Chapter 31 #3
"Siya... I-I think your Mumma is right", Shaurya admitted nervously, clearly more afraid of his wife's anger than anything else.
"No... Dadda no", Siya cried again.
His heart clenched painfully hearing her cry. Then suddenly, an idea struck him.
"If my magical unicorn doesn't want it, then no... But I thought you would want it. Actually... this vaccine helps magical unicorns become even more powerful", Shaurya started dramatically.
Immediately, Siya stopped crying and gave him her complete attention the moment he started talking about unicorns and magical powers.
Shaurya instantly started weaving a detailed story around magical powers and how this special vaccine would help her become an even stronger magical unicorn, all while subtly signaling the assistants to continue with the vaccination.
Akansha quietly watched the hands-on Dad in front of her.
The way he involved Siya in such imaginative conversations was so natural that even she herself momentarily forgot everything around her.
Taking advantage of Siya's distraction, the assistant quickly administered the vaccine.
The moment the needle pierced her skin, Siya immediately burst into tears again after finally feeling the pain.
"Hogya... hogya meri jaan(it's done... it's done, my baby...)", Shaurya immediately consoled his daughter, who had started crying hysterically again.
The next second, he stood up and started pacing around the room while carrying her in his arms. He continuously rubbed her hair, kissed her cheeks, and tried distracting her from the pain.
He showed her every random thing around him... showpieces, artifacts, decorations... literally anything his eyes landed upon.
Meanwhile, Akansha sighed helplessly at the dramatic father-daughter duo before turning toward Dr. Rathi, who explained the possible side effects and medicines Siya might need afterward.
After thanking the doctor politely, Akansha noticed Dr. Rathi and her team preparing to leave.
"Please wait... I'll let Shaurya know", Akansha said politely.
Rathi nodded knowingly because she already had a fair idea that Shaurya probably wouldn't come there for anything in the world at that moment.
"Shaurya... Dr. Rathi is leaving", Akansha called out after spotting him nearby, completely engrossed in distracting Siya by showing her something hanging on the wall.
"Bye, Rathi...", Shaurya mouthed distractedly from there while waving his hand for barely a second before immediately focusing back on his daughter, whose crying had reduced into occasional sniffles by now.
"Shau-", Akansha started, but Rathi interrupted her with a smile.
"It's okay... Let's not disturb them", Rathi said warmly.
Then she handed her number to Akansha.
"By the way, this is my number. Call me if Siya develops fever or if her temperature doesn't come down despite the syrup I prescribed."
"Thank you so much... But I don't have this syrup right now. I have another one prescribed by Siya's pediatrician... ****** Can I give her that instead?", Akansha asked politely.
"Yes, you can. But the syrup I prescribed works more effectively in cases like this. And don't worry, Shaurya has already stocked up all the medicines, syrups, tonics, and essentials your daughter might need for the next few years."
Rathi laughed softly.
"For a moment, I genuinely thought he was planning to open a pharmacy inside his residence."
Akansha chuckled lightly at that. But internally, her heart warmed seeing just how deeply protective and caring Shaurya was toward his daughter.
Soon, Dr. Rathi and her team finally left.
Akansha walked back inside and paused after witnessing one of the most beautiful sights of her life.
Shaurya had lifted Siya high into the air while burying his face into her stomach repeatedly, making the little girl burst into uncontrollable giggles.
"Dadda... Hehehe, stop... stop...", Siya said between her uncontrollable giggles while trying to push her father's face away with her tiny palms.
"Okay, my unicorn... Your orders are accepted", Shaurya said dramatically before properly taking her into his arms.
Akansha walked toward them and kissed her daughter's head softly.
"Is it still hurting, Siya?", Akansha asked while ruffling her daughter's hair gently.
"No, Mumma... Dadda gave magical kissie and pain gaab(gayab/disappeared)", Siya replied proudly, making both her parents laugh.
"Good. And by the way, it's 'Gayab'", Akansha corrected lovingly before kissing her daughter's head again.
Shaurya knew his daughter was still hurting a little. He could clearly notice the redness and slight swelling around the injection site. So to distract her completely, he spread all her favorite toys and games across the bed before sitting down to play with her.
After some time, Siya slowly drifted off to sleep.
Shaurya asked Akansha to have dinner with him, but she informed him she had already eaten earlier. Still, she offered to sit beside him while he ate, which pleasantly surprised him.
Shaurya had his dinner inside the bedroom itself because he didn't want to leave his daughter alone even for a minute.
Just like the afternoon, he ate light food again, though this time the quantity was more than before, his wife's mere presence still made everything easier and more bearable for him.
Meanwhile, Akansha lay down beside Siya while continuously checking if her daughter was alright.
"You look tired. Go to sleep... I'll look after her", Shaurya offered softly.
"That's okay... I'm fine. I'll look after her", Akansha replied immediately.
"Akansha, I insist. Go to sleep. I'll take care of her. Trust me, I'll wake you up if I can't handle anything", he assured gently.
Akansha fell into deep thought. She had absolutely no doubt about his sincerity or capability.
He would take excellent care of his daughter.
But at the same time, he still didn't know enough about Siya's symptoms and reactions.
Moreover, even he himself wasn't completely fine to stay awake the whole night.
"Anyway... I won't sleep tonight. I've kind of become an insomniac, so don't worry, my sleep cycle won't get affected. And regarding Siya... yeah, I'll need your guidance there", he added softly, as if he had read every thought in her mind.
Akansha looked genuinely surprised at how accurately he understood her concerns simply by reading her expression.
"Just keep checking her temperature. Even if the thermometer doesn't show much fever, touch the top of her head.
.. the crown area. If it feels unusually warm, give her the medicine immediately.
Before her body temperature rises, her head starts heating up first..
. that's one of her symptoms", Akansha explained carefully.
Shaurya listened attentively and nodded seriously. Then Akansha checked Siya's head once herself.
"For now it's normal... but the fever might rise around midnight", she added quietly.
"I'll keep checking her. Don't worry... I'll take care of her", Shaurya assured softly.
Akansha finally nodded before slowly shutting her eyes, one of her palms resting protectively over Siya's tiny hand.
Truthfully, she didn't want to sleep. But for the first time in years, she had someone beside her whom she trusted completely with her daughter. Someone for whom Siya was equally precious and lovable.
For once, she could finally let herself rest instead of constantly sacrificing her physical and mental health for her daughter's responsibilities. Surprisingly, she didn't feel uncomfortable around Shaurya at all. Technically, she should have.
In fact, she shouldn't have felt so peaceful sharing the same room with him... let alone the same bed. But instead of discomfort, all she felt was calmness and familiarity... as if somewhere deep inside, she still considered him her husband.
Immediately, Akansha pushed all those thoughts away. Soon, exhaustion overtook her completely and she drifted into deep sleep. Meanwhile, throughout the night, Shaurya kept checking Siya repeatedly. The moment he felt the crown of her head warming up, he immediately gave her the medicine.
But Siya was a light sleeper, exactly like him, so she woke up from the slight movement itself.
"Mumma...", she whined sleepily.
"Sorry, sorry... Just have this and then you can sleep again, baby", Shaurya whispered softly.
"Dadda... no...", Siya whined stubbornly.
Still, Shaurya somehow convinced her to take the medicine.
Unfortunately, after that she couldn't fall asleep again because her head had started hurting due to the rising fever.
"Dadda... daddd(Dard/Pain)", Siya complained sadly while holding her head with both tiny palms.
"No worries... Dadda will press it gently and you'll feel fine soon, okay?", Shaurya assured softly while ruffling her hair and gently massaging her head, arms, and legs.
Siya slowly relaxed under her father's comforting touch and reassurance. An hour later, Siya called him again softly.
"Dadda..."
"Yes, bacha?", Shaurya responded instantly.
"I'm fine now... Your hands paining na?(Your hands must be hurting, right?)", she asked worriedly while holding the same hands that had been continuously massaging her.
Shaurya smiled emotionally at his daughter's concern.
"No, Siya... I'm perfectly alright. It's my Siya who's unwell. No problem... Dadda will make his Siya fine using magic", he said before kissing her forehead softly.
"Now try sleeping again... You'll be completely fine by morning", he added gently.
Then he applied baby Vicks to help her feel more comfortable, and thankfully it helped Siya sleep peacefully for a while.
But even after she slept, Shaurya continued gently massaging her throughout the night. And eventually, his efforts worked. By morning, Siya felt significantly better.
"How is my unicorn feeling now?", Shaurya asked the moment she properly woke up.
"Dadda's magic worked... Yayyy!", Siya squealed excitedly before jumping straight into his arms and kissing his cheek repeatedly.