Spies & Spice (Completed)

Chapter 26

Hospital Ward:

A tired but proud Mini held the little baby girl in her arms as Ashwin looked on, with tears flowing freely along his cheeks.

"Hey Ashwin, I am the one who is supposed to cry in relief after going through such horrible labour, not you!" Mini chuckled as she admonished her overtly emotional husband. She shifted her daughter in one arm and stretched out the other towards Ashwin, who seemed clueless and overwhelmed.

Mini had been in labour for almost four hours before giving birth to a healthy baby girl and for the next three hours, all their relatives and friends swamped the hospital room with congratulations and joyful wishes. Thankfully they were all gone by then, and Mini's parents went out to the cafeteria, to ensure the tired but joyous parents get some precious privacy.

Ashwin took slow steps towards his wife and kissed her tenderly on her forehead as he mumbled "Thank you"

"Just thank you, nothing else?" Mini demanded.

Ashwin's face turned pale.

"I am so sorry Mini, I haven't been with you in the last stages of your pregnancy, the most crucial time. I felt terrible once your mother told me about how depressed you were, in spite of your parents best efforts to cheer you up. Luckily I was able to get away just in time, and be with you during the delivery. I have been a horrible husband, I know. But I will try to rectify that now, and definitely try to be a good father to this angel." He gently caressed the soft hair of his daughter who was sound asleep.

"Oh god, I just said something to tease you. Please stop feeling so guilty and sad, you are making me sad too. And this is not the time for such things. We should just enjoy this precious moments,  then go crazy with sleepless nights as we endlessly sanitise bottles and change diapers for Avni" Mini bumped her forehead with her husband's, as she tried hard to contain the wet sheen in her eyes.

"My parents must have done a lot of good Karma to get such an ideal woman as wife for their undeserving son.Trust me, if it was left to me to woo you and make in fall in love with me, I would have failed miserably." Ashwin wiped his tears off.

"Don't I know that Mr Rajan!! Now, come here and hold the baby!"

"Oh no...  please Mini. She looks so precious and delicate. What if I don't hold her properly and she gets hurt, I am too scared. And my hands are dirty too..." Ashwin stepped back.

An elderly male doctor arrived just then and began to check the patient chart of Mini, but Mini and Ashwin were so lost in their world, that they hardly noticed him.

"Ashwin don't be such a coward, you will hold her absolutely fine. And you have already washed your hands ten times in the past three hours, in anticipation. I know you much you want to hold her, you have been watching everyone else hold her with jealousy. Please don't let anything to stop you. It is the most wonderful thing, trust me." Mini nodded her head in assurance.

Ashwin picked up his daughter hesitantly, but the moment he saw her smile faintly in her sleep, all his fears and inhibitions were gone and he hugged her with all the love and warmth.

"Yeah, why are you being such a coward Ashwin? Babies, and especially daughters are the most precious people in the world!" The elderly doctor tilted his head to one side and mocked.

Ashwin looked at him, dumbfounded. He knew that voice, no matter what the disguise was!

"I am sorry! Where are my manners? Congratulations Ashwin and Mini. Sorry to disrupt your precious moment like this Mini, but I am Victor, Ashwin's colleague, but I have only limited time before someone catches me."