"Blue." She said. "Pink," he retorted.
They stared hard at each other, neither one budging or backing down. It was pretty funny, two grown ups glaring at each other while having baby's clothes in their hands.
"You can just keep both, since, well, you never know." Tejaswini smiled as she entered the room. It had been confirmed the previous month that Chakor was expecting twins (Woohoo!) and that time, it had been Vivaan who had fainted (Strange?). Suraj had just barely escaped embarrassing himself a second time, not that anyone should know.
"Come down for breakfast, you two. Everyone is waiting." She added. The couple nodded, before Tejaswini added, "Imli's making jalebis for you, Chakor."
It all happened in the fraction of a second. On hearing jalebis, Chakor had squealed like a little girl and run out of the room, much to Suraj's shock. Talk about 'food swings'.
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Chakor shifted on the bed.
Nope.
She shifted more to her left, HIS side of the bed, only to find it empty. Groggy, she opened her eyes slowly, and looked around in search of him. The bathroom lights weren't lit, so he wasn't there, so where...?
And that's when she saw him, leaning back on the chair in the balcony, looking up at the stars, in deep thought. She got up slowly, and walked in hushed steps toward him, and sat on his lap on reaching there.
He looked taken aback at first, he hadn't been expecting company. He smiled down at her, and she leaned against his chest, whispering, "It's cold without you on the bed." He grinned, but didn't say anything.
Chakor looked up at him, and, with one hand on his cheek, she asked softly, "What's wrong?" He looked at her and sighed. He pulled her into an embrace, and finally managed to speak, "I don't know, love. Will I be a good father? I mean," he was interrupted by her finger on his lips.
"You know, up till a while ago, even I questioned whether I'd make a good mother. But seeing you, working hard for our future, making time for the hospital visits and parenting classes, and not to forget, being patient with me when I'm being unreasonable," she giggled at this point, "I just had something stir up in me. And Suraj, we're in this Together, and together, I'm sure we'll do just fine!" She beamed at him.
He adjusted her on his lap and kissed her lovingly. They stayed like that for a while, in each other's arms, till Chakor broke the silence a few moments later.
"Honestly, I'm glad we have time to prepare for this, the baby and the parenthood thing. Because when we got married, we sure didn't have any sense of 'biwi- or pati-' hood." They burst out laughing at that.
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Suraj just couldn't stop smiling. They were driving back to the haveli from the hospital and Suraj had been grinning through out. Chakor wasn't so different herself. The Doctor had given them the ultrasound pictures and had chirped that they were expecting not one, but two kids. So, double dhamaka!
Their family members' joy knew no bounds as well. Imli jumped up in joy, she was going to be Mausi for not one, but two kids. Tejaswini could not contain her excitement, and distributed sweets all over Azaadgunj.
Suraj was grinning ear to ear, he hoped that they were girls.
Vivaan liked that. Two cute girls, calling him 'Chachuuu' and running behind him everywhere, pouting up at him to buy them chocolates. Oh, how he'd spoil them!
"I want boys." Chakor declared. Imli sided with her.
Vivaan imagined this as well. Two mini Surajs', calling him 'Chachuuu' and running behind him everywhere, with their toy pistols, terrorizing him to get them gifts everyday. Nahiii.
THUD.
"Vivaan? VIVAAN!"
Hard times ahead, Chachu!
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"So why am I here?" Vivaan asked, confused.
"Because I need company! Surely you don't expect me to go in there... alone!" Suraj retorted.
"I don't see the problem. You want to buy a gift for your wife. What's the big deal here?"
"I don't know what to get her. That's what you're here for. You always keep buying Imli stuff anyway."
"Yeah, but she likes whatever I get for her." Vivaan reasoned.
"So what are you trying to say? Chakor is choosy and not easily satisfied?!" Suraj barked.
"Well yeah. Cause she's pregnant." Vivaan replied coolly.
Suraj didn't have a come back for that, mostly because that was partly true. He remembered yesterday, when she had asked him to buy her Ice cream on his way back home, and when he had given it to her, she had started to cry that it was just plain chocolate and didn't have chocolate chips in it.
~FLASHBACK~
"Does it matter? It's still your favorite flavour." Suraj had dismissed the matter.
And then it happened. One moment she was crying, and the next she was glaring at him so powerfully he wanted to scream bloody murder and run away to the Himalayas. But he stood his ground and braced himself for... okay, he didn't know what.
"You're right. It doesn't matter. IN FACT," Oooh the volcano was gonna erupt in 5, 4, 3, 2...
"IT DOESN'T MATTER AT ALL. WHY SHOULD IT? I AM SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON FOR EXPECTING MY HUSBAND TO GET ME MY FAVORITE ICE CREAM. I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. WELL SORRY FOR BEING PREGNANT AND HUNGRY ALL. THE. TIME."
BOOM. BAM. WHOOSH. And poor Suraj had been thrown out of his room, AGAIN, along with his blanket and pillow.
"Aaj to Suraj ki Happy Diwali ho gayi," Imli commented.
"Imli, woh kisi bhi angle se 'Happy' nahi tha." Vivaan said.
"Point." Imli replied, as they both watched Suraj walk slowly to the main hall, a defeated expression on his face.
~End~
"You're not helping," was all Suraj managed to say. Vivaan sighed as they both went in to the store, anxious, but determined.
Extra: Chakor loved his gift (what was it?!) Suraj is now permitted to sleep in the room.
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Suraj furrowed his brows in deep concentration. Gently and carefully he placed the toy baby in the bath tub, and followed the Teacher's instructions about how to bathe the baby.
Chakor looked on in awe. It was a good idea to join the Parenting Class, she told herself. Never had she seen Suraj this way. But then again, she was seeing new sides everyday, more so after she became pregnant. She hummed a song as she watched him carefully bathe the toy, as if it were real. She smiled and held her tummy. "We can't wait to meet you,"
When she thought he wasn't looking, Chakor had clicked a picture of him, looking down at the two toy babies he held in his hand. They were expecting twins, after all. That picture had kept her going for the three days Suraj had been out on a business trip.
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Imli was dressed in ripped jeans and a loose tee shirt, and a navy blue jacket completed her get up. She had her hair pulled back into a bun, and a loose strand which she used as a moustache.
"Kaun hai hum? Suraj Narayan Rajvanshi ke bete. Humein kisi se darr nahi lagta... sivaay apne Mummy ke."
The gathering broke out into peels of laughter at this. Chakor was clutching her stomach and laughing. She had tears in her eyes from laughing too hard.
It was her 'godh bharaai' ceremony and Imli and Vivaan were putting on a surprise show, and she was enjoying every bit of it. She glanced at Suraj, who was next to her, and never before had she seen him this happy. She absent mindedly reached out to touch her jhumkas, a gift from him. They were just so perfect, and the designs so intricate and beautiful. It was love at first sight for her when she saw them.
He squeezed her hand and smiled at her and smiled back.
Imli now moved towards Chakor and held out her hand. Confused, Chakor asked "What?"
"Mithai de na," Imli dragged.
"Lekin kyu?"
"Kya maai," Imli pouted and Chakor gasped. "Chodd. Hum Nani ke paas jaavath hai. Naaaniii." And she moved towards Kasturi, who was only too happy to give her an entire box of sweets.
Everyone laughed heartily at that.
After all the celebrations and rituals were done, Suraj and Chakor retired to their room. Suraj stared at her as she removed her bangles one by one. She was beautiful, no, Divine. She was love, she was life, and She was His.
Chakor noticed him staring at her and turned towards him with raised eyebrows. He slowly got up from the couch, and helped her up as well. He held both of her hands tightly and whispered "I love you," into her ear. She shivered, and he smiled. He took out his phone and played a song. With fleet moments, slowly and gently, they danced to 'Jab tak.'
Chakor blushed hard. She felt like a teenager, but hey, Suraj always had this effect on her. And they danced, till they were too tired and let sleep take over them.
Extra: Actually Chakor wasn't sleepy. Suraj forced her to sleep when she said they should dance to a disco song instead ('You're 7 months along, woman!' Suraj had screamed in his head), cause 'Jab Tak' was too slow.
His face at the time was priceless.
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"Come on Baby, PUSH!" Suraj urged.
"I... ugh... can't! AAAGGGHHH! Suraj I'm never letting you... Uwaaa! Close to me... UGH... again!"
Suraj paled. No no, this wasn't time for that. But ouch, his hand was almost dead right now. He didn't even want imagine her state.
Finally, after two hours, Suraj came out with two small bundles in his hand, one blue and one pink, as he beamed at his awaiting family. Vivaan shouted at the top of his voice, not caring where they were, while Imli, Kasturi and Bhuvan ran toward him and cooed at the babies, before finally taking them from him, he was exhausted. Tejaswini went to check up on Chakor, but not before hugging her son. Kasturi followed her shortly.
Now it was just Imli who was making funny faces at his son, while Bhuvan was talking to his daughter, not caring that she didn't understand him. Vivaan looked at him and smiled. He walked towards him and they embraced.
"Congratulations, Papa," Vivaan said and Suraj grinned.
"Congratulations Chachu," he said. As an afterthought, he added, "Jaldi se humein ab Bade Papa bhi banaado." He smirked.
Vivaan choked and stuttered and the brothers shared a good laugh between them. Suraj looked at his wife through the window in the door. She was being pampered by her two moms. He laughed at that.
She caught him looking at her and smiled. For 3 years he had been married to this woman, and she still managed to take his breath away. He gave her a flying kiss through the window, and she blushed. He smiled again.
'When you smile, my Life becomes Worthwhile.'
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EXTRA: Vivaan miscalculated.
Rajath took after his mom, quiet but playful, and boy! No one could EVER chase him down!
Raima, on the other hand, turned out to be a 'mini Suraj', as Vivaan called it, and SHE was the one who ran around the house with the toy pistol, pointing it at everyone, though it just blew out bubbles.
Poor, poor Chachu.
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Tum Se Tum Tak
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