Chapter 1

Sameer felt a hand beside his and pushed the shopping cart forward, moving a step ahead. She too stopped and looked at him. Sameer muttered a soft thanks' and she smiled. She seemed proud of her achievement.

Sameer signed, looking at his watch for the 7^th time now, when she looked at him concerned. As if she understood his impatience and helplessness, she stepped away from the line. Sameer tried to stop her, but she had already stepped forward, visibly counting the number of people waiting ahead in the queue before them.

Minutes later she returned back and made a sad pouted face at him.

'kya hua?' Sameer asked her,

'Dost 40 log hai..' she replied with wide shocked eyes,

'40?' Sameer asked her surprised,

She nodded her head vigorously accepting the fact.

Sameer leaned to count but could only find four people before him. He bend down to her and patted her cheeks softly,

'sirf 4, 40 kaise hue?' he asked, raising a brow at her,

She frowned at him and again stepped out.

'ye..10, 20, 30, 40,' she counted, hitting on the respective carts,

Everyone laughed at her along with Sameer who looked embarrassed and called her back with a hand gesture. She returned back glaring at each of them specially the tall man just before them. Sameer wrapped his arm around her shoulder and again pushed the cart ahead.

'Sir pehele ap karwa lijiye, warna apki beti mujhe ghur ghur ke hi yaha se nikal degi,' the tall handsome man in the front laughed, earning another glare from her,

'nehi, ap pehele hai, ap bill karwa lijiye,, she understands, bas uski aakhein thori zyada bari hai,' Sameer replied, smiling back at the man while the beast kept her glaring sessions ongoing.

She turned her face away and looked around but her eyes again darted back to the man in front, who was now watching both of them quietly.

The man looked at Sameer, who seemed to be a victim of her tantrums, but was enjoying that. Sameer would pull her curly locks and she would make different faces. Sameer would then wink at her and she would return the most heart wrenching smile back. It could melt anyone's heart.

The tall man took the shopping bags and turned to leave, smiling and patting the devil's head. But she was efficient enough to dodge his palm and held onto Sameer's lose hand tight giving him a winning smile.

In the next 10 minutes Annu was jumping and hopping along the road to their home, holding onto her dad's left hand, while the other held loads of heavy shopping bags.

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Akansha Rathod, aka annu, is the 4 year old daughter of ACP Ayesha Kapoor Rathod, from her first marriage.

Annu as she was called by her mother, happened to meet Sameer Rathod, the current chief of ETF, like a miracle on one of his lonely days in mumbai.

While helping this dangerously sweet and innocent lady to buy a bunch of white lilies, Sameer was smitten by her loving close gestures and thus he became her dost.'  

Annu didn't have a father and was unknown of any fatherly affection before. But after meeting Sameer and getting his endless love and endearment, Annu was all ready to accept him as her father.

It wasn't too long when Annu was the happiest person to know she would stay with her dost, along with her mother, in the same house. Sameer and Ayesha had finally decided to fall in love and get married.

It wasn't an easy task though for two bruised souls to get married, but thats a different story. Annu had the power to heal their wounds and she had won with winning colors.

So after getting certified from annu, as the best parents in her universe, they are now a happy family of three.

It has been 9 months annu and Ayesha is staying with Sameer. Many things have changed between them, but some things never change. Neither did they want them to change.

Ayesha had started calling 'Sam', instead of 'Rathore Sir.' Sameer had started learning to balance his family life along with his work efficiently. Annu and Ayesha are his lifelines now.

But few things were still the same. Annu still called Sameer, 'Dost,' instead of 'Papa' or 'Dad'. Though Ayesha had tried to reason and rectify her, but it was only on rare occasion when annu called Sameer 'papa'. Sameer never objected Annu and even saved her from her mother's rebuke. He loved to hear 'dost' from her. It brought him more close to his daughter.

For annu, her dost was a superman and her mumma, a superwoman and she was their super child.

A day back, Ayesha had a conference to attend and left for Pune. The house was now left at the guidance of Sameer and Annu. Though Ayesha had done her bit to keep her home, a home' but Annu had other plans.

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Sameer woke up in the morning to find annu sleeping on his arm, her face leaning towards his neck. She had a peaceful face and her mouth was open making it a perfect O'. Sameer smiled and wrapped his arms carefully around her. She cuddled more onto him, almost getting on him.

Sameer too didn't reject. He pulled her closer and eventually she was sleeping on him, with her head resting on his broad chest. He ran his fingers in her curly hair and the locks fell on her nose. She nuzzled her nose on his chest and turned her face to the other side.

Sameer smiled at that and blew into her face. She frowned and placed her small palm on his lips.

'papa,' she muttered and pouted, eyes still closed, hands dangling at the sides,

Addressing him as Papa normally meant she is irritated and angry. Sameer loved her wrath. He again blew into her face and she shifted. She pulled her chest up and opened her eyes.

'Good morning,' Sameer greeted, giving her a goofy smile,

Annu fell back on his chest and muttered good molning,' on his skin.

Sameer held her back, she seemed tired and sleepy.

'aj morning jog pe chalogi mere saath?' Sameer asked her, patting her hair,

'jogging?' her eyes widened and she looked up.

Annu normally had school in the morning and had to skip jogging to get ready in time. Jogging was only meant for holidays. Her lips curled into a smile and she nodded her head vigorously.

'to chalo ready ho jate hai,' Sameer said and got up, while she hang herself from his neck.

The next few minutes were the toughest time for Sameer. He had to comb her tiny curls and tie them up in a bunch. The comb would get stuck in her locks and she would yell and scold him giving him instructions about combing hair.

Sameer was sweating and breathing out trying to tie her hair, but finally managed to get a hold of it. He quickly pulled up the bunch on top of her head and tied it with a fancy band. She was looking like a rice sack, with the mouth of the sack, tied with a nylon rope.

Annu got down from the bed to look into the mirror but Sameer picked her up and took her outside.

'Hum late ho jayenge jaldi chalo, ake dekh lena,' he told her, when she protested.

Annu couldn't understand anything for the sudden hurry, but Sameer knew, annu would start crying and yelling once she looks at herself, with the flowery knot right at the top of her head.

The jogging spree was fun. The daughter kept her pace well with her father, while the father, lowered his pace sometimes to keep up with his daughter. After half an hour of jogging both were tired and sat down on the grass. Annu was sweating and breathing sharply, sitting beside him when she felt his hand on hers. She forced a smile at him and took the bottle of water.

Sameer made her sip the water slowly and she relaxed.

They waited for sometime and headed back home. Today there wasn't anyone to receive them. Normally Ayesha would wait at the door.

Both entered the house and Sameer asked annu to change while he went inside the kitchen to arrange their breakfast. Years of loneliness has taught Sam a lot of culinary skills. He quickly made a nice breakfast for both of them and set the plates. Annu too had come down, changed in her casual clothes.

Both sat with their respective breakfasts. Annu pushed her glass of milk aside and dragged Sam's coffee, while he was busy reading the newspaper. Sam unknowingly held onto the glass of milk and sipped it. That's when he realized the mischief and looked at his monster. She was happily sipping the coffee, blowing into it.

'Annu, kya hai ye?' he asked her,

'mumma ne kaha hai, papa ka khayal lakhna, milk is good fol hea..l..t' she replied,

'mumma ki bachi, milk tumhare liye hai, coffee idhar do,' Sameer forwarded the glass and snatched his mug from her,

Annu glared at him and resumed back to her cereal. She munched onto the cereal all the while looking at her 'dost'. Sameer had gone back to his crime section and the half finished coffee mug was on the table.

Annu pressed her lips and leaned onto the mug. She dragged it towards her and poured half of the milk from her glass into it. She kept the mug back and resumed back to her cereal.

Sam was searching for the mug from behind the paper and found it missing. He looked on the table and found Annu pouring her milk into it. His coffee was spoilt but the bright smile on her lips, didn't allow him to stop her. He watched on from behind his paper and found her keeping back the mug.

Posing unknown to everything going around him, sameer picked it up. Panicked with the taste, he made a weird face. That made annu burst into pangs of laughter and jump on him.

Next few moments Annu was sitting on his lap, feeding him, while Sameer fed his little monster, muttering small nothings at each other.

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wait scroll down still some left to read..