35

Zayed woke up earlier that day, thanking the heavens for not bringing the pet set along.

He saw the three little ones sleeping peacefully next to him.

Would anyone say that they are the most dangerous set of triplets in the whole world, if seen sleeping like this?

Even he wouldn't have believed it if it was their sleeping form he saw first.

But he first met them in their naughtiness extra-ordinaire phase.

He chuckled and saw Aveline opening her eyes at the sound of his laugh.

"Why are you laughing early in the morning?" She asked him in a sleepy husky tone, and his blood started singing in his veins.

Is there anything that could be a turn off where Aveline is considered, he wondered.

No! That's his weakness.

Aveline is his weakness.

"Well?" Aveline probed again.

"Nothing,I was just thinking how calm and gentle they look while sleeping," Zayed said looking at the triplets and it was Aveline's turn to chuckle.

Zayed had a quick shower and walked out of the room, only to stop abruptly seeing his parents pacing in front of his room.

"Mom?"

"Good morning, Zayed." Rosaline said with a smile.

"Morning mom. What's wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"Are they awake?" Rosaline asked.

"God mom! Did you even sleep yesterday? How long have you been pacing in front of my room?" Zayed asked, looking at his parents in disbelief.

"We couldn't sleep." It was Karim who spoke, much to Zayed's disbelief.

What is wrong with the man? What is happening with his parents? They almost look like they patched up everything.

"No mom. They are still sleeping. What time is it? Just six or seven in the morning right?" Zayed asked, rolling his eyes.

"Can we sit next to them until they wake up?" Rosaline asked hopefully and Zayed shook his head.

"Do you even have to ask mom?" Zayed asked and Rosaline smiled.

"Ava wouldn't mind, would she??" Rosaline asked doubtfully.

"You know her mom!! Even if I do mind, she would tell me to go to hell and let you in," Zayed said, making Rosaline chuckle.

"I am so happy for you, Zayed." Rosaline said, caressing his cheeks with a fond smile and Zayed looked away sighing.

"They hate me. All of them." Zayed said in a low tone, making his parents frown.

"For hurting their Momma," he added and they nodded understanding.

"I can feel you, my boy!!" Karim said, patting his shoulder making Zayed more bewildered.

When was the last time his father patted him in affection. He can't even remember.

How ironic it is, he hated his father for most of his life and now his kids hate him..

Is it genetic somehow!!

Did his father hate his father too?? He wondered knowing that he was being silly.

Everyone settled in the living room after breakfast and enjoyed their time with the triplets.

"So what do you like the most, Zada?" Rosaline asked her granddaughter and the little girl giggled.

"I love to make stories," She said, beaming at all the attention she and her siblings are getting from the palace.

"Oh. Tell us one of your stories then!" Camille said.

"Okay" Zada shrugged and began her story.

"Ravana kidnapped Sita and took her to Sri Lanka. And Ram asked Hanuman if he would help bring Sita back. Hanuman agreed immediately," She said.

"How come that's your story. That's Ramayana. An Indian epic." Basim interrupted making Zahir and Zian glare at him.

Being born in the Royal family, they were all taught about the histories all over the world.

And Ava had taught her kids the same, even though she never hoped that her children would get their birth rights ever.

And Zada has found the Indian epic of Ramayana very fascinating. And she demands that story to be said repeatedly.

"She doesn't like interruptions when she tells the story," Zian said and Basim raised his hands in defeat and gestured to Zada to continue with her story.

"Hanuman called spiderman for help,"

"Why spiderman?" Karim asked in confusion.

"There is a big gap between India and Sri Lanka. So Hanuman needs help right? Spiderman can just throw his hands and jump from here to there." Zada said dramatically.

"Even Hanuman can jump," Karim argued.

"But he had the Sanjivani mountain in one hand so he can't jump that high and long. So Spiderman helped him reach Lanka. And they fought with Ravana and saved Sita, and Sita thanked them all."

"Why?" Khalil, Salim's father, asked.

"We should thank the ones who help us, right Momma?" She asked looking at Ava and she nodded yes.

"Then spiderman called hulk for help,"

"Why hulk?"

"They have to take Sita back to India right?"

"Hanuman can do that!"

"How? He has sanjivini in one hand and he has to hold spiderman's string with another hand, so how will he take Sita? So hulk came and they all flew from Sri Lanka to India. And then they flew to London, where they landed near the East Ham bus stand and waited there talking to my friend Emily."

"Why are they talking to your friend?" Zayed asked/

"That's her story, they can talk to anyone she wants to," Zahir said glaring at his father.

"Then after Emily left with her brother Erick, they all kept waiting there."

"Why are they still waiting?"

"Because they got lost. They don't know the way back home," Zada said, pouting.

"Then what did they do?"

"Hulk got an idea and he called dora."

"Why dora?" Suhara asked.

"Dora knows all the ways.She even has a map. So she found their way home and took them all to Twinkle Street near East Hampton."

"Why Twinkle street?"

"That's where I live and I am Sita," she said smiling proudly and everyone chuckled.

****

Ava was folding the triplets clothes when she felt a pair of arms encircling her waist from behind pulling her against his chest.

"Zayed," She whispered.

"Hmm." He murmured, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

"What are you doing, Zayed? Let me go," She said, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

"Stop fighting me Aveline. You want this just as much as I do," Zayed said, pulling her tighter against him and placing an open mouth kiss on her shoulder blade.

"I don't..." She whispered without any conviction, feeling her body responding to his touch, against her brain's constant warning.


"You do," He said, slipping his hands inside her kurti top and caressing her bare stomach.

"I do- don't." She stammered.

"Momma." Came a yell and they sprang apart from each other only to see Zahir standing in front of them.

"Not again," Zayed mumbled and Ava glared at him.

"Ye- yes baby," Aveline said, trying to appear as normal as she could.

"I think my stomach is going to hurt," Zahir said, holding his stomach and looking at Ava with his puppy eyes which she can't ever resist.


"You think??" Zayed asked, raising an eyebrow at his elder son.

"Momma, my stomach will hurt if you don't cuddle me now," Zahir said looking at Ava, completely ignoring his father's presence.

"Oh my sweetie,come here," Ava said, opening her arms for her child and he immediately climbed onto her lap and cuddled her, placing his chin on her shoulder, not before wiping the spot where Zayed kissed her, with his sleeves.

Zayed's eyes widened seeing that and he looked at Zahir in disbelief which turned into one of horror when he saw his son sticking his tongue out at him.