IPKKND FF: Trial by fire Part 33 updated on Pg 84 - Page 26

Part 21 - Trial by Fire

Arnav stared at Khushi as she slept, in the early morning hours. A doctor had been in to look at her and had advised undisturbed rest till she woke up and was examined by her psychiatrist. He hoped that there had been a breakthrough in her frozen state of mind. He missed her fun-filled and light-hearted outlook on life and the way she stood up to him. Akash had gone to drop off Mamaji, Mamiji and Naaniji while Payal remained with Di to help out with the baby.

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The Guptas and Lavanya trooped in ushered by NK into Di's room at around 9 AM. Anjali admired Lavanya's anarkali in shades of red and green and complimented her on how good she looked. Lavanya blushingly accepted the compliments and shyly looked at NK from lowered eyes. NK grinned back at her - He had been the one to choose the colors when Lavanya had been stuck and getting late trying to decide what to wear.

Buaji and Garimaji oohed and aahed over the sleeping baby's nose and rose-bud shaped lips. "Bilkul Anjali bitiya ki tarah", buaji pronounced. Akash had let them know that Arnav and Khushi were staying back so that the doctors could monitor Khushi after her breakdown and so it was with mixed feelings that Payal and the Guptas went over to visit Khushi - They were happy that she had broken down and cried; They were worried if she was going to be okay.

Lavanya gingerly took over the baby, carefully holding the unstable neck ...She looked down and was enraptured, just as others before her, had been. Time stopped as she stood at the foot of Anjali's bed and marvelled at this miracle, this blessing. NK was close to her and he was looking down at the baby too. His eyes were also on Lavanya, catching the myriad emotions on her face, her twinkling eyes, the love in her eyes for the baby. In that instant, NK realized that this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It didnt matter if she had been Naanav's girlfriend before. It didnt matter whether or not she had been intimate with him before. What mattered to him was now, and the future - He could not envision one without her. He realized he had to win her ...He realized that gone were the days when nothing was important or serious enough for him...This was serious. He had a new aim, a new goal in life - He had to win this adorable, gorgeous girl. Unconcerned about the impact that she was having on her male audience, Lavanya coochie-cooed and talked to the baby.

By this time, Karan and his son Suraj also had come in to meet with Anjali and her baby. Karan sat on a low stool on Anjali's bedside holding Suraj between his legs. "How are you doing...Tum theek ho?", he asked of a tired Anjali. "Ji ..hum theek hai ...", Anjali answered, some surprising shyness catching up with her leaving her tongue-tied. She could not summon up the words to thank him for what he had done for her yesterday. "Karan.." , she began and looked up into his eyes...and was lost. Karan was similarly lost too...He just stared at Anjali, his eyes caressing her face, her hair, where his hands could not; wishing and hoping that she was really okay.

"Aunty ...aunty...", Suraj interrupted the eye-lock.

"Haan beta...bolo", Anjali said recovering from the stare.

"Aapko bhagwan ne girl baby diya hai?", Suraj demanded to know.

"Haan beta...girl baby", Anjali responded smiling at the question.

"Aapne name kya rakha hai ...", he demanded, a little defensively.

Lavanya and NK had also turned around to hear the response. Anjali smiled dreamily at Suraj and then looked at the baby in Lavanya's arms and said ..."Aarushi".

Suraj turned gleeful eyes to his dad, jumped, gave him a kiss on the cheeks then jumped over and kissed Anjali's hands as he could not reach her face on the tall bed. "Thank you Aunty..Thank you, Thank you".

Karan's questioning eyes met Anjali over Suraj's head ..."Someone explained to me that they might never have a brother or sister to name and how they really wanted to choose this baby's name. That someone helped me pick out a name that had the same letter as my name as well as had a connection to them - Aarushi means Suraj ki pehli kiran...And Aarushi was born this morning, bringing hope into my life like a ray of light. Hence, Aarushi", Anjali explained shyly confirming what Karan had guessed - The topic of Suraj and Anjali's intense conversation from a week ago when he had brought Anjali home.

"Wow Di, yeh toh bada accha naam hai..", Lavanya and NK exchanged knowing glances and jumped in to congratulate Anjali on her choice realizing quickly that Suraj must be the person that Anjali was referring to. Anjali accepted their praises while sneaking glances at Karan who had moist eyes. He had never realized that his Suraj had thought so much about a sibling and what he was missing. He closed his eyes and opened them to look over at Anjali and conveyed his thanks non-verbally to her for listening to a little boy's request. Anjali gave a tiny nod in acknowledgement and tousled Suraj's hair.."Abhi Khush?", she asked. "Yes aunty ...yeh toh mera funnest day hai..abhi ice-cream bhi miljaaye toh aur bhi mazaa aajayega", he said mischievously.

"Arre, hum bhi ice-cream ke baare mein hi soch rahe the...Kyon na hum saath mein jaaye - Neeche, maine ek ice-cream parlor dekha tha..", NK interjected.

"Hum bhi aap ke saath aate hai ...", Lavanya happily declared giving up the baby into Karan's waiting arms.

Karan looked at NK gratefully and gave Suraj his permission to go have some ice-cream even though it was just morning. As Karan held Aarushi, all he could see was a mini-Anjali ..He was thankful to God that Anjali had had a safe delivery and she was recovering. He could not have withstood a second Malini, he thought and stopped short, shocked. "Why am I getting these feelings", he thought. "I have met many women during these years and none of them have affected me like Anjali has...Is it a reverse Stockholm Syndrome?", he thought..But no, he would have fallen for Anjali even if she had not been one of his clients. "Fallen for...What am I thinking, I cannot be in love...Or am I...Is this love? It does not feel like the tumultous wild love that I had for Malini ..But that I can look at a woman who has just given birth, looks tired and not in the best of looks and feel that I want to hold and protect this baby and her mother forever, means that I must have fallen in love. With Anjali. Oh, how capricious is fate - She is still married to that b**t**d Shyam and I dont even know if she still holds a torch for him", Karan rued looking at the peaceful face of the sleeping baby Aarushi. None of his thoughts showed on his poker face.

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Part 22
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Dear friends -- I hope you like this episode introducing magical Aarushi. I was touched writing this episode and I hope you are too. Please comment, like - Love reading all your comments and encouraging words.

so lovely update...i like the name aarushi..so sweet name...

waiting fr next update...