Chapter 19

Early in the next morning

Taani woke up feeling extremely uncomfortable , she had been getting up and dozing

off ,she turned her head up to see reys face , she was still on his chest, maybe thats

why the backaches bad...she moved with difficulty and then feeling thirsty turned to the

side table to pick water, drank it up and sighed ...why was her thighs and legs paining

now? And as she bent to keep the glass back felt something wet on her legs

When did she spill the water? And switched on the light just as her head spun and she

had a tight ening sensation around her tummy and her legs AAAHHH

Rey woke up with a jerk aat her scream and found taani holding her sides face in pain

and his hands went to her shoulders just as her pain came down and she pulled the quilt

off her seeing blood spreading on the sheets

Rey stared at it paralysed for a second till her voice of rey! Humein jaana hain reached

his brain numb at the sight of so much blood

His mind clicked back SWAYAM and he started running towards the door when taani

screamed REY! He turned ur clothes! Throwing him his clothes And please bhabhi ko

bhulao, not bhai

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Few minutes later In the car, rey s in the driving seat, taani behind in a long dress now,

swayam next to reys door looking at taani worried

Where the hell s she? Rey referring to sharon im leaving , tum log baad mein aajaana

and started the ignition his hands shaking , swayam noticing it, pulled open the door and

pulling rey out pushed him to the back seat while sharon came running with a huge bag

saying lets go. I told the others got into the front seat with swayam in driver seat

Taani sat with her head on reys shoulder , his arms around her rocking her as she sobbed

every now and then because of the pain

Taani, still bleeding? Sharon asked turning back ... taani shook her head looking tired

and sharon hesitatingly- baby?

Taani s already full eyes filled and overflowed more as she said pata nahin, kick nahin

karrahaan hain and tried to remember when the baby had kicked last...holding reys

shirt in her fingers, rey my bab...and cried as he stroked her back. Rey didnt know what

to say, all that he wanted was for her to feel better...for her pain to go...but the baby!

And felt his heart clench as he remembered the kicks he had felt but he looked down at taani her pain getting stuck in his throat

Taani relax now, stress mat lo, we ll reach the hospital soon ...baby ll be fine swayam s

reassuring voice reached her in a daze as she slowly become drowsy

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Hospital

Rey with SS waiting room, taani was taken up for operation..rey walking up and down

the room making sharon stare at him

we were supposed to have baby shower next week! sharon said to herself almost in a worried voice

tumhe baby shower ki padi hain! tum ...rey snapped ...all of you girls are mad

sharon who had a retort ready stopped herself as swayam gave her a dont talk back look and reys harrassed face anyway held her back but

But why suddenly? Kuch hua kal? Sharon breaking the long silence, rey stood still for a

second wondering whether their extra passionate interaction had somehow caused

this ...and felt a wave of guilt when sharon continued I mean did she fall or something?

Rey kya hua? Swayam looking at him ,Rey met his eyes and then suddenly blurted

meri galthi! I should nt have...but its ur mistake taani, tumne hi start kiya sab kuch...

U should trust me more and then stopped as he realised she wasnt around and then

looking at Swayam staring at him sat down head in his hands i dont know what im

talking about...sorry...

Swayam put his hand on reys shoulder u relax, everything ll be fine. Im sure tumhaari

koi galthi nahin hogi..

No swayam, we had a fight yesterday and ...he stopped , they were looking at him, he

stopped swallowed and putting his hands back in his hands said and we patched up bas.

just ...sorry sorry

sharon and swayam t ried to make sense of what was happening exchanging glances

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After a while, hospital room - all three of them walked in to see taani lying down on the

bed not yet completely conscious with the doctor looking thro something

Rey went running to her, she looked pale with eyes closed but as he called out and held

her hand, she seemd tosensehe was around and responded by holding his hand back, his

eyes filled up in relief and he had no clue what the doctor was explaining as swayam

kept saying Thanks and asking about the baby and god only knew what...

all he could see was her lying down in hospital gown exhausted on the bed, hair out on

the pillow messily ...thank god she didnt seem to be in pain anymore... All he could feel

was her hand in his as he kept stroking it feeling the thin fingers holding his own in trust-

he had not lived upto the trust had he? Somehow he just knew he was responsible for

her condition now...he didnt know how..but inside mujhe pata hain ki yeh meri wajah

se hain..maybe all the stress- all the stress of office, his dad ...maine kuch nahin kiya to

ease any of it. Uske upar yesterdays stupid fight aur ....he swallowed ...why couldnt he just control

himself? All because of him...

REY he felt swayam shaking his shoulder and turned to find him pointing to the doctor

Shes okay now Mr Singhania dont worry...smiling reassuringly...she has lost quite a bit

of blood and will take some time to recover but shes fine , stopped thinking and looking

at rey- didnt she have any complaints? He shook his head and then as he stroked her

hand , his fingers felt the daaga that sunithi had tied on her wrist and then said

except backache for quite sometime

you mean after she had got discharged from here last time?

Discharged? When was she admitted - SS exchanged glances, looked at rey and after a

second rey also frowned she wasnt admitted anytime

Doctor frowned nahin us din admit hui thi, when your father ...blah blah and explained

and then looking at his shocked face...i guess she didnt tell you , us din sab teek tha but

rarely the bleeding keeps happening inside after a fall and maybe thats why she had

backache...quite risky for the baby too thats why itsearly...anyway good for her and you ab sab teek hain...just take care of the baby...blah blah

And rey heard sunithi s voice- us din giri thi...something something..khoon nikla tha...

god how didnt he catch it? That poor maid knew and thats why she had tied that thread

and stroked the thread touched at sunithis concern and he just hadnt thought much of what she said but he frowned

Why hadnt taani told him? And then heard her answer in his mind as he looked at her closed eyes and peaceful sleeping face kyunki that time

situation was so tense...aur phir main bhool gayi she would say that with an apologetic

small smile on her face

He vaguely understood SS saying something and then moving out and then sharon

coming back and saying something and then she shook him fiercely saying REY!

He looked at her , REY chalo, she s fine now, come and see the baby

Sharon GO and LEAVE ME ALONE and the switched off his ears as she continued to

convince him till swayam came in and took her away leaving him with taani alone

How could you? How dare you? Such an idiot! I know tumne purposely nahin kiya but..i

know tumhe himmat hi nahin hain mujhse kuch bhi chupaane ki but ... Remembered

sunithi saying didi bohot himmatwaali hain! And sat down on the stool next to the bed...

kya tum itna change hochuki ho ki you dont need to tell me ...and remembered her

telling him yesterday im jealous rey of everyone jo aapke saath dance karthe hain! And

the feel of her lips on his warm and possessive , he sighed

im sorry taani...sorry for putting you in situations like that...sorry for not staying back

with you ...sorry ki tum office gayi when all you wanted to do was stay at home ...abh

se kabhi nahin...tum wahin karogi jo hum dono ko teek lagega , not my team not my

mom or your uncle ya koi bhi...and his thoughts went back and forth till she moved

slightly and opened her eyes ..

she turned to catch sight of him , his head on her hand and called out Rey softly

He lifted his head up and she smiled , tired smile but still a smile...all his anger and

frustration disappeared and the tears flowed out making her lift her hand up and stroke

his cheeks saying rey please...please ...kya hua? Main teek hoon...achha nahin lagtha

rey, stop it...is something wrong?baby?

he stopped , wiped his eyes and holding her hand kissed it unable to say anything as she

asked again - baby?

He shook his head and said i dont know, maine abhi dekha nahin and looking at the

scare on her face added hurriedly its fine...main bas yahin tha...she gave him a scolding

look but he continued and said im sorry taani...she raised her eyebrows...i didnt know

you fell down us din...and stopped as understanding came in her eyes

Matlab yeh sab uske wajah se hain? Kaise?us din sab teek tha

He nodded shrugging and holding her hands tightly in his i dont know how kya whatever

but im just... im sorry i wasnt there and tum akeli...and im sorry for...im sorry...and now

the baby s born too soon and...

Rey! Mujhe sorry kehna chahiye...maine nahin bataya aapko...that time situation was

so tense aur phir main bhool gayi...and smiled , he suddenly laughed - he knew her so

well...in fact mujhe itna darr laga tha us din rey phir pata nahin...office mein kuch ghar

mein kuch and then it didnt seem ...but sorry .. ab sab teek haina...rey please

mujhe baby ke paas ...

The door opened and a nurse walked in followed by SS sharon saying in irritation im the

baby s favourite aunt..tum de kyun nahin rahin ho?taani s sleeping

Nurse saw taani awake and said- Oh good, aap uth gayi..bcoz baby ko maa ke paas

chodna tha and gave a small bundle to taani saying ye lo, try feeding, agar nahin hua tho

bhi close pakadke rakhna kuch dher tak. Main abhi aayi and smilingly adjusted the tiny

baby in taani s arms making taani sit leaning back and ignoring sharons scowl walked out

as sharon continued to grumble how mean can she get

Taani held the small tiny baby bundle in her arms close to her chest as the nurse placed

it afraid to move just in case something went wrong, rey looked at the sleepy pink tiny

baby nestled in her arms and then at taani s face- she didnt look tired anymore , no

exhausted look, no pain, not even a rememberance of anything bad or sad, just a

contented feeling on her face slightly anxious , completely peaceful ,her eyes studying

the small face which was huddled close to her bosom...she was away in a world where

for the first time since he knew her he didnt exist...

She looked up at the moment and looking at him said rey dekhiye!

and all three bent to see the baby s finger curled around taani s..taani turned to see

sharon with tears in her eyes say u scared us softly to the baby and then looked at

swayam who was looking at the perfect picture taani made with the baby in her arms

and smiled at her- his eyes saying- u found your place , ur the owner of this world its all yours...thanks to krishnaji

Taani understood and smiled back at him knowing suddenly he was the one who would

understand her feeling of completeness at this moment

Really tiny! How do you hold it? Sharons curious voice broke the silence where words

hadnt been necessary voicing out exactly what rey was also thinking

Nurse entered at the moment and said-sab log utaayiye mat baby needs extra care kyunki jaldi aayi hain! Isiliye bohot choti bhi dikhthi hain...ab aaplog

sab baahar jaao and shooed them out as sharon continued to argue and protest

the guys walked outand then swayam holding rey in a hug said congrats making rey s

face break into a relieved smile though his head was still in a whirl first one to be a dad !

that was true! and he shook his head to make the whirl in his head go away making swayam laugh at him and then he burst out laughing suddenly joyful and jumped up- she was fine , he was a dad and the world was a nice place - all worries forgotten in an instant.

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btw the medical part of its pretty much true except that bad things happen to mother baby after a fall within less than a week but here its more than two weeks sorry to the med buffs