Viren bottle-fed Mansi while Jeevika changed her clothes for the day. "Meri pyaari beti," he murmured softly to his daughter, watching her with undisguised delight, "You know how long we've been waiting to see you? You know how long your Papa has wanted to have a sweet little daughter like you? So, so long," he didn't notice Jeevika exit the washroom, watching his interactions with his daughter, so entranced was he with Mansi's tiny, curled fists and small, button-like nose, "Meri rajkumari, meri choti, pyaari beti, do you know who I am? I'm your Papa. Aur tumhaari Mummy, you know who that is?"
"I'm here," Jeevika smiled at them. Viren looked up quickly, slightly embarrassed. Jeevika sat beside him, caressing Mansi's fragile little head. "Aur, Mansi, did you know that your Papa is the best papa in the whole world?"
"I don't know if she knows that...but I'm certain she knows that her Mummy is the best mummy in the whole world," Viren told her resolutely, touching his forehead to hers.
Jeevika ruffled his hair affectionately and took the sleeping Mansi from his arms, "Chal, let's go for breakfast. Mansi has had her breakfast but her Papa hasn't had his."
They entered the dining room, where Vanshika promptly took Mansi and told Jeevika to eat. But, Jeevika shook her head, "Nahi, Maa, I'm not hungry." She really wasn't feeling hungry, even though it was morning and she had been awake for some time, lying in Viren's arms and then taking turns feeding Mansi with him.
Vanshika shook her head, "Nahi, Jeevika, you must eat. You're pregnant and you have to take care of your baby."
Mansi stirred, her small pink mouth opening in a wail. "Arrey, Mansi, kya hua?" Jeevika moved to take Mansi from Vanshika but she refused, saying, "Jeevika, I will take care of her; her diaper probably needs to be changed. Don't worry, dear, I can manage. I've brought up Viren and Virat, haven't I?"
"Jeevika!" Viren took her hand and led her to the dining table, "Come on, meri Fikar Minister, you may be worrying about one daughter, but what about the other? Aur what about tumhaara pati? Aren't you concerned about whether he eats or not?"
"Kyun, Virenji? Can't you take care of yourself?" Jeevika teased him, as he pulled out her chair for her, always the gentleman.
"Oho, so now that you have a daughter, you have no time for your husband?" Viren raised an eyebrow at her.
She laughed, "Theek hai, baba, here you go," she served him orange juice with his breakfast.
"Aur, tum?" he asked, knowing fully well that his wife was not feeling hungry and would try to escape breakfast if she could. He served her food for her in a plate and set it in front of her.
Jeevika made a face. Viren suggested mischievously, "Well, if you don't want to eat your breakfast, then I can always feed you..."
"Virenji!"
"Kya, Virenji? Are you going to eat, or not?"
"Leken, I'm really not hungry...I'll eat later..." she pleaded.
"Jeevika," he replied, taking the spoon and holding it to her lips, "Eat, please. For me." She reluctantly took a bite.
"Arrey, what's happening over here, Bhai aur Bhabi?" Virat smirked as he and Manvi entered the room with Jhanvi.
"Virat, I think Di is feeling jealous of her daughter, Jiju must be spending all his time taking care of Mansi and feeding her, so Di must have wanted to be fed, too," Mansi said teasingly.
Jeevika blushingly took the spoon and began to eat her breakfast slowly, giving her younger sister a dark look. Viren grinned at the two of them, "Aur, aap? You've come down for breakfast quite late," he ignored the fact that he and Jeevika had arrived late as well, "Anything wrong?"
Manvi started, "Jiju, Jhanvi was crying all night, so we were awake half the night-"
"I didn't hear any crying," Viren shrugged, looking at his wife in mock surprise, nudging her arm, "Did you hear anything?"
Jeevika smiled mischievously at her sister, "Nahi, I didn't hear anything."
"So, why were awake half the night, mera bhai aur saali saiba?" Viren chuckled.
Virat tactfully evaded the question, "Uh, Manvi, give Jhanvi to Badi Maa and come eat." Manvi fled the room from Viren and Jeevika's soft laughter. Another wail could be heard.
Manvi returned, frowning, "I really don't understand why she cries so much."
"You cried more than she did when you were born," Jeevika told her, "Come, eat. Virat, you, too."
Viren raised an eyebrow at her, "So you will take care of everyone else, but your husband?"
She smiled down at her plate.
After breakfast, Viren left for the office and Virat went to meet with the executive producer of another music company. Jeevika, Manvi, Mansi and Jhanvi gathered in Jeevika's bedroom with Vanshika and Swamini.
Mansi and Jhanvi lay next to each other on the bed, in their matching pink clothes. "They could be sisters!" Swamini exclaimed, looking at them lovingly.
"They are sisters," Manvi replied, looking at Jeevika.
Jeevika agreed, "They are."
Jhanvi roused, her eyes blinking sleepily, starting to cry. Manvi frowned, picking her up and rocking her gently, "She's always crying. She sleeps for a few minutes and then starts crying."
Mansi began to cry as well, woken by the noise. Jeevika held her to her chest and she went back to sleep, but Jhanvi continued to wail. "Did you change her diaper?" Vanshika asked.
"Haan, Maa, 5 minutes ago," Manvi replied, looking worried.
"Did you feed her?"
"Haan, just now."
"Hmm...give her to me," Vanshika said, taking Jhanvi from her arms. She held her upwards with her head at her shoulder. She rubbed her back gently in small, circular motions and soon they heard a tiny burp. They laughed and Vanshika gave Jhanvi back to Manvi, telling her, "Manvi, beti, after you feed her, you need to remember do this, also, okay?"
"Haan, Maa, leken, will she always leave a stain?" Manvi grimaced, pointing to the foamy white splotch on Vanshika's dupatta.
"Hamesha," Swamini answered.
Manvi made a face, "I better start wearing sacks instead of dresses! Otherwise they'll all get ruined."
Jeevika laughed at her sister, "Manvi, wear whatever dresses you want, it'll wash off."
"Actually Di, you're right. After I feed her, I'll give her to Virat. Better him than me!"
Jeevika hit her sister playfully, "Mannu! Poor Virat, how you trouble him."
"Arrey, Di, have you seen how he troubles me? Whenever Jhanvi started crying in the night, he told me to put her back to sleep. He didn't bother getting up at all, he just went back to sleep and started snoring," Manvi complained, "Tell me, does Jiju do that?"
Jeevika smiled, "Nahi, Virenji tells me to go to sleep and he puts Mansi back to sleep. Leken, I get up, too. I can't sleep when my baby is crying."
"Awww, Di. And you can't sleep when Jiju is awake either, right?" she teased her.
"Hush!" Jeevika told her, smilingly. She was so happy that she now had another Mannu, another child to mother and take care of, to put to bed, to feed, to scold, to play with...and soon another one would come along, too; she put a hand to her stomach, unconsciously with a dreamy smile on her lips.
"Di? Di!" Manvi interrupted her thoughts.
"Kya, Mannu?"
"What were you thinking about?" Manvi inquired.
Jeevika replied, "My other baby...soon, he will come along soon, too, and Mansi and Jhanvi will become big sisters."
"He? How do you know it's a he?"
"I don't know...but I want a boy, like his Papa."
"Awww, how sweet," Manvi nudged her, smiling widely.
"If the baby is healthy, then I will be happy," Swamini declared frankly, "As long as there are no complications, I don't care if the baby is a boy or a girl..."
Jeevika was not listening to rest of the conversation, she was again lost in thought. What if there were complications? What if her baby was very sick? What if...what if...she lost the baby? A single tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the unbearable pain of losing her first child...the agony of being told she could never conceive naturally...and Viren? How would Viren react if he were to lose yet another child?
"Di, what happened, are you okay?" Manvi asked her worriedly.
She hurriedly brushed away her tear, "Of course, Mannu, nothing's wrong. Come, let's look through the babies' clothes. Aren't they adorable?"
Viren came home, to find his wife seated on the armchair of their room, her hand resting on her stomach with a tense crease in her forehead. Mansi was curled up in her crib, fast asleep. He entered the room; Jeevika still hadn't noticed him. It wasn't until he knelt before her, putting a hand over hers that she jolted in surprise, "Virenji! You came home! Wait, I'll go make you some chai-"
"Jeevika, I'm fine, I can go get it for myself. But that's not important right now. Why were you looking anxious? Is anything wrong?" he stroked his thumb across her cheek.
"Nahi, Virenji...kuch nahi...just, I was thinking...what if there are any complications with this baby?" she asked him, her voice faltering.
He could see the pain and worry in her eyes and he quickly cupped her face in his hands. He, too, couldn't help but wonder in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind if fate would indeed be so cruel. But, now was not the time. He had to make Jeevika happy, had to ease those concerns from her mind. He would go to the doctor tomorrow, to double-check nothing would go wrong, but for now, he needed to soothe his wife. "Jeevika, trust me, nothing will go wrong. The doctor told you, you wouldn't be able to get pregnant, right? But, see, you have a baby inside you now, don't you?" he brushed aside her dupatta to kiss her bare stomach, "Why do you worry? Be happy. There have been no problems since you got pregnant and there will be no problems. You have a beautiful baby girl and soon...soon, you will have another girl."
"Boy."
"Kya?"
"He's a boy."
"I don't think so. Didn't you tell me you didn't mind as long as our daughter is healthy?"
"My son is healthy, didn't you just tell me?"
"Hmm, you're definitely a lawyer's wife, Mrs. Vadhera," he chuckled.
"Aur aap?" she asked as he rose from the ground.
"Kya? I'm a teacher's husband, don't worry, I will teach our daughter that her mother is a Fikar Minister and that she worries for no reason, otherwise she will become unhealthy by seeing you stress!"
"Our son," she corrected him, smilingly.
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
270