He heard a female voice address him and spun on his heels to find a nurse briskly walking towards him, carrying what looked like a little bundle of blanket in her arms.
"Congratulations, Mr. Raizada! You've got a beautiful girl there." She said with a genuine smile as she reached him.
He quietly spread out his arms as she gently transferred the sleeping infant into them, too awed and overwhelmed with happiness to even utter a thanks.
The nurse smiled understandingly at him as she walked off.
Arnav Singh Raizada stood there transfixed, staring at the priceless treasure in his arms, tears of absolute joy threatening to spill from his eyes while a dazzling smile adorned his lips. He felt his heart swelling twice its size as it tried to accommodate the increasing love inside him for the little wonder in his arms. He couldn't believe that his little angel was finally here.
"You kept daddy waiting for a long time, didn't you, Princess?" He murmured lovingly to her in a soft voice, as he slowly made his way back into Khushi's room.
"Khushi?" He called to her softly and she opened her eyes to look at him, eyes shining with joy despite her weary and tired appearance.
"She's here?" She beamed at him.
"Yes!" He sat on the bed next to her as he gently placed the baby in her arms.
The hospital staff had taken the baby after birth to give her a bath and to undergo medical examination. The doctor had informed them that the baby was perfectly fine but all the time, she had been away, Arnav had a hard time sitting straight. He would step out the ward every 5 minutes checking to see if she was back and finally after an hour she was.
"Isn't she just perfect?" He asked Khushi in a husky voice, the lump in his throat making it difficult for him to speak and Khushi simply nodded, at a loss of words, tears already streaming down her face.
"I think she's the most perfect thing I've ever laid my eyes on! And the best part is that she looks just like you especially her eyes." Their daughter had opened her eyes as soon as she was born and had the exact same pair of doe like eyes like her mother.
"Thank you Khushi for giving me such a precious gift! I don't think I'll be able to thank you enough even if I spent my entire life doing that." He said hoarsely, his eyes swimming with tears as he leaned to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Thank You" he whispered again.
They just looked at each other for a while, both at a loss for words, before Arnav extended his arms towards Khushi and said in a teasing voice, "Excuse me, Can I have my princess back? I think Asmara wants to be with her daddy." And Khushi laughed lightly as she handed her back to him.
There was a soft knock on the door and the rest of the Raizada clan swarmed in, their faces glowing, their eyes searching for the newcomer and the room was suddenly filled with voices congratulating each other.
"Chotay?" Anjali said, gently cupping his face as she said in a teasing voice, "Aren't you going to introduce us to Asmara?"
"Sure Di!" He gently placed his daughter into his sister's arms and smiled as the rest of the family crowded around them and an instant discussion started on who she looked like.
After everyone had decided that she looked exactly like Khushi and having a go holding her, Arnav finally had his little angel to herself again.
His eyes then fell on his 3 year old son, Ashar, quietly cuddling into Khushi and he made his way towards them.
He smiled at his son as he introduced him to his sister saying, "Ashar, meet your baby sister Asmara."
He smiled at Khushi as he saw Ashar intently watching Asmara, confusion and deep thinking visible on his face, his usual cheeky grin missing. And Arnav understood immediately that Ashar was having a hard time grasping the fact that this little baby was actually going to be his sister.
"Do you like her?" Arnav asked sitting next to him, watching his son's subdued face and how the twinkle in his eyes was missing. Ashar's sparkling intelligent brown eyes always made him want to know what he was thinking.
Ashar shrugged his shoulders lightly, apparently not happy with the newcomer stealing his attention.
"You know what, Ashar?" Arnav asked him in a loving voice. "Today I feel like the happiest man alive."
"Cos she's here?" Ashar jerked his neck towards Asmara causing Arnav to chuckle.
"Yes cos now my family's complete! And you know what, Ashar? I always wanted to have a son first so that he would beat any one who dared mess with my daughter" He said enthusiastically and saw a grin making its way to Ashar's face.
"You mean, I'll get to beat people?" He asked, his eyes wide and hopeful.
"Yes buddy! Not only those who mess with your sister" Arnav laughed at his son's excitement, happy to see him smiling as well.
Anjali came forward then, holding her camera and the small family quickly posed for a photograph, a huge portrait of which always graced their bedroom wall for the upcoming years.
NOTE BELOW!
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