JEEVAN

10- His Arni

A/N

Double update?Yeah!

Enjoy!

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"Am I short?" Arni asked out of blue, her maths homework lying on the table long forgotten.

Arjun without looking up from his laptop- "Yes."

Arni looked at him offended but the look got completely wasted as Arjun's eye were not leaving the laptop screen.

"Kids are short. You'll grow up gradually."

Arni considered his words but then whined- "But mere classmates mujhse zyada lambe hai!"

Arjun scoofed- "Because unlike you they actually eat healthy and thus stay healthy!" He looked up from the laptop and gave her a 'I told you so' look.

Arni poked out her tongue at him as he looked back at his laptop screen. "That's not true." she said after much thoughts.

Arjun lost in the laptop- "Really?"

Arni walked upto him and snatched his laptop. He glared at her but she just put it on the table and stood in front of him with crossed arms.

Arjun sighed. The girl had gained a lot of confidence around him in the past 3 days. But then he reminded himself that she was always confident! He just wasn't around enough to experience it.

Arni- "Beggars toh malnourished hote hai! But they are still tall."

Arjun frowned. What was the girl playing at? "So?"

Arni- "Meri friend ke papa doctor hai. Usne mujhe bataya ki uske papa ne use bataya ki baccho ki height parents ki height se determine hoti hai!"

Arjun rolled his eyes- "True." Not always

Arni frowned and looked away. She bit her lips in nervous contemplation and looked up with fearful eyes. Arjun was shocked at the change in her expressions.

Arjun- "Kya hua?"

Arni looking down- "You are tall. And Maine photos me dekha hai ki mumma was also tall. Then why am I short?"

Arjun lifted her chin and was confused when he saw the slight sheen of tears in her eyes. He understood at once that this was not just about height!

Arjun- "What's going on in your mind?"

Arni looked down but Arjun tapped her chin reminding her to look at him.

Arni- "Am I adopted?"

That question caught Arjun off guard and he laughed out loud. The girl was so damn unpredictable! Who would connect their height with something like this? She was one hell of an overthinker. His once in a blue moon laugh was interrupted when he felt Arni hitting him with angry tears flowing down her eyes.

He controlled his laugh and wiped her tears- "Ok ok, calm down. See I am not laughing."

He sat her down on his lap. Something that he had not done since years. Arnika stopped crying as he pulled her on his lap. She looked up at him with tears filled eyes. Her insecurities were too overburdening for her soft heart. And it was not at all funny!

Arjun in a gentle tone- "You are a kid, right now. You'll experience a growth spurt when you are a teenager. You'll grow,ok? And about me and your mumma being tall, you know your aaji was short. So, I guess you might have inherited her height and it's oka if that's the case. It doesn't matter at all."

Arni in a crying voice- "But but I want to be tall!"

Arjun- "Shh..calm down. Your height doesn't define you,ok? You are the best just the way you are. Ok?" Arni looked away and leaned on his chest. Cuddling with him was rare. She'll devour each and every moment of it!