TIME SKIP

It was the middle of the night.

The entire Bhardvaj haveli was wrapped in silence when suddenly—

"AAAHHH—!"

Savitri's cry broke through the quiet.

She gripped the bedsheet as another painful contraction came, her breathing turning unsteady.

Raghuvir jolted awake.

"Savitri... Savitri!"

He immediately turned toward her, fear flashing across his face.

"Aamaaa...!"

He looked toward the door, panic rising in his voice.

"Aaamaaaaa!"

He tightly held Savitri's hand, his own hands trembling.

"Kahaan hai sab? Aamaaa... koi hai?!"

His eyes were wide with fear as he looked at his wife.

For the first time that night, the man who always joked about everything had nothing left to say.

Only fear.

Fear for Savitri.

And fear for the little life they had been waiting for.

"Bahuuu...!"

Aama came rushing into the room, her hurried footsteps echoing through the quiet haveli.

She reached the bedside and immediately looked at Savitri.

"Arey... Raghu! Baitha kya hai? Ja, Daai Maa ko bula ke aa. Ja—jaldi!"

But Raghuvir didn't move.

He was still sitting beside Savitri, holding her hand tightly in his own.

His eyes were fixed on her.

He couldn't take his eyes off her.

The same woman who was always cheerful... always laughing... always making him laugh over the smallest things.

His beautiful, childish Savitri—

the one who never seemed to run out of smiles—

was crying today.

And Raghuvir had never seen her like this before.

His heart sank.

"Savitri..."

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

Aama looked at him again.

"Raghu!"

That finally snapped him out of his shock.

He quickly got up.

"Ji... ji, Aama."

And without wasting another moment, he rushed out to call the Daai Maa.
His eyes filled tears, and he quickly blinked, trying to hold himself together

After some time, Daai Maa finally arrived.

The moment she entered the room, the doors were closed.

From inside came Savitri's cries, echoing through the haveli.

Raghuvir sat on the floor outside the room, his back against the wall, his eyes wide with fear.

He had never imagined this.

He had never known what it would feel like to sit helplessly outside a closed door while the woman he loved was going through something he couldn't take away from her.

Every cry made his heart tighten.

He looked toward Aama.

She was sitting quietly on the couch, her fingers moving over her rosary as she prayed under her breath.

Raghuvir swallowed hard.

His eyes grew wet again.

"Aama..."

His voice came out as barely a whisper.

Aama looked up at him.

Aama quietly motioned for him to come to her.

Raghuvir weakly pushed himself up from the floor and walked toward her, his steps unsteady.

The moment he reached her, his composure broke.

"Aama... a-ab aur nahi suna ja raha mujhse..."

His voice trembled.

Aama immediately pulled him into her arms, holding him close and gently rubbing his back.

"Bas, Raghu... bas."

She continued comforting him, her hand moving slowly over his back.

"Sab thik hoga, beta. Tu ghabra mat."

Raghuvir buried his face against Aama's shoulder, quietly sobbing.

"Aama..."

His voice broke.

"Aaj pehli baar meri Savitri ro-ro rahi hai, Aama... aaj tak maine aisa kuch nahi hone diya..."

His shoulders trembled as he tried to hold back his tears.

"Aama, v-vo ye sab... kaise kar rahi hogi... kaise seh rahi hogi..."

Aama held him tighter, gently rubbing his back.

"Shhh... chup ho ja. Meri bahu hai woh. Kuch nahi hoga."

Suddenly—

Savitri's cry rang through the entire haveli, louder than before.

Raghuvir froze.

And then—

A tiny, piercing cry filled the air.

A baby's cry.

For a moment, everything went completely still.

Raghuvir slowly lifted his tearful face from Aama's shoulder.

His eyes widened.

Aama's rosary stopped between her fingers.

Neither of them said a word.

They simply listened to that little cry coming from behind the closed door.

Raghuvir's whole body trembled.

"N-nahi... nahi, Aama..."

He pulled away slightly, his tear-filled eyes fixed on the closed door.

"Aama... Aama... meri Savitri..."

His voice broke as fresh tears slipped down his cheeks.

The door suddenly opened.

Daai Maa stepped out, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"Badhai ho, beta... beta hua hai!"

Raghuvir froze.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, as if the words hadn't reached him yet.

"Aama..."

His lips trembled into a disbelieving smile.

"Aama... beta..."

Aama's eyes filled with tears as she smiled at him.

"Raghu... tera beta hua hai."

Raghuvir let out a shaky breath, covering his face for a moment as tears of relief slipped down his cheeks.

Raghuvir immediately turned toward the room.

"Savitri..."

He hurried forward, trying to rush inside, but stopped himself at the doorway.

Raghuvir stopped at the doorway, his eyes still wet.

"D-Daai Maa... S-Savitri...?"

His voice trembled with worry.

"Vo kaisi hai?"

Daai Maa smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Arre, beta... ghabra mat. Bahu bilkul thik hai. Bas thak gayi hai."

Raghuvir finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Sach...?"

Daai Maa nodded.

"Haan, bilkul. Ja, dekh le apni Savitri ko."

Raghuvir didn't wait another second.

He stepped inside.

Raghuvir stepped into the room.

Savitri lay quietly on the bed, completely exhausted. Her face was flushed, her eyes swollen from crying, and her lips were dry.

For a moment, Raghuvir simply stood there, looking at her.

His eyes filled again.

"Savitri..."

He slowly walked toward her bedside.

Raghuvir sat carefully beside her and reached for her hand.

"Savitri..."

Savitri slowly opened her eyes. She looked exhausted, but the moment she saw him, a faint smile appeared on her face.

"ji aap..."

Raghuvir tightened his hold on her hand, his voice still trembling.

"Main... main bahut darr gaya tha."

Savitri gave him the smallest smile.

"Aap bhi na..."

Her voice was weak.

Raghuvir gently brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.

"Tumhe itna dard ho raha tha... aur main kuch nahi kar paaya."

Savitri quietly looked at him.

"Par aap yahin toh the..."

That was enough to make Raghuvir's eyes fill with tears again.

Raghuvir's eyes softened as he looked at her.

"D-dekh... hamara beta aa gaya..."

Savitri smiled weakly.

"Maine abhi tak nahi dekha..."

She glanced toward the little bundle beside her.

"Pehle aap dekho."

Raghuvir gave her a small, teary smile.

"Saath mein dekhte hain... ruk, dikhaata hoon. Hil mat.. tujhe dard hoga ..." 

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