A soft hum of clicking keys filled the elegant yet minimalistic office cabin as Ananya Mehra flipped through the financial reports, her eyes scanning every detail with sharp precision. The glow of her sleek desk lamp cast a warm hue over the neatly stacked files, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air.

Despite the quiet, she sensed a presence near the door, a familiar hesitation, a slight fidgeting. Without looking up, she spoke in a calm, knowing voice, "Get in, Dev."

A loud thud followed by a barely restrained yelp made her lips twitch.

Dev, her secretary, had been leaning dramatically against the closed door, attempting to work up the courage to enter. His eyes widened comically, caught off guard, as he stumbled forward. "How do you always do that?!" he grumbled under his breath, scratching the back of his head before shuffling toward her desk with the files she had requested.

Ananya finally looked up, amusement flickering in her warm brown eyes. "I have my ways," she said with a slight smirk before reaching for the files. She flipped through them methodically, her mind already formulating decisions.

Meanwhile, Dev, instead of walking out, suddenly clutched his stomach, groaning dramatically. "Oh... ma'am... I don't know if I can survive the rest of the day," he sighed, leaning against the chair as if his very soul was being drained. "I feel weak... my head hurts... my poor, overworked body-"

She gave him a blank stare, letting him finish his exaggerated act before slowly placing the file down. Folding her hands, she leaned back.

"Let me guess," she began, arching an eyebrow, "You want a leave?"

Dev gasped, placing a hand over his heart like she had just accused him of a crime. "How could you-? I mean, yes, but-"

"Go," she cut in, shaking her head.

He straightened up instantly, the 'weakness' disappearing from his limbs as his entire demeanor lit up. "Really?! You're the best boss ever!" He turned on his heels, practically skipping towards the door.

Just as he reached for the handle, her calm voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh, and Dev?" she called, eyes still focused on the document in front of her. "Mahira loves Chinese."

The room went silent.

Dev froze mid-step, his body visibly stiffening as realization dawned upon him. His eyes widened in horror, and he turned around ever so slowly, sheepish and nervous, like a guilty child caught stealing cookies. "I... uh..."

Ananya finally looked up, a teasing glint in her eyes. "So," she mused, tapping a pen against her desk, "you needed this leave because you're taking Mahira on a date, hmm?"

He gulped. "I-I mean, I wasn't hiding it... exactly... just not-"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine!" He threw his hands up in surrender. "I was scared you'd not give me leave if I told you it was for a date!"

Ananya chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Mahira already told me to let you leave early."

Dev blinked. "She-wait, she did?"

"She did," Ananya confirmed with a teasing smile. "So... you may go."

A grin split across his face, and he practically bounced with excitement. "You're really the best boss ever!" He gave a dramatic bow before rushing toward the exit.

"Dev."

He halted again, gulping. "Yes?"

She smirked. "Don't ever attempt such bad acting again."

His face fell. "Hey! I thought I was convincing!"

She shook her head, waving him off. "Go before I change my mind."

With a playful salute, Dev sprinted out of the office.

The door clicked shut behind him, and silence filled the cabin once again. Ananya sighed, leaning back in her chair. The moment of amusement had been refreshing, but the exhaustion was beginning to creep back in. Stretching her arms, she reached for her phone, intending to check her messages before wrapping up for the day.

A notification blinked on the screen.

The sender: Rihaan.

Her lips curled into a knowing smile as she opened the message. What greeted her made her chuckle softly.

It was a picture-of chaos.

The kitchen looked like a battlefield. Flour covered the countertops, bits of batter splattered across the walls, and there, in the middle of it all, stood her three mischievous troublemakers-Rihaan, their five-year-old son Aarav, and their three-year-old daughter Aanya.

Rihaan had a large streak of flour across his cheek, Aarav's tiny hands were holding up a whisk dripping with chocolate, and Aanya had somehow managed to get batter in her hair.

Their faces, however, told a different story-bright smiles, full of mischief, excitement, and pure joy.

Her family. Messy yet the most beautiful thing in her life.

Ananya shook her head, laughing softly before typing a reply:

"Rihaan, what exactly were you three trying to make?"

Within seconds, a response came.

"Pancakes... I think? But Aanya said it should have chocolate, so we added chocolate. Then Aarav said it should have more flour, so we added that too. Then I remembered you like strawberries, so we-"

She groaned playfully, already picturing the disaster awaiting her at home.

She glanced at the clock. It was time to leave. Gathering her things, she stood up, thinking back to the times when Rihaan used to demand to accompany her to the office. He had been insistent, clinging to her arm, pouting like a child. But now, things had changed.

Now, he wanted to stay home.

Because in his mind, he was no longer just her husband. He was Dada.

And he had a responsibility-to take care of "his babies," as he called them.

Or, more specifically, his bears.

"Aarav and Aanya are my little bears, Anya! Dadas are supposed to take care of their bears!" he had once declared proudly.

Her heart warmed at the thought.

Shaking off her exhaustion, she grabbed her bag and headed out.

The drive home was peaceful, the city lights casting a golden glow on the roads as Ananya maneuvered through familiar streets. Her fingers tapped absently against the steering wheel as her thoughts wandered.

An amused smile played on her lips as she parked the car in their driveway and stepped out. The front door was slightly ajar. Her heart clenched-Rihaan always forgets to close the door properly.

Shaking her head, she pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Home."

Before she could even take a breath, small footsteps came thundering towards her.

"Mammaaa!!"

She barely had time to register before Aanya crashed into her legs, her tiny arms wrapping tightly around them. Aarav followed a second later, hugging her waist with a toothy grin.

"Whoa, whoa-easy, my little bears," Ananya chuckled, kneeling down to ruffle their hair. "What happened?"

Aarav, his five-year-old face scrunched up in deep thought, declared, "We made pancakes!"

Aanya gasped dramatically. "And we made a big mess!"

Ananya playfully widened her eyes. "Really? I had no idea."

Just then, a loud, dramatic huff came from the living room. She turned her head and there he was-her husband, standing with his arms crossed, his lips pulled into a pout, his cheeks puffed up in exaggerated anger.

Rihaan.

Her third child.

"You are late," he accused, pointing at her like she had committed a crime. "You were supposed to be home earlier!"

Ananya sighed, suppressing a laugh. "Rihaan-"

He turned his face away dramatically. "I'm not talking to you."

Aarav and Aanya giggled, already knowing how their father behaved when he was upset.

Ananya stood up, placing a hand on her hip. "Oh, so that's how it is?"

Rihaan peeked at her from the corner of his eye but quickly turned away again. "Yes! You left me alone!"

Aanya, ever the troublemaker, raised her tiny hand. "Dada, but we were here-"

"Shhh!" Rihaan shushed her, making Aarav burst into giggles. "This is between me and Mamma!"

Ananya shook her head, walking towards him. "Rihaan," she said, softening her voice. "You weren't alone. You had Aarav and Aanya with you."

He huffed. "But you also weren't here!"

Ananya sighed. Here we go again.

She placed her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "I had to work, love," she murmured, pressing her forehead against his. "I'm here now."

He tried-tried-to maintain his grumpy expression, but his lips twitched.

"...Promise?" he mumbled.

She smiled. "Promise."

His pout finally broke into a grin, and just like that, all was forgiven.

Aarav clapped his hands. "Yay! Dada is not mad anymore!"

Ananya straightened up and ruffled Rihaan's hair. "Now, tell me what exactly happened in the kitchen."

Aanya gasped again. "Mamma, it was chaos!"

Aarav nodded seriously. "Like a battle, Mamma. A big one."

Rihaan puffed his chest. "But I protected my bears!"

Ananya raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how exactly did you do that?"

Rihaan grinned, pointing to his own face. "By making a bigger mess so they wouldn't get blamed!"

Ananya blinked. "You what?"

Aarav nodded eagerly. "Dada spilled all the flour on himself so it would look like he made the mess."

Aanya whispered excitedly, "He said, 'Bears should not get in trouble, Dada will take the blame.'"

Ananya turned to Rihaan, exasperated. "Rihaan!"

He grinned proudly. "It was a brilliant plan."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "So let me get this straight. Instead of stopping them, you joined the mess?"

"Obviously," Rihaan said matter-of-factly. "Bears must be protected at all costs."

Ananya groaned, throwing her hands up. "I give up."

Rihaan beamed, grabbing her wrist. "But, but, but before you scold me-there's still some pancakes left!"

Aanya lit up. "Dada made heart-shaped ones for you, Mamma!"

Ananya softened instantly. Oh, this man.

"Alright," she sighed. "Let's go see these masterpieces."

The kids cheered, dragging her toward the kitchen.

As expected, the place was still a war zone. The flour had settled into every corner, chocolate dripped from the counter, and bowls lay scattered like fallen soldiers.

Ananya turned to Rihaan, who scratched his head sheepishly. "I, uh... got distracted before I could clean."

She gave him a deadpan look. "Distracted? By what?"

He grinned. "By making pancakes for my queen."

Her heart melted.

"...Fine," she muttered, trying to sound annoyed.

Rihaan's grin widened. "And I may have left some batter accidentally in the fridge so we can make more tomorrow."

"Rihaan-"

"Shhh. Eat first, scold later."

She rolled her eyes but let him drag her to the table.

The pancakes were... oddly shaped, to say the least, but the effort was clear. Some were overcooked, some had chocolate smeared unevenly, but sitting on a plate right in front of her was a single heart-shaped pancake.

Her pancake.

It was slightly lopsided, but somehow, that made it even more perfect.

Rihaan leaned in eagerly. "Try it, try it!"

Aanya and Aarav watched with anticipation.

She picked up a piece, popped it into her mouth, and chewed slowly.

It was... burnt.

But there was something about the way they were all watching her, their eyes filled with excitement, that made her swallow it down with a smile.

"Well?" Rihaan asked eagerly.

She grinned. "Perfect."

His eyes sparkled. "Really?!"

She nodded, and he did a little victory dance in his seat. The kids giggled.

Ananya leaned back, taking in the scene-her husband, her children, the messy kitchen, and the laughter filling their home.

Yes.

Messy. Chaotic. Unpredictable.

But the most beautiful thing in the world.

And she wouldn't change it for anything.