TRYING.
Siya ~
We all were have ice-cream and my phone went off. It was mumma. I immediately picked it up.
" Yes Mumma. Is bhabhi out of surgery? I asked her, excited and curious.
" Yes, you have become a bua to another baby boy Siya. It's a boy." She replied and I had the biggest of grins on my face.
" Oh My God....Congratulations mumma!" I shrieked and jumped in happiness before she replied back and hung up on me, asking me to get Kritik and myself to the hospital. The baby is completely healthy and will be with them in sometime after the tests are done.
" Bua, bua...what happened?" Kritik asked me.
" Baby boy Kritik. You have a brand new brother!" I said, taking him in my arms and twirling his around.
" Fine...at least he will play with cars and the rest of my toys." He consoled himself in the cutest way.
" Listen, you can call him by the name of any animal, you know!" This was my attempt to console him as he gave me a nod and got back to his ice-cream.
" Kritik and I am leaving now. We have to reach to the hospital." I told my so called husband and took my phone out to book an Uber.
" I will drop you both." He replied but I shook my head in a no.
" Uber. Ever heard of that concept?" I asked him, walking ahead grabbing Kritik's hand but my other hand's wrist was in his hold before I could even reach to the exit.
" There are about twenty cars here in the Palace right now so Uber is out of the question and since I am going to the hospital too, you are free to come with me or I can wake up a driver right now who can take you separately." I knew that he was trying to manipulate me but even then I didn't want him to wake up anyone at this point of time.
" Fine. But only because I understand the value of someone's sleep." I told him, trying to break myself free from him hold, twisting my wrist in his hand and he eventually let go of me.
" Let's get going kids." I spoke to the two of them, taking their ice-creams away and they pouted.
" Do you both want to see the tiny baby or not?" I asked them, trying to shoo away their disappointment of taking the ice-cream away.
This cheered them up considerably as we made our way to the car again. Reaching the hospital took about fifteen minutes.
" Go in with Kritik. I will get Jahanavi in a while." He said, stopping the car about some hundred meters away where no one was present and unlocked the doors.
" Okay." I replied, getting down and Kritik followed me as we walked towards the gate of the Hospital and went inside and at the Reception, I found Rohit bhai waiting for us.
" Bhai, how is Tanaya bhabhi and the baby?" I asked him.
" Both are doing fine. Tanaya is resting and Karan is with her. The Nurse has taken the baby for the preliminary tests." He informed me, taking Kritik in his arms who was very sleepy by now.
" That's good." I hummed.
" Where is Ranaji?" He asked me and I raised an eyebrow at him.
" Why did Papa ask him come home?" I demanded.
" Siyaa" He called my name out in a warning tone and I rolled my eyes.
" Whatever." I muttered as he directed me to where mumma and papa were and he stayed back to wait for Ranaji.
Mumma and Papa were sitting along with Hansika Bhabhi and their faces were dripping with happiness which was extremely contagious as I found myself smiling from ear to ear too!
A round of hugging and congratulating begun and sooner than I wanted, Rohit bhai along with Ranaji made their way to us.
" Congratulations Dad." He said, hugging Papa.
" Thank you Ranaji." He replied, giving him a smile.
" I am your son now. Call me Arjun, Dad." He kept a hand on his shoulder before asking him. Papa nodded.
" How is the baby and Tanaya?" He then asked mumma as he went to touch her feet.
No, no, no, no, no. He was trying to encroach my parents! No!
" They both are doing fine beta." She replied before Ranaji asked them to sit and rest.
As soon as the doctor came and saw Ranaji, he went into all hospitality mode, asking him to sit and and then making the peon get coffees and teas for all of us and then reserving a waiting lounge with sleeping pods exclusively for us and we shifted there.
" What just happened?" I couldn't help but ask to Rohit bhai standing next to me.
" Your husband." He joked and I rimmed by elbow to his stomach and he groaned.
" You should go home and put Kritik to bed once you see the baby or else you might injure everyone here who as much as tries to praise your husband." He said, holding his stomach and I rolled my eyes at him.
" I will." I replied and made my way to Hansika bhabhi who was sitting and took a seat next to her, resting my head on her shoulder.
" I am so tired bhabhi." I muttered as she stroked my hair with her hand.
" Close your eyes for a bit." She asked and I obliged and the rest of it was unknown to me since I let sleep take over myself.
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Arjun ~
Siya was sitting there in front of me with her eyes closed and all I could do was continue to look at her like I depended on doing that. Not for once did my eyes waiver away from her as I tried to take in her every detail. The way her hair tresses fell on her cheeks, the slight upward curve of her lips as she let her guard down, even if it was unknowingly and her closed forehead which was mostly clenched while she was in my presence but now right now. Now, it was as relaxed as it could be as I heard a sigh escape her.
" Ranaji you don't have to wait here. Anyway, there is nothing to be done now. Besides, Jahanavi and Kritik have fallen asleep too. Siya looks like she will if not interrupted. So once the nurse gets the baby, the four of you should go home and get some rest." Rohit said, standing right next to me.
" I don't think Siya would like to leave." I told him. She was too excited to even think about leaving right now.
" Mom will convince her. Don't worry about that. These few days have been stressful and hectic for her and if she doesn't sleep well, she might fall sick.
I nodded at him in understanding. He was right, she had been under a lot of stress and anger because of me and now it was I who had to take care of her.
" All the preliminary tests have been completed and everything is normal. The baby is completely healthy and fine. You all may look at the little guy." The nurse came in and told Dad.
" Siya...Siya wake up." Rohit then went to wake her up and she slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them as I suppressed a chuckle.
" Come on, let's go and meet Karan, Tanaya and the little guy." He said and her eyes lit up.
" Yes! Let's go!" She exclaimed, standing up.
" Ranaji, please come." Mom said, giving me a smile which I returned.
" Mom, you all should go. I will stay behind with the kids. Besides, it is not advisable to crowd the room." I told her but she looked hesitant.
" Yes mumma. He is right for once. Let's go." Siya took the first opportunity to jump in and try to mock me, making another one of her futile attempt to either get me angry or to insult me. What she fails to realise is that there is barely anything that she can do which will have that effect she wants on me.
" Siya! Behave." Was what I heard but her glare held mine and then she pulled it away before starting to walk out of the room, followed by the others. The kids were sleeping and I made my way to sit beside them when my phone went off.
It was Dad calling.
" Yes dad?" I asked, picking up.
" Is everything okay Arjun?" He asked.
" Yes. It is a baby boy." I informed him.
" That is great. I will come and meet everyone in the hospital tomorrow." He said.
" Go to bed now. It is already late." I asked him before he hung up.
I sat there for a while, answering work related mails which needed my attention till the time they were back.
" No mumma. I am going to stay here with you. I don't want to go home." I heard Siya grab my attention and I looked up from the phone to her.
" Siya don't you need to make some preparations for tomorrow morning when we get Tanaya and the baby home? Like decor and cake?" Dad asked her, making her go into a deep thought.
" Fine. I will go home and decorate the house and get the cake and make the finishing touches to the Nursery but I will need some milk chocolates in return." She demanded, folding her arms, trying to look serious.
" Of course my darling. I promise." He told her, bringing a huge smile on her face, the one I was seeing for the first time.
" I love you!" She shrieked and threw her arms around him and somewhere within, I felt a pang of irritation grow before I chided the feeling away. He was her father and entitled to her every affection.
I had to earn it.
" No go with Arjun." He said, bringing her to me.
" Okay." She didn't argue with him as she took Jahanavi in her arms. I, in turn, picked Kritik up gently so that he doesn't wake up as we walked out of the hospital. There were hardly any people around for me to ask her to come after I had left so that no one sees us together.
She sat in the car with both the kids on her lap and her eyes closed, leaning her head to the window, almost asleep as I parked the car in front of her home and turned to look at them. For a minute, my eyes refused to wander away from them but I had to wake her up.
" Little Flower." I called her out, giving a slight shake to her shoulder and her eyes flew open.
" Are we home?" She asked in her sleepy voice, trying to sit up straight without waking the kids up.
" Yes. Wait here." I asked her, getting down from the car and then walked over to open the door of her side as I took both the kids in my arms, letting her get down.
" I will take Kritik." She offered.
" Just shut the door." I asked her, indicating the car door which she closed and made her way to open the main gate of the house.
" Janu will wake up if you take her back like this. Let her sleep here tonight." She asked me, bringing the kids to what seemed like her bedroom which wasn't what I was expecting as I made the kids lie down on the bed.
" I will be in the hall." I told her as she covered the kids with the comforter.
" Why?" She asked, walking to me.
" I am not leaving you three on your own so late at night." I said and this was not up for any debate.
" This is my home." She deadpanned, resting her hands on her waist, narrowing her eyes at me and just like that, the frown lines on her forehead were back and I couldn't resist myself from taking my fingers up to her forehead.
" Wh...what do you think you're doing Ranaji?" She asked, taking a step back and the fear in her eyes was fairly visible which made me withdraw my hand right that second.
" I will be in the hall." I told her, walking off before I could see that fear in her eyes again, that was one thing I could not stand.
Winning her trust might take me years but he'll be dammed before I stop working on it.
I sat on the couch and threw my head back, closing my eyes. It would barely have been less than ten minutes before I heard some voices dragging of things which woke me up.
There she was, Siya, trying to drag a huge box.
" What are you doing, little one?" I made my way towards her, taking the box from her.
" I need to decorate the home and finish the Nursery." She said, trying to take the box back from me.
" Go to bed. You can finish doing this in the morning." I asked her.
" Not a chance. I need to decorate this whole place on my own. It is going to take a lot of time! I cannot afford to sleep right now." She exclaimed.
I pinched the gap between my eyes before offering to help which she did not accept or deny, just hummed and started walking ahead, assuming that I will follow. Which I did, even surprising myself.
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Siya ~
The baby was so tiny and cute that I couldn't believe it. This was only the second time that I was seeing a baby, the first being Kritik. Tanaya bhabhi was sleeping and Cockroach looked tired so we left them alone after a while.
I was then made to go home with the kids and my so called husband after Papa promised me milk chocolates. As we got home,I changed and was too anxious to sleep so I decided to start with the decorations and finish the Nursery. He was helping me with everything silently and as much as I would never accept it in front of him, I needed him to help me. I couldn't have done it alone because even if I couldn't sleep, I was tired as hell.
Siya's Look ~
It was almost six in the morning once we were done with everything.
" You should get some sleep." I told him as I finally sat down on the couch and he took a seat opposite to me.
" I don't need it." Was his stubborn reply but he did look tired right from the second when I saw him at the door last night and he hadn't taken an ounce of sleep since then but what could I do and most important of it all, why on Earth do I care? Screw you, Siya!
" I am going to get coffee for myself. Do you want some?" I asked him again. I was too proud to say a thank you but not thankless enough to not show him that I was a bit grateful.
" Coffee will work." He agreed and I stood up, gave him a slight nod and walked inside the kitchen but since I wasn't used to it and had no idea where things were, it took me an extra amount of time to figure out everything and when I went to the living room with two cups, I found him asleep, his head thrown back on the chair and the most relaxed that I had seen his, ever. He didn't look like the heartless man that he was. Instead, I saw some sort of vulnerability on his face, a kind I would never have associated with him, but it was there for sure.
" What do you want from me? You intimidate me so much and yet, I don't find it in myself to hate you or even think ill for you! Something is most definitely wrong with you and I feel I am going mad too." I muttered to myself, still looking at him, trying to figure this man out.
" You literally could have married anyone you wanted and yet it was me who caught you eye. Why Ranaji?" I heard myself talking to him once again. Talking to him while he was asleep was so much easier than making a conversation while he looks at me with those eyes of him, it feels like he is reading me so easily that time while I struggle to make sense of what he wants.
I decided against waking his up and since it was a bit chilly, I brought a spare comforter from my room and placed it upon him before sitting back to where I was and having my coffee but even after finishing it, I felt my eyes dropping and I placed the cushion on my lap and lied down right there, letting sleep take over.
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