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She had never expected the birth of her child to be like this. She had thought that Dutta would be beside her, holding her hand, comforting her but instead she got the reassurance of Sunaina, the girl in the hut next to hers. As the child first cries came out, Naku tried to banish thoughts of Dutta and concentrate on this new bundle of joy that she was responsible for. She lifted her hands, and took the child from the nurse. "Its a girl!" she said, cradling the angel in her arms.
"Nakusha..." a familiar but unexpected voice called.
Naku gave the baby to the nurse and struggled to get up, so that she could see the source of the voice.
"Naku, don't get up" he said.
"Saab?" Naku couldn't stop the tears from falling out of her eyes.
"Nakusha!" Dutta came up to her and embraced her, "Tum kahaan thi?"
"I was here, at the ashram...."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I did, every day, but then some girl would pick up and say wrong number"
"Naku...I missed you so much"
Naku sobbed in his chest, holding him tightly as if he would disappear into thin air.
"When I went home, Anna's men tried to attack everyone at the mandir again. Baji got shot..."Dutta sighed, looking down, dissapointed by himself that he couldn't take care of his best friend.
"What?"
"He is fine now, but at that time he was in a critical condition, he went in coma for two weeks. Naku, I was broken, I lost you and I thought I was going to lose Baji as well. I told Suds to continue searching for you but he found nothing. Then one day, he found a corpse, the face was disfigured but the girl had the same small figure like you, and was wearing that bracelet that you were wearing the day that we went to Shimla."
"Huh...oh yes, that bracelet got stolen when I was at the factory"
"Nakusha, when Baji's friend told me he had spotted you here, you can't imagine how I felt....I thought that a void in me was going to be filled."
"Shh...saab...forget old matters, you found me now. And looke, its a baby girl, you wanted a girl na?"
"What shall we name her?"
"Hmm Divya kaise rahega?"
"Nahi, I like Naina"
"Mmm...Ashita?"
"Yes...Ashita is a nice name"
"Ghar jaake we will tell AS and organise the naam karan ceremony"
"I miss everyone so much, Madhu, Baji, AS. Waise Baji abhi puri tarah se theek....."
"The wound is still there, but he has gained conciousness, bolna band hi nahi karta hai ab"
"Pehle kab karta tha jo ab karega?" Naku chuckled.
The nurse came back with Ashita wrapped in a pink blanket. "Poochie woochie jao mummy ke paas" The nurse kissed Ashita on the cheek and handed her over to Naku. Naku lovingly caressed Ashita's soft skin.
"Kitni choti hai" Dutta whispered.
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Me?"
"Yes, afterall you are the father"
Dutta hesitantly held Ashita, awed by her cute smile. Ashita gurgled something in baby language and tightened her hold on Dutta's thumb.
"Dekho, she is holding my hand!"
Naku laughed and leaned on Dutta's shoulder.
"Bhaoo! The car is ready, Vahini ko lekar chalein?" the driver yelled from outside the room.
"Can you go? Or should we wait for a while until you can travel?"
"No, I cant wait a single moment to go back home"
"Ok fine, chalo" Dutta helped Naku to her feet and placed Ashita in her arms. They walked hand in hand, to their home. This time there would be no separations and no tears, well only ones of happiness. It would be a fresh start, to a new life, together.
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A big thanks to all the people🤗, silent readers included, who read, commented, and wasted their time reading my bakwaas😆
Sorry that around the last few parts, I haven't written very well, because I have kind of been getting bored of this story😆
BTW I am thinking about writing a new ff, but I don't know whether to write a Baji one or a TaSha one...
Love,
Suvi🤗