_Ranjish_

~Chapter 21~

~Present~

~Next day~

The sun rays penetrated through the windows.
Aadheesh was sleeping hugging Rishita's waist, his head on her lap. While, Rishita sleeping with her head against the wall.
The sunrays disturbed both of their sleep. Rishita was the first one to open her eyes. Aadheesh followed. They both had a brief eye contact.
The yester nights events flashed through both of their eyes.
Aadheesh softly got out of Rishita's hold. He stretched himself. While Rishita too stretched  herself. Her neck had stiffened a bit due to the position that she slept in. A hiss left her mouth.
Aadheesh saw it.
Rishita saw, how Aadheesh's eyes were still red and had swelled as well due to all the crying.
She did feel a pang in her heart.

Frankly, Aadheesh himself didn't knew if he was angry or sad. He was feeling it all together, along with the feeling of having a daughter, a little replica of his own. Rishita got up, as she walked to check on to Ira.
She layed her hand on her sweetheart's forehead, only to panic, as Aadhira was burning with fever.
"Ira, baccha! ", she called out.
Aadheesh was quick to go to them both.
" Dheesh, she is burning with fever. God!! I should have.. Why did I even sleep.. Ira baccha!!", Rishita was on the verge of crying.
Ever since her return Aadheesh had not seen her this vulnerable that she was now.
He too checked on to Ira. She actually did have fever.
"Where's the thermometer? Call on to the Dr.! ", he said.
Rishita nodded as she quickly reached out to her phone after she had pointed to the direction that the medical equipments layed.
Aadheesh picked out the thermometer and checked on to Aadhira.
Meanwhile, Rishita called on to the doctor.
" It's 101°F! ", Aadheesh said as he softly ran his hand over his daughter's forehead.
" Kanhaji! Please! Please! Please! Ira ko thik kijiye! Please! ", he heard Rishita on the verge on breaking down.
" Tara, calm down! Calm down! Our baby needs us right now, naah? ", he hugged Rishita softly as they both sat beside Aadhira's bed.
" Dheesh!! Why her! She must be in so much pain! My.. ", Rishita broke down.

The fierce women's only weakness was her daughter's pain. Rishita couldn't see her sweetheart even in an ounce of pain.

" Calm down.. Tara.. Please! Aacha! Do one thing, get a cotton cloth, I'll get a tub of cold water. Ira will be alright okay! ", he softly said. Rishita nodded. Both of them went to get the respective items.

Long gone were their fights and anger. At that moment, they were just each other's Dheesh and Tara.
Nothing mattered.
They were ready to go to any extent for their daughter.

Both Aadheesh and Rishita returned back quickly, settling beside the bed, Aadheesh began soaking the cloth with the cold water and placing it over Aadhira's forehead.
Rishita sat beside him. Tears made their way down her eyes as she saw her daughter opening her eyes with difficulty.
"Mumma.. ", Aadhira said faintly.
" Yes! Yes! Baacha! Mumma is here only. My baby! ", Rishita cried.
Aadheesh pulled Rishita into his embrace lightly as he continued saying soft nothings to both the mother-daughter duo, while continuing with the work that he was doing.
While he was applying the ice cold water dipped clothe on Ira's forehead, with the other hand he was massaging Rishita's neck, remembering very well, that she had stiffened her neck due to the uncomfortable position that they slept in.

After a while, he again checked on Aadhira, her fever had subdued a bit. " Baba.. ", Aadhira called out to her father as she tried getting up from the bed.
" Yes baccha! Baba is here only. ", he said, as he again soaked the cloth.
" Baba, no! ", Ira tried stopping him, but Aadheesh requested, " Thoda sa baccha! My baby needs to get well soon na! "
"Baba, hug! "
"Yes baby! ", he hugged his daughter lightly and then again coaxed her as he continued applying the plates.
By then the doctor came. He checked on to Aadhira.
Prescribing few antipyretics, he said that the fever was normal, and not something much to worry about.