Chapter 5 :
"She is now almost 8 months pregnant sir…you should also start buying gifts, toys, clothes for your coming child"
His maid voice began echoing in his ears. He closed his eyes again, and all he could view was Khushi, her innocence…their last light eagerness for each other…and most of all, his attachment towards her baby. He slowly opened his eyes and as the green light glow up and turned his car towards the mall, to do a small baby shopping.
"Just small shopping Arnav…Just for formality…!" he kept repeating this in mind, as he walked into the mall.
He moved towards the baby shop. He pushed open the door of the store, only to find that, that store covered atleast 2 floors of that building. He looked around and all he could find was tons of toys, clothes, shoes, walkers, story books, diapers and lots n lots of people with every size of babies hung either around their neck or being wheeled in a cradle.
Arnav looked here and there in confusion…not knowing where to start from. Some unknown things too hung around which increased his confusions.
"May I help you sir?" said a cheeky voice, breaking Arnav's chains of thoughts and confusion.
Startled he looked towards the sales man and remarked," I SURELY need your help!"
"This way sir!" directed the sales man. Arnav followed him and now they were standing on clothes counter. Clothes of every sizes were hung there…some of which Arnav felt would make a good clothing for his palms!
"So sir tell me which size you want for the baby?" asked salesman, again breaking his chain of thoughts.
"Size…um…" Arnav thought for a while and then looked here and there and found someone.
"Th…that Sizee!!!" Arnav yelped and pointed towards a man, with a bulging belly, standing at diaper counter.
Salesman smilingly looked towards the direction to which Arnav pointed and that very moment his smile vanished. He got confused and looked back towards Arnav who wore "Eureka" expression, innocently pointing towards that man.
"Sir??" Salesman wore a confused expression. He continued," Are sure sir that is the size?"
Arnav smiled and confidently answered," Yes yes! I damn sure! That is the size!"
Salesman rolled his eyes and now in normal tone, smile all gone said," Sir! This store is for babies!! If you want that size, there is store in this mall itself…first floor, right turn from staircase!"
Arnav got confused and asked," But, as far as I know, that store is for suits for men"
"Excuse me Sir! The man standing there is also a MAN!" replied the salesman.
"So what I have to do with that?" asked Arnav.
"I don't know what you have to do with that man!" he argued.
"Which man?" asked Arnav in total confusion.
"THAT man on THAT diaper counter" pointed salesman in irritation.
"SO?" asked Arnav.
Salesman was in total disgust and irritation now. He frowned and then said in bit rude tone…
"Mister! You said you want clothes! Right?"
"Yes" replied Arnav.
"Of that size! Right?" salesman confirmed.
"Yes!" confirmed Arnav.
"So Mister! That man approximately measures 40+ size!!" stated Salesman.
"Oh pls! Stop kidding! I don't think his bulging belly would be 40+size!!" yelled Arnav.
Salesman was about to contradict Arnav again, but he paused as he heard him say the last statement.
"Wh…what? Bul…bulging belly?" asked confused Salesman.
"Ya! I damn sure Khushi's belly size is almost equal to the belly of that man!" replied Arnav innocently.
"Th…that means baby is still unborn?" asked salesman.
"Ya!" replied Arnav in obvious tone.
Salesman closed his eyes and sighed. Then, as if someone has switched on the imaginary polite button, he wore his cheeky smile all over again and now in extra polite tone said…
"So, you are going to be daddy!"
Arnav totally taken aback from sudden change behaviour, replied in scared and absent mindedly…
"Y…yes!"
Salesman smiled a bit more and continued his techniques to trap the going to be daddy…
"Then sir, this is the best place for you! Everything about baby is available here!"
Arnav now smiled back comfortably and before he could say something more…salesman interrupted…
"I know sir, what you want…but first you would require a very very important thing!" he paused and his expression suddenly changed into serious one…he then continued," It's like, if you don't buy that thing, you would be in GREAT loss!!!!"
"W…what's that thing?" stammered Arnav.
Salesman all over again changed his expression to smiling one and replied…
"One second sir!" and he walked towards the book counter. As he walked towards it, Arnav actually tried to find the button on salesman's body, which when pressed, changes his expression in seconds.
"Here!!" yelped salesman, after grabbing some books from counter and forwarded it to Arnav.
~~The beginning of Daddy days~~ Read the first book.
~~Taking care of pregnant lady~~ Read the second one.
~~Handling girl child~~ Read the third one.
~~Handling Boy child~~ Fourth one.
As Arnav was going through the titles of book, salesman interrupted again,
"Sir! If you gonna buy these books or any of two books we'll give you 15% and 10% discount respectively on your total amount!"
"Huh…ya…I…I want all four!" replied Arnav, totally confused of what he should be buying.
Salesman wore a sly smile and was about to put it in a shopping cart, when Arnav stopped…
"No no… I don't want this handling girl child…Khushi itself is a woman and someday she was also girl…so she knows how to handle them! You…you take this back!"
Salesman nodded and after removing book, was again about to put three books when again Arnav interrupted,
"No no…keep that book! I will need it! What if it's a baby girl…I don't anything about them! You take this handling boy child and give me handling girl child back!"
Salesman nodded again, though irritated he still wore that cheeky smile. Again, as he was about to put the three books in cart, Arnav interrupted again…
"No no…I am in office all the time! If it's a boy, Khushi needs to understand him too! Um...this one or that one??"
Salesman now irritated and patience- less, but wearing same cheeky smile suggested,
"Sir! Sir! Calm down! You choose between these 2 books later! You finalise first two books and then we'll proceed to other counter!"
"Better idea!" said Arnav and after giving back last two books and keeping the first two books in shopping cart he moved with salesman to clothes counter.
The salesman got to other side and started presenting different kinds of baby clothes. Arnav picked one dress and put it in his palms.
"Is this the minimum size of new borns?" asked confused Arnav, while examining the small dress.
"Ya sir!" replied salesman, while taking out another piece.
"What is maximum size then?" asked Arnav.
Salesman turned towards Arnav and gave looked at him as if looking at an alien. He controlled his anger and pointed towards the normal size cradle.
"That is normal size cradle for babies of normal size! If its feet just out of that cradle, that would be maximum size!" explained Salesman.
"Size depends upon parents! I have good height! Even Khushi is of good height! That means our baby is also going to be of good height!" said Arnav to himself.
He continued," But what if baby somehow does not acquire good height?"
"Um… sorry sir! Did you say anything?" asked salesman, as he heard him mumble to himself.
Startled, Arnav chain of thoughts broke and he replied..
"Um.. ya! I was saying that, whichever dress I choose give me two sizes of each! Like, if I select this dress, give me maximum and minimum size of same!"
Salesman smiled again and replied,
"Sir we have average size of dress! You don't need to buy two sets!"
And then he started presenting dresses. Arnav wore ever dress in his palms and observed them and put it in the cart. He doesn't care if it was frock, skirt, shirt, pant…nothing…just whatever pleased his eyes, he selected and put it in his cart.
Like this from number of palm sized dresses, Arnav selected 15 dresses.
"Sir! This one also is good!" said salesman while presenting another set of dress.
"No no! Now next time I will bring Khushi too! She will choose then more!" said Arnav while smiling proudly.
"Um…ok sir! Now come, I will take you to toys section!" said salesman and directed Arnav towards the counter, carrying his cart in order to please his costumer.
Like this the salesman took him to every counter of the store and as if Arnav was settling up another baby shop, buy all the items of respective counters!
"Now last counter sir! Baby care!" said salesman while dragging Arnav's cart along with 2 other carts with the help of 2 other helpers.
As soon as they reached the counter Arnav eye widened as he saw different kinds of products and that also in huge amount just for a small baby! Different body lotions, oils, etc were lined up!
"So sir! Here you go with best oil brands for your baby!" said salesman and put at least 18 bottles of oils of best companies!
Arnav looked at them. All looked same! He got confused and looked at cheeky salesman with poker face. Salesman understood the "pain" of selection that daddy to be had to go through and finally sighing he suggested,
"Jhonson and Jhonson is best! I will give you all the products of that company!"
Arnav nodded.
"4 of each product would be fine?" asked salesman.
"Ya!" replied Arnav, while salesman stacked numerous bottles and packages in front of him.
At last salesman took out a packet of diaper.
"How much sir?" he asked.
"How many one pack contains?" asked Arnav.
"Small packet contains 10 and big one 18" salesman informed.
"Um…10 packets of big one!" replied Arnav after thinking for a while.
Salesman did thumbs up to him and started packing his things.
Just as the salesman was carrying his things to cash counter, Arnav's phone rang…
"Hello!" he answered.
"Arnav!!! Where are you?? Today was Khushi's appointment with doctor!! You forgot??" barked Anjali from other side.
"Oh Sh*t! I completely forgot! Wait di! I am coming! Don't panic or worry… I am coming!!" said Arnav in scared tone…as if Khushi was about to deliver! 😆
"I am not panicking Arnav! It's YOU who is panicking! I just wanted to inform you that we have reached hospital and waiting for our turn to come! And if possible come early, Khushi wants you to be at her side!" said Anjali.
"Ok ok! I am coming!" said Arnav and cut the call. Then, along with salesman rushed to cash counter.
"Fast fast!! I have to run to hospital!" said Arnav.
"What happen sir? Good news coming today itself?" asked salesmen there with glee.😃
"No no! Today was Khushi's appointment with doc and I completely forgot! Now hurry up…she wants me to be there by her side!" said Arnav while taking out credit card from his pocket.
"Wow! It shows how much you love her!" remarked one of the salesman and as Arnav was tensed, absent mindedly he smiled at the compliment.
"But, sir! You forgot to buy cradle and walker!" reminded another salesman.
"Some other day! I will come with Khushi! Right now, hurry up!" said Arnav while passing him his credit card.
After payments were done, he ran with his packets with the help of some workers towards the parking lot and quickly drove towards the hospital.
Precap : Shopping or shocking? 😉
Jungle jungle baat chali hai pta chala hai…arey NK yehi kahi ghoom rha hai!😉
Edited by Gazal.. - 12 years ago
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