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Adwait is holding his daughter close. Her head is tucked against his neck. Tears are soaking his shirt collar and dampening his skin. She grips his neck tightly with one hand while the other is resting on his chest. The poor kid just came out okay after facing off with a doctor who jabbed a needle into her arm like it was nothing to draw out her blood.
"Shhh, it's over now, little one. No more tears," Adwait cooes, planting soft kisses on her head, one after another.
"Do-ctor's ba-d, Papa!" Adya shouts, sniffling between her tears. She wipes her eyes roughly only to witness a sticky blob of snot clinging to the back of her hand, making her grimace in disgust.
Adwait laughs seeing his daughter scrunching her nose adorably and glaring at the bothersome snot, like she's trying to make it vanish.
He stops by the pharmacy to grab a pack of wipes. Taking one out, he carefully wipes her nose, tosses it away, and then uses another to gently clean her face.
"It had to be done, little one," he murmurs, his hand resting gently on her chubby little belly. "How else do we find out if our little one is strong and healthy inside?"
"It h-urt," she squints accusingly, her tiny arm pointing at her father. A small, round band-aid covers where the doctor took her blood. The minor injury turned her into a peanut size avenger. Eyes are flashing with betrayal and pain.
Adwait gently takes her hand and plants soft kisses along her arm, doing it over and over. "I'm giving you lots of love. It'll make everything feel better, alright?"
Adya lowers her head sadly. She loves her father a lot, but she doesn't get why he keeps making her do things that make her cry, like going to the doctor when she's scared of injections. Giving him a sullen look and pouting lips, she keeps her head down.
"Ohhh, looks like my little girl is getting feisty," Adwait teases, his finger tiptoeing across her stomach like a curious spider. When he finds her ticklish spots, he starts tickling her, and Adya burst into giggles. She wriggles and laughs uncontrollably, deepening her dimples.
"St-op, Papa, my tum-my hur-ts," Adya squeaks, taking deep breaths, little tears welling up from all the laughter.
Adwait finally stops and plants a kiss on her cheek. "That's how I always want to see you—smiling."
"Hello, Mr. Scindia!"
The light-hearted chat between father and daughter gets interrupted when Abhinav spots them near the pharmacy. He shoots Adwait a quick smile before pinching Adya's cheeks affectionately.
"Mr. Shahi, you're here too? How many hospitals are you working in?" Adwait asks, curious.
Abhinav chuckles. "No, Mr. Scindia, I don't actually work here. I'm just helping out on a case, and one of the surgeons happens to be an old college buddy of mine. Came by to catch up," he reveals, requesting a sanitizer from the pharmacist. "What about you?"
