Vennela's POV

2500 years later.

Just kidding. 

Two years later.

Tomorrow is a very important day for my family. Because my little princess, Shruthi and my adorable brother, Anirudh are getting engaged. I am on cloud ninety nine.

Let me explain in detail. Shruthi went abroad for MBA. She returned to India a month ago and joined Dhanunjaya company like Prakash uncle and Nanditha aunty expected her to. She made me proud. She manages the Hyderabad branch of our company along with Praveen uncle. Oh! I forgot to tell you, Praveen uncle and Vidya aunty returned to Hyderabad last year. Now they stay in the Dhanunjaya mansion along with Rishi-Raj and Shruthi. We meet every weekend. 

Shruthi is still the same cute and innocent girl. When Prakash uncle asked her about her plans for future she stayed firm in her decision. "I won't be happy with anyone else. I want Anirudh as my husband. If that is not possible, I will remain unmarried." It was a whistle-worthy dialogue. If only someone taught me how to whistle.

Here comes my Lasya akka with her baby boy Lakshya. A cute little bundle of joy. With chubby cheeks and toothless grin, he looks like a butterscotch cake. 

"Change Lucky's diaper" Lasya akka ordered Surya bava. He obeyed.

It's really nice how these two divide the work. She gives bath to the baby. He wipes the baby dry and makes him wear clothes. He prepares food while she feeds him. She sings and he dances to entertain the baby. Even Prakash uncle was impressed by the way he took care of akka during her pregnancy. He finally accepted Surya bava. Now he would tell anyone who would listen that his son-in-law is a decent man who knows how to value relationships.

And guess who came up with the name Lakshya? Me. Lasya, Surya and Lakshya. The 'ya' family. Akka came up with the pet name Lucky. An old pet name to be honest. Nevertheless, I like it. He always keeps pulling my hair. If I ever go bald someday, it's because of this toothless cute little devil.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" I asked him. He is actually glaring at me because I tied my hair in a bun today. He tried to grab my hair with little success. I smirked at him.

"Don't smirk like that. You look scary" Lasya akka gently smacked my head while Surya bava laughed. 

"Hey! She is not scary. She is cute" Ragini came to my defense. Wait. Don't weep tears of happiness assuming Ragini has changed and started loving me. Well, Lasya akka gave her a nephew. So, she is being nice to me because she wants a niece this time.

Oh my Dumbledore! How can I forget?! I am in my ninth month of pregnancy. Amar and I are expecting our first child. Two more weeks and I will hold my child in my arms.

Ragini brought me pine apples. "Lasya akka, I am going out with Dheeraj for an hour. Make sure Vennu eats regularly." She kissed Lucky on his chubby cheek, who gave her a toothless grin, and left.

Ragini dated Dheeraj for eight months before getting married. To everyone's surprise, she didn't design her wedding clothes. She said she wanted to enjoy every moment and doesn't want to work on her own clothes. 

Grandpa was really impressed by her talent. He gave her the responsibility of his clothing business, which she manages perfectly. Dheeraj still recommends her as designer for his clients. They make a very good pair.

Coming to my in-laws, Shambhavi aunty and Bharat uncle retired from services last year. They gave the business responsibility to Amar, Anirudh, Archana and of course me. Now they are enjoying life. Their aim is to cover all the tourist places in Europe.

Last year, Archana told us that she liked one of her classmates. Bharat uncle was happy. Shambhavi aunty was apprehensive before meeting the boy. Honestly speaking they make a cute pair. But Amar and Anirudh, loaded their guns and went to talk to him. Their 'interview' lasted for three hours before they were convinced that the guy is perfect for their sister. These two are really crazy. I deserve several medals for handling a family like this.

"Akka!" Shruthi came inside and slumped on the couch beside me. "I won the race."

"She cheated" Prakash uncle complained. "I should have won." He waved at Lasya akka and started playing with Lucky.

"Finally. You two have remembered that there is an engagement tomorrow." Nanditha aunty scolded them. "You are the bride's father. Stop playing with Lucky. Let him sleep. Come and help me." She pulled Prakash uncle along.

"Both my kids will have court marriage. I am certain they won't invite me" said Praveen uncle.

Vidya aunty glared at him. "They won't do that. Though their father lacks discipline, they have a strict mother." 

Well, I have to agree with aunty. Though the twins are troublemakers, they never really crossed the line. They are University toppers for all the semesters. God knows how. I never saw them study. Come to think of it, I haven't seen them since morning. "Where are the twins?" 

"In the library" Lasya akka answered.

I went into the library to see them irritating Anirudh. "Vadina look. They are teasing me."

I frowned at them. "We didn't" Came the reply from the twins.

"They are calling me bava" Anirudh started complaining.

"Anirudh, you are marrying Shruthi. That makes you their bava" I smiled at him.

"But it looks odd when they call me that. Ask them to call me Rudy." Anirudh requested me.

"Okay bava. We won't call you bava from now" said Raj.

"Bye bava" Rishi left with Raj.

"I still don't understand how these two scored more than eighty five percent" Anirudh sighed.

Shruthi entered the library. Anirudh smiled at her. Bur she didn't respond.

"Akka tell him I'm not talking to him" said Shruthi.

"Vadina tell her not to behave like a kid" said Anirudh.

"Akka tell him I'm mad at him" said Shruthi.

"Vadina, ask her to tell me the reason at least" said Anirudh.

"Stop fighting." I made them sit down. "Now tell me. Why aren't you guys talking to each other?"

"He didn't propose to me yet" said Shruthi.

"Liar. I saw him express his feelings to you. I was right there." I distinctly remember that day. Amar and Anirudh crept into our house. Amar met me secretly, while Anirudh confessed his feelings.

"But he didn't propose to me on bended knee with a ring" Shruthi pouted.

"Anirudh. I agree with her. Come on. You are getting married to her. You won't get a chance after that. Follow my example. Make your vadina proud." I patted him and left with Shruthi.

An hour later, I saw all the family members coming into the living room one by one. Anirudh called for a family meeting. He arrived five minutes late. "I know yo must be wondering why I have called you here. I want to fulfill Shruthi's dream."

He knelt in front of her and held a ring for her to see. "After I fell in love with you, I fell in love with myself. Thank you for introducing the real me to myself. Will you marry me?"

Shruthi gasped. "I would love to marry you. I can't wait to spend the best of my days with you."

We clapped our hands with glee. Anirudh didn't give her the ring. He put it in his pocket because he was supposed to give it to her tomorrow during the engagement ceremony.

"It was Amar anna's training" Anirudh told me. It then occurred to me that Amar wasn't present in the living room. I searched for him to find him hiding behind the door.

"Anirudh has a habit of laughing in serious situations. If I were present he would have laughed and ruined everything." He said. "Lunch time" He took me to the dining hall and served lunch. He is taking extra care because this is ninth month. 

I still remember how happy he was when I told him that he was going to be a father. It was one of the best moments of our lives. I didn't know how to tell him. I just held his hand, put it on my stomach and looked into his eyes. I found profound happiness in those beautiful brown orbs. His eyes brimmed with tears of happiness. He embraced me for a very long time. 

We had the baby showers last month. We both looked so good in the pictures.

The best thing about Amar is, he didn't announce that I need to have complete bed rest. He didn't ask me to stop doing my day-to-day chores. "The mother needs simple exercises to be healthy." He used to say. He used to take me out for walk every morning and evening. He used to make sure that I meditate daily. But he always took care that I don't strain myself. We had lots of fun making Ayurvedic medicines, reading amazing books, visiting wonderful places, playing flute and piano during free time, etc., all these eight months.

He made a huge poster of us in our bedroom. I look at it every morning when I wake up and every night before sleeping. We visited Janaki Grandma's village last month. We repaired the temple and the accident prone zone near it. The villagers performed a pooja for our child in the temple. He danced along with them showering flower petals on me.

He made me feel that I am one of the luckiest people on the planet. When I tell him the same, he always disagrees. "I am luckier than you, moonlight." He says this without any ego.

"Hey! Come on eat" Amar's voice brought me back to the present. I had my lunch and slept for a while.

"Wake up. Time to take medicines" Amar woke me up. "Don't sleep again. Time for evening walk."

"Let's skip walking today" I pouted.

"No. Walking makes the delivery easier." He made me get up. God! Why is he so sweet?

"I assigned a responsibility to you months ago. What did you do?" I asked walking beside him.

"I told you already--"

"Not again. For the last time, I am not naming my child Daenerys Targaryen or Hermione Granger." I told him.

"What do you have against awesome fictional characters? I have Indian fictional character names too. How about Jejamma?" Amar asked me.

I glared at him. Did I just call him sweet few minutes ago? No. He is the most irritating man in the world. "How can you be so sure that it is a girl?" I asked him.

He caressed my belly and looked at me. "Whenever I touch the baby, I can feel it. As if I am touching my mother. I am sure it is a girl." 

Did I just call him irritating? I take it back. He is the most adorable man in the world. I prayed to God to give us a daughter. It's not that he won't love the child if it is a boy. He even came up with many baby boy names too. It's just his wish as a father to have a daughter and I want him to get his wish.

We sat down by the lotus pond. "Do you know why I love these lotus flowers?" I asked him.

"Because they give you serenity" He answered.

"Yes. These flowers, these plants and this garden makes me marvel at God's creativity. Nature is nothing short of a miracle. It has the power to heal all wounds and make us feel blessed." I touched a lotus from the pond.

We didn't speak for a while. "I know what to name our child. Prakruti." He said.

"Prakruti?" 

"Yes. Prakruti means nature. Just like mother nature, our child is nothing short of a miracle too. She made us feel blessed." He explained.

Before I could say anything, I felt a sudden pain in my stomach. I asked him to take me inside. I sat in my room and waited for the pain to subside. But it only increased.

"I think the baby is coming." I announced.

"But, according to the schedule given by the doctor--"

"To hell with the schedule. The baby doesn't follow it." I yelled. "Take me to the hospital."

They made me sit in the car. I lay down in Amar's lap. This might be the last time I get to see him. "Amar, I love you. Don't remarry if I die. I will come back as a ghost and haunt you if you do that."

"Relax. I won't" He said, massaging my head. He was in tears.

"Tell my child that I love her/him" I clutched his shirt very tightly. 

"You will tell that yourself" He kissed my forehead. The last thing I remember was Amar's worried face.

---***---

I heard voices around me. They are disturbing my sleep. I wanted to ask them to stop talking. But my voice won't come out. 

"Father's eyes" I heard the unmistakable voice of Raj.

"Mother's nose" That has to be Rishi.

"The long fingers. Just like Amar anna's" Anirudh spoke.

"Look, akka woke up" said Shruthi.

"Where are we?" I looked around. It looked like a hospital. It was then that I remembered I had labour pains.

"Where is my baby? Is it healthy? Boy or girl?" I asked my family.

"Moonlight, there is another girl in my life. And forgive me. I love her more." Amar caressed my head. Shambhavi aunty brought the child to me. 

I held her in my arms. She looked at me. I brought her close to my heart. I didn't know when I started weeping tears of joy. I have never been happier. My child, my daughter looked at me. God knows how badly I was waiting for this moment. I smiled through tears. My child is truly a blessing. I don't want anything else in my life.

All the elders of my family clapped their hands like kids. "Thank you for giving me such a beautiful baby girl." Amar caressed my head.

"For how long did I sleep?" I asked him.

"Sixteen hours since the child birth" He answered. "It is 5.30 in the evening."

I looked at Anirudh and Shruthi. "Their engagement function was supposed to start at 5.30. Now it got postponed indefinitely. We have to look for another auspicious date." I felt sorry.

"No. We don't have to. Our little angel arrived on this day. This is the most auspicious day of our lives. If you all agree we will get engaged right here" said Anirudh.

Our families agreed. Anirudh and Shruthi exchanged rings. It was so simple. Yet so beautiful.

The nurse asked them to leave. They all left. Amar stayed with me. "Thank you moonlight. Now all I have to do is to search for a beautiful name."

"But we already have a beautiful name. Prakruti." I said.

"You mean you approve?" He asked. I nodded. "Wow! I am proud husband of moonlight and proud father of mother nature."

I giggled. "Our Prakruti will be as naughty as you."

"Our Prakruti will love lotus flowers just like you." He said.

"She will love bikes just like you" I said.

"She will be extremely intelligent just like you." He said.

"She will be good in academics as well as sports just like you." I said.

"She will be a good artist and businesswoman just like you." He said. "We will choose the best husband for her."

"No. She will choose a husband herself. Not just love, I want her to share good friendship with her husband." I said.

"Oh God! My future son-in-law is going to be the next friendzoned husband." He remarked.

Prakruti cooed and held his finger as if trying to say that she liked the idea of the friendzoned husband.

THE END.

---***---

There is a little Q & A session with Amar and Vennela in the next part.