THE RAJHANS SISTERS

THRICE THE HAPPINESS

One month later, Aniket returned from the hospital, and life had returned to normal. Aniket was in his home office and had just started working when Nitya entered the room and closed the laptop before him.

"Nitya, what are you doing?" he asked, surprised.

Nitya held a glass of turmeric milk in her hand, glaring at him with a determined look. "Aniket, stop working. It's only been three days since you returned from the hospital, and here you are working again. Drink this milk and leave this room immediately," she warned.

"Nitya, this is childish. I stayed in the hospital for a whole month because you insisted, even though the doctors were ready to discharge me in a week. And now you're here playing nurse again with this turmeric milk and all," he complained, exasperated.

"Who's being childish, you or me, Aniket? You're about to become a father, but I'm running after you like a child for every little thing. How am I supposed to take care of you if you keep being so stubborn?" She mocked back, her voice filled with a mixture of annoyance and affection.

"Nitya! You're too much sometimes. Look, I'm completely fine now. Sit down, sit down," he said, guiding her to a chair. "Why do you need to run around like this in your condition? I'm not a child; I can take care of myself. I've taken my medicine, and I'm fine. Why do you put yourself through this? You're causing trouble for yourself and our princess," he said, holding her hands and smiling warmly.

"Nitya, there's no need to worry anymore. Nothing bad will happen now. Trust me, the worst is over. I'm fine now. But you," he said, getting up and handing her the milk. 

"You need to add saffron to this and drink it. You need it more than I do. I read that drinking saffron milk makes the baby beautiful, and I want a sweet, beautiful princess just like you," he said, making Nitya laugh.

"You believe in all this, Aniket?" she asked, laughing.

"Of course I do. It's scientifically proven," he said, placing a warm hand on her cheek.

Nitya smiled. "But Aniket, you just recovered, and this work..."

"I'm fine, really," he assured her, and Nitya nodded. Just then, he received a phone call and picked it up.

When the call ended, he noticed Nitya looking tense and deep in thought.

"Who were those people, Aniket?" she asked again, remembering that night. "You didn't tell me then, but you have to tell me today."

"They were men sent by that gangster, Nitya. I went there to gather evidence against him. Trust me, Nitya, he will pay for every tear you've shed and every drop of blood I've lost," he said, his voice steady with resolve.

"Aniket, this all scares me so much. I can't bear to see you like that again," she said, her voice trembling with fear.

He held her hand and said, "Nothing will happen to me; trust me. Everything will be fine."

Nitya nodded and tried to hug him, but her grown baby bump got in the way. They laughed together, the tension easing as they found comfort in each other's presence. Aniket kissed her forehead gently, a promise of safety and love lingering in the air between them.

"Now you have to come soon, so we can properly hug your mom," Aniket said, looking tenderly at her belly.

------

"So much preparation is left; I can't figure out how everything will get done," Nirmala said, looking at the list in her hand.

"Mom, relax. We still have three months until the wedding," Rajat explained. "That priest just had to pick a date three months away," he murmured under his breath.