The SUV entered the gate and stopped in front of the porch. Yougal Lucas took the briefcase and opened the door of the SUV and slid down from the driving seat. He went straight to his room to have a shower. It was another hot day in late July. Swathed in sweat he felt claggy and dirty after a busy day.
After the cold water shower Yougal Lucas felt fresh and clean. Changing into grey cropped pants and a white half sleeved T shirt he walked to Yana's room. Finding her room empty he guessed that she must be playing downstairs. He went down to the living room and told the housekeeper who brought tea to tell the nanny to bring Yana to the living room.
He smiled fondly at the little angel who came almost flying as if she had wings. 'God! I miss her.' Though she had been with him in the past three days he always left home for the hospital before she woke up. At night he tried to spend time with her till she slept around ten at night.
"Papa," she sat down on the sofa beside him. "I'll make cookies for you, star cookies with chocolate chips on them." She said enthusiastically looking at the cookies on the plate.
He smiled affectionately at her. She was only five years old. So he wondered how she could make cookies or why she was suddenly interested in making cookies. Perhaps Nicholas' mom allowed her to play with flour or dough to keep her busy while the former baked something.
"Okay baby, when you grow up into a big girl you'll bake cookies. Now you cannot make them."
"No papa, I can. I'm a big girl now." Yana said, emphasizing the word big.
Yougal Lucas laughed indulgently and kissed her forehead, then asked,
"Did Diti gramm taught you to make cookies?" Diti was Yana's shortened form for Nick's mom Aditi.
"No papa, Mahua auntie taught me. She makes sooo tasty desserts. I love to eat them." Yana's eyes grew wide and she licked her lips, perhaps remembering the tasty desserts.
Yougal Lucas was amused discovering her sudden interest in baking or eating sweet desserts. He thought that Mahua was someone who worked at Aditi Adam's home.
"Okay, I'll ask Diti gramm to tell Mahua to make dessert for you." He pated his daughter's head.
Yana tilted her head to a side and scrutinized her dad. He thought that he had seen that tilting of the head to the left, that scrutinizing gaze somewhere. Her next words surprised him.
"Oh ho papa! You've to ask auntie mummy to tell Mahua auntie." She corrected her dad.
"Auntie mummy? What auntie mummy?" He wondered if she was making up an imaginary mummy whom she called auntie mummy. Maybe she was missing a mummy in her life. She saw the other children with their mothers and understood that a mom was a part of a family.
"My auntie mummy."
Yougal Lucas felt satisfaction at Yana imagining a mother in her life. A complacent smile adorned his handsome face. 'So she wants a mummy. I'll give her one. Nia and I'll give her a big family." He soon flew away from the reality and started spinning a dream world where he and wife Nia were making babies.
"Papa." Someone shook his body that was still in the living room.
Yougal Lucas turned his head to look at his little girl. She was staring at him waiting for his attention. He laughed at his crazy daydreaming. 'Oh god!' He groaned, 'I must find way to marry her soon. And we'll make lots of babies, at least three.' He tousled Yana's hair. He was happy imagining the future with Nia.
"I want my hair long like auntie mummy." Yana said touching her head.
"You'll call her mummy, not auntie mummy." Yougal wondered why she picked up a strange term to call her imaginary mom. Yana would call Nia mummy. So he better teach her from now on. "And I'll let you grow your hair long." He said as he remembered Nia's long wavy hair. He always wanted to run his fingers through her hair.
"I want to call her mummy too but she said, she's my auntie."
"When I bring her home you'll call her mummy. She'll love you." He smiled looking at her expectant eyes.
"Bring auntie mummy home soon. I want to sleep with her." Yana demanded.
Yougal did not see that coming. He frowned at the latter part of her demand. He knew how headstrong she could be at times. He needed to settle the matter now. If she would sleep with Nia then where he would be sleeping, how he would give Yana a big family.
"No baby, you can't sleep with mom. If you sleep with her you won't get any brother and sister." He gave her options.
"I don't want brother or sister. I'll sleep with auntie mummy." Yana was certain about what she preferred more.
"I'll not bring mummy home, okay." Yougal tried to threaten her.
Yana sat still and opened her eyes wide. Yougal felt bad watching her reaction but he needed to settle the matter now. Yana, on the other hand remembered a very important fact that her auntie mummy had stated. Her papa was talking about bringing a mummy. Her auntie mummy said that her papa would bring a mummy for her. Yana was an intelligent child. Her papa was talking about a different mummy.
"Papa, I don't want a mummy. I already have auntie mummy."
The shrewd business man Yougal Lucas felt defeated by a five years old child.