A soft, warm weight pressed against her side.

Then another.

Then... something heavy draped across her stomach.

Ananya stirred, her brows furrowing as she slowly blinked her eyes open. The morning light seeped through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. A lazy yawn escaped her lips as she tried to shift-only to realize she couldn't move.

She looked down.

Aanya's tiny arms were wrapped around her waist, her small face buried into Ananya's side. Aarav had sprawled half over her legs, his mouth slightly open in deep sleep. And draped across her stomach, like a human blanket, was Rihaan.

Her husband.

Her grown-up husband was clinging onto her like a koala, his arms wrapped possessively around her, his face nestled into the crook of her neck.

Ananya sighed. Every morning, the same story.

Carefully, she tried to untangle herself.

Bad idea.

The second she moved, Rihaan mumbled in his sleep and tightened his grip around her. Aarav grumbled and shifted, throwing a leg over hers, trapping her further. And Aanya, the tiniest but somehow the strongest, squeezed her tighter, as if sensing her escape attempt.

Ananya exhaled through her nose, half amused, half exasperated.

Her life.

Her beautiful, chaotic life.

"Rihaan," she whispered, nudging him lightly. "Wake up."

A muffled groan. A sleepy grumble.

"Nooo..." he whined, burrowing deeper into her warmth. "Sleep time..."

Ananya rolled her eyes, reaching up to ruffle his already messy hair. "I have to get up, love."

He shook his head stubbornly, nuzzling against her. "No work. Stay."

Aarav stirred, cracking one eye open. "Dada's right, Mamma. Stay."

Aanya hummed in agreement, still half-asleep.

Ananya huffed. "You three are impossible."

She tried to wiggle free, but Rihaan's grip tightened again. "No escaping."

"Rihaan-"

"Shh."

"Rihaan!"

"Mmhmm?"

"You do realize I have to go to work, right?"

"Work is bad."

"Rihaan."

He peeked at her with sleepy, mischievous eyes. "Ten more minutes?"

She sighed, pretending to think. "Five."

"Seven."

"Five."

"...Six?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Six."

He grinned sleepily. "Yay."

And just like that, he snuggled closer, his warm breath tickling her skin. Aarav yawned and stretched but didn't let go. Aanya adjusted herself, finding a more comfortable position, and fell back into slumber.

Ananya smiled softly, giving up.

Six more minutes of warmth wouldn't hurt.

*****

Of course, six minutes turned into fifteen.

By the time Ananya finally managed to escape from the human octopus and his two little minions, she was already running late.

She quickly showered, dried her hair, and dressed in a crisp navy-blue business suit. The tailored blazer fit her perfectly, the white blouse underneath neatly tucked into her pencil skirt. Simple diamond studs adorned her ears, and her sleek heels clicked against the wooden floor as she walked out of the bedroom.

She paused at the mirror, smoothing down her hair.

Elegant. Professional. The perfect CEO look.

A look that lasted precisely five minutes.

Because the moment she stepped into the kitchen-

"RIHAAN!"

A loud thud followed by a flurry of panicked footsteps greeted her.

She rushed inside, her sharp eyes immediately landing on the trio of troublemakers.

Rihaan was crouched down near the fridge, his hand half-buried in a giant jar of Nutella, his mouth smeared with chocolate. Aanya and Aarav stood beside him, looking equally guilty, both clutching spoons dripping with cocoa goodness.

The counter was an absolute mess-crumbs, chocolate smears, and an open bag of poha scattered everywhere.

Ananya exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What. Is. This?"

Rihaan gulped. "Uhh... surprise?"

Aarav quickly nodded. "Yes! Surprise, Mamma!"

Aanya beamed. "We wanted to make you breakfast!"

Ananya folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. "And that included raiding the Nutella jar?"

Aanya fidgeted. "Dada said it was important."

Ananya turned to Rihaan.

He cleared his throat. "Chocolate makes everything better?" he tried.

She shook her head, sighing. "Go sit. I'll handle breakfast before you burn the house down."

They obediently shuffled to the dining table, watching as she expertly moved around the kitchen. Within minutes, the air filled with the warm, comforting aroma of freshly made poha. She served them generous portions, placing a dollop of curd on the side.

As they dug in, Ananya placed her hands on her hips. "Now, listen carefully."

Three pairs of innocent eyes blinked up at her.

"I'm leaving for work soon."

They nodded.

"I want zero chaos today."

More nodding.

"I mean it."

The nodding slowed.

Ananya narrowed her eyes. "I will know if you misbehave."

Aanya gulped. Aarav looked down. Rihaan just grinned.

"We'll be good," he said sweetly.

Liar.

Ananya sighed. They won't listen.

But before she could scold them further, she softened. "I'll be home early today."

Aanya gasped. "Really?"

Aarav's eyes widened. "Why?"

Ananya smiled. "Because we're moving back to Mehra Manor."

For a second, silence.

Then-

"YAYYYYY!"

Aanya leaped from her chair, arms flailing in excitement. Aarav jumped up and did a little dance. Even Rihaan clapped his hands, eyes twinkling.

"We'll see Isha didi and Rishi bhaiya!" Aanya squealed.

"I can play football with Rishi bhaiya again!" Aarav cheered.

Rihaan grinned. "And Isha will braid Aanya's hair!"

Aanya nodded eagerly. "And we can have sleepovers!"

Ananya smiled, watching their excitement.

Rihaan turned to her suddenly. "But why are we moving back?"

She hesitated for half a second. "I... miss them."

He studied her for a moment. Then nodded. "Me too."

Ananya forced a small smile.

But she didn't tell him the real reason.

Didn't tell him that yesterday had unsettled her.

That moment when Aarav and Aanya had teased him-when they had said, Dada, you're an adult, you shouldn't act like this.

And Rihaan, for the first time, hadn't laughed it off.

For the first time, he had gotten defensive.

For the first time, there was a flash of something unfamiliar in his eyes.

"I'm not an adult!" he had snapped, his voice slightly louder than usual.

The kids had gone quiet, startled by the sudden shift in his tone.

And Ananya had felt... uneasy.

She had immediately stepped in, soothingly saying, "Dada is just a little stressed, like how Mamma gets stressed sometimes."

The kids had accepted it.

But Ananya hadn't.

She had spent the rest of the evening replaying that moment in her mind.

Rihaan had always been childlike-his innocence, his joy, his unwavering excitement over the simplest things. But this...

This was different.

And she wasn't going to ignore it.

Moving back to Mehra Manor would help. It would put them back in familiar surroundings, surrounded by family.

She needed to make sure Rihaan was okay.

Shaking off her thoughts, she kissed Aanya and Aarav on their foreheads and turned to Rihaan. "I'll be back early. Be good."

Rihaan grinned. "I am always good."

She gave him a look.

He pouted. "...Okay, I'll try."

Giving him a small smile, she grabbed her keys and walked out the door.

And as she drove to her company, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing.

And she wasn't sure if it's a good thing or not.