Chapter 30
Abhimanyu walked around the hospital for several hours trying to control his emotions. He couldn’t believe he lost his cool with his Akshu. How did I talk to her in such a harsh tone? He kept remembering Akshu’s shocked face full of hurt. She’s going through so much pain right now while recovering and I yelled at her. How can I be such an idiot? So what if she wasn’t willing to listen to me? Uss ka haq hai ke mere saath zid karey and I could have been more gentle. How could I be the one to cause Akshu pain?
After about 4 hours, Badi Mama called him to let him know she was leaving to go home and if she should just send the baby to the nursery as Akshu still wasn’t strong enough to take care of the baby herself.
“Nahi, Badi Maa. Aap jahao. Main hospital mein e hoon. Is the baby sleeping? I’ll go in a few minutes.”
“Haan bachi soh rahi hai. Nurse hai Akshu ke paas to check her vitals. You come soon, I’m getting late. We have to go to our neighbor’s house for a puja.” Badi Maa informed Abhi.
Abhi took a deep breath and walked toward Akshu’s room. When he got there, the nurse was still checking Akshu’s blood pressure. He looked into the bassinet to see the baby was starting to wake up.
“Hi, meri jaan. Did you have a nice nap?” Abhi picked her up and went to sit on the rocking chair near the window.
“Mrs. Birla, I checked twice. Your BP is too low and you have a fever too. I am sorry but I do need to inform Dr. Roy.” The nurse told Akshu.
“I’m fine. Please.” Akshu whispered to her so Abhi won’t hear her.
“Ma’am please. We can’t take this lightly as you just had surgery and there is a risk for infection.”
Abhi stood up and put the baby in the bassinet again. “Kya hua? What’s wrong with her? Show me the file.” Abhi grabbed Akshu’s file. “Jaan, you have a 102.3 degree fever?” He put his hand on her forehead. Akshu removed his hand.
“I am fine, Abhimanyu.” Akshu said without looking at him and looked at the nurse. “Can you please take the baby to the nursery? It’s time for her to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am. And I’ll ask Dr. Roy to come see you right away.” The nurse pushed the bassinet out of the room.
“Akshu. Kya hua tume? Why is your BP so low? And you even have a fever. Please batao mujhe.” Abhi asked her gently.
“Kuch nahi hua hai, Abhimanyu. Mar nahi rahi hoon so relax.” Akshu turned around and closed her eyes.
“Aksha…Akshu! Yeh kaise baatein kar rahi ho? Akshu, dekho meri taraf. Akshara!” Abhi was losing his cool again.
Akshu turned around. “Oh sorry, Abhimanyu. I forgot I have to do what you tell me to do.”
Abhi took a deep breath and went to sit on the bed. “Please sit up.” He helped her sit up. “Jaan, please. I’m sorry, okay? Mujhe tumse aise baat nahi karna chaiye tha. I’m really sorry. I….I’m sorry. Please maaf kar do? Mujhe bohat ziyada bura lag raha. But Jaan, please marne wali baat mat karna warna main mar jahonga.” Abhi’s eyes filled with tears.
“Abhi!”
“Please maaf kardo?”
“Mujhe Akshara kyun kaha?” Akshu pouted.
“Tum khud kehti ho tumhare naam Akshara hai.” Abhi smiled at her.
“Magar tum mujhe sirf Akshu ya Jaan kaho.” Akshu hugged him.
“Okay, Jaan. Toh maaf kiya?”
“No. Aaru se kyun nahi mil sakti? Abhi, Aaru ki koi galti nahi thi…pata nahi kahan se woh car aayi.”
Abhi stiffed up. “Jaan, please meri baat suno.” Abhi held her face. “Jab bhi Aarohi tumhare paas aati hai tumhe kuch na kuch jo jahta hai aur yeh main bardasht nahi kar sakta. Pata hai jab accident hua tha aur kuch pal ke liye laga ke main tumhe aur hamari beti ko….” Abhi couldn’t bear to even say the words. “Mujhe aisa laga ke meri puri duniya katham ho rahi hai. Tumhe kuch bhi ho woh soch ke main pagal ho jahta hoon. I can’t take any risks. I’m sorry, Akshu but you are too precious for me to take any risks.”
“Abhi, sach mein Aaru change hui hai. Woh meri behn hai. Bohat saal baad mujhe meri behn wapis mili hai.” Akshu cried.
Abhi wiped her tears and felt her skin being warm and remembered about her fever. “Okay relax. Iss baare mein baad mein baath karenge?”
“Abhi…”
“Akshu, pleaee? Tumhari tabiyat theek nahi hai na? Aur upar se tum ne meri beti ko yahan se bhej diya….kitna miss kar raha hoon main usse. Tum please relax karo. Promise hum baad mein baath karenge. Let me go talk to Dr. Roy, okay?” Abhi gave her a kiss and went to find Dr. Roy.
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No matter what Akshu did, Abhi kept telling her they would talk about Aarohi later. When one day Akshu asked Badi Mama about Aarohi, Badi Mama informed her that Aarohi already went back to London.
“Mujhse bohat naraz hogi na?” Akshu cried.
“Nahi. Woh bilkul naraz nahi. She herself feels guilty about what happened and she understands where Abhimanyu is coming from. Just give it some time and everything will be okay. She told me to tell you that once Abhimanyu calms down, she will come to visit you and the baby.” Badi Mama assured Akshu.
After 3 weeks, Akshu and the baby were finally ready to go home. Abhi made Parth drive in front of their car and Neil drive behind them so no other cars could come near Abhi’s car which he drove at a super low speed. “Meri beti itni choti hai, what if she gets scared of being in a fast car?” Abhi explained his reasoning to everyone which made them all shake their heads. They knew it was no use to tell him the baby wouldn’t even know where she was.
Once they arrived, Akshu was surprised to see the whole Goenka house was covered in flowers and balloons. A huge “Welcome Home Our Princess” sign was hung in the front hall. Manjiri did the baby and Akshu’s aarti and everyone welcomed them in.
“I’m so excited! I can finally hold her again!” Nishta said going up to Akshu. In the hospital, only Manjiri and Badi Mama were allowed as well as Mahima so nobody had a chance to see the baby again after she was born.
“COUGH COUGH!” Neil said loudly. “Get in line, Nishta!”
Nishta looked behind her to see her father, chacha, Bade Papa, Kairav, Vansh, Mimi, Parth, Shefali and Neil all standing in like to hold the baby.
“Not fair! Mujhe kisi ne kaha nahi ke line hogi. Bhabi main aapki favorite hoon na! So please can I hold her first?” Nishta begged Akshu.
“Ji nahi. Meri beti itney lambe safar se aayi hai…I’m taking her to our room so she can rest.” Abhi said taking the baby from Akshu.
“Abhi, hospital is 10 minutes away. Kaunsa lamba safar?” Manjiri shook her head.
“Nahi Abhi theek keh raha hai. It did take us 3 hours to get home with how slow Abhi was driving.” Akshu rolled her eyes.
”Akshu it was only 45 minutes so please.” Abhi walked up to their room with the baby.
“Aaerey! Bring back the baby.” Harsh shouted.
“Yeh ladka sach mein pagal ho gaya hai.” Mahima laughed. “Akshu beta tum bhi rest karo. Baby ka sham mein naamkaran bhi toh hai. Don’t worry sirf ghar ke log honge. Shefali, take Akshu to her room.”
“Wow finally baby ka naam decide hoga! Maine toh list ready kar li hai.” Nishta said excitedly.
Akshu and Abhi’s room was also decorated with balloons and a little crib. Akshu smiled seeing everything.
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Akshu got ready for the naamkaran and started to get the baby ready as well.
“Wait!” Abhi stopped her and went and got a bag out the wardrobe. “Dress her in this.” Abhi handed the bag to Akshu.
“Yeh kya hai?” Akshu opened the bag and took out a tiny pink dress with a tutu and a pink hair band. “Abhi! When did you get this?”
“Before she was born. Mujhe pata tha meri beti hogi. Come on, dress her in this.” Abhi said excitedly.
“Acha. Wait.” Akshu put the pink dress on the baby. “Here, look!”
Abhi gasped. “No no! Jaan, take it off!”
“Kyun? Kya hua? Kitni cute toh lag rahi hai.”
“Exactly! Meri beti ko sab nazar lagayenge!”
“Abhimanyu Birla! Jao yahan se.” Akshu said frustrated. Her husband has truly lost it.
Abhi ran out of the room and came back putting a kala teeka on the baby.
“Abbbhhiiiiii!” Akshu pushed him away.
“Jalo mat. Tumhe bhi lagonga. Meri beti ki Mumma bhi bohat pyari lag rahi hai…..” Abhi put a kala teeka on Akshu’s forehead.
“Abhi, tum sach mein pagal ho gaye ho. Mera makeup karab kar liya.” Akshu tried to wipe the dot off but Abhi stopped her.
“Maa kehti hai bura shagun hota hai. Also you look cute with the kaala theeka.” Akshu just rolled her eyes.
Just then Manjiri came in. “Arrey meri gudiya ko toh dekho!” Manjiri picked up the baby. “Akshu beta tum jaldi ready hoke neeche aajao. I’ll take the baby with me.”
“Maa…” Abhi started to speak.
“Kuch mat bolo. Pehle toh you wouldn’t leave Akshu alone now you are after my poor baby. Akshu ke deewane sirf tum ho magar neeche tumhari beti ke deewano ki line hai. Tum yahan raho apne Akshu ke paas.” Manjiri took the baby and left.
“Meri beti ko le gayi.” Abhi sat there sulking.
“Really Abhi? I’m right here. We are by ourselves in this room and you don’t even care?” Akshu shot him a dirty look.
“Haan Jaan but Doctor said na…we have to wait a few weeks….” Abhi said sadly.
“Abhimanyu! You idiot…ek e track pe tumhara mind chalta hai?” Akshu said angrily.
“Jiski itni sundar biwi ho toh aur uska kaunse track pe mind chalega?” Abhi grinned at her.
“There’s no hope for you.” Akshu shook her head and left the room.
“Biwi bhi chali gayi…..then why am I here?” Abhi left to go downstairs as well.
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“Okay so Abhi and I already know the name. But here’s the game: let’s see who can guess it or maybe….if you guys suggest something better we might pick that name instead.” Akshu announced to everyone.
“No we won’t. Jaan we already have the perfect name for our perfect baby.”
“Okay let’s start the game! Let’s start with Mimi!”
“I think the perfect name for her would be Aaradhya!” said Mimi.
“That’s actually very nice, hai na Akshu?” Abhi asked his wife who nodded in agreement. “Okay Tau-ji and Taya-ji, your turn!”
“Diya!” said Anand.
“Amayra.” Mahima told everyone of her choice.
“Oh both are nice.” said Akshu.
“My pick is Pranjal.” said Bade Papa.
“I like Saanvi.” said Badi Mama.
“Oh I love Saanvi! Abhiiiii….”
“Akshu, no. But it is a very nice name.” Abhi agreed.
“Okay how about Aarushi?” Harsh asked.
“Or Pranali?” Manjiri suggested.
“Okay Pranali is the best name.” Akshu decided.
“No. Jaan. We have the name already.” Abhi reminded her.
“Parth and I like Anvi.” said Shefali.
“Oooh that’s nice.” Abhi nodded his head.
“As her mamu I should pick the name and I like Kaira.” said Kairav.
“Wow very creative, Bhaiya!” Akshu laughed.
“Seriously Bro?” Vansh asked Kairav. “How about Rayna?”
“Not bad, Vansh Bhaiya!” Akshu high fived Vansh.
“I’m going to be her favorite so I should pick the name and I pick Aanaya.” Neil told everyone.
“I actually really like that name but Abhi said no.” Akshu told him.
“Okay that’s because I know the name and it’s Harshali!” Nishta told everyone.
“Cute name but you all are wrong.” Abhi smiled.
“Acha wait nahi ho raha. Bata bhi doh what’s her name!” Manjiri begged.
Abhi picked the baby from the bassinet and went to a stand next to everyone. “Jaan?”
Akshu nodded. “Everyone, meet our daughter: Aaira Abhimanyu Birla. And Aaira, meet your family.”
“Aaira meaning breath of life. Because that’s exactly what she is to us.” Abhi said as he kissed Aaira’s forehead. “Iss ko dekh ke yahi lagta hai ke iske siwa zindagi aur kuch bhi nahi….”
okay guys the end! I don’t know how else to continue this 😩
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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