For K, may we meet again.🌙
So to avoid any confusion, this chapter takes place during a flashback, prior to the birth of Ayaana.
The next chapter will begin with 17 y/o Ayaana and others, as they navigate through life, with the help of their parents, whose stories and flashbacks will be their guiding light.
Song of the Chapter: Title, Dil Bechaara💖
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"You've got to be bloody kidding me, Malik."
Nandini yelled out exasperatedly, trying to take deep breaths.
No stress Nandini, no stress! Not good for my baby! She imagined Manik saying as she rolled her eyes.
Haan haan, baby Manik ka hi toh hai, main toh bas temporarily rent offer kar rahi hoon bacche ko apni body mein.
"Murthy why do you always take her side man? Look I know I'm not the easiest person to live with, but Mahira bhi koi Mother Teresa nahi hai. I mean why did she have to shout at me so loud? She knows I hate it!"
Malik replied, equally pissed.
"Because she's just delivered a baby, kanjar! She can do whatever the hell she wants."
Nandini said matter-of-factly.
"Ek toh ye, group ki saari pregnancies saath mein kyu ho gayi yaar. Sab ladkiyan gang up karlete ho humaare against."
Malik retorted with a pout, not wanting to admit he's wrong.
"Humaare matlab? Ek second, Manik thinks I'm ganging up on him or what? Is he serious?"
Nandini yelled in anger, as Malik face-palmed. Ladkiyon se baat karni hi nahi chahiye.
"Yaar sorry, please maaf kardo. Main jaa raha hoon vaapis ghar, I already have an angry Mahira to deal with I can't deal with an angry Murthy too."
Malik exasperatedly said, as he shook his head and began to move, only to be hit on the head with a water-bottle.
"What do you mean angry-ah!"
Nandini started to scream yet suddenly quietened.
Malik furrowed his eyebrows before turning around, ye mute kyun hogayi?
"I think my water broke."
Nandini whispered as she looked down at her feet, now wet.
Malik nodded inattentively, but then widened his eyes as he realised what she just said.
"WHAT?"
He yelled, and for the first time Ayan Malik was completely unprepared.
"MY WATER BROKE YOU FUCKING GENIUS. GAADI NIKAAL, HOSPITAL JAANA HAI."
Nandini yelled, huffing and puffing as contractions started hitting her, while Malik fervently nodded and ran to get the keys before holding Nandini firmly as he escorted her to the car.
After she was seated safely and comfortably, he rushed to his own seat and started the engine.
Nandini took out her phone, still deep breathing, as she dialed Manik's number.
"Hello Nandini ji! Manik is busy in a meeting toh apna babu-shona baad mein karna."
Cabir's cheerful voice greeted her, which she usually would've laughed at, but at the moment she wanted nothing more but to strangle him.
"Give the phone to him. Right now."
She said as peacefully as possible, not wanting to get angry and further her contractions, as Malik looked at her and gulped, immediately increasing the speed as he drove to the hospital.
"Arey bola na he's in a meeting, god yaar, tum dono kitne chipku ho yaar."
Cabir said amusedly, as Abhi and Mukti smiled at him and shook their heads, with 9 month old Siddharth in their arms.
"CABIR I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T GIVE THE PHONE TO HIM IN 3 SECONDS I WILL KILL-"
Nandini started to yell once again, as this time Malik started telling her to breathe, only for her to sharply glare daggers at him, quietening him immediately.
"Jeez, de raha hoon yaar, chilla kyu rahi ho."
Cabir said sheepishly, as Nandini groaned and whispered to herself,
"He is your best friend's husband, you can't kill him, he is your husband's best friend, you can't kill him..."
Malik chuckled to himself, quietly, he didn't want to anger Murthy right now and well, everything angered her at the moment.
"Haan Nandini, bolo."
Manik said softly, she could tell he was probably going over a file or a contract, he sounded distracted.
Manik, Cabir, Ayan, Mukti and Abhimanyu ran a record-label for independent artists and musicians, like themselves. It was one of the most recognised labels across Europe, with only the most famous names attached to it.
"Manik, come to Heathview Hospital fast. I'm having the baby."
Nandini said calmly, the pain now reaching an almost unbearable level.
"Haan okay, I'll-WHAT?"
Manik's frazzled scream from across the phone made Nandini cringe, as she moved the phone away from her ears.
"Malhotra, her water broke like 5 minutes ago, ghar pe aur koi nahi tha, I'm driving her there don't worry. Just come fast, she's....uh...not in the best of moods."
Malik quickly stated, taking the phone from Nandini as she gratefully smiled at him, her first smile of the day probably.
Manik quickly yelled hurried responses and with shaking hands, cut the call, to be met with confused faces that looked at him questioningly.
"I'm going to be a father."
He said with a wide smile, more to himself than others, as Abhi and Mukti beamed, squeezing each others hands in happiness.
"Manik humein pata hai bhai, Nandini 8 months se pregnant hai. Ekdum se itna excited kyu hogaya?"
Cabir shook his head and asked matter-of-factly, munching on chips as he switched the TV channels, making Mukti hit him with a cushion.
"Kameene, I'm going to be a father RIGHT NOW, someone fucking drive me to Heathview, Nandini's water broke."
Manik yelled as he ran out of the conference room, Abhi kissing Mukti on the cheeks and rushing behind him as she laughed and kissed Siddharth, while Cabir widened his eyes and quickly got up.
"IF I DRIVE, PROMISE ME YOU'LL NAME IT CABIR!"
He yelled as he ran behind them, making Mukti curse at him as she followed with Sid in her arms, all the employees staring at them open mouthed.
Man, their bosses were weird.
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"Where is she? Is she okay?"
Raichand yelled as he saw Malik standing outside the Operation Room, his back against the wall, Samrat, Dhruv and Alya following him.
Mira and Mahira were at home with 1 year old Neil Raichand and a few months old Nirvaan, while Ahana was still in the hospital room above the floor, having just delivered baby Rhea a week back.
Malik was right, the entire group was popping out babies together.
"Woh Manik aur baaki sab aa rahe hain, they got stuck in traffic, but Murthy's fine, Navya and Rudy are with her inside, the doctor's saying there....there might be complications. 8 months huye hain, not 9."
Malik said worriedly, as Raichand too squeezed his eyes shut and nodded while Samrat ran his hand through his hair and Dhruv patted Alya's back to comfort her.
Rehaan, Samrat and Mahira ran their own production house, in Navya's language, their own 'Dharma Productions'.
Mira and Alya, now reputed and known designers, collaborated with them on every new project.
The entire group had now become sort of a unit, with everyone working together in one way or another, and being used to dropping by each other's houses without notice.
There was no more Fab5 or The Three Musketeers, just a huge family with multiple new additions.
"God damn it I'm asking which room she's in, why is this taking so long, IF I MISS THE BIRTH OF MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE OF YOU I SWEAR TO GOD-"
Malik and Raichand chuckled as they heard what could only be Manik threatening the white-faced receptionist.
"Manik! She's in there!"
Samrat yelled to get his attention, as the poor receptionist gulped and smiled gratefully at him.
Manik turned towards the room Samrat pointed at and quickly rushed there, but not before giving a hug to Malik, much to Cabir's dismay.
"Thank you. Just thank you."
He said, trying to keep his voice even. Manik was nervous, excited, scared and ecstatic all in one. It was a difficult feeling to describe.
"Saale, thanks bolega? Bola tha na, you owe me your first born child?"
Malik replied with a wink, as Manik too chuckled, remembering what Malik had said to him when they were trapped inside the store room together.
He nodded and took a deep breath, before going in, shaking his head at Cabir, who grinned widely at him with a thumbs up.
Best friends do always have a special place altogether, after all.
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"Okay Ishu breathe, breathe...main protein shake laaun?"
Rudra asked quickly, as Navya widened her eyes at him with irritation.
Nandini gritted her teeth and crushed his grip with hers, as he was holding her hand to control her pain.
"Ouch! On second thought, you don't need protein shake, kaafi strong hai tu."
Rudra cried out in pain, and the door opened, revealing a frazzled Manik Malhotra, who smiled widely at his wife, who reciprocated, before screaming out of pain.
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm here. I'm here. I'm here and so is our baby. It's gonna be great. We're gonna do great."
He quickly said as he took her hand from Rudra, kissing her forehead as she nodded, still breathing deeply.
Navya smiled tearfully, and Rudra grinned. His baby sister was about to be a mom.
"The doctor...she said that....8 months....i don't-"
Nandini started to speak tearfully, scared for her baby.
"The doctor doesn't know shit. Kya kiya hai usne, bas degree hi toh li hai?"
Manik said matter of factly, still rubbing Nandini's back and holding her hand tight, as she chuckled and nodded.
"That baby, is a Murthy-Malhotra. The Doctor has no idea how bad-ass she is, okay?"
Manik quickly said as he wiped off Nandini's tears, who laughed and nodded before hitting Manik on his shoulder.
"Don't swear in front of our baby!"
She reminded him as he chuckled and nodded apologetically, trying his best to be calm and support Nandini. She needed him right now and no matter what happens, he would be strong.
"Okay Mrs. Malhotra, you're perfectly dilated, we'll be having this baby now. I need you to push."
The doctor announced with a smile as she read Nandini's charts, making Nandini nervously smile through the pain, holding Manik's hand in a death grip, who nodded at her and kissed her, as if reassuring her.
Rudra and Navya left the room, after wishing them luck and joined the others outside, answering a barrage of questions.
Abhi looked at the door with apprehension, as Mukti held his hand and smiled at him, as if telling him not to worry.
She handed Sid to him, making him chuckle as he held his son close, instantly calming down.
The rest of the group was busy in giving updates to Mira, Mahira and Ahana via their WhatsApp group, while Rudra was on a video call with Shivaay and Anika, who were in Winchester with Shivansh, their 4 year old son.
"God that kid's going to have a huge family."
The receptionist remarked as she looked at the group, all fussing over the couple inside the OR, yet still telling each other to stay calm.
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"The baby girl is healthy, and so is the mother. Mr. and Mrs. Malhotra are inside well her right now, you can visit them. Congratulations!"
The nurse said with a smile, as the entire group burst into cheers, only to be quietened down by her immediately.
"Hospital hai yaar kya kar rahe ho tum sab. Embarrassing."
Cabir quickly said, as Mukti and Rehaan hit him on his shoulders.
The old nurse laughed. They were all kids who now had kids.
Everyone smiled at her sheepishly before going in to the room.
The hospital was owned by the Oberoi group, so they had a whole private wing to themselves, so that space wasn't an issue.
This was added by Shivaay after Anika's delivery, seeing the huge amount of people fighting to get into one tiny room first, he had learnt his lesson.
"Hi parents!"
Abhi cheekily greeted, as Nandini and Manik turned to him, smiling widely.
"Oh god Manik's a dad!!! This is weirder than when Mukti became a mom!"
Alya commented, making everyone chuckle, as Mukti and Manik glared at her.
"Where's the VIP?"
Cabir and Malik asked at the same time, far too excited to control themselves.
"She's sleeping in that cot, come in."
Nandini said to everyone, as her brothers first moved towards her, protective as always, while the others moved towards the baby, fighting over who gets to hold her first, much to Manik's amusement.
A nurse walked in after a few minutes, smiling as she watched everyone trying to talk to the small baby, who looked overwhelmed and didn't know where to focus.
"Have we decided on a name?"
She asked Nandini softly, gathering everyone's attention.
Cabir and Rehaan looked at Nandini pointedly, to see her look at Manik questioningly, at which he nodded, as if reaching a silent agreement.
"Ayaana Murthy Malhotra."
The couple said at the same time, making Cabir gasp loudly and Rehaan shake his head, while Malik looked up at them in surprise, smiling widely, not expecting this at all.
"I owe you my first born child, after all."
Manik said with a smirk, as if explaining it to him, as Malik laughed and went on to hug the couple, before looking at his namesake with wonder and slightly teary eyes.
Samrat chuckled and placed a camera on timer, as everyone rushed in to take places.
It was a picture perfect moment.
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"So that's why I'm named Ayaana? Because mom was fighting with Malik Sr. when her water broke and dad was trapped with him in a store room?"
10 y/o Ayaana asked Cabir and Rehaan with widened eyes, to which they nodded.
"Basically yes. I still think Rehaana would've been an improvement."
Raichand taunted Manik, who rolled his eyes and chuckled.
"Word of advice, Ana. Don't trust a WORD these two say."
Manik advised his daughter, before ruffling her hair and holding her hand to take her to Nandini.
"Honesty ki respect hi nahi hai iss ghar mein."
Cabir muttered to Rehaan, who nodded.
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And there you have it! I've finally decided to start with Love Aaj Kal, hopefully this does recieve some love from y'all.
I'm letting you guys know in advance, my updates would basically depend on the response I get from you guys. If I get the motivation, I can write like 5 chapters a day. I just have to recieve enough of it.
Anyway, until next time✨