"Basket lo, few nighties that are fit for feeding.."

"Maternity pads, baby towels, baby soap, lotion.."

"Flip flops, socks, spray bottle/wet tissues.."

"Toiletries, brush, paste, hair ties.."

Jai stood looking around as everyone dictated about what to pack for Vennela in her emergency delivery kit. Beginning, he jotted down everything in his mobile, but as people kept on giving him the list of things, he stopped and stood looking at them with his jaws dropped.

"Snacks, water bottle.."

Jai's eyes closed for a moment.

"Abbbbaaaaa... STOP!"

He said and the chaos stopped.

"Seriously? Ila chepte ela? I am confused."

Deva chuckled at his son.

"Its not easy becoming a father nanna."

He said and smiled.

"You don't plan for it.. It happens."

"Kaani Nana, what we might need in hospital.. How am i supposed to pack all those? What if I miss something?"

Jai asked looking so innocent. Deva smiled.

"Jai.. Whatever you do.. Nuvu enta chesina.. Something will be left out."

"But nana.."

"Anduke kada.. We are there?"

"Rei bava.. Why so much tension? Vennu ki memu cheyamenti?"

Arjun tapped his back.

"Rei! Don't hit me. Already I am like sugarcane in juice machine."

He said rubbing his back. Everyone laughed.

"Just for this? Already? Jai! Vennela.. Is not easy like you think! Thingardi. She is born crazy and now hormones and then now a baby.. You have taken it for life long Jai.. Ippude ila antaventi?"

Lakshmi asked chuckling.

"Athaiyya..!"

Jai chided.

"Aha.. What a glimpse of Vennela.. Prabhavam!"

Manasa said making everyone laugh again.

"Aaru nelalu kaapuram cheste veeru vaaru avtaranta.. You know? Spending time together does that to people."

Said Lalli getting a hi5 from Manasa.

"Intaki.. Anniya.. List done or not?"

Chinna asked and Jai yelled.

"Ledu..."

And he turned his pocket book pages and started jotting down.

"Headache tablet, hot water bag.."

"Rei Bava, you should be taking down the list of things for Vennu, not for your stress and tension."

Arjun said trying to contain his laugh. Jai looked up innocently.

"What?"

"Headache tablet and water bag?"

"For vennela.."

"Tablet? For Vennu?"

Jai looked down making everyone laugh.

"BAVA!"

Jai looked up in attention.

"Jai Vachindi pilupu.. RUN!"

Manasa said and before she could finish, Jai was already running to his room leaving behind his laughing family.

"Vennela? Enti?"

There he saw Vennela standing near their cupboard holding empty bottle and looking at him angrily.

"Where is my uppu dabbakaya?"

Jai scratched his head and looked at the bottle.

"Nuvve.."

"How come I don't even get to have my pickles. Its always empty."

Vennela poured angrily. Jai wanted to say that it was she who emptied bottles of pickle but decided against it as he did not want to die in her hands before he could see his baby's face.

"Vennela.."

She walked to him holding her grown belly in one hand and empty bottle in other. Jai smiled seeing his mad maradalu that way. It was a feeling only a husband would understand because his wife looked beautiful with the glow of upcoming motherhood.

"Here I am going mad and you are smiling?"

She asked standing in front of him with her hands on hips. He gulped.

"You find me funny Bava? Nenem jokulu yestunnana enti?"

Jai shook his head in a clean no.

"Mari aa navventi?"

She asked scrunching her face. Slowly Jai moved forward and carefully took the bottle from her hand and deposited it safely on the table and held her from behind as he walked her to the mirror.

Vennele frowned at him through mirror.

"Look at the image Vennela."

She looked at the image of her and her bava behind her. First she smiled. But then pouted.

"I have grown fat Bava."

Jai shook his head chuckling.

"You are beautiful Vennela. You look plump yes. But its because of our baby growing in you."

Vennela smiled.

"You are glowing Vennela. Seeing you like this makes me feel so happy. I cannot express the feeling. Athaiyya cheppedi, in times like this, naa drushte thagultundi ani. But how can I not? You look so.."

"Hmm?"

She smiled as her cheeks caught on to the pink hue he always loved to see spread.

"You look.."

"Cheppu bava"

She growled but failed to notice the naughtiness shining in his eyes.

"You look like a balloon with bright 1000 watts bulb glowing inside."

He said and ran out before she could throw the massager brush on him. Growling Vennela threw the brush on the bed and slowly walked to the balcony parapet and frowned.

"Something is fishy.."

She thought to herself as she saw the scene unfolding.