ARSHI OS Baby Shower

Dedicated to Jenny.

"Arnavji you can handle him right?" Kushi asked worry etched on her face.

Arnav pulled her in for a hug, kissing his wife gently at first and then with increasing fervor. "Do you really want to go? We could do other..fun things you know"

"Arnavji"

"Kushi I make you blush even after all these years" he smirked "Of course I can handle him. He is my son isn't he? You are going to sleep for hours aren't you beta and daddy is going to watch soccer. Deal man?"

"Arnavji he is 6 months old and you are making deals with him? Hey Devi Maiyaa Raksha karna."

"Arnavji its 4 hours, you can manage right?"

"Ok Kushi don't go"

"Kya?" Kushi yelled

"Kushi what happened?"

"Di he is asking us not to go" the lower lip wobbled, tears found their way into her eyes and Arnav was floored.

"Kushi baby" he chided as he pulled her into his embrace

"Chote" Anajli began

"Di before you add to the dramatics.. I didn't tell her not to go. I can handle Sameer. Kushi is the one who is doubting your brother. Whose Di are you anyway?"

"Kushi I run a company on 3 continents, crack impossible deals and deal with difficult men every day. You think I can't handle my own son?" he asked incredulously.

"Arnavji both Naniji& Mamiji aren't here either. Payal is with Amma & Buaji. You will be alone, that's why I'm worried"

"Ok one more word and you aren't going anywhere."

"Kushi we have been waiting for this exposition for a year. I'm going even if you aren't."

"Di I really want to go too. Its just I'm worried for Arnavji."

"Chote will be fine. HP can help him if needed." Anjali dragged Kushi before she changed her mind "Let's go Kushi"

"Unbelievable. I thought they would never leave. It's just us buddy. Go easy on your Daddy ok?" Arnav asked the sleeping baby as he settled down to watch soccer.

Five hours later, HP opened the door for Anajli and Kushi who couldn't stop talking about their shopping spree.

"Di those silk sarees were to die for"

"What about the Phulkari shawls Kushi?"

"the paintings .. Oh Di I'm so glad you insisted"

"HP why do you look so flustered?" Kushi asked

"Amanji! What are you doing here?"

"Anjee" Aman's voice came out in a husky caress that had Anajli blushing

"Offo you guys, just get on with it!"

"Kushi" Anajli's shocked tone betrayed her not so innocent ideas about getting on with it.

"For how much longer are you both going to be batting eyes sighing Anji & Amanji? You both aren't getting any younger you know! Aman you need to just carry her off and have your way with her one day."

"Kushiji" Aman smiled "Don't let ASR hear you giving me such ideas"

As if on cue Kushi heard him bellowing from upstairs "KUSHI"

"As if you haven't thought about it Amanji!" Kushi retorted " I'll go see how baap & beta are doing. Why don't both of you come on up? This should be interesting" Kushi ran upstairs giggling.

"Arnavji how was did your day go? Did your son sleep, allowing you to bond with Messi?"

Arnav hugged Kushi tight burying his face into the crook of her neck

"Arnavji! Such passion after watching Messi? Did he take his shirt off? Should I be concerned? The door is open you know."

"Shut up Kushi! You have a one track mind."

"I have a one track mind? "

"Kushi he woke up as soon as I settled down to watch soccer. He yelled so much, you know how I hate noise I have a headache now"

"Aww poor baby"

Arnav nuzzled deeper into her neck "Can you massage my head for a bit?"

"Arnavji I meant poor Sameer. Did you feed him?"

"Ya I gave him the bottle you left for him and it was fine for a bit until I remembered I had to burp him. So I did & he promptly threw up on me."

"Threw up? Is he sick or something? "

"Chote how much did he throw up? Did you call his pediatrician?" Anajli bua walked in followed by Aman.

"What? You expect me to measure his puke? I guess he didn't throw up, just spit up a lot.. ok maybe a bit.. Oh, I don't know.."

Both women sighed.

"But it smelled so gross.. what do u feed him?" Arnav's grossed out face was cuter than a five year old's.

Kushi signaled Anjali not to laugh

"Why does HP look so harried? What did you both do to him? He even asked for 2 days leave."

"I made HP hold Sameer while I took a shower. After that, Sameer needed a diaper change. I wasn't risking another shower, so I made HP do it."

"Okay..." both women said in unison giggling, which annoyed Arnav but his need to vent just couldn't be curbed.

"Well, I guess he didn't do a good job because Sameer kinda drenched him. So HP had to go shower." Both women were now openly laughing holding on to each other

"Shut up both of you"

"I guess that's where Amanji comes in?" Kushi chimed in helpfully, not wanting the narration to stop.

"Oh no. I'm smart you see, I called Aman when Sameer started crying"

"Very smart of you Chote! I couldn't be prouder"

"Amanji is getting trained Di?" Kushi whispered winking at Anjali

"That's when the sh*t really hit the fan! "

"What!!" gasped both women looking at the ceiling fan

"No really, I am not kidding. Mr.Know-it-all Aman thought Sameer's bottom looked a little red and it was safe to let it air since he had you know.. just gone. We had forgotten about other ..well, other expulsions" Arnav slapped his forehead. "Wrong decision! Your son chooses that moment to let loose and I think we need to move to a new room at a minimum, if not a new house."

"Arnavji stop! My stomach is hurting."

"At least a new bed Kushi? We can't sleep there now" he shuddered.

"So now all 3 of us had to bathe him and can you believe Aman suggested dipping Sameer's bottom in my pool?" Arnav glared at Aman. "As a reward for that brilliant idea, I made Aman get in the shower and hold Sameer. Then Aman had to shower, that's why he is wearing Akash's clothes. Then your son fell asleep and we cleaned the room. HP had the gall to threaten to quit if he had to do it by himself."

"Kushi Aman is now truly Sameer's phuupaji" Anjali couldn't control herself

"Di ...at the rate these guys are showering, there will be no water left in Delhi"

"I will never forgive Akash!!" Arnav swore "I called him and he said he was busy in Lakshmi Nagar."

"You wanted Jiju to come from Lakshmi Nagar to help? Lucky Jiji. She married the sensible brother!"

Whatthe? You are saying Akash is more sensible than me? Isn't he the one who extols the virtues of brothers in a crisis?

"The crisis in question being our 6 month old son?"

"Your 6 month old son. If he had been like me he would have enjoyed the quiet house and watched soccer. He is your son! So much noise and drama just like his mamma."

Anajli was wiping her streaming eyes. Kushi was chortling too much to get angry with Arnav now. Didn't mean she wouldn't get back at him later.

"Chote you make deals on 3 continents, manage difficult men all the time. How hard could this have been?" Anjali sniggered mimicking his voice & repeating his words.

"Di stop laughing. Aman and I will gladly work on multiple deals at the same time or HP will cook for 50 people rather than dealing with Sameer alone. It was as if he was taunting me Di on instruction from someone." Arnav glared at Kushi who looked everywhere but at Arnav.

"Di I can't explain the panic I felt when I couldn't stop his crying. I was about to call you guys when I remembered the bottle."

"That's not panic Chote, it's called Love. You cannot see him in tears just like you cannot bear Kushi's tears."

"Whatever, but all of you are prohibited from leaving us alone with babies ever again"

"Whatever nahi Arnavji What the! Di this is the most I have laughed in one day..ever!"

"Chote come down I will make you some coffee for your headache. Poor HP will quit if we expect him to do anything else today. Kushiji you come down too.

"In a minute Di, let me check on Sameer"

As Arnav & Anjali left the room, Kushi turned the baby monitor on and looked at Sameer as he slept peacefully in a trademark taekwondo pose, a bunny's ear clutched in his chubby hands.

"My little Laad Governor. Give me five baby. You already understood your mamma so well. Already brought 3 grown men to their knees.. what will you do when you grow up? Your dadda so needed that take down"as she kissed his little palm and tucked him in.

"KUSHI you put him to this?" came the roar as loud footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

"Hey Devi Maiyya" Kushi exclaimed slapping her forehead and looking for a place to hide "I forgot the baby monitor. I will bring jalebis to the temple tomorrow, if you save me from the Laad Governor now!"