Choti Si Duniya - ArShi FF

7. Teething!

This one is for Pari Singh Raizada! 😇 Also, I probably didnt mention this before but Aru and pari are fraternal twins, they dont look alike. So apart from sharing common parents i.e. arshi, they don't have anything in common :P This includes their personalities, their looks and stages of growth.

--*--

Arnav was already late returning home that day. The workload was ever increasing with the new joint venture with Namish Malhotra, and he wanted to make sure everything was on track. He hadn't even got time to call Khushi the entire day, neither had she called. Of course, that was probably because she knew he was busy.

So after a very tiring day, all he wanted to do was cuddle his babies and see the smiling face of his darling wife, maybe receive a kiss or two!

But hearing a loud cry was not something he was expecting. It was coming from twins' room. Handing over his bag to HP, he contemplated going to his bedroom and freshen up or go to his child. But the father he was, his steps automatically took him to Aru-Pari's room.

And the scene in front of him stunned him. His otherwise calm child, Pari was crying hysterically while Khushi was trying her best to pacify her while Kavish, in his own way was trying to stop her cries. Looked like Arohi was being taken care of either by Payal-Akash or Nani because they were not around.

"Khushi, kya hua isse?" Arnav asked coming near to the bed. That is when Khushi noticed him. She herself was on the verge of tears. She was used to the tantrums by her other two kids, but they used to get pacified soon too. But Pari here, as rare as her cries were, the task to soothe her was difficult too.

"Probably her last set of teeth Arnav ji. She is having slight fever too" Khushi said, wiping Pari's tear-stricken face with her dupatta

"What? Why aren't we taking her to the doctor already?" Arnav was shocked and distressed hearing that and almost took out his cellphone.

"You think I didn't? We already visited Dr. Shukla this afternoon, he only confirmed that it is teething which is making her irritable" she replied in an irritated tone herself. It was clear that Pari's 'rainy day' was making her mother helpless to the limit.

"Oh my poor baby. Come here beta, papa will make your pain go away" Arnav tried to reach out and take Pari from Khushi's arms and if it was any other day, Pari would have jumped in his arms, given how she was closest to her father. But today wasn't 'any other day'. As they say, when in pain, a child needs her mother the most and so did Pari. She clung to Khushi and snuggled more into her chest, all the while crying. Arnav and Khushi both looked helplessly at their kid.

"Arnav ji, why don't you go and get freshen up? You just came from office. And Chiku, beta, go and have your milk and play with Aru. You are here since last 1 hour." Chiku, aka Kavish, hadn't left her side at all, giving up his evening playtime, his cricket game and what not. He was a mature and compassionate young man and a total mamma's boy. He knew his mother needed his company when his father wasn't around. But now that his papa was back, he obliged and left from there.

--*--

Arnav returned to the kids' room in exactly 15 minutes. Not hearing the earlier loud cries, he sighed in relief and when he saw that Pari was almost asleep in Khushi's arms, though lightly sobbing, he felt the anxiety leave him.

Khushi sensed him in the room and whispered, so to not wake their baby,

"Aap itni jaldi aa bhi gaye? Did you eat something?"

"No, its ok, I am not hungry. Give her to me, and you go take a break. I am sure you haven't left her side all day"

"Hmm but hum thik hain. Ab jake soyi hain yeh so I don't want to risk waking her up again"

To be honest, Khushi's arms were sore holding Pari almost whole day. She had refused to leave her mother's side neither had Khushi let her go. But ultimately it was taking a toll. It had been no surprise to the family or even to Arnav though. If Khushi was a doting daughter, daughter-in-law, and wife, she was even more devoted as a mother! Her attention to their all 3 kids had been phenomenal, whether it was Kavish, Arohi or Pari.

Arnav had been no different as well, although he couldn't spend as much time as Khushi with their kids, but that didn't reduce his dedication to his wife or family even a bit. Like now, he was dead beat tired, but he refused to leave Pari and Khushi's side.

Finally, after another half an hour, they sensed Pari's sobs completely subsided and she was fast asleep. Just then nani came to the room and literally demanded Khushi to go eat along with Arnav. And after little hesitation, Pari's parents obliged.

--*--

They had taken Pari to their bed that night and both kept waking up after every twist and turn their daughter made. After more than 5 years of practice as parents, since their eldest child's birth, they had said good-bye to a peaceful sleep. But when they saw their happy, chirpy baby next morning, all the pain, sleep depravedness felt worth it!

It eventually took a whole week of cranky, irritated Pari to finally see that final tooth show in her mouth and Arnav and Khushi finally heaved a sigh of relief! No one had told them that teething was a major milestone in a parent's life :)

--*--

A/N – so how was it? Ok, not so ok? I had promised to write something on Pari, who otherwise doesn't get much focus in my story. And this was what I thought for her. I also have another chapter for her which will be slightly intense but will post that sometime later.

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