Okay, I'm back to edit!! Sorry about before...Ma phoned to wish me and so didn't have time to write a proper message. I'm so sorry that the end is very rushed. 😕 It's not at all how I wanted it to be; please forgive me my dear readers. I was trying to get it to you all before my birthday got over and hence I rushed it a bit. 😕 But though it may be a bit hurried I hope you all like it. It is a birthday treat: let it be a gift from me to all my dear friends in the Kaajjal parivaar 😳 😃:
Chapter 13 – The Surprise
After 4 months...
Kaajjal lay on the sofa gazing idly out at the bright sky, musing on how wonderful it would be to fly free in the sky like the birds. Now in her last month of pregnancy she found it difficult to move very far without backache and her speed was slower than that of a snail. She was fed up of lying on the sofa watching the world go by, and there was only so many times she could watch the K-serials without going insane at their nonesensical plots. Bored of TV and reading magazines where every new movie star had a willowly slim figure and even the celebrity mothers had no leftover fat, she had taken to staring out the window at the clouds passing through the azure ocean overhead. They were large and fluffy, like sheep bounding across a field and she longed to run out into the hills, to feel the warm breeze ruffle through her hair and the rain patter against her skin. Stuck inside she felt like an animal in a cage and her restlessness was not helped by the constant clattering coming from the kitchen, where Dev was.
"Arrey Dev! What are you up to?" she called as another defeaning sound of metal hitting the laminate floor reached her ears.
"Kuch nahi!" came his reply. "Sab thik hain, fikar maat karo."
Now how can I not worry when he says that, she asked herself, biting her lip in agitation? There was another bang and she distinctly heard Dev muttering a curse under his breath. Her mind was filled with images of the possible state of her kitchen: everything turned upside down, pots boiling over and flour spread across all the surfaces. The horrifying images had her heart pumping away in distress and when she heard something sizzle, like a pot running over, she pushed herself awkwardly up on the sofa, biting her nails as her nerves went out of control.
"Dev!" she shouted. "Kya hua? What is happening in there?"
"I've got everything under control," he assured her. "Don't take any tension."
"Dev, how am I supposed to not get tensed when you say such things?" she shouted back. "Batao mujhe...kya hua? What are you doing to my kitchen?"
"Kuch nahi mere jaan," he called back.
Still Kaajjal was not assured and she sat listening intently for the smallest sound of trouble from the kitchen, biting her nails anxiously. In a few minutes there came an all mighty crash and she jumped to her feet as fast as she could in her state, her heart leaping in horror at what was going on. Without waiting a second she made her way as quickly as possible to the kitchen. When she arrived in the doorway her heart nearly gave way and she let out a loud gasp of disbelief. From one corner of the kitchen to the other there was a swathe of flour, creating a carpet, puncuated here and there with footprints. The surfaces were buried under mounds of spices, all spreading out in different directions like a bright mosaic. Pots and pans were lying at odd angles here and there and on the hob a pot was bubbling over, the froth bursting over the sides like a stormy wave crashing into a beach. If that was not bad enough, there in the middle of it all was Dev, his shirt stained with tomato puree, face streaked with flour marks and his hair looking like an easel, dotted with bright flecks of spices. His eyes were red and running as he chopped at an onion and he kept sniffing loudly, his face turning redder by the minute. Kaajjal was aghast and she stammered out her words in consternation.
"D...D...Dev...yeh kya hua?? Yeh...tum...what on earth have you been up to?" she demanded, looking at him with wide, horrified eyes.
He turned to her and smiled brightly, acting as if he were oblivious to the chaos around him.
"Kya matlab?" he asked, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. "Mai bilkul thik hoon. Everything is under control here."
"Dev, look at the mess!" she cried. "Look at you! You have flour on your cheeks, spice in your hair...uff!"
Dev shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly, his brown eyes twinkling with glee. Shaking her head she crossed to the corner of the room and retrieved the broom. Dev ran up to her and grabbed it off her, looking at her with wide, horrified eyes, as if she had just committed a crime.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
"Well someone has to clean this mess," she replied. "And it won't be you. Give me the broom; you carry on cutting the onion."
"Nahi! Bilkul nahi!" he cried. "You will not do anything. You need to rest. Chalo, come and sit here."
He pulled a chair out for her and gestured to it with his hand, a loving smile on his face. Kaajjal was in no mood to give in, however, and waddling across to him she tried to take the broom, but he hid it behind his back. His eyes sparkled with mischief but there was a warning in them too, telling her to do as she was told.
"Dev,give me the broom," she demanded. "Abhi!"
"U-uh, tum Mrs Pratap Singh are going to sit and do as you are told," he replied.
"Dev, mai serious hoon; broom dijiye."
"Mai bhi serious hoon Kaajjal," he answered her.
Just then there was a hissing sound and they both turned their heads to see the pot boiling over again. Kaajjal's eyes widened in horror and she lurched forward towards the cooker, forgetting her state for a moment. The next instant she regretted it. There was a sharp pain and she bent over, grasping her stomach and gasping in shock. Dev had already reached the cooker and had taken the pot away from the hob, so he did not notice her predicament at first. It was not until he turned and saw her bent double that he realised she was unwell and then his heart suffered a seizure. His eyes, which only moments before had been bubbling with humour, not deepened in horror and dilated. A shudder of terror ran through his whole body and when he grabbed Kaajjal by the shoulders his hands were shaking violently.
"Kaajjal!" he cried, his brow furrowing with worry lines. "Kya hua? What is wrong with you?"
She could not answer him. There was strange feeling in her stomach and she was panting, as if she had run a hundred miles, All she could do was grip his arms and move her mouth in an attempt to form words. Her face had turned scarlet and beads of sweat were glistening across her forehead. Dev had never seen her look so flustered and his heart was thundering in panic. He did not understand what was happening and her inability to speak was worsening his plight.
"Kaajjal, speak to me!" he pleaded with her. "Baat kya hai?"
"Dev..." she managed to gasp. "It's...started..."
"What has started?" he asked in confusion, unable to comprehend her meaning in his panic.
"Baccha..." she gasped.
Suddenly his heart slammed in his chest and it was as if a light had dawned on his muddled mind. Gasping in shock he jumped back from her and looked frantically around, wishing for the first time, that there were someone else here besides them. Rushing out into the courtyard he roved his eyes desperately about the fields, his heart racing in fear, and his breath coming in short, sharp bursts, as he searched for any sign of life.
"Koi hai?" he shouted. "Bachao! Meri biwi..."
His voice was strained with emotion and tears were already stinging the backs of his eyes. Running his hands through his hair in despair he bent over and tried to hold back the tears. His mind was too full of panic to think straight and he felt as if he was being ripped apart inside with torment. Suddenly from inside Kaajjal screamed his name and his heart stopped beating for a second. Ice ran down his spine and his blood froze as he snapped his head up, his face draining of all its colour. Taking to his heels he ran inside and found her coming out of the kitchen, holding her stomach, her eyes wide and wild, and shaking like a leaf in a storm. He ran up to her and caught her as she fell into his arms. She was close to fainting from the pain and his voice as he shouted her name seemed to come from very far away. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The world was spinning and all she could feel was this intense pain. Gripping Dev's arms tightly she managed to pull her head up and say in a hoarse whisper:
"Dev, I'm frightened. Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."
She gripped his hand so tightly he could not feel the circulation, but still he curled his fingers about hers, alarmed at how hot her skin was: it was as if a fire were raging in her skin. He knew then that somehow he would have to get her to hospital and the only way he knew to take her was one he would never have imagined himself taking. Supporting her with his arms he led her outside and out towards the fields. He was relieved when he saw the local herdsman with his truck that he used to ferry his goats and sheep back and forth in. Dev approached him and called out to him, and swallowing all his pride he asked of him,
"Bhai saab, meri biwi...she needs to go to hospital aur hamare paas koi transport hain. Woh...I was wondering...can you take us in your truck. Please bahi saab, I implore you."
Dev folded his hands and pleaded with the man, who was not unmoved by the plight of this beautiful couple. Moving his head to indicate his assent, he helped Dev take Kaajjal into the back of the truck. Dev sat with her, her head resting on his lap as she writhed in agony, clenching her hand into a fist around his and screwing up her face as she cried out. Dev was close to tears seeing her distress and though he stroked his other hand through her tangled hair and spoke soothing words to her, he could not find the strength to continue for long. His voice was becoming choked and tears were clouding his eyes and he had to turn away his head to brush them away.
The drive seemed to last an eternity but eventually they arrived at the hospital. Dev burst through the doors, always supporting Kaajjal, shouting out in his commanding tone for assistance. A nurse stopped before him and gave him a displeased look, knitting her brows together in a stern line and scowling up at him.
"What are you shouting for?" she demanded. "This is a hospital...have some manners."
"Dekhiye, meri biwi...dehko...uski halat aisi hai...Please admit her at once," Dev replied.
"You will have to wait," the nurse told him coldly. "Bahut sarra patients yahan hain...so just be patient."
With that she walked off, leaving Dev burning up with rage inside. How dare she say such an unfeeling thing to him? His Kaajjal was suffering and she couldn't have cared less about their plight. He was enraged and it made him all the more determined to get Kaajjal admitted. Striding forward to the desk he banged his fist down on the counter, making the nurse there jump.
"Ji?" she asked timidly.
"I want assistance God dammit!" he snapped at her. "My wife is pregnant and look at her state! No one wants to help us. Now get her admitted at once warna..."
He held a finger up at her, and the fire that burned in his eyes like molten lava was enough to have the nurse bow her head in submission. She called on a doctor and when he approached Dev briefed him on Kaajjal's state. She was placed on a stretcher, still writhing about in agony and crying out every now and again, and then they wheeled her off to the labour ward. Dev went with her, holding her hand and stroking her hair reassuringly.
"Sab thik ho jaaye Kaajjal," he promised her. "Mai tumhari saath hoon."
As they reached the doors of the labour ward a nurse pushed him back and Kaajjal's hand was wrenched from his. She screamed his name hysterically as the doors swung shut, separating her from him. Dev could only watch with tears stinging his eyes and a huge lump obstructing his throat. Her terrified voice rang in his ears, turning his blood to ice and tormenting his soul. As he paced up and down the corridor he wondered what state she would be in and he knew she would be longing for him the whole time. The very fact he couldn't be with her speared his heart like a burning arrow and he kept fisting his hands in frustration. His heart was thundering and his breathing had not recovered from the panic of earlier. Now he was suffeirng an intense anxiety of ignorance: not knowing what was happening and worrying for Kaajjal and the baby. It was all too much for him and hearing her frantic screams in the background he walked up to the wall and banged his forehead against it, hot tears spilling from his eyes as the pain of his and Kaajjal's situation became unbearable.
It was as he stood crying that he felt a hand on his shoulder. Starting he brushed the tears from his eyes and turned to see a nurse standing in front of him, a bright smile on her face.
"Kaajjal...?" he asked hopefully.
"Woh thik hai," she assured him. "Aur bacche bhi thik hain."
"B...bacche?" Dev stammered.
"Ji-ha," she replied, her smile widening. "Your wife has had twins."
Dev stood there in incredulity for a moment, struggling to digest this momentuous news. Gradually a smile burst across his lips and his eyes lit up like fairy lights. He let out a half-laugh and shook his head, grinning away to himself.
"Saach?" he asked.
The nurse smiled and nodded.
"Aaye," she said. "They are through here."
Dev did not need a second invitation. Following the nurse he was led into a room where he saw Kaajjal sitting upright in the bed, her hair brushed back behind her ears and an exhausted yet contented look on her face. When he came in she looked up and her eyes were shining with immense happiness. A blissful smile curved her lips and she gestured with her eyes to the two tiny bundles she was cradling in either arm. Awed Dev advanced and sat down on the bed next to her, gazing down wondrously at the babies, his eyes glowing with a special light, a smile hovering about his lips.
"Tumhare Papa aaye," Kaajjal said in a tender voice. "Dekho Dev, tumhara beta aur tumhari beti."
Dev gently touched a finger to the cheek of his son, amazed at how soft his skin felt to the touch. Jealous of her briother's attention his sister started to cry impetuously. This made Dev and Kaajjal grin at one another, and lifting her into his arms, Dev said,
"Ah! Bilkul tumhari ma jaise...always throwing tantrums."
"Nahi," Kaajjal replied. "Woh tumhari jaise...stubborn."
They looked at one another and their eyes met in that instance, both burning with the vibrant flame of love. They smiled at one another tenderly and leaning over Dev kissed her very gently on the forehead. It was the softest of caresses but it sent a thousand tiny shivers down her spine. Then they sat and gazed down at their son and daughter, forgetting everything in the world, losing themselves in the wonder of seeing their children before their eyes. It was a magical moment and for those special moments there was no one else in their whole world: sirf Dev, Kaajjal aur unke bacche.
I hope it wasn't too rushed and I hope you all enjoyed meeting mini Dev and Kaajjal. 😳 Special thanks to Zareen for suggesting the idea of twins - this is for you Zareen: 🤗 To all my friends, thanks for sharing in my brithday; you have made it extra special!
Anu 😃😳
Edited by nimmo20 - 17 years ago
Avatar and Signatures Shop
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Indian Mythology
Sampoorna
