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"Arjun I am pregnant ."
"Arjun , we are going to be three from two "
"Arjun I want to eat something sour ."
She shook her head at all the possibilities on how she would disclose this big news to him . Would he be happy ? Or would he be angry ? What if he doesn't want this to happen so soon? Questions such as those haunted her mind and the ways of how she would tell him this news got lost in the ocean of utter confusion .
"Arjun , Arjun I have a very bad disease . I am going to die " she almost gulped at her own sentence . 'What the hell was she saying'
"Arjun. I have some unnatural powers . I can produce humans . " and again she shook her head in a no . 'Unnatural power , but wasn't conceiving every women 's birth power?'
"Last one ! Arjun we have a guest arriving very soon into our lives " and she smiled with that . That sounded better . And yet before that sip out of her mind she kept on repeating it not noticing when her husband had already entered the room .
"Panchali what happened ? Why are you walking in such a pace ? " the manly voice alerted Panchali's senses as she turned around .
"Nothing . Nothing happened . Everything's fine ! Aren't you home to early ? "
"Early ? I am thirty minutes late . Are you talking sarcastically cause I was so worried back home on how would your react to my carelessness . "
"React ! Why should I react ? You should be the one reacting ! How would you react ? "
"What ? Panchali , are you sure you are fine ? " this time Arjun's voice was more concerned and worried .
"Yes . Of course I am fine ! As if I have any dangerous disease ! Or any unnatural powers to produce creatures !"
"What the hell are you talking about ? "
"Nothing . Arjun I have something to tell " and with a deep breath she continued . "Arjun we have a guest arriving into our house "
"Really . Who ?" Arjun asked curiously while unbuttoning his shirt .
"Umm . Who ? Right ! ...Usha Mausi " and with that words , Panchali cursed herself for her lameness .
"Oh . Right. When ? "
"After nine months " Panchali bit her lips at the sentence before correcting it again , "nine days later."
"Okay . So aren't you getting ready ?" He looked at her and continued looking at her confused look . "You were the one who wanted to have dinner tonight in that new Chinese restaurant . "
"Oh yes " and saying this Panchali went to change clothes before she would make a fool out of herself which in all ways she already had .
...
All the time Panchali kept staring away , lost in her thoughts which tensed Arjun .
"Panchali are you sure you are alright ?" He asked her after sometime.
"Yes . I am just feeling tired due to all the extra work . " she replied casually when her eyes suddenly fell into the couple sitting in front of them . They had children with them .
"Arjun , what do you think of children ?" She asked as he nodded his head in confusion .
"Of children ? What to think of them ?"
"I mean do you like them or not ?"
"Hmm that's a question ! Children . Honestly speaking I don't like children at all . They are a different species . All the time jumping , crying around . I don't know why god creates children . Why can't they just come out as an adult . "
"What ?" Panchali cried out loud , loud enough for heads to turn at them .
"Yes . What happened ? Why are you reacting like this ? " Arjun asked surprised by her sudden behaviour .
"But one day we would need to have our own kids na . What about then ?"
"Yeah we would but , one day . I think we are not ready right now for children and all the stuffs " and his reply made her heart sank into her feet . She could feel her stomach crouching as if the baby was protesting daddy 's words .
Panchali felt silent , thinking how would she react to the situation now . Maybe she should never tell him at all . 'But how could she ? He would know someday or other ' . Maybe she should go , hide and never come back 'Really ? Was that a solution or a problem in its own?' Or maybe she could abort the child 'No No No' .
Arjun stared at Panchali's blank face and soon burst out laughing .
"What happened ? An annoyed voice asked .
"I was just joking bae . I wasn't serious about the child thing . Of course I love children . Especially their mischiefs . And obviously I want kids of our own " this something like magic or maybe his words that Panchali got back her breath and it felt as though a whole weight was removed from her head .
Suddenly Panchali felt nausea when the smell of food captured her senses . She closed her mouth and buried her face down the table .
"Panchali ! " Arjun cried out in worry ." Panchali what happened ? "
"The smell . Arjun , the smell of the food is making me sick . Lets go please "
"What just like that ? "
"Yes just like that !"
...
She embraced his arms as they walked out slowly .
"Arjun , I really need to say something to you . I have some news . From afternoon I am trying to say something . " she confessed finally and he nodded his head .
"Arjun ...I ...you ... I mean ... We " he let out sigh of disappointment at her failure .
"Arjun , I " before she could complete her line he pressed his lips against hers silencing her .
"Sshh . Not a word . Now let me talk . Thank you so much . Thank you so much for coming into my life . For completing my life which was seemed incomplete in every sense without you . Thank you for holding my hand and for walking with me in this journey of hardships and success . And now thank you for this " with this he placed his hands in her stomach . He slowly bent down in his knees and placed a soft kiss in her stomach .
"How come you know about ?"
"About the child ? The doctor had called me once you left the hospital . I knew it all the time and was waiting for you to break the news to me . But to my utter disappointment you never did . You are such a scary cat I tell you !" She pouted hearing that and burst out into a laugh with him .
"Since you couldn't do it . I will . So Mrs Arjuna , I am going to be the father of our child. I hope the news cheers you as much as it had to me ." Arjun said lovingly as her eyes got wet in joy .
And so that ended with a smile of joy and kiss of love .
She slowly opened her eyes , feeling happy and content . Panchali placed her hands in her stomach above Arjun's , which were wrapped around her swollen stomach which was now seven months old .
"Good morning beautiful . " Arjun whispered softly into her ears and leaned a bit down to do the same in her stomach.
"What do you want it to be ?" Panchali asked curiously . "Doctor says its going to be twins . What to you think they would be ? Boys , boy n girl or girls ? "
Arjun scratched his head . "I have no idea what are they going to be . But I want two girls. "
"Two girls , why ? "
"Cause girls are so cute . Just think two little girls with long braided hair calling me sweetly 'daddy' . Both of them like their mother . A little bossy , a little angry , very stubborn .." Panchali hit Arjun in his arms while he let out a fake hurt scream, all the while both of them laughing . "And both of them very beautiful like their mother " and he winked making her blush .
"What if we have two boys ? " Panchali asked after their laughter died .
"If we have two boys then ... Then that's okay . I will keep them in their feet , scold at the slightest mistake and even beat if necessary "
"What ? Why ?"
"Cause boys are the mischievous ones . They trouble a lot . I know that very well . And I came from a strict family. My father used to scold us so much to keep all of us disciplined and well so I will do the same " she laughed at his sentence .
"Very bad daddy . Baby doesn't like baddy daddy ! " Panchali pouted cutely and for once Arjun thought that maybe somewhere in her big stomach his children were doing the same . Pouting cutely like their mother .
"Now so what do you want to name them ? Have you thought of any ?" She nodded in negative to his query .
"Let's draw some names and we will choose one . " he suggested and brought a notebook to write them . He made two columns , one for boys and another for girls .
"First suggestion , hmm Abhi !" Panchali exclaimed and Arjun couldn't help but smile .
"Okay so how about , how about Sukriti for another one ?" Arjun suggested and Panchali nodded smiling in response .
"For girl . Hmm . "
"Pragiti !" Both of them shouted at the same time and both burst out laughing .
"So if it is a girl then we will name her Pragiti and that's final . "
"Arjun . We thought of three names but we also know that one would get wasted . I want all the names . "
"Panchali . Don't worry . They are our first child not last . Obviously we aren't going to stop with them . We still have lot to go . At least five more . " he said seriously but could suppress his laugh looking at Panchali 's face .
"Mr Arjun !" She threw a pillow as her cheeks reddened in anger or more due to embarrassment .
He softly pressed his lips against her forehead thanking her in her ears . The wetness in her forehead made her open her eyes . Though slowly yet with excitement .
"Where are they ?" She asked and he pointed to the cradle beside the bed . The nurse entered the room and handed the babies to the parents .
"Both are so cute . They look just like small glass dolls . " she said excitedly .
"Yes they are . And madam you won the bet . Both are boys " he replied happily .
"So does that mean you will scold them and beat them ?" Her tensed voice was tickling his senses. He wanted to laugh out but he controlled understanding the situation . Though that day she had laughed out at his statement , she somewhere feared whether he would do the same .
"Of course not . Just look at them . I can't even think if hurting them . I don't even wanna hold them so tight fearing their softness . How can I even beat them ?" His voice made the baby in his arms stir in his sleep which alerted Arjun's senses . He slowly swayed the baby .
"He is the younger one ?"
"Yes . My one . You take the bigger one "
"My one , your one ? Excuse me Mr Arjun , are you trying to divide the children ?"
"Of course not ! That's ridiculous . " Arjun shook his head in disappointment . She forwarded her hands to embrace the little one but instead of handing her the child he embraced the baby tightly . "You have yours , why are you asking mine one ?"
"Arjun ! You are acting like a child ! "
With lot of hesitation he handed her the baby . And Panchali swayed them both while placing a soft kiss in their forehead . "Abi , Sukriti " she declared happily .
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