Twinkle stared at the two little lines that were forming on the strip in her hand. It was the fourth pregnancy test she had taken that morning and lo and behold it had been positive like the other three. "Calm down Twinkle. Calm down. Don't freak out" she repeated over and over again. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths hoping she would keep her composure but she was so overcome with happiness she didn't think she could contain herself. She opened her eyes to look at those two little lines that change her life forever and screamed "KUNJ! KUNJ!".
Kunj fell off the bed, rudely awakened by his wife hollering. He raced across the room to the bathroom. "Twinkle. Twinkle kya hua? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Baat toh kar mujhse Twinkle".
"Yeh dekho Kunj. Yeh dekho" Twinkle whipped around to face him and shoved something that looked like a very weird thermometer in his face.
"Yeh kya hai Twinkle? Iss pe yeh do lines kya hai?" Kunj asked confused. "Ab kya siyappa kar dia tune meri Siyappa Queen?"
He knew how annoyed she got when he called her Siyappa Queen but he couldn't help himself. He loved seeing the familiar flush of anger creep across her cheeks and her eyes narrowed. And sure enough Twinkle took the bait. She put the strip down on the bathroom counter carefully,making sure it wouldn't fall. She turned around to face him again and Kunj could practically see the steam coming out of her ears but it only made him think his wife looked even more adorable when she was mad. "You did this to me Kunj Sarna! Yeh tumhare wajah se hua. Mari life mein jo kuch bhi hua hai tumhare wajah se hi hot hai. You did this! Everything happens because of you. BECAUSE. OF. YOU." She poked his chest with her finger to drive home her point home.
Kunj held up his hands in surrender, "Teekh hai Twinkle. Meri hi galathi hai. Ab toh batao maine kya kiya hai. What is this sin that I have committed? And why does that thermometer have two lines on it?".
"Its not a thermometer Kunj. why are you so clueless? Its a pregnancy test. And those two little lines means it positive!"
"Kya?" Kunj exclaimed "How can this be Twinkle. It must be a mistake. yeh Kaise ho saktha hai? Take it again. Are you sure you did it right?"
Twinkle couldn't believe what she was hearing. First he assumes that she had created the issue and now he thought she was incompetent in taking a pregnancy test? "What are you saying Kunj Sarna? Are you implying I cannot pee straight on a stick? And I've already taken three others. share positive hai. Yeh na, yeh sab tumahari galthi hai!". She huffed in anger.
Kunj was still trying to wrap his head around the information he had been given but somehow his brain focused on Twikle's accusations that this situation was his fault. "Mere galthi? How is this my fault Twinkle?"
"Its your fault only. I told you that morning a few weeks ago that I had to visit my gynecologist to refill my birth control pill prescription. But you couldn't keep your hands to yourself! And now see what you've done!" Twinkle said peeved at her husband.
"Excuse Twinkle Sarna, when I did want to stop, who said 'Oh no Kunj its a safe time of month so we are okay'. Huh? Who said that?" He mimicked her voice for effect.
They argued back and forth for a few minutes till Kunj held his hand up and said "Bas bas. Hum argue kyun kar rahein hai Twinkle?"
Twinkle looked up at him innocently and said "Well you said I should have stopped us and i said you should have not started getting frisky and then.. "
"Nahin Twinkle, hum lad kyun rahein hai? You're pregnancy test came back positive. Its positive Twinkle! You're pregnant. WE are pregnant! yeh kushi ki baat hai Twinkle!" Kunj lifter Twinkle in his arms and twirled her around in joy. HIs happiness knew no bounds. He was going to be a father and that was the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.
"Kunj Kunj. Chodo. Mujhe chakkar aarahein hai." Twinkle was already experiencing nausea and the twirling was adding to it.
"Oh sorry sorry. Tu teetk hai na Twinkle? Kuch laoon tere liye? I'm sorry. You sit down. No more getting out of bed for you. You need rest. No more working in the kitchen. No more doing the laundry. All you do is rest and eat and I hear exercise is necessary. We have to go see a doctor..." Kunj gently guided Twinkle to the bed and made her sit down.
Twinkle watched, her heart swelling with love and pride at the wonderful man she had married. "Nahin Kunj. Im fine. Just a little tired but I've read that being tired is normal during the first trimester. I do need to go see my doctor though to get checked out."
"When will we go? I want to be there for every visit, every scan, everything!" Kunj sat on the bed next to her and gently rubbed her back.
"I know you will Kunj. You are going to be an amazing father but..." she said mischievously.
"But what Twinkle?" Kunj asked confused.
"But mein itni awesome hun na I will be the best mother in the world." She grinned impishly.
"Accha? I'm sure that I will be the better parent because tu toh abhi bhi bacchi hai. Tujhe mein hi sambaltha hun. Ab toh mujhe ek aur bacche koh sambhalna padega." Kunj put his head in hands for exaggerated effect.
"Kya? Mein bacchi hun? Mein? Excuse me Mr.Sarna. I'm Twinkle Taneja Sarna. I'm the complete package of beauty and brains. Ms. Amritsar! Only women with the right combination of beauty and brains win such a prestigious honor. Bhul gaye?" She poked him in the ribs and that made him giggle.
"Kitna drama karti hai tu Twinkle. Huh.. Huh.." He began tickling her and she began squealing. Kunj kept tickling her and her giggles grew louder, so much so she yelped out at one moment.
Bebe heard Twinkle yelling as she passed by Twinkle and Kunj's door. Worried, Bebe knocked on their door. "Twinkle puttar, Kunj, sab kuch teekh hai?"
"Ji Bebe. Sab kuch teekh hai." , "Hum dono teekh hai." Bebe heard both of them answer through the door. "Accha teekh hai" Bebe smiled as she moved away, happy hearing the sounds of laughter wafting from their room. "Bhagwan inn do baccho kho hamesha kush rakhein" she prayed in her heart.
Twinkle and Kunj were still giggling softly, lying side by side on the bed. Kunj turned on his side to face his wife and marveled at how she glowed. "Accha Twinkle, tell me, when do you want to tell the family? And who do you want to tell first?".
Twinkle turned on her side to face him as well. "Hmm i have to think about that Kunj. I really want to tell everyone at the same time but there is one special person I want to share our news with before anyone else. Do you have someone you want to tell first?"
"Hmm. Haan. Ek person hai jisse sabse pehle bataana chahatha hoon." Kunj had an inkling that they were talking about the same person. "I bet I know who you are thinking about"
"Tum kuch nahin jaante Kunj Sarna. Especially when it comes to women you know know absolutely nothing. Two minutes ago you thought the pregnancy test was a weird thermometer. I mean who doesn't know what a pregnancy test looks like."
"Pehle kabhi bhi maine pregnancy test nahin liya na Twinkle. Thats why I couldn't recognize it. But next time I will know for sure." Kunj teased.
Twinkle couldn't stop giggling and Kunj joined in.
"Accha Kunj, tum bathao? Who do you want to tell first? I bet I can guess already. But chalo I will give you a chance to tell me yourself."
"Why? main Kyun batoon? You say first. Waise, I already know who you are thinking of. You are not the only smart one Mrs. Sarna. Your husband has some brains as well."
"Okay baba. Lets not fight about this. How about we reveal our choice at the same time? Agreed?" Twinkle waited for Kunj's assent.
Kunj nodded slowly and said, "Okay on three. Okay Twinkle?"
They began counting in unison, "1... 2... 3...".
"Bebe," they cried in chorus.
With their own choice mirrored in the heart of the other, Twinkle and Kunj went, hand in hand, looking for Bebe.
~~~~~~~ Bebe's Room~~~~~~~
Bebe was sitting in front of her dressing table, still smiling on recalling the sounds of laughter she had heard from Twinkle and Kunj's room. She silently thanked God that her children were happy together, for that would always be how she would think of Kunj and Twinkle, her own children. They had been through so much, as a couple and as individuals but had emerged stronger and clearly more in love. Bebe was shaken out of her reverie by a gentle knock on her door.
"Bebe, may we come in?" Twinkle asked politely.
"Haan haan puttar, andhar aa jao. Sab kuch teekh hai na?" Bebe got up and ushered them both inside her room.
Kunj took Bebe's hands in his and made Bebe sit on her bed while he sat on the ground close to her feet. Twinkle was quiet and seemed coy, which in Bebe's mind stood out as it was so uncharacteristic. "Twinkle. aa na puttar. Mere paas bet ja." Bebe could see a glow on both their faces, a restless energy between the two of them. Bebe knew something was up, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Umm woh Bebe.. Twinkle aapse kuch kenha chahthi hai." Kunj quickly looked up at Twinkle .
"Main? Nahin Bebe, woh Kunj ko aapse kuch kenha tha tho issliye main bhi usske saath aa gayi." Twinkle looked nervously around the room.
"Kaun main? Ina jhooth math bol Twinkle." "main jhooth bol rahin hun? Tum jhooth bol rahe ho" And thus began an argument that had Bebe trying to play referee without actually knowing what the issue was.
"Tum na Kunj, tum ho hi aise. Sadu Sarna." said Twinkle as she rose from the bed in a huff.
"Toh tu bhi kuch kam nahin hai. Siayappa Queen." Kunj stood up.
"Shaanth ho jao tum dono. Please. Koi baatao na baat kya hai? Aise kyun lad rahe ho." Bebe got up and tried to intervene between Twinkle and Kunj who were beginning to look like a scene from Tom and Jerry in her mind.
"Dekhiye na Bebe. Main toh appko yeh baathane aaya tha ki Twinkle pregnant hai aur yeh hai ki mujhse jagada kar rahi hai."
Twinkle raised her hand to her lips and said, "Haaaw! Main? Maine kuch nahin kiya. Dekha Bebe."
"Twinkle pregnant hai? Kunj sacchi?" Bebe couldn't believe her ears. Her eyes were soon flooded with tears of happiness as she gathered Twinkle and Kunj in her arms and hugged them tight. But Twinkle and Kunj were oblivious to her gesture and continued arguing, trying to determine who the winner was and who the loser was.
Bebe smiled as with all her wisdom she knew that there were no losers here today. They had all won the lottery at life and in a few short months an incredible gift would be delivered to their door.
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