Chapter - 44

Part One

Location - Date Venue

Its so Beautiful Manik! Nandini remarked; as they walked down the slope  and reached the exquisite Candle light Dinner table for two; that he had arranged at the center of the lagoon, over the wooden planking constructed above the silver - bluish stock - still Adam's ale and under a hay sheltered canopy that stood surrounded by many bright lamps.

He smiled and replied, taking her in a back hug and after kissing her bare cold shoulder Not more than you! Smiling at his comment; she veered about and said, encircling her arms around his neck and pecking his lips Kab kiya yeh sab tumne? Aur kya zarurat thi itni mehnat karne ki? You don't get tired? He swiftly scooped her in his arms and then replied, seating her on a chair Isme tired honey ki kya baat hai? Tumhare liye nahi toh aur kisliye karunga? Pleasure is always mine Your Highness! Saying he inclined his body for a gentleman's bow; seeing which she giggled and then he asked, taking his seat opposite her Okay toh ab mujhe batao ke mere baby ko kya khane ka mann hain? He patiently waited while she pondered deeply over what she actually wanted to eat; putting on her invisible thinking cap and finally after good 10 minutes or so; she answered, licking her lips childishly Mujhe na Pav Bhaji khani hai !! Full Spicy !! Ek dum Hott !! With Extra Green Chillies !! Letting out a chuckle at her babyish ways; he did something on his phone and the next second; out of nowhere; a Waiter magically appeared from the dark, carrying a dish in his hand and again disappeared into the thin air; after keeping the ashet on the table. Being more than used to such miracles; thanks to her dear husband; Nandini didn't paid much attention to the breakneck advent and departure of the waiter and then Manik asked, taking a morsel of the piping hot Pav Bhaji and dropping it into her mouth after blowing tons of air to cool it down to a safer level so that all minutest chances of his baby's tongue getting burnt are zeroed Tumhe jesa chahiye tha wesa hain ya dusre ke liye bolun? Instead of words; her reply came in soft 'I - am - relishing - the - food - to - the - moon - and - back' sounds that she made while chewing on the skerrick with eyes closed and lips rounded in an adorable pout. Not able to resist her cuteness and also not wanting to break her trance; he slowly moved his chair next to hers and kept feeding her one after the other along with necessary pecks and coddling while she kept smacking her chops over what her gut was craving for.

But as a matter of fact; heart has always been above the stomach and so; breaking free from her savoring; she shot open her eyes and asked Tum nahi khaogey? Sorry! Main toh bhool hi gayi! This is so tasty na! Saying this; she lowered her head in guilt and then Manik replied impishly, after cupping her chin and sucking her lips Who said I am not eating? Kha toh raha hoon! Meri favorite cheez. And trust me! I am full like anything. A natural scarlet rogue clouded the milky - whiteness of her cheeks at his another spine chilling evanescent yet intense play of lips followed by the lovey - dovey witty reply but then dusting the blush off and letting the super caring facet of hers rule the moment; she tore out a wodge of bread, dabbed it into the curry and said, after dolloping it into his mouth with a complimentary peck Bohot cheesy hogaye ho aap Mr. Malhotra! Manik smiled at her remark; which was cent percent true; but soon the smile vanished as the highly seasoned and abnormally picante coulis melted into his mouth and wreaked havoc; setting his oral organs on fire and causing the resulting smoke to leak out of his ears. Though he was a big time foodie with sapid taste preferences; him being a Punjabi; but still the curry was too much; in fact inhumanely piquant to be borne by his; or anyone's; fragile taste buds and so; as a subliminal reaction; he instantly spit out the blazing piece of bread before it could reduce his tongue into ashes whilst coughing badly and then Nandini asked; obviously Panicked to see his burned up and crying form Manik! Kya hua? Tum theek ho na?? But as situation had it; he didn't or to be precise couldn't say anything in return and then comprehending it herself; she took some ice - cubes from her glass of water and plopped into his inflamed mouth while rubbing his back vigorously.

Everything became Paradise; for Manik; as the icy cold liquid thawed and sedately coursed down his red lane; dousing the mini - firestorm that had raged and had almost destructed his cakehole; and then at last; when his blown up brain came back to its position and his intellectual capabilities resumed working; he shot open his eyes to see her sobbing silently. Clearing his larynx that was temporarily paralyzed but eventually recovered; he cupped her face and said, mopping the wetness off her face endearingly Arey Mera Baby! Ro kiun raha hai? Kuch nahi hua jaan! Thodi mirchi zyada hogayi bas. Sorry! Tumhe pareshaan kardiya na! Per Baby tum itna spicy kese kha rahi ho? Tumhara mooh nai jalraha? With a blank expression; she shook her head in a 'No' and then replied, crashing into his chest and taking him in a bone - crushing hug I am Sorry! Mujhe nahi pata tha ke tumhe itna teekha lagega. Sorry! Tumhe kitna pain hua na; aur abhi bhi horaha hoga na! She pronounced every word like a baby; sniffing against his heart; and as always; Manik was smitten by her innocence but letting her take any blame or culpability was the last thing he could let happen; so to make her feel better; he broke the hug and said, after kissing her softly Ab Nahi horaha Pain! Meri sweetness ko jo kiss karliya. Per na yahan per abhi bhi dard hai. He said pointing his index finger towards his heart and on seeing her big doe eyes popping out below her upraised brows, in question; he continued making a puppy face Baby cried na and not smiling isliye. Directly from the bottom of her heart and driven by his antics; came a curve and settled on her lips as a dazzling smile; that provided him the much needed solace; and then she said, pushing away the plate and shooting daggers at the food Manik! Kuch thanda aur meetha order kardo na. Mujhe yeh nahi khana. And please don't try to deny. Ab I don't want to eat this. He complied readily whilst smiling at her cuteness and also on the reason for which she wasn't in favor of the dish; of course because it did the crime of hurting her Mani; and did what was instructed by Her Majesty; knowing there was only harm and zero advantage in reasoning; especially after the dangerous and stern declaration.

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Mani! Kya hua? Nandini uttered under her breath whilst breathing heavily; after gathering three mere words from her glitched dictionary and putting them together with great difficulty as her brainpower along with all the sensory faculties were kind of anesthetized as a result of malfunction caused by Manik; who was nuzzled in the crook of her neck and engrossed in nibbling, bussing and doing all sorts of fervent gestures; as they lay burrowed against each other on the bed post finishing their sumptuous dinner. He planted a wet consuming kiss on her throat; earning a hiss from her and then replied huskily, keeping his forehead on hers and giving tender strokes to her cheeks with his thumb Tum kitni khoobsurat ho tumhe pata hai? Ek dum doll ke jaise nazuk. So delicate. So soft. I am feeling really Lucky for bringing a child into this world with you. I am sure our baby will be gorgeous but definitely not more than you. Needless to say; she bloomed like an adrenalin rose at his compliment and also on seeing the admiration in his eyes and then she said ruffling his hair and fiddling with the buttons of his shirt; querying about what she had actually put forth the first 'Kya hua?' for Yeh mere sawal ka jawab ni tha Manik. Itni der se I am observing; tum aagey hi nahi badh rahe ho. Control karne ki koshish karrahe ho. Kya hua? Mujhe batao. Manik smirked; quite surprised at her uninhibited and brass - necked inquiry; something which was too much unlike her sheepish self; and then answered, intertwining their fingers and kissing her knuckles Nandini! Maine kahin padha hai ke expecting couple intimate ho sakte hain per uske consequences kabhi kabhi pregnant ladies ke health ke liye theek nahi hotey. Meri toh abhi hi jaan nikli jaarahi hai yeh sochker ke tumhe labor ke time kitna dard hoga. Tum jaanti ho na how I loose my senses jab bhi hum paas aatey hain. Kuch samajh nahi ata mujhe. Main tumhe aur trouble nahi karna chahta. Lets cross - check and get doctor's opinion first. In an answer; he was rewarded by an unannounced kiss and very sooner; sooner as in immediately; his lips molded and rhymed with hers. Soul stirring was the kiss; unhurried and placid; messianic yet heartfelt; as chaste as a drop of amrit; more like a full - hearted schmooze between two halves of a single spirit. Her lips weren't giving up even after falling short of breath; an expression showing how much she was touched by his thoughtfulness and on seeing the agony of her soon and sure - to - come anguish pricking like thorn in his crystal orbs; but getting into his caring clothes on sensing her body's reflexive shudders on lack of oxygen; Manik pulled apart and then taming her violent heartbeats, Nandini said, staring into his eyes Kounsi aisi neki kardi maine jiske badley Aiyappa ne tumhe mujhe dediya? Kis cheez se baney ho tum? Kiun ho tum itne acche? Very affectionately; he impressed a warm buss on her forehead and then replied or rather intoned Umm! Main Tera Sarmaya hoon; Jo bhi main Banpaya hoon; Tum se Hi; Tum se Hi!! She smiled and he continued, giving light brushes on her nose with his Accha toh hona padega na! Mere chotu baby ka dil jo hai mere ander. Saying this; he snuggled her more into himself and then she said reverently, spooning her palm around his cheek Tumhe jese bhi theek lagega; hum wohi karenge. I Love You! Leaning down; he reposed her forehead again on hers and replied smilingly, raking his fingers through her hair I Love You Too Baby! Wese shona! I want to be with you during the labor. Like inside the OT. Can  I? Please? She was startled by his abrupt and out of the box wish where he was beseeching to be with her during childbirth; dissimilar and far apart from those estimated 97% husbands who; apparently out of trepidation and many other psychological reasons; repel attending the critical event of accouchement when their wives would be bellowing and hollering their entire respiratory systems out; and said with a spark of astonishment in her voice Of Course you can Manik! Per why do you want to? Bohot tension hota hai uss time. Tum mujhe nahi dekh paogey wese. Albeit the womanish heart inside her chest was loving the solicitous thought but still she was reluctant; considering how her labor pangs and throes would give him screaming habdabs; but putting down his own convincing Manik Malhotra - ish points of view, he replied Its true ke main tumhari plight nahi dekhsakta; per iska matlab yeh nahi ke main tumhe akela chod dunga sehne ke liye. Uss time tumhe sabse zyada meri zaroorat hogi aur kisi bhi wajah se main tumse uss waqt door nahi jaonga. Promise! With dewy eyes; she just pecked his lips lovingly; having lost all of her elements of speech to his concern, once again, and after spending minutes of serene quietude filled with adoring and cuddling; they sealed their another romantic date with a soulful kiss and departed for their lovely abode.

Location - Hospital - One Week Later

Raima! Baby Kesa hai? Is everything okaye? Aur Nandini? Any changes in her health? Manik bombarded the gynac with questions; as soon as she entered the Cabin with Nandini's first prenatal check - up reports. The two witty docs exchanged smiles and then Raima replied, handing the file to Manik Believe in Yourself Rockstar! Tumhare hotey Nandini ko kuch kaise ho sakta hai? Aur Baby! Baby is absolutely fine too. Filhal ke liye toh main bas itna hi kehsakti hoon kiunke tumhara baby abhi bilkul teeny - weeny sa hai. Sighing a relief; the would - be - parents smiled and another Patient - Doctor conversation began; this time a little more detailed and regarding all whats and whatnots that should be taken care of. During the entire skull session; Nandini's concentration was more; or to be precise; completely on Manik who was sitting with all his brains and ears wide open and noting each and every point keenly and with 100% of his mindfulness; like a school - going egghead; and also cross questioning about anything and everything that concerned her health and getting all of his doubts cleared. Raima then; being totally into her white coat; began advising on better sleeping positions and at once; his super - speedy head engine kind of benumbed and an outlandish blush crept on his face; of embarrassment and in contemplation of how he was going to broach that subject. Nandini's state too was nothing but much of a muchness of Manik's; the only additional feature being her mischeivuous smug on seeing her all time Mr. Confident hubby in a tizz. Neither of the two were putting on their bold front and were just looking each other from the corners of their eyes; giving each other telepathic nudges to do the honors while twiddling with their thumbs, clothes and everything that was coming in their hands and at last; noticing her friends cum patients all in a doodah and fidgety and also apprehending their bit of bother from her experience; she smiled inwardly at their poor faces and then said nonchalantly, more like a doctor and less like a friend so that she and her words doesn't sound cringeworthy And also; its arrantly safe to get intimate. Bas thodey precautions lene honge; jese abdomen per zyada pressure na padey and too much stressful na ho. Nandini ke case mein bilkul bhi complications nahi hain toh negative after effects honey ke koi chances nahi hai. About nutritional intake .. MaNan smiled on having their fix solved on its own and with so much ease; while thanking their stars and also Raima; and then after some more discoursing and taking the prescription and date of next appointment; they exited the infirmary.

Sitting on the swing of their balcony and harbored in each other's embrace; MaNan were as usual having their cozy afternoon time while enjoying the balmy weather and awaiting their beloved Dad's video Call; as was promised to them by him in the morning; and envisaging the million - dollar reaction they would get in return of the good news. They were revising their another creative plan for the last time when Manik's Ipad lying in Nandini's lap buzzed indicating an incoming video call from Mr. Malhotra and moving a decent distance away from him; Nandini slid the green caller option and exclaimed Hiee Dadd !! I missed you so much !! Mr. Malhotra sent a flying kiss across and then replied ebulliently, waving his hand at her Hello Princess! Dad missed you too! How is my baccha? Becoming the tantrum queen of her Dad; she made a pout and said Jhoot! Agar aapne miss kiya hota toh phone karte na! Per aapne nahi kiya! So Bad! Mr. Malhotra gave an apologetic look and then replied, pinching his left ear - lobe Sorry Baccha! Bohot serious meet thi aur bohot zyada kaam bhi tha isliye nahi karpaya! Before Nandini could say anything, Manik jumped in the convo making himself visible and said Hey Dad! How are you? Mujhe phirse side mein kardiya aap dono ne! Nandini and Mr. Malhotra snickered and then the latter replied Hey Son! Main bilkul theek hoon. Tum kese ho? Manik gave the answer in a simple smiley smiley nod and then giving a glance to each other as a signal to start with the first step; Nandini opened her mouth for the same but was interrupted by Mr. Malhotra, who asked tongue - in cheek And what about my soon - to - come baby princess? How is she? Both their jaws dropped to the ground in bewilderment as to how on the earth he knew it already; and after taking their own time to recuperate from the unexpected bolt that came out of the blue, MaNan shouted in unison Apko Kese Pata? Laughing heartily on their bewildered and ? - like faces; he replied tricksily, crossing his arms on his chest Why do you both keep forgetting ke I am your Dad! Tum dono ke baarey mein mujhe sab kuch pata hota hai bacchon! Jiss din hospital gaye they na tum dono; ussi din pata chalgaya tha. Still mazed; they shook their heads at him with 'Unbelievable' written all over their countenances and then grinned stupidly whilst scratching their temples at how they themselves were knocked for six and struck dumb. Mr. Malhotra let out a final chuckle and then rejoined emotionally with misty eyes Congratulations! And thank you so much for giving me this left out happiness too. Thanks a ton! Love You both soo much! I was actually dancing like a maniac you know? That too conference ke beech mein. Can't describe my delight in words. Chucking all the otherwise feelings; MaNan smiled and replied in chorus We Love You Too! Broadly smiling; Mr. Malhotra sent some virtual kisses and then Nandini asked Aap aaogey nahi dad? He pretended to ponder over his Princess' cute question; increasing her restlesness; and then replied Of course aonga bhai! Very soon! She clapped her hands like kid; making the Malhotra Men go all aww and then what followed was one last recounting of all the incidences including the doctor's visits and then after a little and lot more nattering with tons of fatherly threats; to Manik by Mr. Malhotra; to be very careful; and to Nandini to be completely at rest; they dismissed the call to let the exhausted old but not - so - old Man relax.

To Be Continued ..