61. IT’S A BOY!

It’s been 20 minutes but the doctors’ didn’t come out yet from the operation theater nor did any one of them hear the baby’s cries which worries everyone. All they can listen to is Asha’s screams. Her screams are passing a kind of jolt in everyone’s spine while Arjun’s tears are not stopping. Her screams are stabbing his heart a million times. 

The same is the case with Manik. He is getting tensed imagining Nandini’s condition in this same situation while his wife is palming her face seeing his over-caring nature. 

Nandini:- ( hissed timidly ) Manik, don’t you dare to shed tears right now. I am not in the hospital bed Asha Bhabhi is. So, pray for her and the child’s well-being instead of getting worried about the future. 

Manik nods innocently and wipes his tears while Nandini rolls her eyes. She looks at the ceiling and complains to the god. Although she is happy from the inside after getting so much care and love from her husband, this situation is not right to get worried about. 

Everyone’s breath hitched when they heard the baby’s cries and it took them only a second to jump excitedly while Arjun was shocked. Before anyone could do anything, Nandini jumped on Arjun taking him in a hug while her lips didn’t stop enchanting congratulations. 

Nandini:- ( excitedly ) Congratulations Bhai… Aap papa bangaye hai. ( You have become a father! ) 

Manik laughs at his silly wife who is happier than anyone and why doesn’t she, she loves babies the most. Arjun too hugs his sister tightly and sobbed in her neck like a baby making everyone go aww on him. 

Manik comes forward and separates the brother-sister making Nandini pout. Not caring about her pout Manik hugs his best friend cum brother congratulating him for becoming a father. One by one everyone congratulated him whereas Manik took Nandini to a corner and whispered in her ear. 

Manik:- Congratulations on becoming a Bua. ( Aunt ) 

Nandini smiles wholeheartedly and her eyes shine in immense happiness. She elbowed him and whispered. 

Nandini:- Congratulations on becoming a Fufa. ( Uncle ) 

Manik:- ( Cutely ) Yuck!… chi….. I don’t like this name. I am happy to become Chacha as Arjun Bhai is my brother first. 

He cutely denied his previous name making Nandini chuckle and she noted down to tease him with this name. Apart from them, everyone is beyond happy with the arrival of a new soul in their family. The Dixit’s already lost a soul of their new generation because of Avantika’s evil plans but with the arrival of this soul, happiness again knocks on their door. 

Breaking everyone’s congratulations sessions, a doctor arrives with a smiling face while removing her mask and gloves she said. 

Doctor:- Seeing everyone’s faces I can assume that you guys already knew about the good news. 

Nandini:- ( excitedly ) Yes! But we want to confirm it with you. 

Doctor:- ( to Nandini ) Well pretty lady, Mrs. Asha Dixit delivers a cute baby boy and both mother and the baby are out of any danger. 

Hearing the doctor, everyone squealed in happiness making the hospital a fish market. After they went silent, the doctor continued. 

Doctor:- Nurses are bathing the baby and doing the further process. You guys meet both the mother and the baby after half an hour when we shift them to a private ward. ( sternly ) Until then I hope you guys will follow the hospital protocol by maintaining silence. 

Everyone looks down in embarrassment while Manik and Arjun apologize on behalf of everyone. The doctor walks out from there giving a nod to them and Arjun looks at his wife from the glass hole. 

After approximately 35 minutes, Asha is shifted to a private ward from the operation theater. The nurse came out of the ward and informed the family. 

Nurse:- you can meet the patient and the baby but make sure that you won’t disturb the patient. 

Hearing this, the excited soul Manik holds the doorknob to enter inside while his wife stops him by pulling his shirt from the back. 

Nandini:- Manik, let Arjun bhai meet Bhabhi first. We will meet them after some time. 

Manik pouts sadly as he is excited to meet the baby but he understands her point of view and gives a way to Arjun. He knows that it’s a husband’s right to see his wife and the baby first than others. 

Arjun:- ( sweetly ) No problem Nandini, let him come. 

Manik:- No… No… Bhai, you go. I will see the baby after some time. 

Without a word more, Arjun walks inside the ward and finds his wife lying there in deep sleep because of tiredness. He looks around and finds his son in a small glass crib. He kisses his forehead before walking toward his wife who is the real reason for the baby’s arrival. He sat down beside her and caressed her forehead while planting a kiss there. 

Arjun:- Thank you so much Asha for being so strong and delivering our love symbol. 

Asha smiles a little bit and flickers her eyes to open them. As soon as she opens her eyes Arjun’s smiles brighten. 

Arjun:- Are you ok? 

Asha:- ( in a low tone ) Little tired but much better. ( after looking around ) Where is everyone? 

Arjun:- they are outside. Should I call them inside? 

Asha nods and Arjun calls everyone inside with a bright smile.

Nandini:- How are you Bhabhi? 

Asha:- Much better as my tiredness flew away in a blink after seeing the baby. 

Everyone smiles seeing the blooming mother. 

Kiran:- ( excitedly ) Arjun, let us see our baby Dixit. I want to hold him in my arms so desperately. 

Asha:- Sorry Dadi, but the first right of holding the baby is Nandini’s. She is his Bua ( pointing at her son ). Arjun always dreamed that HIS BLOOD SISTER i.e. NANDINI HOLDS HIS CHILD FIRST BEFORE ANYONE ELSE AS SHE IS HIS LUCKY CHARM. 

Arjun and the rest of the family members look at her with horror except for Manik and Nandini because she just confessed in front of Nandini that they are blood-related. And what shocked everyone was Nandini’s calmness. 

Nandini elegantly walks towards the crib and picks up the baby in her arms safely. Manik smiles brightly seeing the smile on his wife’s face. 

Manik:- ( chuckles ) Don’t be shocked Bhai. Nandini knows everything about you being her real brother and Dixit’s her real family. 

Arjun:- How? 

Manik:- I told her the truth. 

Nandini walks toward Arjun while holding the baby. 

Nandini:- Bhai, look at him ( eyeing the baby in her arms ) He is a carbon copy of Bhabhi. ( dramatically ) Thank god, he didn’t go on you, or else he will keep crying instead of being happy, just like you. 

Arjun turns his face and wipes his tears while Asha is on the verge of crying seeing the union of long-lost siblings. 

Arjun:- I am not crying. 

Nandini:- ( while raising her eyebrow ) Ya… I can see that! 

She holds the baby firmly with moist eyes and Manik snakes his hands to hold the baby simultaneously.

Manik:- ( looking at the baby ) Nandini, see his nose is pointed like Arjun Bhai. ( to Arjun ) Bhai you got your other witch whose nose is pointed like yours. 

Everyone laughs wholeheartedly except Arjun whose mouth is wide open. 

Asha:- ( laughing hard ) True! 

Arjun glares at Manik and slaps his bicep making him wince. 

The rest of the family is just watching the scene with moist eyes and for the first time, Varsha notices how her son is happy around Nandini which brings a smile to her face too. Whereas Manish and Kiran are the happiest among them as they got a new heir and Nandini back. 

Nandini:- ( to Arjun ) Don’t you take your son in your arms, Bhai? 

Arjun nods and protectively takes his baby from her arms while turning toward Asha. 

Arjun:- Asha, looks at him… He is so cute. 

Manik:- ( with a bad face ) Bhai, boys are handsome, not cute. 

Nandini:- You are wrong, Manik. Some boys are cute too just like you. 

Manik:- I am not cute, Nandini. 

Nandini:- ( teasingly ) So, cutest? 

Manik winces childishly while stomping his foot making everyone chuckle. Ignoring everyone, Manish and Kiran walk toward Nandini and engulf her in their arms. 

Manish:- WELCOME HOME NANDINI. 

They are emotional because they finally got the only daughter of Dixit who is more precious than any gem. He and his wife Kiran are always supporting Arjun in search of their princess because no matter what she is the only daughter of the Dixit’s empire. 

Unknown to everyone Innaya witnessed the whole scene and burned in jealousy seeing Nandini getting all the attention. In all this, her hatred for that newborn baby is no less. She is now determined to kill Nandini as well as that baby boy who comes into this world to take her place. 

To be continued…