Thank you so much for this. It means so much to me to be awarded with the os of the week. I had never even in my wildest dreams expected this!😊
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She was unwell and irritated, but why would anyone understand that. It has been 2 days since she has not been allowed to move from the bed.
The chirpy, bubbly, child-like Khushi was now not even permitted to move from her bed to the washroom without two people holding her from both the sides. She had continuously complained that it was not needed but the family members had hovered around her all the time. Even though she liked getting pampered but there was only one person who could love and pamper her without making her feel suffocated.
Talking about that one person, her husband, her Arnav. He had gone to London for business a week back. He had made sure to wake her up by his call and talk to her before she slept everyday. Not like she got any sleep without him holding her close. When she had fallen ill 2 days back, everyone at home had wanted to call and tell him about her fever but she had objected saying his work was important as well. She missed him a lot and couldn't wait till he came back. Atleast when he would be around, the whole family would not fuss around her.
She came out of her thoughts when she heard noises around her.
"Khushi, please eat a little bit." Said Anjali who was sitting next to her, patting her head. She brought a spoon of porridge in front of her mouth while she moved her face away, indicating that she wouldn't eat it.
"No di, I wont eat it. It doesn't smell good." She said making a face.
"Titliya, eat a little bit please. You haven't eaten anything since yesterday night." Said a usually hyper buaji, sweetly.
"No buaji, I an not eating that." She replied adamantly. She was getting extremely agitated by the minute. She lay down, pulling the blanket above her face.
She felt her eyes getting moist. She hated this kind of attention. All she wanted was for Arnav to be by her side.
As if hearing her thoughts, she heard their room door opening and a faint "What the?' coming from somewhere near the door.
She pulled the blanket down and turned her face towards the door while her heart filled with joy at seeing her husband.
"What is going on in here?" asked Arnav looking at the Raizada and Gupta family who was surrounding the bed.
He saw the whole family coming to stand around him. His sister, Anjali, came right in front of him and spoke,
"Chotey, Khushi is not well. She has fever and she also fainted two days back. Now, shes not ready to eat anything. She hasn't even slept properly since you left. She isn't listening to us, we are trying to make her eat but she wont budge. You only talk to her."
Arnav looked towards the bed and saw his little baby curled up in the blanket looking at him with hopeful eyes. He saw her hands moving out of the blanket and spreading, asking him to take her in his arms
Taking off his coat, loosening his tie and removing his waist coat he kept them on the recliner and went towards the bed. Getting into the blanket he took her in his arms while she snuggled into him. He pulled her close and touched her forehead, checking for fever. He felt her head burning and she was shivering in his arms. She kept her face in the crook of his neck and breathed a sigh of relief. 'This is heaven' she thought while his perfume intoxicated her.
"Baby, why aren't you listening to them? Eat something please." He said in a soothing voice and cuddled her.
"No Arnav, please. I don't want to eat that. It smells nasty." She replied, making a face while he chuckled.
"But you even have to take your medicines. Don't you want to get better soon?"
"Not if I have to eat that." She eyed the plate in Anjali's hand.
"Okay fine. You don't have to eat that. I will go get something else for you to eat." He said trying to get up while Khushi held onto him for dear life.
"Please don't go. I'm sleepy." She made a puppy face and he immediately understood her need to be close to him. He pulled her towards himself while she kept her head on his chest and immediately fell asleep.
Arnav looked up and saw their family still standing near the door, looking at them adoringly.
"Its okay. I will take care of her from here. You all can go and take rest." He said.
"Chotey, what about her food?" asked nani.
"Don't worry, I will ask HP to make something once she wakes up." He replied still holding onto his little baby.
An hour later Arnav had asked HP to make some Maggie while he woke Khushi up.
He held her tightly against him and gently kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered, adjusting to the light. Slightly opening her eyes she looked around and saw Arnav looking down at her lovingly. She smiled at him while he asked,
"Why didn't you tell me you were ill?"
"I didn't want to disturb you. Work is also important Arnav and if you would get to know that I am not well you would come back home that instant."
"Damn right Khushi. I would have come back home that very minute. You very well know that you are the most important thing to me." He said a little hurt.
"I am sorry Arnav, but there was another reason for not telling you that I was ill."
"And whats that?" he asked, curiously. He wanted to know what was going on in her little mind.
"Well even if you would have come back right now, you would leave me after I became well. Its better you finish your work and come back. Aur waise bhi paise kya per par ugte hai? Flight tickets have become so expensive these days and you're toh the great Arnav Singh Raizada, you have to travel in first class, aapko pata bhi hai first class kitni expensive hoti hai?" she blabbered while he looked at her amused.
She was one of a kind. Here he was so tensed about her and all she could think of was the airfare. He smiled, looking at her talking animatedly when he heard someone knock on the door. Getting up from the bed he opened the door and took the food from HP.
Keeping the food on the bedside table he helped Khushi sit with her back resting on the headboard and sat down next to her while she clung onto him. He brought the bowl in front of her while she shrieked loudly.
Hearing the shout coming from the room all the family members entered their room to see what it was all about.
"Maggie. Oh my god, this smells so good." She said in a shrill voice.
"Yes, hot Maggie would work perfectly for your sore throat." Said Arnav as he brought the fork in front of her mouth. She opened her mouth, wide and took in every little piece of noddle on the fork.
"This is heaven, Arnav. Thank you so much." She said while chewing on the hot Maggie.
"Arnav, why did you get her Maggie out of everything? Why do you have to pamper her so much. She needs to eat the porridge to get better faster." Said buaji while she eyed Khushi. "This girl is so spoiled and Arnav only needs to pamper her more than she already is. When will she grow up and act like a matured, married girl." Thought buaji.
"Buaji, its okay. If I wont pamper my little girl who else will? And its absolutely fine if she doesn't get well soon, I don't mind staying with her in bed for a few days." He winked at her while she blushed. "And anyway my baby wont have anything which she doesn't want to eat and definitely not that excuse of a food." He said while Khushi put her tongue out to irritate everyone further. There was no way Arnav would ever make her do something she didn't want to.
Shaking their heads, the family left their room knowing it was futile to argue with Arnav where Khushi was concerned. He would never listen to anyone.
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
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