Epilogue 1
4 months later
September 26th 2012, 05:00 PM
"You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin, You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop
Snoogums-Boogums, You're the Apple of my Eye
And I love you so and I want you to know
That I'll always be right here
And I love to sing sweet songs to you
Because you are so ----
----DEARRR! " Khanak finished the song emphasizing on 'Dear' and bobbed her head into the little Laila's face. Laila crackeled with laughter making Khanak laugh too. "Laila!!" Laila crackled. "LAILA!" Khanak bobbed her head towards her and back again. Laila gave out another spurt of laughter. "Meri Laila!" Laila blew air from her mouth mingled with saliva as though trying to make a bubble. Then Laila squealed and excitedly flapped her hands in the air. "Lailaaa!" Khanak continued rightly understanding the baby's hand gesture and picked her up. Laila flapped her hand on Khanak's face and jumped excitedly.
"You keep singing this cuppy cake song to her and I'll give her to you when she makes a racket at night" Khushboo said in a mild reprimanding tone. Khanak and Khushboo wee both in their bedroom, Khanak taking care of Laila, Khushboo's daughter while Khushboo folded the clothes.
"Bhabhi she likes it!!" Khanak said now lifting Laila over her face, high in the air "Don't choo like it? Donch chooo?Haaann" she said to Laila who squealed with laughter again.
"Yes but I don't know how to sing it! You need to teach me!" Khushboo said a little skeptically but then smiled at the laugh of her daughter and gave up. She looked at Khanak and felt a warmth for her that she had either never felt before, or never realized it. That was what Khanak's presence had done to everyone in the house. Made them feel the 'unfeelable' she thought. Her gaze shifted to her daughter and she felt suddenly emotional. She had grown so much, she could not believe that this was the same baby who weighed less than 5 pounds 4 months ago. "Thanks Khanak----" Khushboo said suddenly.
Khanak looked around surprised as little Laila's began to chew her fingers. "Bhabhi? Kis liyay?"
"Nothing. I mean---for everything----I mean----I was just thinking----anyway Thanks---" she stammered her way through her gratitude. "By the way! You need to go and get everything set! Mitul aata hee hoga!Jaoo!!"
Khanak gasped as she realized it was already 5 in the evening. Handing over Laila to Khushboo she rushed to the hall to make sure everything was in order. She had been waiting for this day for a while now. Everything was set. It was finally Rakshabandhan.
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September 26th 2012, 05:10 PM
"Rakshabandhan toh AAJ hain---laikin hum toh pichlay ek haftay say Brother week mana rahay hain!" Shaan said grumpily to his mother as he helped with the setting the table while on the terrace while Khanak busied herself in the kitchen.
"Give your wife a break! She JUST remembered her relationship with Mitul---" Madhvi said reasonably to a frowning Shaan.
"She was never THIS excited when she remembererd her relationship with ME!" Shaan continued to complain. Madhvi ignored him and went downstairs to ask Hari Lal to arrange some extra chairs with comforters.
It was true. Khanak had, a week ago, recalled most of her association with Mitul and even though it was just 3 months worth of memories, she had been extremely excited. Everytime a new memory would make place in Khanak's mind she would call up Mitul and tell him. Mitul would smile at eh other end and confirm leaving Khanak more and more excited. When Shaan would come home from work there was no other topic of discussion except about how Mitul had first asked her to call him Bha, or how Khanak had first tied a rakhi on his hand or how Mitul had scolded Shaan for being rude to her. Shaan would get increasingly irritated at 'these' particular recollections of Khanak, especially they cut into the already less time that he had to spend with her and talk about 'them'. And NOW when Khanak had finally started to lower her enthusiasm a bit, Raksha bandhan had to come up, making Khanak's eagerness sky rocket again.
"Aray aap abhee tuk yaheen hain!! ITNA kaam para hain!" Khanak walked onto the terrace and said to Shaan who had his hands folded and was busy scowling. "Mitul bha aatay hee hongay!"
Shaan looked at Khanak sarcastically and opened his mouth to speak. Just then Mitul walked in smiling. "Oh look who's here! The CHIEF guest for tonight!" Shaan said saracastically. Khanak turned and gave Mitul a big smile while Shaan rolled his eyes. Mitul looked extremely good looking in a white kurta shalwar and looked expectantly at Khanak to start with the rakshbandhan ceremony. Khanak looked around nervously realizing that no one was there at the terrace except the 3 of them. Shaan, noticing Khanak's nervousness, gave a small smile and went over to the door of the terrace. "Will everyone come up? Khanak is going to tie the rakhi!" he announced. Seconds later they heard footsteps on the stairs. Khanak smiled at Shaan. Shaan winked at her.
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September 26th 2012, 06:00 PM
Shaan stood alone leaning against the wall a glass of drink in his hand as he looked at his family enjoying themselves after the ceremony was over. Madhvi, Khushboo and Akshay were fussing ver Laila while Mitula nd Khanak were standing talking animatedly, no doubt about some memory of Khanak's regarding Mitul, Shaan thought and snorted with laughter. He looked at them for a while feeling an enormous bout of happiness inside him as he saw Khanak laughing and squealing. He looked at her sindoor glistening on the parting of her head. Ever since Shaan had applied the sindoor on the entire length of her head, Khanak had done the same. She wore her sindoor much more thicker and longer, just like when Shaan had announced her as his 'suhagan'. Shaan felt another sense of pride at his wife's gesture and gulped as he realized how happy and lucky he was.
"Thinking about how happy you are?" Natasha said coming up to Shaan and standing next to him, with a glass of drink in her hand too. Shaan gave a start and looked at Natasha, his eyes automatically falling on her bulging belly of her sixth month of pregnancy.
Shaan looked down and smiled, blushing at being caught red handed like this. "So---err----how are the mood swings coming along?" he asked Natasha trying to shift the attention from himself to her. He had registered that this was the first time they were talking one on one since the truth about what Natasha's father had done had come out.
Natasha yawned pointedly. "Oh I'm not getting any yet you know---" she said.
Shaan smiled and rolled his eyes. "That's not what your husband says----" he murmered in a rush so that Natasha did not understand.
"WHAT did you say?" she asked dangerously.
"Nothing." Shaan said quickly. There was an awkward pause in which Natasha looked at Shaan wonderingly. Shaan too looked at Natasha and said what hewanted to say since a while. "Natasha----err---I'm sorry about what happened----I had no idea about what your father had done----Khanak nay kabhee mujhay----kabhee mujhay bataya hee nahi----mainay socah kay----" he paused awkwardly.
Natasha snorted and smiled understandingly. "It's okay Shaan---don't be sorry----you don't need to be----we were not meant to be together you know----" she smiled as though the thought was ridiculous. "Had dad NOT done what he did----our fate would have intervened in another way---- you can't fool destiny can you? Khanak was YOUR destiny and Mitul was mine.----You know---- sometimes I feel dad actually did us both a favour----we're both happy where we are aren't we?"
"Yea—" Shaan said looking sideways at Natasha and gave a small laugh.
"Shaan----mujhay tumsay ek baat karni thee----" Natasha said after a small pause. Shaan nodded. "I was thinking---you know---that Khanak is like---she's like my family now---my best friend----she's been there for me---I want Khanak to be---to be my baby's 'choti' maa---you know something like a God mother----" She said smiling broadly and excitedly. Shaan looked at Natasha in mingled shock and happiness. He hugged her. "BUT that certainly does NOT mean----"Natasha said loudly withdrawing from the hug "that she will not have babies of her own! It's about time! WHAT are you two up to?!" she asked sternly.
Shaan laughed and hugged her again. "We're working on it---" he said simply.
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Epilogue 2
3 months later
January 1st 2013, 09:00 AM
Khanak's exam results came out at the beginning of the new year, 1st January. She had passed with a 75 % which according to her was not good at all. Shaan showed her his certificate which had a 66 % scrawled on it which cheered Khanak considerably and thereafter she hugged Shaan and told him what a brilliant student she was and how quickly she had caught up with her courses and now had a college degree too. Shaan rolled his eyes but was happy at his wife showing off like that.
Shaan and Khanak had begun trying to conceive three months ago but had not go thte good news yet. With every passing month Khanak would face disappointment when she'd take the pregnancy test and find her results negative. She had begun to find happiness in Laila and her 20 day old God son, for Natasha had given birth to a baby boy at the end of December who she had named Sameer, after Mitul's deceased father. Khanak had been the first one to hold Sameer, even before Natasha herself; for it was Natasha's wish that her son first got carried by Khanak so that her goodness would be transferred to him and remain with him for life. Khanak had wept when Natasha had given her this right and Natasha, who had already been dying in pain, swore at Khanak before she was taken to deliver her baby.
"I think we made a baby last night---I'm positive---" Shaan said the next morning after every night of making love with Khanak. "But even if we didn't---you just had your exam results come out---and then you need to see what else to study---there's too much to do in life already-----" he said, trying to make Khanak feel less disappointed one morning in the beginning of January.
"There IS too much to do----well there will be NOW anyway----" Khanak said smiling as she got up from bed.
"Oh so you've decided to try for university then?" Shaan asked surprised but happy.
Khanak smiled again. "No---" she said.
"Then what?" Shaan asked confused. "You're not taking tuitions again no way! I didn't like that rude girl who used to-----"
"Shaantanu----main pregnanat hoon----" Khanak said.
"Woahh---what?!" Shaan said getting out of bed too and turning Khanak around and trying to confirm if what he said was right.
"I'm pregnant!" Khanak repeate happily holding Shaan's face. "Mujhay parso pata chala!" she said.
"KYA?! Toh tumnay mujhay bataya kyun nahi!!" Shaan asked in mingled anger and shock.
"Kyunkayy meray results aanay walay thay!! Main dari hui thee naaa!" Khanak said logically.
"Khanakkk!!! " Shaan whined.
"Shaantanuuu!!" Khanak said excitedly. "Aaap papa bannay walay hain!!"
Shaan listened to Khanaka and felt dazed. Finally he smiled, then grinned, then laughed, then hugged Khanak tightly. "FINALLY!" he said looking towards the ceinling as though talking to God. "I'm going to be a father-----again----" he added softly in Khanak's ear as he hugged her.
"---again---" Khanak echoed him softly too and smiled hugging her husband tighter.
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Epilogue 3
3 months later
March 30th 2013, 09:00 AM
" I can feel two heart beats----" Geeta pronounced as she kept the instrument which carried out the ultrasound on Khanak's bulging four month pregnant stomach.
"Ofcourse you can feel two heart beats----one is the baby's---one is my wife's! She's alive if you haven't noticed----" Shaan said sarcastically.
"No idiot! I mean I feel two heart beats in Khanak's WOMB! I'm taking her ULTRASOUND if YOU haven't noticed!" Geeta retorted.
"Mutlub?" Khanak's eyes widened in shock. "Mutlub kay---"
"Mutlub kay multiple births----mutlub kay DOH bachay-----well basically mutlub kay you guys are about to have twins!" Geeta said in a rush then smiled at the identical looks on both Shaan and Khanak's face. They showed complete disbelief. "I should take a picture of your expressions and show them to your kids when they grow old----let them know their parents didn't believe they existed----"
"Tw---twins?" Khanak said slightly scared looking at Shaan.
Shaan gulped. Then shook his head as though trying to make an irriating housefly on his head fly. " Twins---" he blew wind from his mouth and looked at Khanak too.
Khanak gave him a small smile. Shaan gave her a small smile too. Then Shaan walked over to Khanak and hugged her. Holding her face he said"Khanak humaray DOH bachay horahay hain? Dohh!" he kept repeating.
Khanak smiled and felt tears fill her eyes. "Haan—" she kept repeating. "Haannn" as her cheeks became wet.
"We're going to have two beautiful babies----"Shaan said again, tears flowing down from his eyes too. "We'll be complete---"
"We'll be complete----" Khanak echoed Shaan again.
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What happened next ------
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