Parts V.2 and V.3: http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1203345&TPN=16
Epilogue
Two years later
Milind returned home early that day with his left arm encased in a sling and a bandaid on his forehead.
"Praaachi!" he groaned loudly in anguish.
Prachi, who was busy preparing pakodas for Ishan, ran out of the kitchen in haste, disturbed by the pain evident in his voice. Seeing the state he was in, she rushed to him in concern and holding him supportively, she led him to the sofa. Ishan who was playing with his toys on the sofa jumped down from it and looked at his father curiously, wondering why his papa had his arm in a funny looking white piece of cloth and why was his mama making a fuss over him.
"What happened, Milind? How did you get hurt?"
"Praachi. I got into argument with this big fat man in my office for fudging the accounts. I tried to restrict it to verbal dual but the guy pushed it to a physical fight. But don't worry. He only managed to twist my arm and inflict a small cut on my forehead but I have knocked down half a dozen of his teeth, rearranged his face and broken three of his ribs. The guy will not be able to get up from bed for another six months."
"You did what?" Prachi asked in shock. "How could you Milind? How could you forget your promise to me and return to your old ways? Will you never ever change?" she asked in exasperation, her eyes filling up quickly and she turned her back to him.
Milind watched her taut back for a couple of minutes and smiling crookedly, he tried to turn her around to him with his right hand. She shrugged off his hand and refused to look at him. He removed his left arm from the sling, ripped off the bandaid on his forehead and turned her around forcibly with both his hands.
Her eyes slowly moved from his forehead to his left arm and widened when she noticed that there was no mark on his face and his arm looked perfectly fine. Looking at her surprised expression he smiled and pointing to the calendar on the wall, he said mischievously, "Prachi, check the date on the calendar. What day is it today?"
Prachi looked at the calendar in confusion but couldn't catch what he was hinting at.
"April Fool!" he shouted.
It finally dawned on Prachi that he was pulling her leg.
"Milind! You were fooling me all along? How mean!" she punched his right shoulder hard.
"Ouch!" Milind moaned. "Who would have guessed this wisp of a girl can throw such solid punches," he said jocularly.
He suddenly felt another punch land on him, this time on his left shoulder. He turned around to see an indignant Ishan staring at him with his hand on his hip.
"Bad Papa," he said furiously, knitting his eyebrows. "Papa make Mama cry. Bad Papa."
Seeing his little son springing up to his wife's defence, Milind burst out laughing. "So the two of you have now teamed up against me? OK, baba. I'll not make your mama cry again. I'll make it up to her with a kiss." He turned around and kissed his wife's cheek. No sooner than he kissed her, did he feel another little punch land on his shoulder. Ishan climbed on his mother's lap and turning her face to him, he hugged her possessively, saying, "My mama. Papa no kiss." He then fell on her and kissed her profusely on both her cheeks.
Both Prachi and Milind smiled at their son's possessiveness.
"OK, your papa won't kiss me. I'll kiss him," said Prachi teasingly and leaned to kiss Milind's cheek.
This time Ishan pounced on to his father's lap and turned his face away from Prachi.
"No. Mama no kiss. Ishan kiss." He then proceeded to cover Milind's bearded cheek with wet kisses.
Milind and Prachi laughed at their little son's antics.
Prachi pinched her son's cheek and asked fondly. "Ishan won't share his mama and papa with any one?" Ishan shook his head in the negative. "But sonny, you'll be getting a baby sister or brother soon. Would you not let mama kiss the baby?"
Ishan thought for a minute, tapping his forefinger on his chin. "Mmm....Mama kiss Ishan fffusht, " he thumped his little chest. "Mama kiss baby seccund." He put out two fingers.
Prachi smiled, nodded her head and kissed his cheek. Milind too absent mindedly smiled but suddenly realized that his wife had just said that they will soon be having another baby.
"Prachi! What did you just say? Are we really having another baby, darling?" he asked hopefully.
Seeing her nod her head shyly, he could barely contain his excitement. "When?" he asked, holding her hands in his.
"In about eight months."
Milind put his arms around her and pulling her to him, he kissed her head and then kissed his little son's head, his heart bursting with happiness.
In the next eight months Milind was ever so doting and caring of his pregnant wife, more than making up for not being there the first time she was carrying his baby. Finally the day that the Mishras were eagerly looking forward to arrived and Milind assisted in bringing his bonny, beautiful daughter into this world. Holding her little form in his large arms, he cooed to her lovingly, saying, "Welcome, little Sahana." Prachi looked at her husband and her baby with pride.
Just then Ishan who was waiting outside the labour ward with his grandparents came in with them and excitedly asked if he has a baby sister or a baby brother. When he was told he has a baby sister, he jumped up and down in happiness and demanded that he be allowed to carry her. Milind gently tried to dissuade him, saying the baby was too small but he was adamant. Prem Latha finally asked him to sit beside his mother and supporting the baby's wobbly head she laid the baby in his little lap for a minute just to appease him. Ishan's excitement soon vanished when the baby wet his pants. Asking his grandmother to remove the baby immediately, he rushed to the bathroom to clean himself, muttering disgustedly, "Dirty baby", amidst the laughter of his family.
Milind kissed Prachi's forehead and thanked her for completing his family, as her parents watched them indulgently.
The End
Edited by Opti - 16 years ago
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