of undies stuck between Nirvaan’s legs.

‘What the hell? Who gave it to you?’ Akanksha immediately took it off and put it aside. She was so angry that she would even kill her husband today if Nirvaan would accuse his daddy for handing him his mom’s undergarments to complete his superman look. But the boy was honest and admitted that the pair of pink panties was his own discovery from Akanksha’s cupboard.

‘Nirvaan, baby you’re a grown up boy now, and you have to understand this that mom’s belongings are not to be touched or stolen. This is not a good habit. Now go!’ Akanksha sent the boys off, and Abhinav came to fetch them all.

‘Take care of the boys and don’t leave them alone.’ Akanksha instructed Shrey.

‘I won’t, don’t worry.’ Shrey replied, ‘Bye mom…’ screamed the boys and even Shrey.

‘Dude, are you seriously taking your kids along?’ Abhinav was confused as three of them hopped inside his car.

‘No, start the car and I’ll explain it on the way.’ Shrey narrated the entire story and advised him not to have kids ever in his life! They reached the mall in half an hour and the boys couldn’t resist going to the gaming section.

‘Yay! We are finally here, yes!’ excitement was visible from their faces and expressions.

‘Okay, come’on…’ Shrey and Abhinav went to the gaming section with the boys and dropped them off there. The instructor was handed over some money to take care of them, and provide them tickets and coins to play for as long as they wanted. Abhinav and Shrey then entered the bar, drank and watched football. Fifa wasn’t a thing to be missed after all!

After two hours, when the match was finally over, Shrey and Abhinav left for home. Abhinav dropped him off and Akanksha was standing at the door waiting for them.

‘The match was sexy as hell. I swear I had a heart-attack when Argentina couldn’t score a goal, but thank god in the last minutes they did, fucking hell…’ Shrey was still lost in the bliss of football. He was brought back to reality by Akanksha, ‘That all is fine, where are the boys?’

‘Oh, here they are…Akshan, Nirvaan, come’on…’ Shrey was drunk and was blindly pointing at the door. Nobody answered.

‘I can’t believe it, Shrey. You are such a careless and irresponsible father! I can’t just believe it that you left the boys in the mall!’ Akanksha almost had tears in her eyes. It was 11 pm and Shrey had left the boys in the mall.

‘Well, I know they were with me when we left…’

‘Then where are they now?’ Akanksha called up Abhinav, and he handed his phone to Natasha.

‘Hey sister, what happened? Abhinav is drunk and not in a state to talk…’

‘Well, Abhinav is at least not in a state to talk, look at your brother-in-law, he’s not in a state to even think. He left the boys at the mall and returned home shamelessly. Ask Abhinav if the boys were with them when they left?’ Akanksha was tensed and worried.

Natasha asked Abhinav, who had no clue of what she was speaking.

‘I’m sorry Akanksha, I don’t think Abhinav is even listening. Don’t worry, I’m coming and we will go to see if the boys are still there. Till then, make a call to the mall if you have any number…’

‘Yes, I have the number of the gaming section, wait…hold on…’ Akanksha touched some numbers on her touch-pad and called the gaming section.

‘Hello, I’m Akanksha Chauhan, actually my husband left our sons with you in the evening, are they still there?’

‘What kind of children you have, madam? We close down at 10, but these kids, they refused to leave and are still playing games. And the number your husband gave, nobody picked a single call. Please come and take them, and let our employees get some sleep!’ the manager was irritated.

‘Thank god!’ Akanksha sighed and as she disconnected the call, Natasha was there on her door with her car. They both went to the mall and fetched the boys. Akanksha had to pay double the amount for the time and coins, boys spent in there but she was happy that they were safe.

‘Mom, we had so much fun! I will ask dad to get us here next week, again…’ Akshan had the best time of his life and was happy that they could play till wee hours.

‘Alright, but next time, your mom will be with you, and not dad. Tell me, where was your dad when you were playing?’

‘Dad was never with us, he just dropped us here and went with uncle Abhinav. And he didn’t come to get us either…’ Nirvaan said.

‘Oh, I see…’ Akanksha was fuming with anger inside. She thanked Natasha for dropping her home, and slept the boys. After that she went to her bedroom, where Shrey was sleeping shamelessly.

‘I still don’t understand what kind of father you are! Your sons were left at the mall because of your stupidity, and you’re sleeping carefree here? Get out…’

‘What? Is it morning? So early?’

‘No, it’s midnight, and I don’t want you or your lazy attitude anywhere near me, now get out of this room. The boys are sleeping here with me tonight.’

‘What? You got them? From where?’

‘WHAT? You intentionally left them at the mall, you selfish prick?’ Akanksha pushed him from the bed and Shrey managed to get up.

‘No, I mean, I’m so happy they’re back. Sweet angels, come here…’ Shrey was blindly rocking here and there in hangover. Akanksha pushed him on the couch, and he slept immediately.

She slapped her head. Shrey could never grow up!