SUNAINA'S POV

My eyes flicked toward him. He was enjoying his rabri and talking seriously with Dev bhai, while my brother crouched down next to him, searching for something under the couch. I looked back at my girls; they nodded encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, I said—

“Ved.”

And the next moment I knew, he was looking at me with widened eyes and parted lips. The rabri he had been eating? Well, it was streaming down bhaiya’s head, who stared at him in shock. Dev bhai turned to me so fast I was afraid his neck might sprain.

“ABBE SAALE BEHENCHOD!” shouted bhaiya, getting up, drenched in rabri.

(YOU FUCKER.)

And that was it—the ladies beside me burst into loud laughter. My husband? Well, he was still stunned.

“Call him Ved again, sunu please,” bhabhi said, trying to control her laughter.

“Ved,” I called out again, this time louder.

He seemed to come to his senses then. He got up, pushed bhaiya aside, and within seconds my brother fell flat on his face in front of Dev bhai’s feet. I hissed looking at my brother—it was comical to see him lying in front of Dev bhai, covered in rabri.

He, on the other hand, rushed toward me and said, “Did you just call me Ved? Like actually? Or am I high?”

Did I just make my husband lose his senses just by calling him a nickname? I think I did.

The ladies next to me were having the time of their lives, along with Dev bhai, while my brother sat on the floor looking at us with a ‘done’ expression.

“I did,” I replied, chuckling at my husband’s sparkling eyes, as if he were a child who had just gotten his favorite candy.

“Excuse me, ladies,” he said to the women next to me, who only nodded, laughing harder.

And the next moment I knew, I was in my husband’s arms and he was carrying me upstairs to my room.

Um, excuse me, what?

Knocking the door open with his right leg, he gently set me down on the floor and locked it. Turning to me like an excited child, he grabbed my cheeks and said, “Call me Ved again, please.”

“What’s with you?” I asked, chuckling while holding the hands cradling my cheeks.

“Pleaseee,” he pleaded.

“Ved,” I said, shaking my head with a smile. What was with him, seriously?

“Ahhhh, I am so happy today,” he shouted, twirling me around, making me laugh at his silly behavior.

“Thank you, thank youu,” he muttered repeatedly, showering my whole face with kisses—well, except my lips, obviously.

My cheeks instantly turned red from his constant kisses.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” I said, grabbing his face. My heart was beating at an unusual speed—I was afraid it’d rip through my ribcage.

“Seriously? Just because I called you Ved?” I asked, shaking my head with a soft smile.

“Only because you called me Ved,” he replied, looking at me with a soft smile and those gentle eyes.

“I still remember how you used to complain to Mumma, ‘Ma, Ved ate my chocolate,’ even when I’d always give you two in return.” He pulled me closer into his arms. I chuckled at his words.

“You do know what you did downstairs, right?” I asked after a comfortable silence of two minutes.

“Mhmn.”

“That fucker deserved it. He always bullied me because I liked you,” he added softly. I chuckled—yeah, my brother was a bitch.

“Let’s go down,” I said, pulling away. He sighed but nodded.

Together we walked downstairs, only to be met with everyone’s teasing eyes. Thankfully, my brother had showered, though he was still pissed.

“Iss kutte ko leja meri aankhon k saamne se,” bhaii snapped, glaring at my husband, who smirked and pulled me closer by my waist.

(Take this dog away from my eyes.)

“Woh kutta mera pati hai,” I replied, narrowing my eyes at him.

(That dog is my husband.)

“Tere kutte ne mere upar rabri gira di, I still smell like rabri,” bhaii retorted, matching my glare.

(Your dog dropped rabri on me, I still smell like rabri.)

“Ha toh aap mere kutte k saamne se sofe k neeche kya apni 2 rs ki jaydad dhund rahe the?” I shot back, glaring at him.

(Yeah toh what were you trying to do crouching in front of my husband? Looking for your 2rs worth will?)

The kutta in question? Well, he was looking at both of us in disbelief since we kept calling him kutta—even his wife.

(That dog in question?)

The rest of the family, for the second time, burst into uncontrollable laughter. The kutta eventually joined in too, but my brother and I kept glaring at each other. We only looked away when—

“Ahhhhhh,” came Nishi bhabhi’s shout.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Dev bhai rushed to her side, holding her steady as she crouched slightly.

“I think my water just broke,” bhabhi said, taking deep breaths.

Oh boy.

“Itni jaldi?” Dev bhai asked, confused, glancing at his watch.

(This soon?)

“Are you dumb idiot? Baby hai pandit nahi jo muhurat k anusaar aaye,” Ashu said, holding bhabhi’s other hand.

(Are you dumb idiot? It's a baby, not a priest who'll come according to his auspicious time.)

“I’ll call Nivedh and ask where he is—he was supposed to be home by now,” Ved said, rushing to the side to make the call. Nivedh was bhabhi’s gynecologist too.

“I’ll go get Nishi’s hospital bag,” Priyu bhabhi said, hurrying to Dev bhai’s room downstairs.

“Dev bhai, bhabhi needs to change her clothes. You guys go and get the car ready, we’ll help her change,” I added, as Ashu and I supported bhabhi into Dev bhai’s room.

In just five minutes she was ready in her maternity gown. We carefully helped her out of the room, where Dev bhai was waiting. He gently lifted bhabhi into his arms and rushed toward the car, where my brother was already in the driver’s seat, waiting to take them to the hospital.

“Nivedh is on his way to the hospital. He’ll be there in about an hour, but he’s already informed his staff about the pre-delivery protocols—they’ll take care of everything,” my husband informed as we settled into another car. Ashu was with us, while bhabhi accompanied Dev bhai and Nishi bhabhi in the first car that my brother drove.

We quickly followed, and after reaching the hospital, we rushed to the maternity ward where bhabhi was admitted. Everyone anxiously waited outside the door.

After what felt like the longest ten minutes of our lives, a nurse finally came out. She sighed before saying, “She’s not fully dilated yet. For the baby to come out, she needs to be 10 cm dilated, but right now she’s at 7. We have no other option but to wait.”

“Can we see her?” Dev bhai asked, his voice tight with worry.

“Yes, but only the husband. The rest of the family can wait in the waiting area,” she replied before heading back in. Dev bhai nodded at us and quickly went inside.

Nearly fifty minutes later, Nivedh rushed in. He gave us a brief nod, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ashu, before disappearing inside to deliver the baby.

Bhabhi was in labor for almost five hours, and I can’t even imagine how painful it must have been. Her cries echoed through the corridor, and it was heartbreaking. Ashu sobbed quietly in my arms the entire time.

Finally, her cries began to fade, and soon after, Nivedh stepped out, removing his scrubs. We all jumped to our feet, holding our breath, waiting for his words.

“It’s a boy! He’s healthy, and bhabhi is doing well too,” he said with a smile.

Thank God.

Ashu and I hugged each other tightly, bursting into tears. We had been prime witnesses to bhabhi’s entire pregnancy journey, and it had not been easy.

“Both the baby and mumma will be shifted to their personal ward after a thorough cleanup,” Nivedh continued. “But I’d suggest you meet them tomorrow. Right now, both will be asleep.”

“He’s right, we should go. Devesh and Nishi need some alone time with their little one,” bhaiya said. We all nodded and quietly left for home.

After grabbing our stuff from Vashisht mansion, Ved and I drove back to Mehra home. By the time we reached, we were both exhausted. After taking turns freshening up, we crashed into bed and drifted into sleep almost immediately.

ADHVAIT'S POV

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, stabbing into my eyes and waking me earlier than usual. My wife was still asleep, nuzzled into my arms—the cutest sight ever. Her hair spilled across her pillow, and the way she clutched the blanket as if her life depended on it made my heart melt.

Carefully pulling away from her, I freshened up and headed out for a jog I’d been skipping ever since the wedding.

By the time I returned, she was getting ready, looking as breathtaking as ever. The vermillion in her partition made my chest swell with emotion.

“Hi, good morning,” I said, sinking onto the sofa with a sigh.

“Hi, went for a jog?” she asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” I replied. “You look beautiful, senorita.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Here,” she added, handing me a glass of water before sitting beside me. “You need it.”

I gave her a grateful nod and gulped it down in one go. Exhaling, I said, “After meeting the baby, would it be okay if I take you somewhere?”

“Where?” she asked, looking confused.

“To show you your wedding gift.” It was finally ready, just the way I had envisioned, and I couldn’t wait to reveal it to her.

“Oh… sure,” she said, nodding slowly.

“I’ll go and freshen up, and then we’ll head down for breakfast,” I said, standing up. She hummed in response, smiling softly.

Later, after breakfast, we went to meet Devesh, Nishi bhabhi, and the cutest baby on earth.

He was so tiny and honestly, I was terrified I’d drop him and give Devesh a reason to taunt me for life. Thankfully, I didn’t.

And now, here we were, in my car, jamming to my love’s Spotify playlist as I drove us both toward the surprise.

My nerves only grew stronger as I pulled into the parking lot.

“Did we reach?” she asked, looking at me with confusion as I parked.

“Haanji. Come on, there’s a blindfold in the glovebox, take it out for me please,” I said.

Still puzzled, she took it out and handed it to me as I unclasped my seatbelt.

“Turn around,” I instructed, leaning toward her. She obeyed, and I carefully tied the blindfold over her eyes, making sure the knot was gentle enough not to tug her hair or hurt her head.

“Are we seriously doing this?” she asked, chuckling.

“We definitely are, senorita. Keep sitting—I’ll pick you up. Just wait,” I said before walking to her side, gently lifting her in my arms, and nodding at the guard, who locked my car and handed me our phones.

“But where are we going?” she asked, draping her arms around my neck.

“You’ll find out in the next few minutes, jaan,” I replied, chuckling at her pout when I refused to spoil the surprise.

“Why aren’t you walking now?” she asked, her confused expression looking cuter than ever.

“Because we’re in a lift, jaan,” I said with a smile.

“Oh.” Her lips formed a small ‘o’.

“Yes. Now… are you ready to see your wedding gift?” I asked as I gently placed her on the floor, steadying her and tightening my hold on her hand.

“Yes!” came her excited reply, making me smile.

“I’ll take your blindfold off now,” I said, untying the knot carefully so as not to pull her hair.

“Surprise,” I whispered, hugging her softly from behind.