Sunday, 10 a.m.
Yamuna Riverside Villa's garden shimmered under a perfect November sun.
Rajesh had transformed the lawn into a miniature wonderland:
- A **cotton-candy machine** shaped like a lotus.
- A **bubble station** that produced iridescent orbs the size of beach balls.
- A **story-tent** draped in saffron silk, cooled by hidden mist runes.
- A **petting corner** where Mithu the goat and three rescued bunnies nibbled marigolds.
- A **mini splash-pool** with floating LED lotuses that played ragas when touched.
Little Sheru, still in Pug form, wore a tiny saffron bandana embroidered **"Party Captain"**.
Priya wore a peacock-blue lehenga, hair in two sparkly puffs, clutching a handmade invitation card for each guest.
The doorbell chimed at 10:05.
---
### Guest #1: Neha Patel + Niece Riya (3 yo)
Neha arrived in a taxi, arms full of glitter slime and a unicorn piñata.
Riya bolted straight for the splash-pool, shoes already off mid-run.
"PRIYA DI! BUBBLES!"
Priya squealed and cannonballed in after her.
Neha stared at the infinity pool, the banyan swing, the talking fountain.
"Rajesh… this is a film set."
Rajesh handed her a chilled glass of **saffron-pistachio lassi**.
"Welcome to the set of *Priya's Childhood*."
---
### Guest #2: Brijesh Joshi + Granddaughter Aanya (4 yo)
The Garuda Force Scorpio rolled in at 10:15.
Brijesh stepped out in a simple kurta, carrying a steel tiffin of **filter coffee decoction** and a cloth bag of **kesar pedas**.
Aanya, shy at first, hid behind his legs — until she spotted the cotton-candy lotus.
"Dadaji, it's a flower that eats children!"
Brijesh chuckled. "Only the naughty ones, beta."
He handed Rajesh the tiffin. "Peace offering. No weapons, as requested."
Rajesh lifted the lid — the aroma hit like a warm hug.
"Truce accepted."
---
### Guest #3: Dr. Saraswati Iyer (solo, no child)
Dr. Iyer arrived on a vintage Vespa, sidecar stuffed with **hand-bound storybooks** and a **mini veena**.
She wore a simple cotton saree the color of dawn.
Priya ran to her. "Ma'am, will you play the butterfly song?"
Dr. Iyer knelt. "Only if you sing with me."
She opened a book titled **"The Lotus Who Wanted to Fly"** — illustrated by Priya's own doodles, magically bound overnight.
---
### 11:00 a.m. – Chaos & Magic
The garden erupted into controlled pandemonium:
- Riya and Aanya discovered the **bubble station**.
Bubbles grew, merged, and floated off carrying the girls like hot-air balloons — three feet above ground, perfectly safe.
Brijesh's coffee cup froze mid-sip.
"Spatial manipulation?"
Rajesh winked. "Just soap and physics."
- Priya led a **parade**:
Mithu the goat in a flower crown,
bunnies on leashes made of fairy lights,
Little Sheru riding Mithu like a maharaja,
Dr. Iyer strumming the veena,
Neha filming on her phone,
Rajesh walking last, carrying a tray of **mini gulab jamuns**.
- The **story-tent** session:
Dr. Iyer read the lotus tale.
When she reached the part where the lotus learns to fly, **real lotus petals** lifted from the pond and swirled around the children like pink snow.
Aanya gasped. "Magic!"
Brijesh's eyes narrowed — but he smiled when Priya crawled into his lap.
"Dadaji, you tell a story now!"
He cleared his throat and began a sanitized Garuda Force legend: *"The warrior who protected a village with only a peacock feather…"*
---
### 12:30 p.m. – The Incident
The piñata hung from the banyan.
Neha blindfolded Riya.
"Left… left… HIT!"
Riya swung — missed — and the stick flew from her hands.
It arced toward Priya's head.
Time slowed.
Rajesh didn't move.
Little Sheru's eyes flashed gold.
The stick **stopped mid-air**, spun, and gently tapped the piñata.
Candies rained down in slow motion.
Neha blinked. "Did the dog just…?"
Brijesh set his coffee down. "Telekinesis. Confirmed."
Dr. Iyer closed her book. "Or love. Same thing."
Rajesh clapped once. Time resumed.
The kids screamed with joy, scrambling for toffees.
---
### 1:30 p.m. – Lunch on the Grass
Rajesh unveiled the feast:
- **Tricolor pulao** (saffron, white, green).
- **Paneer tikka skewers** shaped like lotus buds.
- **Mango lassi** in coconut shells.
- **Jalebi fountains** (yes, actual fountains).
The adults sat in a circle.
Neha: "Rajesh, seriously — lottery? Crypto? Bollywood inheritance?"
Rajesh: "Long story. Involves a mirror, a war, and a promise to a two-year-old."
Brijesh: "We have clearance for long stories."
Dr. Iyer: "And short poems."
Priya climbed into Rajesh's lap, sticky with jalebi.
"Papa, are they your friends now?"
He looked around the circle — Neha laughing, Brijesh feeding Aanya a peda, Dr. Iyer tuning her veena.
"Yes, beta. They're family."
---
### 3:00 p.m. – Departure
The Scorpio, the taxi, and the Vespa left one by one.
Aanya waved from the window: "Next time, Dadaji brings his sword!"
Brijesh mouthed: *No swords.*
Rajesh stood at the gate, Priya asleep on his shoulder, Little Sheru snoring in the sling.
He looked at the garden — petals on the grass, bubbles still floating, a single peacock feather stuck in the banyan.
His phone buzzed.
**Group: Priya's Village**
**Dr. Iyer:** *The lotus has flown. Thank you.*
**Neha:** *Riya says Priya is her new BFF. Also, I quit my job. Can I be your event planner?*
**Brijesh:** *Aanya wants a play-date every Sunday. I'll bring coffee. And maybe a small shield.*
Rajesh smiled, typed:
**Rajesh:** *Every Sunday. Bring kids, coffee, and zero apocalypses.* 🪷
He carried Priya inside.
The villa's smart system whispered:
"Welcome home, Papa. Nap time initiated. Lullaby: *Nani Teri Morni*."
As the first notes played, Rajesh kissed Priya's sticky forehead.
"Day 13," he murmured. "No worlds destroyed.
Just one perfect Sunday."