Page 44 of The Defiant Wife

12. UNCLE DUTIES

VEERAJ

I have negotiated billion-dollar deals.I've handled hostile board meetings.I've stood in front of rooms full of investors determined to tear apart months of work.

None of those experiences prepared me for babysitting a two-year-old.

Absolutely none.

"Cha!"I close my eyes.Because tiny fingers are currently tangled in my hair. Not gently. Not lovingly. No. With the determination of someone trying to uproot a tree.

"Aadhya." All she does is giggle, as if my suffering is entertaining.Which, judging by the look on her face, it probably is.

I carefully pry her hand free.A task that takes significantly longer than it should. The second I succeed, she grabs my nose and stares at me for a moment before bursting into laughter,directly in my face.

Wonderful.

I have become a clown.

The culprit behind this disaster is currently sitting somewhere on a double date.Actually, all the culprits are.

Devraj bhai sa and Meher bhabhi sa.

Vihaan and Poorvi

Apparently married people require alone time.Which leaves me here.With our tiny dictator.A tiny dictator who currently believes my face is public property.

The sunroom is scattered with toys. Blocks. Books. Stuffed animals. A pink stuffed dinosaur that looks deeply unsettling and I am sure Bhai-sa got it custom made because he can never say no to his princess.

I roll my eyes.Meanwhile, Aadhya sits comfortably in my lap, babbling about something only she understands. I nod occasionally. Not because I understand.Because it seems polite.

The child suddenly shoves a stuffed elephant into my chest. "Cha."

I look down.Then back at her. "Is this a hostage situation?"

She beams as if she understands me completely.

A laugh echoes from my phone.I glance toward the screen resting on the coffee table. Sitara is practically folding in half.

"You're enjoying this far too much."

My sister wipes imaginary tears from her eyes."No, no. Continue. This is the best thing I've seen all week."

"Glad I could entertain you." I deadpan.

"You look miserable."

"I am miserable."

Aadhya immediately smacks my cheek.Not hard.Just enough to express her disagreement.

Sitara laughs harder."See? Even she disagrees."

I look at my niece."You are encouraging bad behavior."

"Cha."

"That's not a defense."