02

Aamir stood by the window watching the busy street. It's already so late at night yet the street is still filled with people. He sighed and walked to his bed.

“I have work tomorrow. I should be asleep by now,” he mumbled to himself and proceeded towards the huge king sized bed in the middle of the room.

He suddenly paused and glared at something at the edge of the bed. It's a huge picture frame above the headboard of the bed.

His hands rolled into fists as he stared at the picture with so much hatred. “Even on our wedding day... she wasn't smiling. That shows how much she resented this marriage in the first place. Why did she even agree to this marriage when she knows she didn't want to get married to me?,” he mumbled as he stared at the picture frame with so much hatred.

“I am going to put away every single thing that reminds me of that cheat. She really dared to try and seduce my own brother... I wonder what she has been doing behind my back,” he uttered as he advanced towards the picture frame.

He was gonna burn this stupid thing that has her face on it. He doesn't care if it is their first and only wedding picture. He will make sure to get rid of everything that will possibly remind him of her and how she dared to cheat on him.

He already reached the picture frame and was removing it when someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?,” he asked as he finally removed the frame. Suddenly he could hear the muffled cries of a baby. He dropped the picture frame on the bed and walked to the door.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see the new stay-at-home nanny he hired for Samir. She was carrying a wailing Samir in her hands while trying every possible thing to stop him from screaming the house down.

Aamir frowned and asked,“What's wrong? Why is my son crying like this? Shouldn't he be asleep in his cot by now? It's late already.”

The nanny sighed and said,“Sir, he was asleep but only for a few minutes before he suddenly woke up and started crying. I fed him, changed his nappy, bathed him, sang to him but he wouldn't stop crying. I have never experienced this situation ever since I started working as a nanny.”

Aamir frowned at her last sentence. Isn't she supposed to be qualified for this job according to her portfolio? Why can't she just handle a simple thing such as taking care of a wailing child?

“Give him to me and bring all his necessities. I will handle him for tonight,” he told her.

The nanny almost bowed in relief as she quickly handed over the toddler to his father. Then she turned around to return to his nursery and bring his necessities.

Aamir closed the door and looked at Samir. “Hey baby, why are you crying?,” he asked with a frown. I think the frown made the baby cry harder... He wailed like never before.

“Wahh!!! Wahh!!!,” he wailed. Aamir was stunned by the sudden increase of shouts. He panicked and tried to pacify the baby,“Ssh... Ssh... Please stop crying. Don't let me run mad at a young age. How do I stop you from crying? Stop crying please!”

In his despair, I think he shouted when saying the last sentence so Samir just screamed and cried like there is no tomorrow.

“Please stop crying,” Aamir was now begging. He dropped Samir on the bed. Then he removed his shirt and tied it around his waist. He already started sweating just at the sight of his son crying.

After removing the shirt, he carried Samir again and started to sing,“Baby... Baby don't cry... Baby please don't cry... Papa loves you. Please pity papa and stop crying.”

Samir made a funny face which showed how terrible the song is. Seems like Aamir is singing the song wrongly. His tone is totally off key.

“Wahhh!!!!!,” he continued crying. By now Aamir was already getting frustrated. He doesn't know what to do. He sat on the bed and put Samir over his shoulder before patting his back lightly.

Like magic, Samir actually stopped crying. Aamir was stunned as he told himself,“Maybe I should have tried doing this earlier.”

Samir's next words made him freeze. The child suddenly said,“Ma... Mama.” Aamir was stunned for a while. Then he carried Samir, making him face him.

He then told the little boy,“I told you... There is no mama anymore.” The boy made a face that showed that he is about to cry out a river of tears.

Aamir panicked and then quickly told him,“Now be a good little boy and don't cry. Let's just go to bed. Don't cry.... Aah” He shouted with a dreaded look as he watched Samir open his mouth widely and release the loudest scream he has ever heard.

“Wahhhh!!!! Mama!!!!!,” Samir cried as he pointed at something. Aamir noticed this and turned back. His eyes widened when he saw the picture frame on the bed.

So that was what Samir saw earlier that made him keep quiet and he was thinking it's all due to his great pacifying skills.

“Don't cry! Please stop screaming! See that's mama okay? See mama,” Aamir told him as he quickly carried the baby tightly in one hand and then carried the picture frame in another hand.

Samir quietened when he saw the frame in front of him. He looked at the picture and hiccupped... His tears ceased as he rested his head on Aamir's hand. “Mama,” he said quietly as he pointed to the frame.

Aamir gritted his teeth in anger. Even if all he wants to do right now is to yank the picture away and burn it, he can't do so. He can't risk Samir screaming the house down again and making him go crazy.

★

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The room was silent and soon Samir began to doze off. Aamir yawned and struggled with carrying Samir and the frame. Before he knew it, he also started to doze off.

Suddenly, the frame fell to the ground and made a loud crashing sound waking Samir up. When the toddler couldn't see the frame anymore, he screamed,“Mama!!!! Wahhhhhh!!!!!”

Aamir was startled awake and he also screamed with the child,“Wahhhh!!!”

As Samir increased the volume of his cries, his father followed, totally confused of what to do. The room was filled with the cries of a wailing baby(Samir) and a frustrated giant baby (Aamir).

The door opened and the whole household rushed in. “What the heck is going on here!? Aamir, why is your baby crying?,” Akhil asked as he stared at the commotion in the room.

Aamir looked at them with a tearful look that screamed,'Please save me!!!'

“This isn't a baby! I'm gonna run mad soon!!!,” Aamir shouted as he stared back at Samir who was still screaming.