38.

5 months later:

It has been 5 months in Ishika's preganancy now her baby bump was also visible. Everything has been smooth sailing for ishika but for Abhimanyu it's been a storm. Ishika's hormones always kick in and she ends up demanding things from him while like a good husband he fulfills everything without a single sigh.

Ishika was sitting in the living room watching a movie while munching popcorn. She now works from home so it was easy for her to rest. While watching movie she suddenly starts crying her hormones kick in , she was watching a movie where the male lead is mafia and female lead is a doctor they both fall in love at most unexpected moment and they marry after so much difficulty but their happiness is short lived and the wife when pregnant is kidnapped by his enemies and he ends up dying in order to protect her.

Hearing her sniffling radhika walks to her worried "ishi bacha what happened" ishika crying hugging radhika "maa why did he have to die.. Their baby is yet to come into the world. Why did he have to die now? What will she do?" ishika spoke between her tears , radhika just let out a small chuckle "bacha it's just a movie this doesn't happen in real" ishika cries even more "noo but the baby will live alone with his mom alone" radhika how didn't knew how to deal with her. It's always like this: Ishika watches a movie and ends up crying every single time and then she becomes uncontrollable.

"Okay i'll call abhi and ask him to take you to eat ice cream" ishika nods and munches the popcorn while radhika call's abhimanyu. After two rings he finally picks up.

On call:

Abhimanyu: yes ma?

He whispered as he was in an important meeting, he picked up the call because it was from home.

Radhika: bache come home , ishi was watching some movie and started crying again.

Abhimanyu: maa give her phone

Radhika gives her phone to ishika. Ishika took the phone excited

Ishika: Abhi..

Abhimanyu: what happened jaan why are you crying?

Abhimanyu spoke in a warm soft voice , though people in the office were used to it but still they keep on wondering how this man takes 360 degree turns when talking to his wife.

Ishika: abhi.. The hero died.. And you know .. the heroine was pregnant and now she is all alone with only her baby.. Why did the hero have to die..

With that Ishika again started crying , Abhimanyu wanted to laugh but he knew if he laughed now Ishika would again make him sleep on the balcony.

Yep, last week Abhimanyu offended Ishika by laughing while she was crying about something cute. Ishika became angry and threw Abhimanyu on the balcony; she didn't even let him sleep on the couch. Abhimanyu had to sleep on the balcony cold in winter.

Abhimanyu: jaan don't cry okay tell me what you want i'll get it for you.

Ishika: I want jalebi made by you right now.

Abhimanyu: I'll reach home in 10 mins.

Abhimanyu spoke as he got in the car, he already rescheduled the meeting and started driving to singh mansion. He didn't hang up and kept talking sweet things to ishika.

Ishika: where are you abhi..?

After exactly 10 min he reached the mansion, he got out of the car walking in the mansion. "I am here jaan" Ishika hung up and got up. Abhimanyu walked to her and Ishika hugged him, clinging like a koala. "So you want to eat jalebi?" Ishika nods, long forgotten about the movie. Abhimanyu and Ishika both went into the kitchen while Radhika just shook her head with a wide smile. "whipped both are whipped"

Abhimanyu started preparing the batter while Ishika sat on the counter. "Jaan what do you love more? Me or jalebi?" Abhimanyu asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course i love you most in this world ishika loved abhimanyu the most" abhimanyu's lips curls in to a wide smile and he kissed her forehead "and abhimanyu loves his ishika most"

Ishika smiles as Abhimanyu continues to make jalebi. Once done he dishes out a few jalebi on a dish and hands it to her "here love" . Ishika picks up a jalebi and savors it as if it's the most delicious thing in the entire universe. "Like it?" Abhimanyu asked wiping corner of Ishika's lips. "Love it" ishika finishes one and takes another enjoying it.

They were lost in their moment when they heard someone clearing their throat. They looked at the door and swanandi was standing there crossing her arms. Swanandi and Armaan have been married for like 5 months now.

Swanandi now works with Ishika as her partner. "Jethani ji akele akele" (sister in law eating alone) ishika squints her eyes trying to hide the plate of jalebi "yes it's only for me" swanandi show her puppy eyes to ishika which was enough to melt her "okay just one" ishika spoke handing out a jalebi for swanandi.

Swanandi smiles and takes it, enjoying the jalebi. Abhimanyu makes the best jalebi which is loved by everyone but it's only available for Ishika and no one else. It was a lucky day for swanandi and now she's gonna tease Armaan cause he missed it.

After Ishika was done eating her heart out, Abhimanyu took her back to the room and helped her to bed, "Did you take your medicines?" abhimanyu asked "yes you have set up thousands alarms how am i supposed to forget" ishika spoke poking abhimanyu's cheeks "that because you keep on forgetting"

"Yeah yeah" ishika picks up the story book on the table and hands it to abhimanyu "story time" abhimanyu takes the book and sits on bed leaning on the headboard, "As my wife wishes" he opens his arms for ishika. Ishika smiles and gets in his arms and Abhimanyu starts reading for Ishika to slowly drift off to sleep.

Abhimanyu was reading when Ishika made a sound , Ishika looked at Abhimanyu with a wide smile "abhi.. Baby kicked the baby kicked" abhimanyu kept the book aside and kept it in hand on her belly. "Really?" Ishika nods, confirming. And just as Abhimanyu was about to remove his hand the baby kicked again. Abhimanyu let out a small laugh, he bent down to kiss Ishika's belly.

"Baby papa is waiting for you" he then kissed ishika's head "and mumma has to stay safe till then"

||

9 months:

It is Ishika's 9th month of pregnancy. Her due date is in 2 days. Everyone is excited for the baby's arrival because everything is normal. Abhimanyu took leave from work and now Armaan has to handle both matchbox and Singh's too. Abhimanyu wanted to stay with ishika all the time so that whenever she needed him he should be with her. Ishika became super clingy these few months.

Abhimanyu and Ishika were in their room enjoying each other's company. Suddenly ishika held her stomach "abhi.." abhimanyu looked at ishika "what happened ishi?"

"Let's go to the hospital.. I think it's time" abhimanyu stood up panicking "what .. Now what.."Ishika glares at Abhimanyu "Abhi takes me to the hospital first." Abhimanyu nodded, held Ishika's hand and helped her up. He took Ishika to the car and Radhika went with them to the hospital.

At the hospital Kabir suggested to admit Ishika now , the delivery will be done in 24 hours anytime, Ishika was laying on bed , abhimanyu held her hand "ishi.. Bs thodi der you'll be fine don't cry" abhimanyu spoke trying to calm her but ishika was everything but calm. She just cried "I know..but it hurts."

"How long these contradictions are gonna continue I am just tired of it" Ishika was now literally whining she was in too much pain. She just wanted abhimanyu to distract her "abhi.. Talk to me.." abhimanyu holds ishika'a hand "what do you want me to say?" Ishika closed her eyes "anything nice.. Anything." Abhimanyu caresses her hair. "Do you know when was the first time I saw you?"

"On our marriage day" abhimanyu shook his head "it was months before, i went to your college as guest speaker and later when it started raining i saw a girl dancing her heart out, sound of her ankle lt matched the rhythm of my heart beat, it was the first time i felt my heart when i saw you.. I saw you dancing and you took away my heart"

With that Abhimanyu started talking sweet things to her, they shared their memories together, "do you remember the first time you accidentally drank?" Ishika lets out a smile and laughs "by god.. It was hard to handle your drunk self ishi.. But still i loved it" abhimanyu kissed ishika's knuckle "you remember the first time the baby kicked how happy you were" ishika just smiles and nods.

The doctor walks in and checks on Ishika "we'll have to shift her in the labor room at that time" they shift Ishika to the labor room. Ishika was in damn pain, abhimanyu and radhika were outside praying everyone had already reached the hospital. Doctors were encouraging Ishika to push but she was in immense pain. Abhimanyu felt vulnerable. He couldn't see Ishika like this but he couldn;t do anything to help her either. He was unable to share the pain.

Soon the doctor walked out and Abhimanyu rushed to her "doctor?" the doctor smile "congratulations its a girl"

"And ishi..?" The doctor assured Abhimanyu that both baby and mother were healthy and they could meet her when shifted to a normal room. Soon Ishika was shifted to a normal room and Abhimanyu walks in. Ishika gives him a smile.

Abhimanyu walks to her and kisses her forehead "you okay?" Ishika nods "it felt like dying earlier but once I saw her face all pain was worth it" Abhimanyu held the baby girl as gently as possible, he could contain his tears.

"My angel," he whispered.