RIANSH: Lost Time – 4 of 4 (Last Update)

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LOST TIME – PART 4

Few hours later at the hospital:

Riddhima gained consciousness in the ward and looked at Vansh cradling their son in his arms. She looked at them from a distance, the ghost of a smile lingering on her lips. He walked around the room and rocked him constantly.

Riddhima: Give him to me, I want to see him.

Vansh (handing the baby): So Mrs Raisinghania, you won the bet.

Riddhima: Didn’t I tell you?

Riddhima smiled and rocked the baby, playing with his fingers and toes. He looked up at her wide-eyed and she chuckled, slowly beginning to mimic his expressions. Vansh stared at them and admired the bond they were beginning to build.

Vansh: You should sleep Riddhima the effect of the anesthesia hasn’t faded away yet.

Riddhima: A little more time please!

She continued cradling the baby, smiling and laughing at him and Vansh joined in. The two of them spent moments together enjoying how the baby whimpered at everything. They spent quality time as a family before Riddhima dozed off to sleep and Vansh carried the baby showing him around.

Two days later, at VR Mansion:

Both the couples with their newborns stood outside the mansion and Dadi welcomed them inside after doing their aarti. All the members of the family looked at both the babies and cradled them around the house as the mothers rested in the living talking among themselves.

Dadi: Now it’s going to be hectic for the both of you. See how your child is going to keep you wounded around their finger. (laughing)

Ishani: Uff Dadi, don’t ask. She didn’t sleep the entire night and neither did she let me and then she went off to rubbing away my lip-balm

Vansh (from behind): Your daughter is like you only. What more can you expect?

Ishani: BHAI!

Everyone laughed and spent more time together welcoming the happiness that had entered in their lives.

Same day afternoon, Ishani-Angre’s room:

Angre rocked the baby in his arms poking her nose and cheeks every often. The baby whimpered at the softest sounds and he smiled on his own. Ishani looked at them from a distance smiling at how Angre had accepted her and her daughter without anything as much as a protest. She realizes her mistakes from the past and decides to make it up to him.

Angre: And mumma has decided that she’ll stay away from us right?

Ishani (joining them): No how can I stay away from my sweetheart?

Angre (seeing her whimper joyfully): Mumma meant me!

Ishani: And you.

Angre looked up at her in surprise, slightly taken aback at her words.

Ishani: I know a sorry might be too less but forgive me for how I’ve always behaved with you. Thank you for accepting us whole-heartedly. We couldn’t have gotten a better family without you by our side.

Angre: Ishani, I – you don’t have anything to apologize for. I understand what you must’ve gone through back in time.

Ishani: Can we start afresh?

Angre: Of course.

Their daughter whimpered in the middle of the conversation breaking the trance they’d been slipping into.

Ishani: Acha. Papa gives mumma attention for a second and you’re jealous?

Angre (smiling): After all she’s my princess.

Vansh-Riddhima’s room:

Riddhima placed pillows and cushions around the baby to protect him from rolling over and falling down the bed. She placed him within the cushions and made faces at him to spend some time with him.

Vansh: Dadi has given these old clothes for him. She said these will be soft and would help him get comfortable.

Riddhima: Haa Dadi was telling me about them. I’ll get him changed in a bit.

Just then the baby started crying and Vansh ran over to the bed to see what happened. He tried picking him up from the bed but Riddhima stopped him.

Vansh: What? You aren’t stopping him and wouldn’t even allow me to. Let me pick him up.

Riddhima (laughing): He’s heard of new clothes and now he wants to change. Get another pair of clothes. We need to get him changed since he’s wetted these. Jao otherwise he’ll catch a cold now.

Vansh: Arey, he will also do all of this? Isn’t he too young to wet the bed?

Riddhima (laughing more): Vansh don’t be silly. I can’t believe you’re saying this being a doctor. Go get his clothes.

The two of them changed his clothes together sharing a few moments here and there. After changing the clothes Riddhima put him back to sleep and Vansh admired the way she was embracing motherhood. She patted his back and Vansh sat down beside her with the baby in between.

Vansh: You’re a good mother.

Riddhima (looking up): And you’re a good father.

Vansh: I love you.

Riddhima: I love (the baby starts whimpering) Haa haa I love you too bacha.

The two of them laugh but slowly become quiet to allow the baby to sleep and take rest.

Next day evening:

The entire family gathers downstairs to celebrate the name-giving ceremony of the babies. Since everyone had different name suggestions, everyone wrote down their suggestions on pieces of paper and shuffled all of them together to draw out one name.

Chanchal: Whose do we first?

Ishani: Bhai’s son’s. He’s always protected us from everything so his son deserves to be the privileged one.

Riddhima: Nahi Dadi. Ishani’s daughter is elder than him so we’ll first decide a name for her.

With all the noise the newborns start stirring awake and crying so the names for both are drawn together to decide. Siya picks up a chit for Vansh and Riddhima’s son and Aryan picks up a chit for Ishani and Angre’s daughter.

Siya: Reyansh!

Aryan: Anya!

The parents like the names and smile to themselves before congratulating each other. They share moments together embracing all the happiness that surrounds them and appreciate the company. They accept that the coming times may or may not be as peaceful as now but as long as they’re together as one family, nothing can ever harm them.

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That’d be it for this one! Thank you for always being so supportive and reading this story, it has always meant a lot to me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing for an audience as appreciative as you guys.