For everything that you have showered on me. 😳 Truly touched.
Like they say all good things (IMO even bad things) come to an end... Pride and Prejudice ends today. This whole journey has taught me a lot. I have made lovely friendships, acquantances here. This forum has given me so much. I just feel special and blessed. 😳
Enjoy the end. Sorry for cutting short, but I just can't cope. And me being me, I hate to drag or keep anything or anyone hanging. 😃
Pride & Prejudice
~~~ : Epilogue : ~~~
Khandelwal House is lit up with millions of colourful lights glimmering in the clear night sky, celebrating Daadi's 80th birthday ... The clock striking an unearthly hour indicating that the rest of the world had retired long time ago into a blissful state of rest... The rest of the Khandelwal family too now in their rooms...
"Akshay... please... can you hand me the tissue..." Muttering as something did not go her way... but was happy to see that she was finally seeing things the way he wanted her to. Her round and heavy figure, pregnant with 6 months now appeared in his line of vision as she held her back which was sore and he smiled hugging her as he massaged her back to have her sigh against him in pleasure... he whispered something naughty in her ear making her smile wickedly he steered her towards their bed as the lights were turned off...
"Madhavi, did you remember meeting the Guptas?" Madhavi massaged the moisturizer onto her face generously as she stopped and frowned and then shook her head, returning to her chore as Sunil shrugged... murmuring about having given them the invite... He smiled though with a sense of pleasure that a man has on having gained threefold from everything in his life... his cell buzzed and he promptly replied... "Hello?" Smiling he extended his hand mouthing "Radhaji" Madhavi quickly wiped her hands and taking the phone spoke "Haan Radha bolo?" After a pause she smiled and nodded "Sure.. tomorrow.. I mean that is today? Okay then see you at say 1.00? Yes lunch sounds good then... see you later.. Oh.. how about I drive you. Okay then see you."
Daadi retired into her bed deeply sighing as she had a smile on her face. She looked visibly her grand old age, feeling that it slowly crept on her. Tonight had been one of so much happiness after so long.. having a full house on her birthday... with her great grand child's presence adding immense happiness than ever... her eyes wavered towards the beautiful ornate framed painting of her late husband... her eyes speaking of the happiness and satisfaction that she always shared with the portrait of her late husband.. silently communicating the joys and sorrows of her life.. waiting... patiently seeking, to be united with him again...
In one suite though there was nothing that had changed... Dr. Shantanu Khandelwal's sombre eyes gazed with aching eyes at one huge picture... it was a portrait of her his Jingles... which he had snapped when she had been 3 months pregnant... His fingers caressed the golden diary which had the words inscribed in his heart.. on his very soul... "To Dad with love from Baby... Happy Birthday"... those were the words which had prompted him to agree yet he had his reservations... doubts... the diary which she had gifted him had been empty... and as she had progressed into the pregnancy she had written... As if the baby was talking to him... through her mother... trying to convince him... appease his fears... imparting a strength to him...
His eyes glanced at the portrait of her again with love and longing... Her belief had been strong... In spite of the pain involved then, she had looked beautiful... pale yet happy carrying the joyous bundle of life within her... He remembered with an anguish, how he had tried and persuasively dissuaded her from continuing with the pregnancy... his fears taking an uppermost hand ... outwitting emotional reasoning.. yet she had valiantly fought back... holding her own fort... His face paled as he remembered those moments.. when she had suddenly started bleeding in her seventh month... knowing that it was near... the end... his face turned white as that same fear gnawed at his heart and soul...
He shuddered, his eyes flying open, the fear evident in those chocolate orbs... as suddenly a gurgling sound made him rush to the end of the room near their bed... A look of extreme gentleness came over his features as he looked into the crib and saw the face of his beautiful child... His daughter, his pride... his Princess... he wiped the dampness from his cheeks and gently lifted the now wriggling 9 month old. Burying his nose in the soft bundle and recognising that same fragrance, which belonged to his Jingles... As soon as he held her the gurgling bubbles stopped and her stubby hand waived as she recognised his touch and began again the gurgling with pleasure, in a language patent to her... he called it gibby baby talk... He found out the reason for her discomfort and smiling, biting his lower lip changed her nappy with an ease, like a pro... He sighed then knowing that she was not going to go back to sleep, as during this she was wide awake... Hence he carried her to the huge bed and plonked her in the centre, joining her, lying near her and did what he always did... handed her a framed picture of her mother... which she accepted with glee...
No matter what toy he gave her, it would never hold any attention at all... but this frame.. always got the special attention. She gave him a four toothed grin and he could not help it as love welled up within him... and he expressed it by tenderly kissing the chubby cheek. He knew it and as apprehended, she promptly turned her face to smack him back with a resounding slobbery kiss on his nose and cheeks... happiness rumbled out as a soft bark of pleasure and she giggled with glee upon seeing his happiness... as he raised his finger to his lips "Shhh Khushi... " Shaking his head in a negative action as if to tell her that it was night time and time to sleep and she grinned her toothy reply raising all her five stubby fingers to her lips trying to cover her lips and then shaking her head side ways vigorously as if saying.. "Nope no understand.. " shrieking her devilish glee... blowing bubbles and continued to gurgle in her gibby baby words, slobbering all over her mother's frame, planting wet kisses on it... his eyes clouded again, his vision blurring as he held his emotions under a tight reign at the scene...
After a few moments of tug and war with the frame as her intention was to clamber upon her Dad's chest with the frame, Khushi finally gave up the frame, thinking that her father's chest was a better play area than the metal frame and she tried honing on her acrobatic skills. She with a sharp intent so customary to her mother, decided that she intended to reach the top of her father's head by climbing his chest and then sliding back. This exercise seemed to please her to no end and Shantanu quietly let her do what she wanted knowing that soon she would tire out and his eyes were getting heavier by the passing moment too... finally as he had predicted Khushi decided to plonk herself onto his chest, using it's vast expanse as her bed... lying on her tummy, her legs curled at his stomach thus sticking her neat bottom out, her head nestled into his neck she placed her thumb in her mouth and sucking on it promptly fell asleep. He smiled as he felt her getting a bit heavier and gently extracted her thumb and sighed deeply and fell asleep, his hands making sure they were safely holding his precious princess... A soft snore indicated that both Father and Daughter were fast asleep, the soft light at the bed side casting a beautiful halo around them...
A soft gasp echoed in the room... upon seeing the picture that presented itself... Without so much as a squeak, soft in her tread... as she reached near the other side and turning off the light as quietly as possible, made her way into the bed and lying on her side saw the two most important people in her life gently snoring, lost into a peaceful oblivion... A soft bubble of happiness rose in her throat but she suppressed it and biting her lip with pleasure sighed as she gazed into the baby's face... her features so much like him... her Doc... Though Khushi had her eyes, every other feature was a spitting image of her Dad... her hair like jet black silk... the same forehead, the same smile... the aristocratic nose... she saw that her mouth lay open as she breathed through it... and slobbered all over his chest... A deep maternal love welled within her chest and Khanak smiled holding back tears of happiness... How much she had borne for this satisfying bliss... the valiant battles she had fought not only with her own husband, but with destiny, with her own life... she had like returned back from the dead... as if she had been granted a bonus.. a second life... after the birth of her daughter.. premature at seven months...
9 months ago...
Khanak screamed with fright... as she had felt a warm trickle flowing down her legs and everything was swaying around her..."DOCC!!!!", getting a fretting Shantanu into the washroom as he encountered the trail of red and he yelled out "KHANAK!!!!!" After that everything had been as if in a haze... She had been in and out of consciousness as she heard Aryaman uncle's deep baritones challenging sometimes, and sometimes firm and commanding.. urging at times... she had been aware of only one person's angst... by her side constantly holding her hands... urging her to hold on. But she was soon slipping into a coma... And as she slipped into that beckoning comfort of oblivion, all she had remembered were his accusing chocolate browns frantically urging her, reminding her of her promises... her belief that all will be fine... that she will be there for him always... gaining a strength from her yet feeling distressingly weak... informing her that she had been right... it was a baby girl... and as planned they would name her Khushi... which had Khanak's KH and Shantanu's SH in her name... but his urgings had all been futile as she had already slipped into a coma...
Khanak blinked making a conscious effort to forget as a soft snore at her side jerked her beck from that shuddering memory... she smiled a tearful smile thanking God for giving her another chance.. She had been glad that Khushi had truly brought the world of happiness into their family... She had been in a coma for a good two months... missing on her baby's vital 2 months... She had been informed by Doc that Khushi too had been in her own state of hibernation till her Ma had decided to come back... Khushi too had blossomed after that... It indeed had been a miracle.. the one that Dr. Aryaman Raichand talked about.. in their world of science and medicine... Khushi had been in the most able hands of Avni aunty who was Khushi's Pediatrician...
Taking a deep breath she rose and walked to his side of the bed. Gently taking care not awaken either of them, she lifted Khushi who rubbed the back of her hand against her nose but promptly cuddled to her mother's warmth with a knowing bliss and grabbed the edge of her silk robe into five stubby pink fingers. Khanak smiled endearingly with, a pride and maternal love... she gently placed her into her cot and pulled the small warm fleece blanket printed with stars and the moon around her and leaned forward to kiss her lil angel good night. Knowing that it would not last very long, as soon it would be time to feed her.. but she knew at least for a few hours it was good... No sooner had she turned to face the bed she saw he had turned onto his side looking at her with a smile on his face... his head resting on his palm and his elbow resting on the pillow... Of course he was a doctor and an extremely light sleeper...
She stopped and smiled as he mouthed... "Come here..." she walked towards him feeling the same apprehension that she had felt when she had walked to him on the first day that they had met in the hospital... To date he had the capability of making her pulses race haywire... her heart thumped loudly as she went to him and he pulled her to his chest... Like daughter, like mother... she rested her head at his chest, rejoicing in the warmth, the steady thumping there.. assuring and welcoming.. he hugged her and whispered... "I love you. Jingles..." She smiled.. tracing patterns on his chest, smiling even more.. and he grinned as he recognised her reply lightly traced onto his chest and whispered into her hair again... "I got that..." And then bringing her even more closer to him whispered somewhere near her ear.. "Show me how much..." At which she hid her face into the curve that she adored... and heard the soft teasing rumble that ensued... as he heard her soft.. "Dhut..." He groaned as he felt her lips at his throat and turned... his lips meeting their twin.. Like light shines from a candle.. like the birds soar high up over mountains, they rose together to those high peaks holding each other.. promising to be there always for the other... for each other.. for the fruit of their love.. their happiness and pride... their daughter... forever...
Cricket
Kumkum Bhagya
Tum Se Tum Tak
Sampoorna
Jhanak
