True Colors Completed - Page 24

Khushi gave him a shove and said, 'Oh so I cry often is it?"

Arnav laughed, his low rumbling laugh that always sent shivers down her spine, 'Did I say you cy often? No. I said you always cry,' he said and laughed even louder when Khushi tried to push him off her.

Arnav continued to pin her down on the bed and captured her lips in a long lingering kiss.

'But I love your waterworks. Your nose becomes all red then,' Arnav said sliding his fingers down her nose, 'And your lips quiver like that of your son,' he said kissing her lips and continued 'And your face becomes all red and crinkled and cute, like your son's' he said kissing her all over her face.

As always, Arnav's words completely disarmed Khushi and she was blushing a deep shade of red.

Just at that moment Raksh decided to exercise his vocal chords and he let out a huge wail.

'There goes your son!' Arnav said sighing.

'Yours too,' Khushi pointed out.

'As I told you, he is my son when he is all sunny and smiling,' Arnav teased.

Raksh increased his volume and screamed louder.

Khushi reluctantly wriggled out of her husband's warm arms, 'Time for me to see what your son needs,' Khushi said.

'No there is still an hour to go for the bet to be over. So, I have to take care of him. So you go and freshen up. I will see what the little fellow is up to, creating so much ruckers,' Arnav said.

'Hm yes. The bet! Well this is your final test. You have managed to do everything well after the first hiccup. If you manage to make him quiet, you win the bet. Or else, the great Arnav Singh Raizada will have to admit he still has a long way tto go before becoming the best father!' Khushi teased.

'Never! Arnav Singh Raizada never loses. It is not in ASR to lose a bet or not be the best at anything he does,' Arnav scoffed as he marched off to get his son ut of the crib.

'Ok Mr ASR. It is between you and your son. I am off to freshen up and help out Di,' Khushi said hopping out of the bed and giving him a bear hug before disappearing into the bathroom.

'Ok champ quiet. What's this you have picked up from your Mom. Crying at the drop of a hat? With both of you this house will be flooded once your tear ducts open' Arnav grinned as he picked up his son and cradled him gently in his arms.

That statement did not go down well with Raksh, as he increased his wais.

'Shhh! Ok I give in. I am wrong. Your mom isn't that bad at crying. She looks very pretty when she cries,' Arnav continued talking as he placed Raksh at the diaper station to check his diaper.

It was clean.

Still rocking his son, who seemed a little quieter now, Arnav checked the time to see if it was food time for the baby.

Sure enough it was. So, Arnav got a warm bottle of milk ready, all the while talking to his son.

After that he settled with the baby in the crook of his arms with the bottle propped up to feed him.

Khushi came out just then and grinned at the duo.

'Good going Mr Raizada. I will be back after helping Di,' she said and kissed her son and husband and disappeared.

'See she is too busy for us' Arnav said as he held the bottle to the baby's mouth.

But, instead of drinking the milk Raksh pushed it away. Arnav tried again and again Raksh pushed the bottle away and started crying.

'What's wrong champ? Not hungry? Let's try a walk' Arnav said and popped Raksh on his shoulder and walked towards the garden for a stroll.

As Arnav walked him back and forth, Raksh still did not stop the wails. If anything they grew louder.

Arnav was now beginning to get worried. Should he ask for help? But then Khushi would say he had was a terrible father!

So, Arnav tired again, doing the rounds of checking diapers, feeding and walking. But nothing worked.

Raksh cried persistently.

Now Arnav did not want to wait. He had to ask for help. Something was wrong with the baby. To hell with the bet!

He marched down to the living room with Raksh and practically yelled for attention 'Khushi! Di! HP! Everyone come here immediately'.

In a matter of five minutes everyone was assembled in the living room with an alarmed Khushi rushing over to her crying son.

'Raksh has been crying for so long and I am unable to stop him. Khushi please do something. I don't know what is wrong. I have tried everything,' Arnav said.

'For how long has he been crying? Why didn't you tell me? ' Khushi said going completely berserk, 'Did you check his diaper? Did you get him milk? Did you try a walk?' Khushi asked.

'Yes to everything. Please Khushi stop him. I can't bear to see him cry like this. It has been nearly 30 minutes,' Arnav said, by now frantic to get his son to stop crying.

Anjali came over to take the baby from Khushi's arms 'Khushiji we should check if he is having some kind of stomach pain. Let me touch his stomach. I have some practice from watching Ma handle Chote,' she said.

So, Anjali tried touching Raksh's plump little tummy and the baby cried even more.

'Khushiji, his stomach is hard, which means it is stomach pain for sure. Call his pediatrician and ask what we should do,' Anjali said.

Khushi was in no state to do anything. Seeing her son in pain was too much for Khushi. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she rushed to get her mobile.

Arnav had never felt more helpless. He wished he could stop his baby from going through the pain. What was it about your child that made you feel his pain as if it was your own? He wondered.

He snatched the phone from Khushi as she tried to reach the doctor and dialed with complete desperation.

He practically ordered the doctor to come immediately.

The wait for the doctor was the longest in his life for Arnav. He paced up and down the living room, rocking Raksh glancing with concern at Khushi who was rushing back and forth trying some home medications with Anjali.

All the while the baby had gone weak crying, the pain evident on his small face.

'Hold on champ! You are my brave boy. You will be fine. Papa won't let anything happen to you,' he crooned to the child.

But his worst fears were intensified at this moment. He was scared. What if it was something terribly wrong with the baby? What is the baby had to hospitalized? What if he was having something chronic?

Try as he might, Arnav could not control his fears or check his thoughts.

His precious baby...His Raksh'a piece of his heart...how could he let anything happen to him?

Arnav's fears gripped his heart in a cold terror.

As Khushi took the baby, trying her hand at stopping Raksh from crying, she was surprised to see her husband in tears. 'Khushi, stop him from crying. Stop his pain.

It must be something I did not do properly while taking care of him. He is suffering because of me and my stupid bet. Please Khushi.

I will lose a thousand bets if you can make his pain go away. Please Khushi Please'' Arnav pleaded, as if hoping Khushi could wave a magic want to stop his son from crying.

Khushi's own tears stopped for a while, taking in the pain of the mighty Arnav Singh Raizada who was at this moment a desperate father, ready to lose anything for his child. Again her heart flipped for this man, whose capability to love always amazed her just as his capability to hurt had once amazed her.

'He will be fine Arnav. He is your son and a born fighter,' she said wiping away his tears.

Soon the doctor came and examined a still wailing Raksh. As predicted by Anjali, he was suffering from colic, a common stomach cramp for small babies, the doctor explained to a frantically worried Arnav and Khushi,

The medication soothed Raksh and his wails subsided.

Khushi followed the doctor to take further instructions about taking care of Raksh and other medical particulars.

When she came back to the bedroom the sight which met her eyes filled her heart with tender love for the two men in her life.

Sprawled on the recliner was Arnav, with Raksh sprawled over his chest.

Arnav held Raksh in fierce embrace and Raksh was clutching his Tee shirt equally fiercely,

And both had dried tears at the corner of their eyes.

Just then Arnav looked up and met her gaze and said 'I lost the bet Khushi. I am not a great father.'

Khushi came close to him and riffled his hair and said 'You lost the bet Arnav. But when it comes to caring and loving Raksh, the greatest fathers in the world would lose to you''