PART-A

MANIK MALHOTRA ( male protagonist ), perfect businessman, a supportive husband of Nandini Manik Malhotra, and a loving father of Mia Manik Malhotra. Loves his wife and daughter a lot, and can do anything for them. Totally mama’s boy. Attention seeker. Wants his wife’s attention all the time. Sometimes it became too difficult for his wife to understand who is the baby in the house. 

NANDINI MANIK MALHOTRA ( female protagonist ) wife of Manik Malhotra, a doctor by profession. A mixture of calmness and naughtiness. Loves her family a lot. A working woman. Handles two kids at the same time but never complaints. One of them is her husband and the second one is their daughter, angel of their eyes MIA MANIK MALHOTRA

MIA MANIK MALHOTRA ( nine months old baby girl ) Pride of her parents, their lifeline. Her parents can do anything for her one smile. She is BELLA for her dad. If Nandini is Manik’s heart then Mia is his heartbeat. He can do anything for both of them. 

MIA is totally like her father, an ATTENTION SEEKER. Although everyone says that she is Papa’s princess but no one knows that she needs Nandini’s love more than anything just like her father. 

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Today is just a random lazy day for senior Malhotra’s because nowadays they are spending their lockdown period with only eating, sleeping, and making out in each and every corner of the house.  

Nandini:- ufff, Manik get up .See because of you my baby is also sleeping seeing you. 

Nandini shouts seeing father and daughter sleeping till early afternoon. But her shout gets into deaf ears. 

Manik opens his left eye slightly and sees his daughter who is sleeping beside him cutely. He forwards his left hand to take his daughter in his arms and sleeps again while taking her in his fatherly embrace. 

Manik:- ( sleepingly ) sleep my bella, sleep I am here no one will disturb our beauty sleep.

Nandini:- ( angrily ) why God why !!! You gave me two-two sleepy heads. ( To Manik )  Manik Malhotra, now it’s enough, get up and give bath to your daughter . You have only 15 minutes. And if you don’t come downstairs within 15 minutes then forget about your breakfast. 

Saying this she moves downstairs to prepare breakfast for her husband. 

Otherside, Manik wakes up and sits on the bed taking his daughter in his arms who is awake after listening to her mother’s shout first in the morning. 

Manik:- ( pouts ) bella your mother don’t let us sleep. Now we have to take a bath or else your mother won’t give me food. 

Mia makes a sad pout as if understanding that now she can’t sleep more. Manik gives her a sympathetic look and goes inside the washroom. 

This is how their days started during this COVID pandemic. 

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Nandini is setting the breakfast table . Soon father-daughter came towards her. Seeing Mia Nandini frowned. 

Nandini:- Manik, why is she still in bathrobe? Why don’t you make her ready? 

Manik:- because she is hungry, my not so smart wifey ………..

Nandini:- ( with narrowed eyes ) don’t lie, I know who’s hungry and who is not? 

Manik smiles sheepishly whereas Mia smiles brightly seeing his father’s face. 

Manik:- ( looking towards mia ) you enjoy a lot na…… When your mother scolds me. Hear me bella it’s not good. You are learning all the bad habits from your mother…. at least learn some good manners from me. 

Nandini:- oh… really Malhotra! ( While glaring at him ) Why am I getting this intuition that you are going to stay empty stomach all day?

Making a very cute sorry pout he sat down on his chair while making Mia sit on his lap. 

Nandini serves breakfast to everyone and is feeding Mia her baby food. Side by side, Manik feeds his wife who has a full concentration on Mia’s food. 

In the middle of their peaceful family moment, Nandini received a call from her hospital. 

Nandini:- ( answering the call ) hello!!, Good morning sir.

“ Yes , I know. Now!! … Ok I will try but you know na I have a nine months old baby. So, how can I come.“

“Yaa ok, bye.“

Manik frowned after hearing Nandini’s one sided conversation. When she cut the call, Manik immediately asked her about the call. 

Nandini:- Dr. Anubhav, called. 

Manik:-  why, you are on leave. Right? 

Nandini:- yes, but he said that this time the hospital needs me there because corona cases are increasing day by day. And many of the doctors are in quarantine and some of the hospital staff are injured due to continuous violence against medical staff. So, he wants me to join the hospital today. But how can I leave you and Mia alone here? Maa-papa is also not here. 

Manik:- ( taking her hand in his ) Nandini, I think you should go. I will manage everything here. 

Nandini:- Manik how will you manage ? What about your food there is no servant in the house right now. And above all  how will you manage Mia alone? She needs me….I Can’t leave my family in this situation. No..

Manik:- so, what about your other family, Nandini? This time who’s suffering from this pandemic needs you more than us. You are a lifesaver . People treat Doctors like god figures. I know it’s very difficult for me to manage Mia and home at the same time but I will try my best. Trust me! ………………………..Right princess ?…… ( Asks mia who giggles in reply making both of them smile ) 

After lots of discussion Nandini decided to go and fulfill her duty towards her nation. 

It’s not that she didn’t want to go… but it really needs lots of courage for a woman to leave her small kids alone at home.

To be continued…