Shiva carried his little baby girl in his arms, who was cooing and blowing raspberries after her warm shower, wrapped in her favourite elephant towel that covered her head like a topi.
He put her carefully on the bed, and applied the baby cream, powdering her all over, making sure she looked like his sugar-coated cinnamon roll, even after she troubled him for 5 minutes straight and wouldn't let him put on her diaper.
"Tarzan ki aulaad hai tu." Shiva huffed, as she giggled and rolled over to grab her toys, as Shiva pulled her back by her ankles gently, strapping her unicorn onesie on, and putting kaala teeka on the side of her forehead and ear, just like her mom did.
"Meri choti pataka meri sabse sundar ladki hai." He beamed, kissing her cheeks, lying down the bed, placing his baby girl over him, on her stomach so that she didn't roll away.
"Tujhe pata hai," Shiva tilted his head down to look at his ball of sunshine, who was toothlessly smiling at him. "Teri mumma Somnath ki sabse sundar ladki thi. Par na, ab se tu meri sabse sundar ladki hai."
"Lekin ek baat toh hai," He kissed his baby girl's head, speaking in a daze, and she raised her head in question. "Sabse zyaada pyaar toh teri mumma se hi karunga."
Her lips wobbled, turning into a frown, her cheeks getting red, as she burst out in tears, wailing and crying, as Shiva sat up quickly and held her close to him.
"Accha no, sorry! Sorry na, baccha! I love you." He patted her head, kissing her cheeks repeatedly, taking care of her sensitive baby skin. "Papa is sorry. Papa sabse zyaada pyaar aapse karte hai. Okay? Papa loves you so much. Papa loves only you."
His baby girl looked up at him, her doe-like teary eyes staring back at him with an innocence he had only seen one other time.
She had her mother's eyes.
She snuggled her tiny head into his chest, her little fist resting where his heart was, as he held her and kissed her head, telling her how much he loved her.
Soon enough, that fist slowly lowered itself, as his little pataka nibbled on her own fist. Shiva sighed, rubbing her back.
"Raavi!" He called out, and not receiving a response , he called out again. "Chipkali!"
A shuffle of feet, and a minute later, a tired Raavi stepped in, tying her hair up loosely. "Sorry, woh Rishita ki saree set kar rahi thi uske liye."
"Woh sab theek hai. Isse bhook lagi hai," He gestured at their baby girl in his arms, "Feed kar de. Woh toh mai nahi kar sakta."
Raavi chuckled and took their baby girl from his hand, as Shiva closed the door and sat down beside them.
"Tujhe pata hai," Shiva adjusted the pillow on Raavi's back and propped himself up on one elbow, "Ye bilkul teri jaisi hai."
"Accha?" Raavi smiled, holding their baby closer to her chest, feeding her, her little fist resting on Raavi's chest, "aisa kya?"
"Maine bas itna kaha ki mai tujhse sabse zyaada pyaar karta hu, toh phut phut ke rone lagi." Shiva shook his head, as Raavi looked at him amused.
"Haa toh, jalkukdi hai meri chingu." She caressed her little head, "aise kaise uske papa bolenge ki woh kisi aur se pyaar karte. Woh apne papa se bohot pyaar karti hai."
"Kisi aur se matlab kya? Uski chipkali maa se hi pyaar karta hu, pyaar kiya isliye toh meri shona aayi hai." Shiva winked at Raavi, who rolled her eyes at his innuendos.
"Ab meri bacchi ki maa se kahunga ki mai uski beti se zyaada pyaar karta hu, toh woh muh fula deti hai. Beti phut phut ke ganga jamuna baha deti hai. Dono dramebaaz hai mere zindagi mein." He sighed dramatically, and Raavi lightly punched his shoulder.
"Chup baith. Bada aaya beti se zyaada pyaar karne waala." Raavi pouted, and Shiva chuckled, kissing the side of her arm.
"Mazaak kar raha tha, chipkali. Tum dono se bohot pyaar karta hai tera bhoothnath." He sat up straight, kissing her pout away.
"Pata hai, woh Jamna Kaki ne aaj tujhe chingu ka pura dhyaan rakhte hue dekha na, nehlaane se leke, sulane tak, jab mai unke ghar ke designs tayyar kar rahi thi," Raavi adjusted the pillow under her arms, "toh unhone mujhse kaha ki 'tu bohot lucky hai ki tera pati ye sab bhi karta hai kaam ke baad.' Toh Kanta Kaki ne bhi bohot tareef ki teri. Aur-"
"Jamna Kaki aur Kanta Kaki ko bol ki tere akele ki bacchi nahi hai, meri bhi beti hai, toh 50-50 kaam nahi kar sakta kya?" Shiva scoffed at the same things these old people kept saying all the time, "Buddhi ho gayi hai Jamna Kaki, retirement lene bol unhe. Aur tareef? What tareef? Mujhe nahi chahiye koi tareef apni bacchi se pyaar karne ke liye. Aur tu, shakal dekh apni, 3 din se dhang se soyi bhi nahi hai." He nudged her cheek away, and Raavi adored the little pout and wrinkle his eyebrows got into when he was annoyed.
"Arre par-"
"Arre-warre kuch nahi."
"I think you-"
"Dimaag hona chahiye think karne ke liye."
"Mai bas bata rahi-"
"Toh mat bata. Pata nahi kaunse zamaane mein jeete hai ye Somnath ke buddha-buddhi log." He grumbled, his annoyance immediately dispersing as soon as he looked at the mini love of his life.
Shiva took his baby girl from Raavi's arms, holding her over his shoulder, patting her back gently.
"Tera shirt de na." She sighed, poking his shoulder. "Ek toh ye feeding ke wajah se-" Raavi kicked her kurta and bra on the floor away, irritated, "everything is so tight and fitting."
"Le na cupboard se." Shiva said softly, rubbing her bare back, shifting their baby girl, who was now fast asleep, into one arm.
"Ye wala chahiye." She picked at the threads of the green and black checkered shirt he was wearing.
Shiva smiled softly at her, placing their baby in her crib, and took off his shirt, handing it over to her. "Humesha ye waala shirt hi chahiye hota hai na tujhe?"
"Mera favourite hai." Raavi buttoned the shirt and snuggled up to his side, his arm going around her shoulders, chin resting on her head.
"Aur shirt ka owner?" He asked cheekily, and he could feel her smile.
"Sabse favourite." She murmured, slowly blinking her eyes, almost asleep.
"Aur?"
"Sabse bada waala bhoothnath."
"Aur?"
"Sabse best papa meri chingu ka."
"Aur kya?"
When he didn't get an answer, he looked down to find her fast asleep, one hand resting over his heart, the frown lines disappearing in the moment.
He glanced over at the crib a few feet away, at his shona who was sleeping without a worry in the world, and just knew;
He had everything he never imagined he could ever have. And he wouldn't want it any other way.
.....
