Keeping Khushi Thread 12 Part 121 (Last ) Page 126 - Page 46

Originally posted by: rulama

Thanks Isha, Hugs to you too!🤗

Good choice of Picture to convey your feeling.😊

Want to know why????????

Here it comes...

"Its difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophical animal one that does not place its affections thoughtlessly"

~ Theophile Gautier

Originally posted by: smitar

Thank you, Isha, for the baby's picture.

Originally posted by: rulama

Smita,😊

Here is my interpretation for Part 116.

This update is about comforting, relaxing, mentally soothing that the Raizada Parivaar underwent, and how they were able to relieve the pain.

In a nutshell ANODYNE

The nurse came out of the labour room. There was a huge crowd there.

"Khushi Arnav Singh Raizada's family?", she asked, hoping to see one or two members waiting to know the state of affairs.

The entire crowd in the corridor turned as one towards her.

"Yes?"

"How is Khushi Bhabi?"

"Is it over? Is Khushi Bitiyaa alright?"

"How is Khushi?"

"Luck always seems like it belongs to someone else" ~ David Levien, City of the Sun

The nurse stood shocked for one moment, and then she smiled. Khushi Raizada was one lucky woman! A dish for a husband and a room full of relations worried about her. And a wonderful baby daughter. And all this with a body full of burn scars'.The nurse silently vowed to throw out her fairness cream out through the window once she got home. Good fortune had little to do with a fair skin.

"Life is not easy. We all have problems-even tragedies-to deal with, and luck has nothing to do with it. Bad luck is only the superstitious excuse for those who don't have the wit to deal with the problems of life"

~ Joan Lowery Nixon, In The Face of Danger

"She is fine.", the nurse said.

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"She has a daughter. 2.5kgs. Healthy and fit."

The ladies closed their eyes and folded their hands in prayer, thanking God that Khushi and her baby were safe.

"Happy moments, praise God,

Difficult moments, seek God,

Quiet moments, worship God,

Painful moments, trust God,

Every moment, thank God"

Arnav sat smiling indulgently, watching his relations fight among themselves to hold his daughter. Khushi had a similar smile on her tired face as she lay back on her bed.

"Birth is not only about making babies. birth is about making mothers... strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength" ~ Barbara Katz Rothman

Baba was sitting by her, holding her hand in a comfortable clasp, relieved to see her well and safe after childbirth.

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are" ~ Chinese Proverb

"Sorry. You are in the Q, Hello Hi Bye Bye!", Mami laughed at Mamaji, as she snatched the baby from Anjali before Mamaji could hold her.

Buaji kissed Khushi & the baby. "What are you going to name her, Nandkisore?", she asked, smiling.

"Haan, Chotey, Khushi Bitiyaa. What are you going to call our princess?", asked Nani.

"Are you a princess? I said and she said I'm much more than a princess, but you don't have a name for it yet here on earth" ~ Brian Andreas

Arnav smiled at Khushi, and they both looked across the room where Payal & Anjali were teaching Aarti to hold the baby in her arms, with a hand under the infant's head to support the neck.

"Let Arnavji name her.", Khushi said, smiling.

"Words have meaning and names have power"

All smiled and nodded.

Khushi looked at her smiling but tired husband. "You decide on a name, Arnavji. Whatever you decide is OK with me."

Arnav nodded, pressing a kiss on her cheek.

"We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us" ~Ken Levine

NK & Akash tried to snatch the baby from Aarti's hands, but she resisted firmly.

Seeing them fight over one baby, Mami said, "There are too many handswaa and only one chotey packetwaa. There is only one solution, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Akash Bitwaa, NK Bitwaa, Anand Bitwaa, you need to get bijji (busy)."

"One baby for each person in the house. That should be your target!", Mamaji laughed. Gopi Kakka, the Sinhas, Baba, Anand, and the ladies laughed.

"If you are not working towards something,

your life will end with nothing" ~ Habeeb Akande

"She winked at me. She winked at me!", NK shouted.

All looked at him. He was leaning over Aarti's shoulder to look at the baby in her arms.

The ladies and the men laughed.

"She can't see anyone now. How can she wink at you, NK Bhai?", asked Anjali, laughing.

"She can see. She can see. She is not behera. And she knows that I am her Chachu.", NK was adamant.

Aarti bit back a smile.

Akash sighed. "Andha, not behera."

"Whatever.", said NK, defending his precious niece. "But she is not behera."

"I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us"

~ Charles Dickens

All smiled and gave up on NK.

Khushi yawned.

"Khushi Bitiyaa is tired. Let's leave...", Buaji started shooing the men & women out of the room.

"Naniji, please take Arnavji with you. He hasn't taken his medicines today.", Khushi whispered to Nani.

Nani nodded and kissed Khushi's forehead.

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop" ~ Ovid

"Chotey, come home with us. The nurses you arranged will be with Khushi Bitiyaa and our pari while they are sleeping."

"No, Nani. I will stay here. I am not going anywhere.", Arnav was adamant.

All tried their best to persuade Arnav, but he remained his stubborn self.

"You cannot reason people out of a position that they reasoned themselves into"

~ Ben Goldacre, Bad Science

Finally, Baba said with a smile, "Maybe Akash can send Arnav's clothes and medicines to the hospital with the driver. That way, he can have his medicines and stay with Khushi."

All smiled at Baba's simple remedy born out of his common sense.

"Don't find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain" ~ Henry Ford

Baba kissed Khushi on the forehead, murmuring, "My Taarva, rest well. We will meet tomorrow."

Khushi smiled, and kissed Baba's fingers.

"There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither" ~ Alan Cohen

Soon all left.

As Akash left, Arnav gave him a list of the things he needed. On that list was the investigation report on Khushi that Fingerprints Detective Agency had prepared for him.

It was night.

Arnav looked out of a window of the suite of rooms assigned to them.

The dark sky was lit by a thousand stars.

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them"

~ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Arnav turned to look at his wife and child. Both were asleep, exhausted. Arnav felt peace he had never known before steal over him. The ordeal was over, and Khushi and his daughter were safe.

"Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking" ~ Malcolm Gladwell

He sat on a chair, picking up the report on Khushi. He scanned the details given there. His eyes came to a sudden stop at the sight of Khushi's mother's name.

GOURI GUPTA.

"Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,

Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,

Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,

But only one mother the wide world over"

~ George Cooper

Arnav closed his eyes, feeling tears well in them. No wonder Khushi had sung Raag Gouri in the most pain-filled moments of her life...

"Mother - that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries" ~ T. DeWitt Talmage

This update begins with the nurse coming out to announce the arrival of the new member to the Raizada family. She saw a crowd and asked for the members of Khushi's family expecting a member or two of the family to be present. When the entire crowd responded, she was shocked! She thought Khushi Raizada was indeed a lucky woman! Khushi had a handsome and devoted husband, a roomful of people who cared for her and a beautiful baby. All these blessings, even when her body was covered with burn scars! At that moment the nurse realized it is the beauty of your inner self is what that counts.

"Beauty pleases the eyes only; sweetness of disposition charms the soul" ~ Voltaire

The nurse announced the birth of a healthy baby girl of normal weight making everyone sigh with relief and thank God for keeping the mother and the child safe.

Once they were allowed to see, the family was seen vying to hold the first born of the next generation. Both the father and mother were all smiles watching the love being showered upon their daughter. Baba was a relieved man to see his Taarva glowing with happiness. He was thankful that she made it through the childbirth safely.

When Buaji asked what were they planning to name the beauty, Nani too joined in. Khushi told that she has left it to Arnav to name their daughter and whatever he decides is fine by her. Arnav agreed and responded with a kiss for giving him the privilege of naming his kid.

"Now a soft kiss - Aye, by that kiss, I vow an endless bliss" ~ John Keats

Aarti who was taught by Anjali and Payal the right way to hold a newborn was enjoying holding her. When NK and Akash too wanted to hold her she would not relinquish but resisted firmly. Seeing their fight over one baby Mami said in her inimitable way,

"There are too many handswaa and only one chotey packetwaa. There is only one solution, Hello Hi Bye Bye! Akash Bitwaa, NK Bitwaa, Anand Bitwaa, you need to get bijji (busy)."

"One baby for each person in the house. That should be your target!", quipped Mamaji making Gopi Kakka, the Sinhas, Baba, Anand, and the ladies laugh.

When NK who was looking at the baby over Aarti's shoulder shouted,

"She winked at me. She winked at me"

all laughed. Then when Anjali told him since the baby is not able to focus how can she wink, he answered adamantly,

"She can see. She can see. She is not behera. And she knows that I am her Chachu"

Hearing his usage of wrong word Akash corrected saying,

"Andha, not behera."

But NK defending himself and his niece said,

"Whatever, but she is not behera."

making all smile at his adamant behavior like a child.

Seeing that Khushi was tired, Buaji shepherded all out of the room. Khushi asked Nani to take Arnav with her as he was yet to have his food and medicines. But Arnav was adamant as to not wanting to leave Khushi and his daughter. Finally, Baba resolved the matter, by asking Akash to send the necessary items for Arnav to the hospital.

As Akash was leaving, Arnav asked him to send a list of items including a file of report on Khushi that he had procured before his marriage.

When Khushi and his child were asleep, Arnav who was observing the night sky lit by thousands of stars felt peace enveloping over his heart. He was a relieved man. He had always been on tenterhook as to how things would turn out, given Khushi's health condition. He was relieved that both the women in his life had made it safe.

"Looking behind, I am filled with gratitude,

Looking forward, I am filled with vision,

Looking upwards I am filled with strength,

Looking within, I discover peace"

~ Quero Apache Prayer

Picking up the file he started scanning the report. His eyes suddenly caught sight of Khushi's mother's name stunning him.

GOURI GUPTA

That is when he realized the turmoil Khushi was undergoing all the time while having labour pains.

"I miss thee, my Mother!

Thy image is still

The deepest impressed on my heart"

~Eliza Cook

She had been wanting to seek the solace from her mother. Since it was impossible for her to get it from her Late Mother, she sought it from Music which was always her refuge in times of distress. She sought comfort from the Raag Gouri, bearing her mother's name that dealt with the fear in its compositions.

"You were my home, Mother. I had no home but you" ~ Janet Fitch, White Oleander

Her smiling visage had hidden tumultuous feelings that she was undergoing. She did not want Arnav to see it and feel more helpless than what he was already feeling.

Arnav closed his eyes, feeling tears well in them.

Arnav who too was very much attached to his mother and had lost her early in his life knew,

"The best place to cry is on a mother's arms"

~ Jodi Picoult, House Rules

No wonder Khushi had sung Raag Gouri in the most pain-filled moments of her life...

"A mother's love begins

Before the child is born

And lasts through time

And difficulties

And differences

And many wounds

And days of joy

And days of sorrow

Winding, wearing

Weeping, sharing

Changing

Until, at the end

What remains

Is that solid core

That began as love

Before the child was born"

In this update we see all the members of the family are ecstatic at the birth of a daughter in the family. They comfort the new parents with their overwhelming love and vying to hold the baby. With their love they soothe the tired new mother and fill her with the warmth that comes with the knowledge of being loved.

Baba was comforted with the knowledge that his Taarva made through her pregnancy successfully and had given birth to a healthy child, unlike his wife.

When asked about the name of the child, Khushi puts the onus on her husband, seeking comfort from him and giving him the comforttoo. Just like her, he too is overwhelmed by witnessing the birth of their daughter.

While seeing both the beauties of his life in slumber, Arnav feels that they are secure and were able to cross all the hurdles during pregnancy without any problem. He is thankful and the thought that they are safe, comforts him. This thought relaxes him like nothing else. He finds it mentally soothingthat makes him feel a sense peace enveloping him.

When he opens the file where Khushi's background was recorded, seeing the name of her mother he realizes why unconsciously Khushi had used the Raag Gouri. Gouri being her mother's name she had sought solace from that Raag. She had fought her fears, pain and discomfort successfully by latching herself to the mentally soothing music and sought comfort, solace and relaxation from it!

Anodyne is also a pain killing drug or medicine.

Hence ANODYNE it is.

That's it from me. Hope you have enjoyed it!