M A D H A V       R A M A K R I S H N A

It was almost sunrise by the time the caesarian section was done and Shree was shifted to her private ward.

Shree had been changed into a pink hospital robe, and right now was sleeping peacefully.

He takes a sip of the masala tea he brought from the tea stall right outside the hospital. Shyaam and Sivaji were at Elysium with the police and the emergency team. They got rid of the dog and our watchman's corpse. Shiv fled from the house after Shree attacked him with a vase.

"I need to double the safety around my family." Madhav says to himself.

Anu and Yasho Ma are watching over Madhu, who's in the room nearby. Madhav was there with Shree and the twins. 

He keeps the glass of tea aside and walks towards the hospital crib in the ward. "Both the twins are small, swaddled in warm red blankets." He slowly and tenderly caresses each of their chubby pink cheeks and watched their little faces light up. The twins are a perfect replica of their beautiful mother he agrees.

"Hey my little ladies." He whisper softly. "Oh aren't you both the most loveliest and adorable babies ever? I know I turned my focus away from you both and your mother and look what happened? I promise, now I'm going to double my guard. It's not just two people - with you little angels it's four. Four people I need to protect from Shiv and all the other evil that's out there."

"That's cute." Shree murmurs as she opens her eyes.

"Chellam!" Madhav exclaims and runs to her. He sits on the edge of her bed and holds her hand.

"Hey!" She smiles softly.

"How are you feeling?"

"I can still feel the sting of the incision. I don't think I had such discomfort when Madhu was born. Of course giving birth to her was-"

Shree stops.

"Where's Madhu?" She asks panicked. "Where's my Madhu?"

"Relax. Relax. She's with Anu and Ma." Madhav ensured. "She's asleep. I told Anu to bring Madhu as soon as she wakes. Our kannamma is safe, chellam."

Shree sighs.

"And so are our little angels." Madhav whispers caressing her head.

"I want to hold them." Shree says. He pushes the little button by the bed and the top half of the bed angles upwards, until Shree was slightly sitting up. 

Madhav cautiously brings each of the twins to Shree. Tears fill Shree's eyes. Madhav carefully moves into the bed with her and rests his head on her shoulder. Shree smiles as she sees both the babies snuggle and wiggle on her bare bosom.

"They're so small," Madhav whispers, tears in his eyes. "Look at them both."

 He sniffs, leaning down to kiss his wife's forehead. 

"I'm so glad I didn't miss the twin's birth." Madhav whispers. "Hate how I wasn't there when Madhu was born."

"She was a very silent baby. No less than a little adorable angel." Shree whispers as she caresses the slight dusting of curly hair on the heads of both the babies. "I cried a lot when I first held her. Most of it was because I was sad that you weren't there."

"I know. It shouldn't have harbored such a grudge on you and ignored you that way! I'm glad I got this second chance with you. I'm glad I kept the promise of being there by your side when our baby arrives." 

"I was shattered, you know? Shattered when we got the news of that jet crash. I thought I lost you and my heart broke knowing you'll never see these beautiful babies we made. Thank god you found your way back to us!" Shree says looking at him.

"Hey, let's not dig the past anymore! I'm here with you and our newborns!" He whispers as he presses a kiss to her forehead. "And my love for you grew much deeper." 

"I love you, Madhav."

"I love you, Chellam." He says and looks down at the twins. She sees the tears trickling down his cheeks. "And I love you both."

"We need a name for them." Madhav says resting his face on her arm.

"I was thinking of naming one of them after your friend Anu." Shree says. 

"We can call this one Anushree." Madhav whispers as he caresses the baby on Shree's right who had a birthmark on the left arm.

"And I was thinking, should we name this one after that airhostess who saved you?" Shree suggests.

"Bhagya?" Madhav asks. "I think Bhagyashree will sound much better."

"Anu and Bhagya." Shree whispers. 

"What more can I say? I have experience naming babies. I named each of Sivaji's babies." Madhav smiles.

"I love the names." Shree whispers.

"And I love their beautiful mother." Madhav says kissing her cheek.

"Guys, look who woke up!" Yashoda says as she walks in holding Madhu's hand.

Madhav gets off the bed in a flash and runs towards Madhu. He swiftly carries her and holds her. Madhu wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on his chest.

Madhav closed his moist eyes as he hugged Madhu tightly. He ran his hand down her soft hair as he let a few tears cascade down his cheeks.

"Are you alright, kannamma?" He asks and Madhu nods.

"But that bad man hurt Mumma and killed Meow." Madhu says. "He hit me too. He's a very bad man!"

"Yes, Madhu." Madhav says. "He's very bad."

"He killed Meow, Nanna!" Madhu sobs. "He killed my bestest friend. Now who do I play with?"

"We'll get you a new Meow. And you have two little friends to play with your whole life." Madhav consoles her.

Madhu looks up at him.

"Do you want to meet the babies?" Madhav asks and carries her towards Shree.

"Mumma!" Madhu squeals as she snuggles besides Shree on the bed. "You okay, Mumma?"

Shree smiles and nods.

"How's my little brave bird?"

"I'm good. But poor Meow!" Madhu says.

"I know baby. We'll get you another Meow to play with." Shree says wrapping a firm arm around Madhu. "By the way, do you want to say hi to your little sisters?"

Madhu looks up and notices the two little beings snuggled on Shree's chest.

"They're so small and tinyyyy!" Madhu whispers.

"You were this size too when you were born." Shree says.

"And so pinky!" Madhu wonders as she touches their little heads. "And so softy!"

She leans closer and kisses each of their little heads.

"So I'm now akka?" Madhu asks looking up at Shree and Madhav.

"I guess you are, little one." Shree says. "Which means you have so many responsibilities."

"Resbonsivilities?" Madhu repeats.

"It means you have some things that you need to do going forward since your an older sister." Madhav says. "Remember what we spoke about few nights back?"

"Helping Mumma and you look after the babies. Being the best friend of the babies and their little guardian."

"That's my girl!" Madhav says proudly as he ruffles her hair.

"I want ice cream!" She says.

"Me too, Madhav." Shree says.

"Come, Madhu! I'll get you some ice cream from the canteen." Yashoda says and Madhu goes running towards her.

"Be safe, Madhu!" Madhav says very concerned as she walks out with Yashoda. Madhav quickly drops a text to someone.

"You sounded very concerned, Madhav." Shree says seriously. "Is it because- you know?"

"He escaped. Shiv is still on the loose!" Madhav says.

Shree goes pale and holds the babies tighter.

"Are-are-are you serious?" She asks panicking.

"Yes. But don't worry. The police are looking for him. We have a couple of police officers stationed around the hospital in disguise." Madhav comforts her. "He won't slip away this time. We got a shoot-at-sight for that maniac."

"But M-M-Madhav what if-what if-what if he-"

"I'm not going to let anyone come near you or my children. That's a promise." Madhav reassures and kisses her. "Why don't you get some more sleep and let me take care of our lovely little girls?"

Madhav carries both of them into his strong arms with ease and slowly settles them into their cot.

He goes back to Shree and helps her to button up her hospital gown.

"Comfy?" He asks as he adjusts the bed's angle.

Shree nods as Madhav covers her with the hospital blanket.

"But this blanket doesn't look comfy enough." Madhav critiques and rushes to get the blanket from the hospital bag that Anu prepped when she came to visit.

He smiles as he gets the blanket.

"Anything else?"

"Some water?" She asks.

Madhav nods. He notices a male nurse walk in wearing a surgical mask, holding a tray of medicine.

"Nurse, can we get some water?" He asks and the nurse nods. "Also are these the medication for Shree?"

The nurse nods.

"There you go!" Madhav says as he covers Shree with the blanket he just got. He caresses her bandaged hand as he looks into her eyes. "Trust me, I won't let Shiv or anyone come near our family again."

"I trust you, Madhav." She whispers holding his face tenderly. "Just how I've been trusting you all this time."

She smiles as he holds her face closer to his chest.

"I'll always trust that you will be there for our beautiful family." Shree smiles burying her faceon his chest. "To support us. To love us. To protect us. To cherish us."

"Always, Chellam." He says caressing her hair. "Do you want anything else?"

"No." She smiles looking up at him. "Just stay like this for some more time."

"I'd love to but you need to get some sleep, right?" He asks. "When you wake up again we can hug and kiss as much as we want to."

Shree nods as she lies down and closes her eyes.

Madhav kisses her forehead. As he walks towards the window he stops and turns towards the hosptial crib.

He freezes as he notices only one baby in the crib. Only Anushree - the baby with the birthmark on the arm was on the bed.

"W-w-where is Bhagya?"

"Sir, here's Mrs. Ramakrishna's medication." A nurse comes.

"Didn't someone just-"

"No sir. I just got these medicines from the dispensary and came." She says. "Is there a problem?"

"N-n-no?" He panics and takes the phone. "Stay here with my wife and baby. I'll ask my friend Sivaji to come over as well. Don't leave or let anyone else inside."

To be continued....

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