Chapter 47
CHAPTER 35
All love stories doesn't have a happy ending because love stories doesn't have an ending.
Arnav became alert as he sensed some movements on bed. He immediately placed his i-phone aside and checked Kushi who was lying on bed and then rolled his eyes to the cradle which was on other side of bed. Although the baby was born at 36th week, doctor had certified that their baby was perfectly fine and healthy.
Arnav was happy with the news but who was worrying him was his wife. Though Kushi was given partial anaesthesia, she had not regained her consciousness. Almost one and half hour has been passed. He remembered how Anjali was fully conscious when Prem was born.
He rolled his eyes back to bed when kushi stirred. A smile appeared on his face as he waited patiently for his wife to open her eyes. He left a peck on her lips. "Wake up, sleeping beauty." Kushi pouted her lips unconsciously and craned her neck to other side where cradle was, turning away from Arnav.
"What the?" Arnav frowned. As far as he remembered Kushi always smiled if he kissed her while she is asleep. 'Well, priorty changes for every woman. Baby comes before husband.' He thought sadly looking at cradle. The thought that he was not Kushi's priority anymore made him sad eventhough he very well know it is very stupid of him to feel jealous of his own child.
When he looked back at bed, he was little surprised to see Kushi looking at him directly with tired smile slowly appearing on her face. "Kushi." He said excitedly leaning towards her. Caressing her hair lovingly, he spoke. "You did it, dear. Thank you so much. I am so happy." He kissed her smiling lips and then her forehead. "I love you."
Kushi tried to say something but no sound came from her dry throat. "Wait!" Arnav said before helping her to sit and then gave her water. "Does it hurt much?" Arnav asked with concern when she flinched. Kushi shook her head and sipped the water, wetting her lips before saying "i said..." Arnav leaned forward as her voice was very low. "i ...love you... too..." Arnav smiled and kissed her cheek.
When he moved back to see her face, he noticed that her gaze was fixed to the cradle where their little bundle of joy was lying. "Baby is fine. Wait, i will bring the baby." She rolled her eyes back to Arnav nodding at him and watched him keenly as he walked around the bed and went near the cradle before freezing at the sight in front of him.
"beautiful." Arnav said as he kneeled down near the cradle. Wrapped completely in white towel, only little one's face was visible. Face was pink in colour. Two small lines were there representing the closed eyes. Eyebrows were barely visible. Nose was little but sharp. Red lips were pouted which reminded Arnav of kushi. Slowly and carefully, Arnav slid his hand beneath the baby and lifted the little one knowing that this is the moment which is going to change both kushi and his life.
Feeling the sudden warmth, the little one opened the eyes slowly to check where it was making Arnav freeze again. As if the little one was sure that it was in safe place, closed the eyes and moved cosily towards Arnav's chest. Kushi stared at Arnav as he observed the child devotedly. "Arnav please dont tell me that you didn't even see the child's face in last two hours."
Arnav looked up hearing Kushi's voice and gave her sheepish grin making Kushi fume. "I HATE YOU, ARNAV. How can you do this to our child? I told you not to do it! Poor baby, what she must be thinking? That both her father and mother don't love her." Kushi screamed making Arnav to halt at tail end of the bed.
Arnav grimaced. "It was you who wanted to see my reaction when i hold our baby for the first time. So i waiting patiently for you to gain consciousness and here you are blaming me as if i have committed big mistake." Kushi made a face and lowered her gaze. The glint she saw in his eyes when he saw their baby for first time is something which she will remember and cherish till her death. He was right. "Thanks." She whispered in low voice.
"Excuse me? Did you say something?" Arnav asked in innocent tone earning Kushi's glare. "I said thank you." She repeated gritting her teeth. Arnav grinned. "I still dont understand from where you get so much energy when you scold or fight with me and where does that energy goes when you thank me or say 'i-love-you' to me." Arnav heaved a sigh.
"Just shut up and give the baby to me!" Kushi barked totally annoyed with his complaint. "Look at your tone now!" Arnav pointed out handling the baby to her. Kushi completely ignored his words and concentrated on the baby. Knots formed in her stomach and a sudden wave of glee hit her nerves making her shiver. "Kushi!" she felt Arnav's arm around and looked at him.
"shh...dont cry...please...Kushi...this is the best moment of our life...you should not cry..." Arnav said as Kushi leaned on Arnav and sobbed. "I never thought this day will ever happen in my life, Arnav." She admitted sincerely. "I always dreamt about this day holding my child in my arms with person i love sitting next to me and supporting me. But i lost all the hope long back when i was just 14."
Arnav soothed her silently unsure of what to say. Who can know about these fears more than him? Few hours back he too had this fear that these moments might never happen in life. Kushi continued to speak. "Thanks Arnav. Thanks for coming into my life. Thanks for being with me now. Thanks for making my dreams come true."
Arnav looked puzzled. "Okay! I think those were supposed to be my lines. Since you have already said it, i dont know what to say?" Arnav said in serious tone and laughed out loud when Kushi hit him on his chest. "Seriously, Kushi? If you consider yourself to be lucky for having me in your life, then what should i consider myself? May be most fortunate person!?!" He asked before continuing "and this time i didn't do anything! It was you who fought for your dreams and have won it! I did nothing except to hope for your dreams to come true. But i will try to contribute more next time, okay?"
Kushi smiled at fondness she heard in her husband's voice. Feeling some moments, she looked down at right time when her little one had opened the eyes and ogling at her making her freeze. Same molten chocolate brown eyes which had always left her mesmerized were looking straight at her. "My god, Arnav! Your eyes!" Kushi exclaimed in amazement. Arnav nodded holding Kushi close to him.
They both were watching the little one yawning when Kushi commented "she is so cute!" Arnav agreed. "Yeah, very cute. But not she, it's he!" Kushi nodded first and then looked at Arnav with open mouth. "It's boy, Kushi." from the time she came to know about pregnancy, she always thought it was girl just like Arnav. And seeing him so happy, it never occurred to her to ask about the gender.
Looking at Kushi's bewilderment, Arnav added "doctor told me that you were conscious and you nodded at her when she said its boy baby." Kushi shook her head and said "i remember that you were with me. Then everything blanked out. Again i woke up sensing something. I was half conscious during operation and even heard his cry. Doctor was saying something but again everything blanked out. i assumed it was girl."
Arnav gave one of his sweetest smiles and Kushi responded with her smile. "So it's my prince and not princess. Ummma." Kushi kissed the child making sound. "Kushi, dont kiss him with open mouth. He might get infection." Arnav warned her receiving an annoyed look from Kushi. She looked at her son again when she remembered that Arnav always wanted girl. "Arnav! Its boy! Are you okay with it?"
Arnav blinked. "Why i should not be okay? Come on kushi! It's our child! Dont be biased!" Kushi's jaw dropped down and she shouted "What? It was you who always wanted girl child. And now you are saying that i am biased. Too much, Arnav!" Arnav retorted "yeah, i wanted our child to be girl but it seems like you are more obsessed with girl baby than me."
Even before Kushi could answer back, they heard a shriek. Voice was loud proving that he was Kushi's son. "no, no, momma loves you very much dear!" Kushi said kissing her son. "And papa loves you too..." Arnav followed Kushi's action but kissed the air careful that his lips didn't touch their son's soft skin.
*******************
After few hours, Arnav stood at corner watching Kushi and nurse dressing his son. Little one was happily sleeping after his first feed. After nurse went kushi asked Arnav why was he looking at her like that. Arnav came near her and said "do know how you look? Like a perfect mother." Kushi grinned and asked "do you think i will make a perfect mother?"
Arnav sat on bed. "Think? I am sure that you will be perfect mother just like your mom." Kushi's face went pale. She replied in low voice. "I dont want to be like my mom. Nor i want my child to be like my brother." Arnav opened his mouth to say something but kushi shut him off with her cheerful voice. "my role model for this job is Anjali di. I want to bring up my child in the way exactly she had brought you up!"
This time Arnav's face went pale. "I am not that good, kushi. You know i have committed some grave mistakes." He admitted honestly in guilty tone. Kushi cupped his face with her right hand. "Everyone commits mistake knowingly or unknowingly Arnav. It's not about mistakes but it is about how you rectify it; How you repent for it; how you admit it. It's about how you dont repeat it. You are the best men i have ever met in my life and i want my son to be just like you."
Arnav felt like heavy weight was lifted from his heart. Kushi noticed that his eyes were filled with tears. She hit his cheek dotingly. "And dont fly in sky with my compliment. You were the best men i have ever met because i am dont know any boys other than dad, arjun and you. While comparing with them, obviously you are the best. But you are not the best of all!" Kushi explained in serious tone making Arnav to chuckle. "Yes, madam. I understand!" Arnav rested his forehead on kushi's.
"But Kushi, then you have handle two ASR!" Arnav said moving back. Kushi grimaced before giving an answer. "Yeah, it's too difficult... Then i think i need another Kushi to handle her father and brother. What say?" Kushi wriggled her eye brow lovingly but Arnav shook his head firmly. "He is going to be our only child!" Arnav answered making Kushi to scream. "whyyy?"
Arnav again answered in calm tone. "Because one child is enough for us!" Arnav had decided it long back when he came to know about Kushi unicornuate uterus. Last six months was more than enough for both of them in this life. He will never allow Kushi to go through these things again. Just like he had expected Kushi shouted back. "I want at least two children. i am definitely going to have another child."
"In your dreams!"Arnav replied admiring his son and not bothering to look up at his fuming wife. "But in my dreams, i always wanted four kids. Two boys and two girls." Kushi said genuinely making Arnav to look at her with his famous 'unbelievable' expression on his face. Kushi gave an innocent grin and pleaded "only one more girl. Please!" Arnav heaved a sigh unable deny her plea.
"Kushi, dont you think that we are having this conversation too early. It's a matter which we should discuss after two or three years. Nani had told me that babies can sense their mother's thought. And if you keep on thinking about daughter, then our son is going to think that you dont love him." Arnav said in reasonably serious tone making kushi to gasp. Arnav smirked as Kushi said "no dear, momma loves you very much."
Kushi kissed their son lovingly and then showed the little one to Arnav expecting him to do the same. But he refused. "Well, after child's birth, priority may change for wives but not for husbands. It will be always wife before the child." Kushi blushed as Arnav looped an arm benath the baby, who was on kushi's lap, to make sure that the little one was not disturbed in the process. He leaned in and met Kushi's lips in mid-way.
The sound of room door getting opened made them to pull apart and Arnav cursed his fate when he heard his sister's voice. "Oops... i am sorry." He could have tolerated it if it was a nurse or even a doctor. Why it has to be his sister who never leaves any opportunity to tease him? He got up from bed eyeing his already red wife and turned to now closed door. "Come in di."
Anjali suppressed her smile as she entered the room along with her kids and grandmother. After their confrontation in morning, Anjali was really worried for her little brother. But her grandmother was correct. Key to his happiness was his wife and his son. She felt relieved. Not wanting to leave her golden opportunity to tease her brother, she sighed. "i dont know, chotey, when you are going to learn the concept of latching the door or locking the door."
Arnav lifted Pia who came running to him and replied with sarcasm. "And i dont know when you are going to learn the concept of knocking the door." Kushi wanted the earth to open up and swallow her up with the conversation the siblings are having that too in her presence. Anjali was overwhelmed that her brother was back to normal.
"Who on the earth knocks the hospital door, chotey? Earlier it was okay. But now i have the responsibility of protecting three innocent pairs of eyes from witnessing this. God help me!" Anjali exclaimed as she came forward to take a look at her nephew who had, by then, opened his eyes and looking around for source of new voices. Anjali gasped. "Seriously, chotey! That too when your son is awake!"
"Shut up, di!" Arnav gritted his teeth while Anjali giggled loudly and his nani tried to suppress her laughter. He looked at kushi who was giving him killer looks like he was only responsible person for all this teasing. "What an amazing family i have got!" He murmured under his breath as he placed Pia on the bed. "Mama, i also want to see the baby!" Prem requested.
Arnav placed Prem on the bed next to Pia. Whole family watched in amazement as two kids examined the new member of their family with deep concentration. After five minutes of keen observation, Prem happily declared. "He is cute! Especially his fingers and nails are so small."
Pia shook her head vigoursly and said "he is very very very cute. When he comes to our home, i will take him to my room and play with him all the time." Pia smiled at everyone but her smile faded when Prem laughed. "Pagal, he is a boy. He will not come to girl's room. He will stay in my room and play only with me."
Pia pouted angrily and talked to kushi. "Mami, then i dont want boy baby. I want only girl baby." Kushi gave a victorious grin and looked at Arnav challenging him to deny his princess's wish. Evenbefore Arnav could say something, prem spoke. "pagal, pagal! If you want girl baby why are you asking mami for it. You should ask mama!"
Entire families jaw went down with Prem's comment with Arnav adding his signature 'what-the'. But thankfully before anyone could ask him any question, Pia questioned him "why mami can't bring girl baby?" Prem answered her. "because mama only brought Kushi mami and boy baby. If you ask mama, then he will bring new mami and girl baby." Everyone sighed with Prem's explanation.
Pia turned to her favourite uncle and asked "mama, i want new beautiful mami and cute girl baby!" Arnav smiled at Pia and gave a helpless look to Kushi conveying 'sorry-dear-i-cant-deny-my-princess-wish.' Then he said "well, new beautiful mami and girl baby sound really good!" Kushi mouth went to perfect O-shape as she uttered "what the?"
Next moment all four of them laughed out aloud making two kids to wonder why everyone is laughing and whether they will get baby sister to play with or not.
i know...i know..i promised more happy moments...epilogue will have it...i promise that you will be smiling ear to ear while reading epilogue...because it'sone of my fav part of this ff...
ps: some readers felt that kushi should know that arnav came back to her after her mother's death...i am not sure whether i should include like that or not because she had already forgiven him...so pls share ur opinion about it...whether kushi should know it or not
pls strike like button and comment for second last time for this ff...would love to read them...also if u have any doubto rq uestion...pls ask it...i hope i closed all loopholes..if not tell me
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