[MEMBERSONLY]

The day passed by with peals of laughter and yelling all around the house. Sameer had to take a leave today for Annu's nanny fell sick and didn't arrive to attend her.

Lunch was again cooked by Sam, with Annu helping him. Annu would seat on the kitchen counter facing him and give him vegetables, spelling and naming them while Sam sliced them like any efficient chef.

'mein kalu?' annu asked sweetly while sam kept the knife aside and waited for the pan to heat,

'nehi, mein kar lunga,' Sameer replied pouring oil inside the pan,

'please dost, thora sa dalungi, please...' annu pleaded waggling her legs,

'nehi annu, tumhe lag jayegi..' sam replied throwing the  sliced onions carefully inside,

'offo..i am stong dost,' annu should her tiny biceps,

Sameer couldn't help but smile at her. He picked her up in his arms and nuzzled her nape,

'haan meri strong body guard,' he replied,

'to mein isse hilau? Thola sa?' she asked him again, wrapping her arms around his neck,

Sameer shook his head in a no' again which disappointed her. Sameer smacked himself and finally agreed,

'thik hai, but dhyan se aur sirf ekbar,' he said,

'nehi do bal, please...' she again jumped in his arms,

'okay per iske baad tum nahane jaogi, right?'

'Yes, Sal,' she replied and Sameer handed her the spoon. She stirred the contents leaning from her father's arms and deliberately did it thrice. When Sameer looked at her, she burst out laughing clapping her hands.

Sameer cupped her face fondly and put her own to go for her shower. She accepted and sprinted towards their room.

Sameer finished his initial arrangements and left the dishes on the oven to be cooked, when Annu shouted from room.

'Dost..'

There was a fear in the voice. Sameer instantly ran upstairs. Unknowingly he was panicked at her sudden call. Without a second thought he had left everything behind for her.

'kya hua annu?' he asked rushing into the washroom.

But the sight was a pleasure to watch. Annu clad in her dad's towel, which went to her ankles was sitting inside a bucket full of water. The shower was running and she was trying her level best to get up, but was stuck inside the plastic bucket. She held her hands up making a crying, scared face, the moment Sameer stepped in front of her.

'tum andar kya kar rahi ho?' he asked,

'mera soap gil gaya, dhoond lahi thi, mujhe nikalo,' she shouted,

Sameer turned the shower off and picked her up carefully, not to hurt her anywhere. But with the pull the towel came out and she was there naked in his arms.

Initially Annu was happy and relieved to have been saved from the mini danger she had landed into, but the sudden realization of her towel-less self, she started wriggling in his arms.

Sameer was confused at her sudden restlessness and held her tight.

'annu, Gir jaogi, kya hua?' he asked her, trying to hold the slipping girl in his arms,

'cholo mujhe, cholo, cholo, cholo na...' she hit him angrily and gradually slipped down from his arms.

Sameer didn't know how to control her and put her back on the ground. The moment she was back on her feet, she ran inside the washroom and started pulling her own towel from the rack. Sameer walked to her and held her hand.

'uchalna band karo, pani hai gir jaogi, ruko kya chahiye?' he was utterly confused now,

'to..wl' she replied shyly, avoiding looking at him,

Sameer got the towel for her and she snatched it from him, pushing him out of the washroom.

'arre kya hua?' he asked her again,

'tum jao...jao, uffo jao na..' she pushed his back with her head,

'arre kya hua? Annu,' Sameer turned and held onto her.

Annu was still holding the towel tight in her hand and glared at him. He cupped her face and asked her again,

'tumne meli to..wl nikal li...' she replied, her face completely red.

Sameer was baffled at the reply but then started laughing. Annu was giving heated glares at him. The towel long forgotten. Sameer took the towel from her which she gave reluctantly. He wrapped it around her waist and picked her up again.

Kissing her cheeks fondly he started tickling her. In next few seconds both were rolling on the bed. Annu in sameer's arms, who was continuously tickling and teasing her.

'mujhe nehi pata tha, meri sherni, sharmati bhi hai?' he said pulling her on his lap.

'papa, mein mumma ko bol dungi,' she threatened with a shy red face,

Sameer posed scared and started nuzzling into her more.

The father-daughter session would have continued had not both felt a strong burnt smell. Both ran to the kitchen and found their lunch burnt.

Both looked at each other helplessly and walked out of the kitchen. Sameer sat on the couch and pulled annu to his lap.

'ab kya kare? Sab to jal gaya,' he asked her,

'bohot bhook lagi hai dost,' she replied with a sad face,

'mujhe bhi, ek kam karte hai, bahar chalte hai, pizza khate hai,' he said, pulling her cheeks,

'Pizza?' her eyes went wide along with a wide smile,

'haan, chalo jaldi ready ho jao, chalte hai,' Sameer nudged her,

'pel dost, mumma, dategi na,' she said making a scared face,

'mummy abhi nehi haina, kal ayegi jab tab dekhenge, abhi chalo ready ho jao,' he said and winked at her,

Annu smiled wide and kissed his cheeks. She jumped down and ran to get her shower, Sameer walked inside the kitchen to clear up the mess.

************

Sameer and Annu walked out of the ice-cream parlor and drove towards the beach. Sameer had a complete day to spent with annu and he didn't want to miss a single moment without her.

Annu held onto the string which held the huge balloon in one of her hand while the other clutched Sameer's palm and both walked towards the sea. Annu was jumping and running with her dost behind her. Sameer didn't lose her out of his sight even for a minute.

Annu was happily drenching her feet in the cold water while Sameer sat on the sand watching her. Her laugh, her delighted bright eyes, her shouting and yelling at the waves and then looking back at him, was making him contented. Annu too had kept a watch on her dad. Giving frequent looks at him proved that.

The feel of being loved and wanted was intoxicating and Sameer was feeling it at this moment.

Sameer looked on while annu looked up at the balloon, which had accidentally escaped from her fingers and fled up. She made a sad face and looked back at Sameer. A kid's heart never complicated feelings. Sameer understood her disappointment and called her back. She ran back to him and hugged him, crying on his shoulder.

He patted her back to console but she was much too offended with the loss.

'meri sherni ek balloon ke liye royegi?' he teased her,

'wo to meli wajah se chala gaya na?' she cried again,

'arre tumhari wajah se kyu, wo dekho, waha hai tumhara balloon, kaise urr raha hai, aagar tum chorti nehi to wo urta kaise?' he consoled her showing her the disappearing balloon in the sky,

'kya wo khush hai?' she asked looking at the sky,

'agar, khush nehi hota to urta kya?' he asked her,

Annu had relaxed. Both stared at the dawning sky, watching the light gradually fade into darkness.

'chalo ab ghar chalte hai,' Sameer told her,

But annu jumped from on his lap and sat on the sand.

'nehi mujhe mela ghal banana hai,' she said and accumulated some sad into a heap,

'ghar, wo to hai na?' Sameer asked her confused,

'uffo, mujhe yaha banana hai, tumko bilkul akal nehi hai..kaise papa ho..,' she replied smirking and throwing sad at him,

'acha, mujhe akal nehi, der footiya.' He picked her up and started tickling her,

After some more moment together, Annu was trying to make her dream castle but Sam would always destroy it. Finally when Annu had given her dost, enough knowledge and instructions on how to make a sand castle, they stood up. Though Annu was reluctant but Sameer dragged her with him. They headed back towards their home and before that some shopping for their home.

Annu was on the top of the world. She was pampered beyond her imagination. Ayesha was a strict mother and didn't pay deed to all her silly demands, but now she has her dost. Dost was a sweetheart. All her demands were getting fulfilled.

First pizza, then ice cream, then beach and then some shopping. Not in her dreams she could have imagined such a day. She was already having her part of fun with her dost.

Finally at the end of the day she was exhausted and tired, when Sameer had to wait on a long queue to bill his shopped items. Sameer knew she was tired but was helpless. She was leaning onto him at times, to keep herself steady.

Annu too understood her dost's helplessness and posed strong.She was keeping a count of the people ahead of them and informing Sameer, giving him her strength. Sameer was feeling proud of his daughter and kept his helplessness masked.

Finally everything done both walked out of the shop towards their home.

**************

It was night and Annu had already slept beside Sameer, cuddling him with her small arms. The long day had tired her muscles. Sameer wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hairs, thanking his stars.

Annu had brought to him selfless love and affection which none in his life could ever give him. Her innocent gestures, her hearty smile, her loud greetings always made his days. All his tiredness would be erased once he reached home to his family and the call dost' in her innocent accent was something he longed all day.

A tear slowly dropped from his eyes and fell on her forehead. It disturbed her sleep and she turned her face. Sameer wiped the tear and kissed her forehead again. She was really his guiding angel.

***************

THE END

hope you like our little heroine..boring yeah i know..couldnt write well..leave back your comments..specially my BOL readers...waiting for your feedbacks..
rimi_invisible2014-06-18 10:58:23