"How are you?" Badi maa looked at me as she got out of her car.
"Good." I shrug. "What about you?"
We are both coming from our Office and she has come to visit Mishti.
"As long as my daughter is fine, I am fine."
"Right!" I nod with a smile.
"I am glad you both are working out everything and I'm thankful to you for understanding her."
"You know you shouldn't thank." I shake my head. "I'm her husband."
"I know." She nodded. "As a mother, it means a lot to me because a part of me stressed what if it didn't work out." She looks down then back at me.
"Sometimes arrange marriages fail you know and if it would have happened with you guys then I would blame myself for not choosing the right partner for my daughter."
"We understood each other so there was no way we will fail. I won't let us fail." I say honestly. "And it is not about what type of marriage it is or who chooses, it's about how they work out. If they want to make it happen they will."
"Now, I get it how Mishti fell so hard for you." She laughed slowly.
I grin proudly.
"What do you think Rayan is up to?" She looked at me seriously.
"I have no idea!" I blow out. "I just want to meet him and make him pay for making her cry." My jaws clench as I recall how much she cried.
"Be careful with whatever you do." She frowned at me. "Think before doing anything."
"I will."
We walk in and as usual, the living room is filled with giggles. My heart fills with joy as I watch Mishti laughing along with my family. Neha is sitting on the single couch busy with her phone. Masi and Mishti are talking and laughing seeing something. Mom is engrossed reading something.
"Mishti." Badi maa called out.
"Maa!" She exclaimed happily and Badi maa bent to hug her. She's 20 weeks pregnant now. Badi maa greeted Mom and Masi.
"What are you doing?" Badi maa laughed sitting beside Mishti.
"I am watching naked Abir." She laughed, I roll my eyes as I catch glimpse of the childhood album in her hand.
"Stop rolling your eyes at her." Masi slapped my hand as I stood in front of them.
"I'll get something to eat." She got up and walked to the kitchen.
"You look cute as a child." Badi maa commented.
I sit where Masi was sitting to look at which pictures they are seeing.
"Yeah, he does!" Mishti mutters as I put my arm around her shoulder. Badi maa receives her phone when it rings.
"This is the naked you." She points at a picture and chuckles.
"I think the elder me looks better." I look at my 1-year-old picture.
"Yeah." She tilts to look at me. "This one is hot." Her voice slows a little as a playful smile stretches on her lips.
"Credit goes to your parents don't raise your chest in proudness." She rolled her eyes at me.
I shake my head. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." She smiled at me, I lean in to kiss the side of her head.
"So, what did the doctor say yesterday?" Badi maa looked at us after finishing the call.
"She said everything is fine. The weight and process are good." She smiled. "And the flutters or butterflies in my stomach are damn interesting. Dr. Mehra says there is probably a boy in there, she says boys move more than girls."
"So, there is a small Abir in there." Mom laughed slowly.
"I hope he doesn't have these sharp ears like Abir!" Mishti grimaced at me.
"There may be a girl." I point out.
"Yeah, and she is gonna be cute like me." She poked her tongue out.
"I hope she gets long hair like you." I smile. "I hope she doesn't have a weird liking towards Apple Juice." I make a face. "How can you drink it always?"
"And how can you eat sweets always?" She scowls at me.
"With my mouth!" I shrug. "Common sense, Mishti."
"I hope my babies don't get this irritating habit from you." She gritted her teeth, hitting my head with the album.
"And I hope my babies don't get this irritating habit from you, Violent Lady!"
"And I hope my babies--"
"Okay, that's enough!" Badi maa interrupted us. "They are your babies for god's sake."
"You are going to be parents now." Mom gave us a pointed look but a smile played on her lips.
"That doesn't give me a reason to not fight with him," Mishti mumbles.
"Sure, it doesn't." Masi came from the kitchen and placed the snacks on the table. "You both will always be small to us even if you become parents."
"See!" Mishti slapped my arm enthusiastically. "I can fight with you."
"I never said you don't." I grin at her and she smiles. "And I wish both in there gets a beautiful smile like yours."
"And I wish both of them gets this caring, cute, and understanding side of you." She pulled my cheek grinning.
"Hello, Bhabi." We turned around to look at Kunal walking to Mishti carrying bags of sweets.
"Kunal!" Mishti smiled cheerfully. "I was waiting for you."
"Liar!" I roll my eyes. "You were engrossed with me."
"Yeah, I was." She nods. "But internally I was thinking when will Kunal get sweets for me."
"Wow!" I mumble.
She gets too excited when he comes because no one gets sweets for her as it's not so healthy. Mom gives homemade sweets to her.
"Mishti, have you watched the movie Fifty Shades of..." Neha looks surprised at all of us and stops. She sits straight and removes her AirPods.
"When did you all come?" She frowns. "Wasn't Mishti and I sitting alone here?"
"Fifty shades of?" I arch an eyebrow at her.
"Uh, Rainbow!" She passed a hesitant smile to me.
"Oh, I thought it was Grey." Kunal blurted out.
"There is a movie called Fifty Shades Rainbow!" She looked at everyone seriously.
"You guys should watch it sometime." She got up slowly. "The male lead is hot." She announced hurriedly before rushing to the stairs.
"Oh, wow!" Mishti swallowed the brownie. "I'll definitely watch it then. I love hot leads."
I coughed and looked away from her, I watch Kunal suppressing his laugh. I raise my eyebrows annoyed.
"What is funny?"
"I am funny!" He shrugged.
"Yea, Kunal is damn funny! He says such good stories." Mishti nodded. "Kunal here." Mishti offered him a brownie and he accepted happily.
Recently they have started gossiping late at night in our room and he tells her some stories to which she laughs like that's the funniest thing ever! As much as I love watching her laugh it is irritating that she praises him all the way!
"One for me." I look at the yummy brownies.
"You are not pregnant." She pushes the snacks tray towards me and continues eating.
Yeah, I made you pregnant!
✧✧✧
There was a man who had worked all of his life and had saved all of his money.
He was a real miser when it came to his money. He loved money more than just about anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife, "Now listen, when u do u want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. Because I want to take all my money to the afterlife."
So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died she would put all the money in the casket with him. Well, one day he died.
He was stretched out in the casket, the wife was sitting there in black next to their best friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to use the casket, the wife said, "Wait a minute!"
She had a shoebox with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket and rolled it away.
Her friend said, "I hope you weren't crazy enough to put all that money in there with that stingy old man."
She said, "Yes, I promised. I'm a good Christian, I can't lie. I promised him that I was going to put that money in the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in that casket with him?"
"I sure did." Said the wife. "I got it all together, put it into my account and I wrote him a check."
Mishti laughed as Kunal read out the story from the phone. She says searching best funny stories from google is also a talent. I shake my head as I go through the pages of Pregnancy Journal she has written today.
Hey, my twins!
I have no idea who among you two is kicking me but I do know this is your way of saying, Hello!
So, let's talk now.
As usual, I hope you are having a good time there. In no time you guys will be out and I am too excited for it as much as I am nervous.
The flutters in my stomach are so exciting. It is such a good feeling to feel my babies even without seeing or touching them.
I am enjoying these days with you and I know I'm going it enjoy it more when I'll get the chance to hold you in my arms, hear your first cry, feed you, console you.
Though your Papa will be better than me at this because he knows how to console me too.
And did I tell you guys that I get a bit jealous when he sits and talks with you and one of you starts kicking me on my low abdomen?
But I love that you listen to him and pay interest because I love the smile on his face.
Let us make sure to always make each other smile.
And let us make sure to cry together when one is crying.
I promise you your first cry will bring tears to my eyes and I'm sure your Papa will start crying minutes before your arrival.
We will be the perfect 4!
I have not done any shopping for you guys but your Papa said we will do one soon. I so wish I knew what you want, like your favorite colors and all.
But I know you want chocolates so let us have some now.
I love you!
✧✧✧
It's all about time that things change. Within a week we will be celebrating our anniversary. I look at Mishti sleeping beside me, I hoist my hand to touch her cheek and lean in to kiss her forehead.
My fingers trail down her baby bump and rest my hand there, I can't wait for our babies to arrive but I am aware of how our lives will change with this.
We will have commitments and we should manage both personal and professional life. Sharing life with Mishti and managing business was a little easy because she worked as much as I did. But sometimes when I am engrossed working at home it was difficult, I am just glad she understands.
I smile as I feel the movement on my hand, "Yeah, Good morning." Mishti mumbled sleepily and I chuckle slowly.
"Good morning." I lean down to kiss the baby bump before I reach out to kiss her cheeks.
She opens her eyes to look at me, I peck her lips. "You know I miss you waking me up with a cup of coffee. I like to hear your voice."
She smiles at me. "You should now get used to it, those days are gone."
"Why?" I frown at her.
"My mornings are given to my babies." Her hand slips down to her bump. "You are secondary now." She laughed at me.
"Okay." I nod to myself. "So that means your nights are given to me?" The corner of my lips twitches up.
"Not really." Her eyes pinched as she thinks of something. "I think we are four going to spend nights together. Playing with them if they are not sleepy, comforting them when they cry, do weird things to make them laugh and all..." She trailed off. The dreamy look on her face speaks of how excited she is about it.
"What are you thinking?"
"Nothing." She shrugs. "It would be so fun right our room filled with cries. We will both carry one baby, our arms will be full."
"Yeah, the smell of poop will be on our face each time we change their diaper." I laugh.
"Shut up!" She slaps my arm. "Don't say like that about my babies."
"Woah! Relax, I was kidding." I look at her amused.
"I hope they pee on you." She glares at me. "Your cleanliness habits will change after my babies arrive." A proud smile stretches her lips.
"See!" She holds my hand and keeps on the baby bump. "They are moving and listening to us. They will pee on you."
"Anything for them." I smile as I try to feel them. "We will go shopping today?"
"Okay!" She grins at me.
Why do pregnant women glow?
✧✧✧
We go around the mall and look for things. We look for plush toys and Mishti selects some, I just stand behind her.
Then we walk to the clothes section and start selecting. Mishti selects few onesies for newborn twins.
"This is cool." I point at the onesies which have been printed with from womb mates to roommates.
"Yep!" She grins picking that.
"These are all so cute." She looks at the numerous twin's clothes.
"Baby girls clothes look damn cute." I pull out a pair of twin baby girl and boy matching clothes.
"Let's take a few for now. If both are girls or boys we will come again and shop."
We buy a pair of white hospital newborn baby dresses and mostly we collect unisex clothes. Our attention was glued to the pretty frocks out there and we decided to give it to Foziah if it's not useful to us and we also decided if it's not useful to her we will keep it for our future baby.
I need both Girl and Boy. If not this time next time.
Mishti selected few baby suits because she doesn't want her baby boy to feel like she doesn't love her. I am so amazed she gives both of them the same love even before they have arrived.
Well, that's a mother!
We then selected bunny hoodies, cozy sweaters, socks, and shoes that looked cute.
We have decided to buy everything essential because her doctor said it is fine to travel in mid-pregnancy. And I don't want to shop without her so we are doing it now.
We also agreed to talk with the family about shifting separately on our Anniversary. I know they will agree but still, Mishti decided to listen to their response.
After carefully fixing the seatbelt across her thighs and hips and under the bump I walk to the driver's seat.
I drive slowly and she goes through the list we ordered and the list she made to check if anything is missing.
"Crib, done.
Crib bedding, done.
Crib mattress, done.
Diaper pail, done.
Laundry bag, done.
Toy bin, done.
Bathing and baby care stuff.
Baby wipes, cloth diapers, diaper rash cream, disposable diapers.
Baby swing, done."
"I ordered pacifiers as well." She looks at me.
"Necessary!" I nod as I take a turn.
"Playmat and swaddling blankets also done."
"We will go on trips with them so car seat and baby carrier as well."
"Twin cribs and the family bed are pending."
"Family bed?" I glance at her and back at the road.
"Yeah! I want them beside me at nights." I could hear the joy in her voice and I can't help but smile.
"Didn't you order those lullaby DVDs Foziah suggested?"
"Umm... No!" She exhales. "I'll sing for my babies."
My heart flutters at her words, she is going to be the best mother for our babies.
"You never sang for me," I grumbled.
"Seriously?" I take a glance at her to catch her rolling eyes.
"Yeah, seriously!" I nod.
"Well, I guess, I have sung for you by moaning."
I glance at her amazed and she smirks at me.
"Correction, Mrs. Rajvansh," I say in a low voice. "You sang for me because I made you do it."
I laugh when she shakes her head and bites back her smile.
I love the rosiness on her cheeks.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ★ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Thanks to my friend, Google, again. Lol.
How was it?
I can't believe I wrote 50 chapters. It means so much to me.
You all would be a bit stunned to know the intentions and reasons behind this book when I started. I would definitely share it someday with all of you.
The only thing I understood from Chapter 1 to Chapter 50 is, it is not about the number of votes and comments it is all about the happiness and satisfaction I get by writing and the joy you all get reading.
Though it's always so cheerful and encouraging to read your comments and know your views.
But I'm thankful to silent readers as well. Directly or indirectly you are part of this Sweetness.
Thank you everyone for sticking with this book even after lazy updates. It genuinely means a lot to me.
Thanks for all the love and comments in the last chapter.
One question - What if Sara, Foziah, and Asad are dead in the present?
Thank y'all.