You know what’s funny?
I gave birth to Kai.
But if you see him sleeping peacefully in someone’s arms?
It’s never mine.
It’s always Meena’s.
And Lucas?
Kabir and Meena’s calm, angelic, unfairly perfect child?
Yeah.
He sleeps best—
In my arms.
“Explain this,” I said one afternoon, holding Lucas as he belonged to me.
Meena looked at Kai, who was drooling peacefully on her shoulder.
“I think,” she said thoughtfully, “we got the wrong babies.”
Kabir froze.
Aarav froze.
Kabir: “Excuse me??”
Aarav: “Don’t joke about that.”
I hugged Lucas tighter.
“I’m not joking,” I said seriously.
“Look at him. He clearly prefers me.”
Lucas snuggled closer.
Kabir pointed dramatically.
“YOU ARE NOT ADOPTING MY SON.”
“I already have,” I replied calmly.
“Emotionally.”
Meena, very peacefully:
“I wouldn’t mind. Kai is easier with me anyway.”
Aarav looked at Kai.
Kai blinked back.
Aarav sighed.
“I’ve lost my child.”
And that’s how—
We unofficially became…
Mothers of each other’s babies.
Lucas cries?
“Give him to Lilly.”
Kai refuses to sleep.
“Call Meena.”
Kabir once walked into my house, handed Lucas to me, and said—
“Fix him.”
I stared at him.
“He’s a human, not WiFi.”
But still—
Two minutes later?
Lucas asleep.
Kabir narrowed his eyes.
“This is suspicious.”
Now comes my favourite part.
The most unnecessary—
Most dramatic—
Most competitive—
War in history.
Kabir vs Aarav: Parenting Edition
It started small.
Very small.
“My son slept for four hours straight,” Kabir said casually.
Aarav sipped his coffee.
“Mine didn’t cry during a diaper change.”
Silence.
Kabir: “…that’s impressive.”
Aarav: “Thank you.”
And just like that—
Competition.
Activated.
“Luca smiled first,” Kabir declared.
“Kai rolled over first,” Aarav replied.
“Luca said ‘aa’ clearly.”
“Kai said it with emotion.”
I leaned toward Meena.
“This is getting embarrassing.”
Meena nodded.
“I’m enjoying it.”
But the real chaos?
Came during—
The Great Midnight Challenge.
“Tonight,” Kabir announced, “no help.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Each of us handles our own baby. Independently.”
Aarav nodded slowly.
“Agreed.”
Meena and I looked at each other.
And in that moment— We knew.
These men were about to regret everything.
-2:14 AM-
Kai crying.
Lucas crying.
Kabir pacing.
Aarav stared at the wall as if life had betrayed him.
“Why is he crying?” Kabir whispered loudly.
“Because he’s a baby,” Meena replied.
Aarav googling:
“Why does the baby cry at night? Reasons for the solution are fast.”
I sat back.
Relaxed.
Watching.
Enjoying.
LOUD.
Lucas: cries louder
Aarav tried logic.
“It’s okay, Kai. Calm down.”
Kai: screams louder
I whispered to Meena,
“Ten seconds before they give up.”
Seven seconds.
“LILLY,” Kabir said, panicking.
“NO,” I said immediately.
“AARAV,” Meena called.
“No external support,” Aarav said weakly.
Three more seconds.
“TAKE HIM,” both said at the same time.
Meena and I burst out laughing.
I took Lucas.
Meena took Kai.
Silence.
Kabir blinked.
Aarav blinked.
“HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?” Kabir demanded.
I shrugged.
“Talent.”
Meena added softly,
“Love.”
Kabir crossed his arms.
“I also love him.”
Lucas made a tiny sleepy sound and snuggled into me.
I smiled.
“He knows.”
Aarav sat down beside me, defeated.
“I think our children chose their parents.”
I looked at Meena.
She looked at me.
And we both said at the same time—
“Yeah. Each other.”
And honestly?
I wouldn’t change it.
Because somewhere between sleepless nights, stolen babies, loud arguments, and ridiculous competitions—
We didn’t just become parents.
We became a family.
Also—
If Kabir starts another competition,
I’m permanently adding Lucas to my team.
-PRESENT DAY 1-
Meena’s tears trembled at the edges of her eyes like they were reconsidering their life choices.
And then— She laughed.
Not a soft, polite laugh.
No.
A full, messy, slightly ugly laugh—the kind that bursts out without permission.
I blinked.
“Wow,” I said, placing a hand dramatically over my chest.
“I deserve an award. I just turned a crying disaster into a laughing one.”
Meena sniffed, wiping her cheeks.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t crying that much”
“Really,” I waved it off.
She rolled her eyes—but she was still smiling.
Good.
Mission successful.
And because I clearly wasn’t done being amazing, I added, “You know who would’ve made this moment even more dramatic? Kai and Lucas.”
That got her attention instantly.
“Those two…” I shook my head, already smiling.
“Honestly, I still don’t understand how they function as separate human beings now.”
Meena let out a small laugh.
“Yes.”
“Exactly!” I pointed at her as she’d just proven my thesis.
“Back then, both ate together, wearing the same clothes.”
“Which you encouraged,” she interrupted.
“Fashion bonding,” I corrected.
“—going to the same place, refusing to stay apart for more than five minutes.”
“And sleeping like they’re glued together,” I added.
We both paused.
“Sometimes they’d sleep with me, in my home” I said softly.
“And sometimes with me, in mine” Meena finished.
“And sometimes all three of us ended up squished on one bed like a badly packed suitcase.”
She laughed again.
God, I missed that sound.
“Our house…” she murmured.
“Didn’t even feel like two houses,” I completed.
“It was like one big chaotic mess.”
“Perfect mess,” she corrected gently.
I smiled.
“Yeah… perfect.”
For a moment, we just stood there wrapped in memories that felt so real it almost hurt.
Because then—
“How is it,” I said, pretending to think deeply, “that Kai turned out like… that?”
“That?” Meena raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. That. Pure chaos. Walking trouble. A professional menace.”
She smiled knowingly.
“He’s your son, Lily.”
I gasped.
“Excuse me? I am a perfectly well-behaved individual.”
“You once tried to cook Maggi in a coffee maker.”
“That was innovation.”
“That was a fire hazard.”
I ignored her.
“And Lucas,” I continued, softer now, “is just… different.”
Warm.
Gentle.
“He’s sweet,” she said.
“My innocent, beautiful child,” I whispered dramatically, placing a hand over my heart again.
Meena looked at me for a second.
Then she said, very calmly—
“You gave birth to Kai.”
I froze.
“…I regret everything.”
“And I gave birth to Lucas,” she continued.
I turned slowly toward her.
“So basically… we both got punished.”
She nodded.
“That sounds about right.”
We stared at each other.
And then— we both burst out laughing.
The kind of laughter that comes from knowing someone completely.
“I wish…” I said after a moment, my voice softer now.
She didn’t ask what.
She already knew.
“I wish our children were always together.”
Meena didn’t hesitate.
“Yes,” she said.
“Always.”
Something about the way she said it—
It lingered.
But before it could get too heavy, we reached my writing cottage.
There it was.
Same as always.
Quiet.
Familiar.
A place that used to feel like peace.
I stepped forward out of habit, “Let’s see…” I muttered, trying to unlock the door like a normal, functioning human being.
My hand went through it.
My hand… didn’t cooperate.
I froze.
“…oh.”
I stared at my hand.
Then at the door.
Then back in my hand.
“…OH.”
Meena, behind me, was very quiet for exactly two seconds.
Then—
“Lily, are you serious right now?” she said, trying not to laugh.
“I—” I lifted my hand again, experimentally.
It passed through the door like it was made of air.
“I forgot.”
“You forgot?” she repeated, now fully laughing.
“You forgot that we are ghosts now?”
“In my defence,” I said, completely serious, “I’ve had a lot going on.”
“Oh yes,” she nodded.
“Dying can be very distracting.”
“Exactly!”
She shook her head, still smiling.
“Let’s just get in,” she said.
“We don’t need formalities anymore.”
I blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
“…that’s true.”
I paused.
Then added, with a grin—
“Just like I used to ghost you every day.”
She gave me that look.
“You did not just make that joke.”
“I absolutely did,” I said proudly.
“Consistency is important.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“And yet, here I am.”
I took a step forward.
No doors.
No barriers.
Just— through.
We slipped inside the cottage as we belonged there.
Like we always had.
For a moment, everything felt… normal.
Too normal.
And then—
We stepped further in.
And stopped.
“Aahhh…”
“Ahaa….!”
We both shouted at the same time, our voices colliding in shock.
Because we saw something.
No— not something.
Someone.
No— not just one.
But two people.
We froze, then slowly turned to look at each other, eyes wide, minds completely blank.
“What…?”
I scream.
Then we scream even louder and together—
“What the hell is happening here?”
To Be Continued… 👀
Lily and Meena are not alone Who else is with them?