FF: The Guardian... Ch 4 A on PG 15 - Page 2

Wow! Terrific start. Love the banter between JB and also among the kids. THey are quite a handful, but sound totally normal!

hey dil

YESSS u should continue

Hi

great story...

do u even need to asking if u shld continu yes yes yes yes.. can't wait to see h will jai handle parenthood :)

Dillllllll sucha lovely start i loved it... you keep starting new stories and do not end them sigh!!!!!! please do not make this guardian suffer like u have done with other ffs of yours!!!!!!!!! i know u have got exams take ur time and update........ its a lovely story............ and the other one incomplete life? whn r u going to complete them???????????????? do not neglect that Bani and Jai puleeeeeeeeez updateeeee..

Thank you for the wonderful responses! 😳😃 I'm actually surprised----didn't think this story would be so interesting to you all. I'm glad it's caught your attention for now, though. Hopefully I won't give disappointment later on. Anyways, here is the next part. ---- Kamy, does this make up for me being terrible at updating on time? 😛

Chapter 2:

Two Months Later

"Home sweet home," he announces while kicking open the door with his foot, struggling to hold the luggage held firmly in his hands. As he places the suitcases beside the door, the three children follow curiously after him as he moves himself aside, allowing them entrance. Stepping into the one floor, stylish apartment, Krishna releases a mocking snort.

"This is it? This is what you call home?" She ridicules him openly, causing another grimace to form on his lips ever since the car ride back from the airport, filled with endless snide remarks coming from the disrespectful teenager.

"I know it's not what you all are used to, but it's your home now. You will just have to adjust. And look, it's not so bad," Jai adds while gathering a now quiet Ganga into his arms, who gazes around the posh apartment with wide eyes.

"Chachu, I think it's cool! Just like a fancy hotel!" Atharva voices his clear praise for his uncle's home before running inside with awe, bringing a pleased smile onto Jai's lips despite the insult he received regarding his lifestyle just seconds before.

"What about you, princess?" Jai questions while returning his attention onto little Ganga, who has still not said a single word regarding her new home. He watches as she turns to face him and very sweetly wraps her arms around his neck and murmurs, "I'm sleepy Chachu. I want to go to my room." Feeling sudden warmth from the gentleness of her voice and the affection given toward him, Jai scoops her up into his arms, nearly cradling her.

"Sure thing, angel. I'll take you there right now. Jai Chachu got a very nice pretty room all ready just for you," he says soothingly to her as she snuggles close to him. Giving a fleeting glance to his older niece, who remains unmoved by the open door, he orders, "Close the door Krishna and come in. Besides, there isn't anywhere else you can go. You're stuck here for the mean time."

Glaring at him, she bangs the door shut as he stalks off with her younger sister in his arms and gazes around the lavish apartment with resentment on her grumpy face. She goes after her excited brother, nearly jumping around the apartment with cheer, to purposely dampen his raised spirits. If she wasn't happy, then she wouldn't let anyone else be happy either.

"Look here, princess. This is your new room. Do you like it?" he asks her once opening the door to a separate room, leading into a fairly large bedroom with pink walls and girlish decorations that instantly places a smile onto his niece's face.

"Thanks Chachu! I love it!" she excitedly whispers to him in her drowsy voice, causing a smile to appear on his own face. He kisses her tenderly on her head before placing her onto one of the two beds in the room, tucking her underneath the pink covers.

"You and your sister will have to share this room since this is an apartment and I don't have many rooms to spare for all three of you."

"I get to share a room with Di?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with joy. The love the little girl has for her older sister is evident on her glowing face.

"Yup, this is your and your sister's room. You two will be roommates. You happy with that?" he questions while tickling her in the tummy, causing her to giggle loudly. She nods her head happily. Jai's smile remains.

"Good. Now take a nap, you're tired from the flight, I can tell. I'll wake you up just in time for dinner," he informs her right before switching off the room's light. Just as he opens the door to leave, he stops on hearing her soft voice calling after him.

"I love you Chachu…."

Looking over her shoulder, he grins broadly at her before replying, "I love you too, kiddo."

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"Hey, what are you doing?" Jai demands once entering his master bedroom only to find it being invaded by his niece and nephew. On a closer look, he sees a particular magazine in his niece's hands and feels his face grow hot while tersely exclaiming, "Where did you get that?"

"It wasn't hard to find, trust me. Atharva here found it within minutes. You have a lot of these lying around?" she indicates to the playboy magazine in her hand only to have it roughly snatched away by her now flustered uncle.

"I don't like people going through my things," he tries to state as calmly as he can despite this being one of his biggest pet peeves. Krishna rolls her eyes at him as her uncle rolls up the magazine and slips it into the waistband of his jeans, becoming distracted by the fact that Atharva is rummaging through his closet and going after him.

"Jigyasa Bua would have a heart attack once I tell her this. She already thinks you're a s*x maniac to begin with," Krishna retorts with a devilish grin playing on her pink lips. Jai swings Atharva off his feet, taking him into his hold, and steering him away from his wardrobe that he already successfully made a mess out of.

"Go ahead. It'll take her less than a day to fly in here and take you guys back with her. I know that you'd just love to live with her and her two children, Saahil and Anu. You guys can be one big happy family," he remarks sarcastically while trying to calm down a hyper Atharva, who is intent of looking through his "Cool Jai Chachu's room."

Krishna flinches from the mere thought of living with her strict Aunt and her two boring, nerdy, and highly annoying cousins. She simply crosses her arms against her chest, showing her displeasure of being here.

"Come on Atharva, let's not touch Chacha's things. They're real expensive. Let's go into the living room and watch some TV," Jai suggests instead, trying to struggle to keep Atharva in his hold and not rummage through his belongings further. Any further inspection and the kids would land up on more dirty magazines and supply of cigarettes, which would reveal his lie of having already quit smoking.

"But your things are so cool! Can I sleep here with you tonight! Your room is AWESOME!" Atharva exclaims with delight, his eyes taking in every inch of the spacious room, decorated with masculine touch and elegance and full with "cool" gadgets.

"Speaking of rooms, where is mine? I'd like to crash if you don't mind," Krishna asks sharply, drawing her uncle's attention back onto her. She stands tapping her foot impatiently and resting a hand onto her hip. He scowls to himself.

"It's down the hall and to your left. Your sister is already sleeping in there so be quiet when you go in."

Krishna drops her hand and her eyes grow big on hearing his words. Immediately she snaps. "What is Ganga doing in my room?!"

"It is not your room alone, Krishy. It's hers too. You two will have to share a room," he states firmly, wanting to put the teenager into her place. However, this seems to only provoke her anger even more.

"First of all, it's Krishna," she begins sternly then goes in an angered tone, "And I am not going to be sharing a room with anyone! I've always had my own room."

"That was before, Krishna. But now you will share a room with your sister, end of discussion," Jai finishes coldly in her way. Rolling her hands into fists, Krishna stomps on her foot before screaming and walking out of the room.

"You're in for it, Chachu!" Atharva remarks with laughter. Jai gives him a questioning glance. "Why?" "When Krishna Di gets mad, she gets REAL mad!"

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"Who are you calling?" Jai demands once entering the living room and finding his niece dialing digits onto his house phone, a set frown on her agitated face. She huffs back at him. "What does it matter to you?! I'll call whoever I want! You think that just because Ma and Papa gave you guardianship, you can tell us whatever to do!"

"I do believe that is what being your guardian is all about," he shoots as reply only to be ignored by his niece who instantly screeches onto the phone once she hears the other line pick up.

"Mausi! Please come and take me right now! I can't live here with this man! He's Hitler himself!" Krishna nearly yells into the speaker, causing Jai to roll her eyes at her normal drama and make him especially annoyed that she has rung up Bani as an answer. The least he wants is Bani to get involved and look down at the way he is handling things with his brother's kids.

"Last time I remember, this isn't a concentration camp nor do I have Nazis patrolling the area!" he scowls loudly, receiving a glower in return from the vicious girl.

"He's horrid, I tell you! And a total s*x maniac, just like I told you! Atharva already found his playboy magazines and p*rn* in his room! On top of all that, he's making me share a room with Ganga! He's making me share a room with a little six year old! I need my own room! I need my own privacy! I'm a grown adult and he doesn't respect that the least! Please just get here quick, Mausi! I can't stand this any longer!"

"Give me the phone!" Jai commands, beyond furious with Krishna's antics at this point. "No!" she yells in protest and struggles for possession of the phone once he comes and tries to snatch it from her hands. He successfully shoves her aside and places the phone against his ear, ignoring the nasty look she gives him before stalking off in the other direction. He rubs his temple, feeling a headache coming along.

"Atharva found my stash of p*rn, so what! The kid is a curious little fellow; he would have taken up on it on his own if he didn't find mine first! But so far I am not hearing a single complaint from Atharva and Ganga, it is only the wretched witch who keeps huffing and puffing over the littlest things!" Jai expresses hotly over the line, not caring what it is that he is muttering to his late sister-in-law's cousin at this point. He could give a damn what she or anyone else thinks of him now.

"Jai, relax. I'm not accusing you of anything, now am I? I know how she is. She's a little drama queen, I already told you this. But she is a true gem once you really know her. You're just going to have to get past all the bitterness before you get to know that," Bani's comforting voice seems to have an effect on Jai, who begins to cool down and speak calmly.

"Well how can I when she is only ever bitter? The girl isn't pleased with anything at all, the little devil she is. I tell her that she has to share a room with her sister and she cooks up a storm. You tell me how to deal with someone like that?" he demands for an answer.

"She's tough to handle, I know. But you're forgetting that she just lost her parents, so take it easy on her, please. Don't make this harder on her than it already is," he hears her pleading to him, sounding exasperated herself.

"Yes, I can imagine how hard it is for her alone! The rest of us are just kicking back and relaxing with no worries at all. She's selfish and completely self-centered," he mutters back.

"She's a teenager, Jai, how many times do I have to remind you? You were a teenager once. You remember the thought of the world revolving around you alone. Now be nice. You're not going to get anywhere with her if you keep being like this."

"Like what? Hitler? Perhaps I should run a little camp here and make Atharva and Ganga into my specialized Nazis. Maybe then she will be real sorry," he finishes with aggravation. He becomes startled on hearing Bani's melodious laughter radiate from the other line.

"You two are so much alike. You'll get along just fine, "she teases on the other end. "Baaanee," he growls back. "Okay look, I'll give you a little piece of advice just for now since I've got to run. I know it's hard for you to realize, but Krishna is no longer the little girl you once knew. She's growing to be a young woman. Hence, she needs all the privacy that she can get. So save yourself and myself a headache---give her a separate room. Ganga and Atharva can share in the meanwhile. And everything will be fine then, you'll see."

"Everything?"

"Well, not everything. But for the meantime, things will cool off a bit. Hopefully that will ease off her list of complaints."

"I hope so," he adds gruffly.

"Listen, give the phone to Krish for a second? I'll speak with her and make her understand for now. But before that, a piece of advice for you, good sir," she adds with humor. Raising query in him, Jai replies, "Yeah? And what is that?"

"Try to hide any other evidences indicating your 'indecent lifestyle' otherwise Krishna will not let you forget it for a long time. And rest assure you, lover boy, your sister will get on your case in no time."

"Hmm, so you think I'm lover boy, huh?" he questions huskily, already imagining her blushing from his flirtatious tone. "What else do you think of me, Bani?"

"Shut up and give the phone to Krishna, Jai," she says heatedly as a response, causing a grin to reappear on his handsome face. On bellowing for Krishna's prompt return and handing over the phone to a now evidently annoyed teenage girl, Jai looks over to Atharva and asks, "Say Atharva, what do you think about being a Nazi?"

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"You have got to be kidding me. You call this dinner?" Krishna remarks with a crinkle of her nose, watching with her disapproving eyes as her uncle takes out the boxes of Chinese food from the plastic bag delivered just minutes before. He begins to pour out the food onto each of their plates, prompting Ganga and Atharva to eat their steaming meals.

"I do believe that this stuff is edible enough for you, so if you could get off your high horse already and just shut up and eat it, you'd be doing a favor to us all," Jai snaps back at her, silencing her momentarily.

"What's Chinese food, Chachu?" Ganga asks while tugging on her uncle's sleeve. Before Jai can answer, Atharva beats him to it. "It's just a fancy word for worms and guts, Ganga, and once you eat it you become mutated into a monster!" He says enthusiastically while putting up his hands as claws and pretending to scratch her on her face. Ganga shrieks and hides herself into her uncle's chest, while Jai throws Atharva an admonishing look, who begins to howl in laughter.

"It's nothing like that, angel. See, it's just noodles and chicken. Regular food. Now eat up before it gets cold," Jai says to her in order to pacify her. Turning his attention away from the frightened girl, Jai looks to Atharva and Krishna.

"After this, you guys go on straight to bed. I have work left to do so I don't want to be disturbed. No late TV, you hear?"

As Atharva whines about this, Krishna mutters a simple, "Whatever" as a response before carrying on with indifference to anything her uncle has to say. "Just get Atharva's things out of my room and you won't have to see me."

"What do you mean? That's my room, Di! Chachu said so! Besides, it's blue! It's a boy's room and you're a girl!" Atharva protests while pushing up his falling glasses.

"New flash, fore eyes, I'm older so I get my own room. You're gonna have to share with Ganga. Besides, I'm planning on repainting the room," she says smugly, causing her uncle's eyebrows to rise.

"You sure get things your way, don't you? But what makes you think that you're getting your own room?" he questions her squarely, enjoying seeing her pompous face fall within seconds. "Mausi said that you were going to give me my own room," she sputters at him. "Yes, your Mausi said so, but doesn't mean that I'm going to listen to her. I believe you're spoilt as it is, no need to spoil you much more."

Fuming, Krishna slams her fork onto the table, causing it to shake all around. "I need my own room! God, you're such a sadist pig! Why can't you just give me the damn room! I'm too old to be sharing a room with Ganga! Atharva and Ganga are still young, they can share!"

"I've already set up the rooms according to all of you and it will take up too much work to reset it all to match your own selfish preference."

"How typical of you to think that since it is a pink room, I will be fine with it! News flash, I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"News flash, Krishna, I'm your guardian and you will do as I say. You hear me?" his tone growing louder with a harsh edge.

"You---you---you pig!" she screams at him while rising up in her chair and running away from the dining table. Seconds later a loud bang of a door echoes throughout the silent apartment. Jai releases a sigh and for the millionth time that day rubs his temples.

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"Here's my number. Call me if only an emergency. I'm leaving some cash in this drawer, so order yourself some food whenever you want. I'm going to be late, so eat dinner on time and go to sleep right afterward. And make sure to keep the door locked at all times. Don't open the door for anyone else, you hear?" Jai instructs the eleven-year old boy and six-year old girl in front of him, who stare up at him with huge eyes, nodding their heads at every little thing he tells them.

"Good. Alright, I'll see you kids later. And when her royal highness decides to wake up, let her know what I said," Jai finishes saying before pulling his coat around him and taking his briefcase in his hand. He was already running late to work with having to set up breakfast for the two kids, who insisted on having something else other than the bland cereal box resting on the top of his refrigerator. Making them sloppy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and placing them in front of the wide screen TV, he felt his job was done for the morning.

"Bye Chachu!" the kids sing in unison while waving eagerly at him. Shutting the apartment door after him, Jai checks his watch for the umpteenth time and heads quickly to the elevator doors.

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When Jai returned late that night, the clock hitting near eleven o'clock, he was given a grand surprise once on entering his apartment. Placing his coat off to the side and tugging onto his tie, making it loose, he approaches the couch in his living room, and is drawn to the sight of the two people resting on it, covered properly with a single blanket. However, one face draws his attention in particular and he stares at her transfixed.

Her silky curls cascade along her shoulders as her head is angled awkwardly onto the edge of the sofa, her body slumped into the depths of the sinking cushions, and her long legs stretched along the furniture. She sleeps in total abandonment---unaware of her surroundings. His eyes become arrested by the tranquility of her radiant face, her long eyelashes resting against her fair cheeks, and her red lips slightly parted as she breathes peacefully to herself. He feels the familiar sensation stirring inside of him from since the moment he first laid his eyes on her.

Hearing a snort, Jai's eyes lower down to a slumbering Krishna, who sleeps peacefully on her aunt's lap, her legs spread out and her mouth wide open. He resists the urge to snigger at the sight of her disheveled self.

From the impact of her niece's loud snort, Bani stirs in her sleep and within moments her drowsy eyes flutter open. Through hooded eyes she looks around, trying to take in her surroundings, and it isn't until that she realizes the tall figure standing before her that she is startled wide awake and sits up straight on the couch. The blurriness in her vision diminishes as she can see clearly who it is. A light blush adorns her cheeks and she has the decency to seem embarrassed.

Jai flashes a lazy grin as she removes the blanket from herself, being careful not to disturb a still sleeping Krishna, who had flown into her arms the very second she arrived.

"Well, well, well--- what brings you here? Did the little witch bring word of my Nazi ways?" he asks mockingly. Bani runs her hand through her black tresses, straightening them out, and causing Jai to wonder how silky they would feel against his fingers. "Yes, she said that Hitler is at his best and that I should come here immediately to rescue her. I hope you don't mind. I came here unannounced. I did leave you a couple of messages on your cell phone," she softly apologizes. Jai brushes off her apology.

"It's alright. I'm just sorry that you had to come out of your way because of her. You didn't have to, you know. You're only encouraging her to be like this," he says with a note of edge in his voice, growing suddenly serious.

"Well if she left multiple calls on your personal, house, and office phones and vowed to come to your work place and embarrass you in front of all your employers if it is the last thing she does, wouldn't you come running too?" she questions him, looking him directly in his eyes. A grin returns onto his lips as his eyes sparkle with amusement.

"You believe she's capable of keeping her word?"

"Oh, I believe she's capable of doing anything once she sets her mind to it. You really underestimate her, Jai."

Jai ignores this and looks around his dimly lit apartment before returning his attention back onto her.

"The kids sleeping in their rooms?"

"Yes, they went to bed a couple of hours before."

Jai raises his brows at her. "When'd you get here? And how did you on such little notice?"

"Right when I got off from work when I got around to hearing Krish's messages. You done interrogating me, officer?"

The confused grim remains on his face. "Not yet. How'd you get here? Did you fly?"

"I don't think it's necessary for me to take the airplane to travel thirty minutes here," Bani answers with a grimace of her own. Jai seems taken aback by her reply.

"What do you mean thirty minutes? You drove here? But don't you live in Delhi?" he asks, beyond confused at this point, scratching his head.

"I moved six months ago because of a transfer. Now are you done interrogating me?" she responds diffidently, while in the process of lifting Krishna off of her lap and carefully placing her head back down onto the couch.

"How come you didn't tell me that you moved?" he finds himself demanding, not knowing why he asked such a question, considering how he knows it's none of his business. They hardly know one another, just the occasional meetings during holidays at his brother's house and the blatant flirting from his side.

Her tinkling laughter only confirms the fact that he should not have asked her such a direct question. "I'm sorry; I didn't know that I was supposed to inform you. Of course you would come before everyone else regarding the news," she mocks, making Jai grumble from her dig at him.

"It would have just been nice to know," he says lamely only increasing her laughter. His eyes follow after her as she rises from the couch and begins in gathering her coat and purse.

"By the way, you always come this late at night?" she asks him by looking over her shoulder. Jai finds himself momentarily smitten by the look she directs over to him, her glittering brown eyes staring right at him. He knocks himself out of it with a light shake of his head.

"Well time to time, yes. I do have dinner appointments occasionally."

"You had one today as well?"

"Yes," he answers promptly before throwing her an intent look and asking instead in a hinting manner, "Why the sudden interest in my life?"

She rolls her eyes at him, knowing that he is back into his playful mood with her. Yet, she bites down a smile. "Don't get hyped up Casanova. It's nothing like that. I'm just saying that if you are going to be kept busy throughout the day constantly, then you should hire some aid to look after the kids. They're new to this city---they shouldn't be left alone."

Jai wears a thoughtful look on his face on hearing this. "Hadn't really thought of that. I mean, I assumed Krishy is old enough to take care of herself and the little ones."

"Well, while you get around in finding a nanny, do enroll the kids to the schools in the area as soon as you can before they rot their brains by being cooped up in here," she advises while covering herself with her coat and draping her scarf around her neck. Jai seems stumped by this reminder, wondering how he could forget something as important as that.

"Uh, of course. I didn't forget. Just was kept busy. I'll work on that tomorrow," he stammers. "Oh and before I forget, I did the liberty of organizing Krish's room for you. Atharva and Ganga have settled down with the idea of having to share. So, you're welcome," she finishes with look.

"You what?" his voice rumbles in disbelief. "I'm sure you heard what I said," she answers coolly. "The girl is spoilt enough, the last thing I needed was for you to feel like she can be granted with her every whim," he shoots back, annoyed with the thought of having to see the look of spite that is likely to be on Krishna's face tomorrow.

"Trust me, you'll thank me later. Okay, I've got to go. I've been here long enough. And again, I'm sorry for coming without informing you," she announces while heading to the door. He, however, holds her back by holding onto her arm.

"What's the rush? Besides, I've spent the last few years trying to get you to myself. You think I'm going to let go of an opportunity like this?" he asks her naughtily with a gleam in his eyes. He watches with satisfaction as her lovely face turns instantly pink within seconds.

"Ha, keep dreaming, Jai Walia."

"Why dream when I can have the real thing?" he asks huskily while tugging on her arm, causing her to stumble forward and fall onto his chest as he leans against the back of the table behind him. Her curls curtain her face and he readily pushes them aside for her, making her eyes lift up, holding his own in a lock for a steady moment. She licks her dry lips, drawing his attention onto them, before pushing him roughly aside.

"Because dreaming is the only thing you can do," she chides with the familiar flame he was growing to love returning in her glittering eyes. "I've got to go. I have work in the morning. I'll perhaps drop by to visit the kids sometime this week. That alright with you?"

He shrugs and mutters a "whatever", being put off by her rebuff---like always. She attempts to suppress a smile on seeing his grumpy face, knowing that her rejection toward his advances always puts a blow to his male ego.

"I'll see you sometime later then. Goodbye," she wishes him while opening the door and heading out. Jai releases a sigh and is about to turn around to leave to his bedroom when he is halted in his steps on hearing her voice call out for him. Looking behind him, he sees her standing by the doorway with a certain smile playing on her lips and her eyes sparkling.

"Jai." He looks toward her with query at her expression. "Before I forget… There's a message left on your machine. I'm sure you'd like to hear it." He becomes bemused on seeing her trying miserably to conceal her wide smile and watches her close the door after herself.

Making his way over to his answer machine to check if he has any messages, he sees its blinking light indicating that he does. Pressing on the button, he hears the only message that had been left on his machine fifteen minutes ago.

"Hii babyyy," a feminine voice purrs loudly. "I had so much fun on our date… It's too bad though that we had to end it short. And even more of a shame that we couldn't carry it to my apartment…. But maybe next time. See you, handsome."

Jai swears loudly as he mentally hits himself on the head. Perfect, just perfect. As if he didn't already have a bad enough reputation for himself in her books! Groaning, he curses himself once more and heads to his room…..

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oh i love this Casanova jai

Krishna is giving Jai hard time.jai should know better than keeping such magzines around.

Jai has nerve to go on a date just when kids came....very bad jai chachu. But then it made Bani to come over. Good that Bani no lives just 30min away & not in Delhi.Jai trying to woo Bani. But Bani is tough nut to crack. Him fooling around with other women is not going to help him get any close to her.

Can't wait for more.