IPKKND FF: Trial by fire Part 33 updated on Pg 84 - Page 17

It was 3 weeks to the day that Khushi had had her accident, Arnav thought. He had a greater belief and faith in a power above and thanked Devi Maiyya everyday for giving Khushi back to him. Khushi refused to spend all her time in bed and was slowly moving around. She had also started showing a teeny bit and was wearing a light

green colored cotton sari with chikanwork today. Anjali was smiling today after a long time after watching Laxmi's antics - Laxmi was pulling and trying to eat the green tassels on Khushi's saree...Naani remarked, "Yeh kya hum isse kam gaas dete hai ki woh abhi sadee sab khaane lagi..".(Do we give her less grass to eat that she is now eating the sari?). Khushi ventured a mild smile. Anjali, naani and Arnav looked at each other...That little smile was like a ray of hope and they were overjoyed with the small success. "I will starve Laxmi ji if its going to help bring a smile more often to Khushi bitiya's face", naani thought .

Arnav brought the car around to the front of Shantivan to pick up the two pregnant ladies in his life for their respective checkups. Khushi's ultrasound was scheduled today while Anjali was in her 38th week and was on a weekly checkup schedule now. Naani climbed into the front letting Anjali and Khushi sit in the back. Treadstone's team followed behind in another vehicle. He drove slowly and carefully avoiding all the potholes...Precious cargo was onboard. He kept darting glances to his beautiful wife sitting in the backseat. Though she had not laughed or cried, he knew she was curious and watchful of this new Arnav - A more patient and loving husband was yet to be found. She caught him staring at her through the rear-view at a traffic signal and their glances held. His was searching, hopeful...Hers was still blank, not giving anything away, not pained or naughty or shy as it used eto be once upon a time. A whole series of honks distracted their binding glances, the signal had changed to green and the people stuck behind Arnav's huge car conveyed their displeasure at being held up volubly.

The phone rang. "Yeah Karan ...Yeah, we just left home for the hospital for Di and Khushi's checkup...Oh, Suraj is having his booster shots there? Maybe we will see each other. ..Yeah, your people are accompanying us and everything is fine. Chalo, I will catch you later. Bye.", Arnav said and rang off.

The party of four accompanied by Treadstone's team went over to the newer wing that housed the maternity, ob-gyn, labor and neo-natal care units. Anjali was supposed to undergo a stress test today which meant she was going to be strapped into a monitoring device that checked fetal heartbeat and activity to make sure there was no

distress...Dr. Kulkarni, who knew all about the family, felt that given Anjali's recent stresses, this was needed. Since the test was going to take atleast 45 minutes, Anjali urged Naaniji to accompany Arnav and Khushi to the ultrasound so that she could get to see her great grand-kids.

Arnav was completely stressed though he did not show it to any of the ladies. He remembered what the doctor had said about birth defects. He had read up online about this test and the statistics around the results.

If the ultrasound showed any indication, then the doctor could ask them to do an aminocentosis which he knew would be painful for Khushi and dangerous for the babies. What if they did find something wrong and they had to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or not. He prayed and hoped fervently to Devi Maiyya that he and Khushi would never be forced to take that awful decision. Not being able to share that possibility with anyone else was also eating him up inside. It was with a heavy heart he ushered Naaniji and Khushi into the ultra-sound room.

He helped Khushi onto the reclining bed and arranged the blankets around her feet so she didnt feel cold. The ultrasound technician and her supervisor helped set up the device. They covered Khushi up leaving just her abdomen visible and parted her saree to apply the gel before lightly running the sensor. Khushi cringed a little with the cold gel and felt a little shy about exposing herself in front of Arnav, never mind, all those passion-filled nights that they had shared that had resulted in these two lives. She felt a little like public property with her tummy exposed to the two lab folks, Arnav and Naaniji but a twinge of curiosity and an unfamiliar feeling of dread and excitement crept up as she stared at the images showing up on the screen.

The small room was absolutely silent and suddenly, "Dhak Dhak Dhak..." sounds came through. The babies' heartbeats mingled with Khushi's own and filled the room for all to hear. The vague shapes of two embryos came into focus.

Khushi drew in a shaky breath..She looked at Arnav. He was looking at her intensely and then looking at the screen. She could see a sheen of tears in his eyes, his jaws clenched. Naaniji was absolutely excited. Technology had come a long way since she had given birth to her kids ...Now she could see her great grand-kids months before they were even due. She felt tears of happiness wending their way down her cheeks. Khushi saw naani's happiness and felt twinges of some emotion creeping up. She turned to look at the babies as the technicians checked the measurements of the spine, the kidneys, heart rates, etc.

Arnav was shooting questions at them asking them about each and every little thing. The technicians patiently pointed out every organ. Arnav didnt want to worry naani or Khushi and curbed any worrisome questions about normalcy. He knew that the technicians were aware of Khushi's condition and would be checking for all possibilities. He just needed to control himself and be patient for the results to arrive later today.

Khushi could not take her eyes away from the screen as she visually caressed her two babies. They were the reason for her going on, the reason for her existence. She was amazed at this twin miracles of life and wondered what she had done to deserve this honour, this blessing. She was in a different world, thinking of her babies as Arnav led Naani and Khushi out of the scan area. They walked back towards Anjali's test area past the guards standing outside.

When they went inside the room, the doctor's assistant was slumped at her desk as though taking a nap. "Excuse me, Is Mrs.Anjali inside? Is her test done?", Arnav asked her. "Excuse me...? Hello...?", no response. Khushi moved forward and tried to wake her up and when she lifted her head, the assistant's head lolled back. Either she was in very deep sleep or had been drugged. Arnav darted into the doctor's inner sanctorum. He found her bound to her chair with, ironically, gauze and plaster around her mouth.

He was beyond shocked. Where was his di? He went through the passage way in the doctor's office and saw it leading into the critical care unit, a second exit.

Khushi had by now summoned the guards outside. One of them was already on the phone with Karan who was elsewhere in the same hospital. The others spread out and started questioning the nurses and hospital personnel in the vicinity while one of them went over to the hospital's security center to look at the CC TV footage.

Arnav cursed himself..where could his di could have gone. Could it be Shyam or someone else who had kidnapped her? Naani was crying and almost keeled over in worry. Dr Kulkarni made her lie down on a couch and sedated her. Khushi stared around confusedly and worriedly. She did not know what to do and sat with Naani's head in her lap, soothing her and calming her saying di would be okay. Arnav got a phone call from a private number and answered it just as a worried Karan arrived there with his little boy.

"Hello?", Arnav bit out as Karan led him into one of the examination rooms there. "Arre Saale saahib...Aapki di mili aapko? Bahut dhoonda hoga na Doctor ki office pe? Chinta mat ki jiye...Hamari rani sahiba hamaare hi saath mein hai.."...Arnav almost groaned in frustration and anger...Karan gestured to turn on the speaker. Suraj stayed with Khushi and Naani, a lollipop in his mouth, staring at everyone there with curiosity.

"Tho kya samajh liya aapne , aap aasani se apni behen se mera chutkaara dila denge aur meri Khushi ko bhi jeet lenge? Let me come to the point quickly - Mujhe meri Khushi chahiye. Aapko apna behen chahiye tho mera phone ka intezzaar kijiye. 7 PM.", Shyam bit out nastily as he cut the call.

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