The Best Match

The Delusional Woman

"Being a father has been, without a doubt, my greatest source of achievement, pride and inspiration. Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back and taught me how to be a better person."

Shree's Perspective

We, women, are delusional. We fall for what we hear and start weaving concoctions about it. Just like I did before my pregnancy. I was fascinated that it would be best period of life. To connect with your baby. To get to see growing him inside you.
I am warning you, it's nothing thrilling and mesmerizing. It is the hell for emotions, it is damn irritating. I remember vividly when it all started, I retched for once and then it turned up into routine. I craved for orange jam and then it started getting on my nerve when all the time I felt this urge to clammer my mouth with it.
It was, my second trimester, when I realized that my baby didn't like chicken at all when I started getting nauseating with its very smell. Initially, I used to creep out when Abhimanyu used to touch me and then slowly, just like that, I couldn't help but sniff him all the time. I wanted to tie him up to me and kiss him all throughout the day.
When I said confessed it to him, he'd shamelessly told me to be his guest. In all through my pregnancy, I freaked out three times, first time, it was when I realized that I was not fitting in my clothes anymore, though I knew it but facing it was much difficult.
Second time, it was when I noticed that my perfect twenty eight inches belly enlarged into forty inches. Third, when I couldn't see my toes. Damn! I couldn't bend. I couldn't paint my nails. I was this fat whale I hated to think of and the maternity gown I started docking myself in was anything but classy.
Though, Abhimanyu was always there with me. It was helpful though, I had unapologetically blamed him for everything, the best part, he accepted it, and it was easier that day. I'd, all in all, five times cursed him for getting me knocked up but that wasn't truth, I was more thrilled with the concept of our kid. Still, my Darling husband kissed me and apologized. He made it for me every second I complained how fat was I becoming.
"You're curvier and thicker, more for me to explore. I love you more now." He'd said, sensuously and he did show me how much he loved me.
ESV rolled her eyes, 'He had cajoled you, duh! You were basically ginger with unevenly growing mass.'
Abhimanyu had confused me a lot. I couldn't deny the look that was in his eyes whenever he saw me, I couldn't defy when he claimed that he loved me in my gestation period.
I, personally, loved my waist before and after I could only do was sulk but whenever Abhimanyu told me, showed me how much he love that spell, I couldn't help but wonder that should I stay pregnant more often.
Badi ma made me eat cheese a lot and yeah, dry fruits too, based on some logics that baby would be healthy and fair. Abhimanyu became close to her meanwhile and I found my peace in his smile. I always have wished my baby to grow up like its father because Abhimanyu is the ideal person. The best father, perfect husband and loving son.
The only person, who enjoyed my pregnancy more than me, was Abhimanyu. I could see it in his eyes, I could feel it in his actions, that he was Exhilarating. Ecstatic. Euphoric.
It was more of a tide and fall of emotions for me. Don't ask about the labor pain, I wanted to kill Abhimanyu for landing me in a situation where I had to bear it all. Since he was not allowed inside maternity ward, I couldn't help but scream only in pain.
Ten hours of pain and now, when I was looking at my baby, it all seemed to pay me off. I'd shifted in the private ward and Abhimanyu was still busy filling the papers. My baby was with his grandparents' who were not at all considering to hand him to me. Yes, my munchkin was a boy. My mom was sitting beside me while my dad had kissed my forehead and blessed me, with his teary eyes.
"He has completely taken after Abhimanyu." Mom boosted, "Same eyes, same nose, everything."
Is there anything that looks like me?
"No. He has lips like me. I am his aunt after all." Paridhi cooed him and I turned to my mom, "Where is Abhimanyu?"
"He was here. Oh...there he is." Mom said and following her lead, I gazed at the door. An extremely tired and tensed Abhimanyu stood there. Eye bags under his eyes told me that Mr. Sleeping Beauty didn't get his beauty sleep yet his brown eyes sparkling with glee and proud.
The world stopped for us, just like it had stopped three years ago, when we first went to date, or like the first time on the dolphin hill.
"Enough! Let him sleep." Mom said, softly to everyone and carefully placed my munchkin in his cradle, before turning to me, "Take rest. We'll leave now."
I smiled, tired and everyone shuffled out except Abhimanyu. I still hadn't seen my baby because I wanted Abhimanyu to be the one who see him and I wanted to live the moment which he kept prophesying since my last trimester. It was then things started to get much more real for us.
"Have you seen him yet?" I asked, softly as he sat near me, "Uhun...first let me look at you." He whispered, intently cupping my face, "You're so brave. I love you so much."
"I love you, too." I covered his hand with mine, "Go and bring him to me. I've not seen him yet."
He backed off, guarded, contemplative, scared making me frown.
"What?"
"I won't carry him. I-" his stammer triggered something inside me, mom's instincts maybe, I retorted, not giving a chance to complete, "Why? Is it because he is not a girl?"
Damn you, Abhimanyu!
"No...I..."
"I swear Abhimanyu, if this is your bloody reason. I am going to kill you and will make sure you never get to see him, to touch him." I finished, boiling up, "On second thoughts, I won't let you touch me even."
"Will you stop for once?" He pressed hand on my mouth, narrowing his eyes, "I am afraid I might hurt him. How can you think I won't love him? He's my baby, my blood. Of course, I love him."
My eyes softened at it, as he continued, "This is my first time. I've never taken a newborn in my arms."
"It's my first time as well. Now go and carry him." I pushed him, "Go. You won't hurt him. I trust you. He trusts you."
Taking minutes, he finally reached the cradle and looked at me nervously, I encouraged him nodding my chin and mustering courage, he finally picked up our baby.
"Put a hand below his neck." I instructed as he carefully trudged to me, sitting beside me, his eyes never leaving our baby's face.
I 'aww' at the moment as I saw him sleeping peacefully, Abhimanyu slowly passed him to more. I gulped at the tiny tangle of limbs.
"I can't believe we made him." Abhimanyu breathed out, beside me and I agreed, "Me too. He's so small." I touched his soft than feathers, hand. "And, so soft."
"I feel I will hurt him just by touching him." I confessed, my munchkin was so so soft and delicate. I tenderly kissed his forehead.
"He is so beautiful." Abhimanyu complimented, rubbing his thumb on his cheek and I leaned on his shoulder, "I agree. He has completely taken after you."
Wrapping an arm around me, Abhimanyu kissed my forehead, "Thank you. Thank you for giving me this happiness."
I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to cry at the moment, I have my family now. My sweet little family.
"Thank you for coming in my life, making me feel loved again, staying by my side, not giving up on me. I love you. I love you with all of me, baby." He murmured, hiding my face in his chest.
"I love you too, Abhimanyu. I love you more than anything." I confessed, kissing his chest. He was indeed the best thing happened to me.
The little soul must've felt ignorant, because as we were lost in each other. Munchkin started crying, his tiny tiny eyes dribbling big thick drops of tears. I thought I would panic but the person who panicked more than me was Abhimanyu.
Alert, he cradled him and started pacing, humming a tone, if I was correct, he said it was his first time with kids and he was hyperventilating. I smiled adoring them, the two men of my life I would do anything for. Even if takes my life. Before I know, I tasted the salt on my lips and that was when I realized, I am crying.
Happy tears, of course.
Abhimanyu smiled at me and shuffled to me, I was surprised for a moment. My baby was all clam up and was yawning adorably, his big brown eyes were same as that of Abhimanyu. I couldn't differentiate whether it was Abhimanyu's eyes staring at me.

"He recognizes my touch. That's the reason I didn't want you to spend your gestation period away from me." Abhimanyu revealed his secret and grinned at me. I pecked him softly, "I love you."
"I love you too. You both are my life but he is one step ahead. He has become my pride." He kissed Munchkin's forehead.
"What do you think, should we name him?" I asked, adoring my munchkin, "We can't call him munchkin for all the time." I giggled, softly.
Abhimanyu took his sweet time, fingering Munchkin's soft fingers and kissed them, "I think I know what to call him."
"What?"
"Ayansh. Ayansh Singh Chauhan."