28. Eight Months Down
Rakshit drove towards the hospital, one hand steady on the steering wheel while the other rested casually on her hand. It was Shivika's appointment day, she was eight months pregnant now.
Beside him, Shivika kept stealing glances.
Something was different today. Since morning, he had been unusually happy… smiling nonstop. At first, she thought maybe he was just excited to hear their baby's heartbeat again, but now it felt like there was something more. And her curiosity only kept growing.
"Aksh…" she finally called softly.
"Hm?" Rakshit hummed, briefly glancing at her before looking back at the road.
"Why are you smiling so much today?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
He smiled again.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It is… but tell me the reason. I also want to know what's making you this happy," she said, her tone turning a little whiny.
Rakshit chuckled at her impatience.
Shivika's face lit up instantly, but then something clicked in her mind. Her expression changed.
"Who is your baby?" she asked, glaring at him suspiciously.
Rakshit glanced at her again, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
"You."
"Akshhh… I am not a baby," she whined, lightly hitting his arm.
His laughter filled the car.
"You are. My baby."
This time, Shivika didn't argue. Instead, she turned her face toward the window, pretending to look outside, just to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
Rakshit noticed.
Of course, he did.
His smile softened, growing deeper as he watched her. There was something about her like this, shy, flustered, his that made his heart feel fuller than ever.
And unknowingly, a faint redness appeared on his own cheeks too.
Rakshit gently knocked and then opened the doctor's cabin door as she permitted them to come in. Both of them walked inside and took their seats.
Shivika passed a soft smile to the doctor, who smiled back warmly.
"So, how are you feeling, Shivika?" the doctor asked kindly.
"Absolutely fine… and I can't wait to see the baby," Shivika replied, her voice filled with warmth as her hand instinctively rested on her belly.
Rakshit couldn't help but smile at her.
"As you've completed eight months and only four weeks remain, this check-up is going to be very important for both you and the baby," the doctor said softly.
Shivika nodded, while Rakshit quietly slipped his hand into hers, holding it gently as if assuring both her and himself that everything would be fine.
"Let's first get the scan and your weight done. Then we'll discuss the rest," the doctor added, standing up and placing her stethoscope on the table.
Rakshit immediately stood and helped Shivika get up, his movements careful and protective.
Leaning slightly closer to her, he whispered softly near her ear,
"Will you be comfortable? You're wearing a dress… they'll have to lift it for the scan."
Shivika smiled at his concern, her eyes softening.
"I'm wearing shorts underneath, so it's comfortable," she said lightly, then added in a lower, more meaningful tone,
"And if you're asking about your presence… then I'm more comfortable with you than I am with the doctor."
Rakshit smiled at her words, but the smile quickly faded into a small frown.
"You're not comfortable with the doctor?" he asked immediately, concern evident in his voice. "Should I change the doctor? Why didn't you tell me?"
Shivika just stared at him for a moment.
He gulped under her gaze.
"Come," she said, shaking her head slightly, "I think you're missing the baby so much that your mind has stopped working."
Before he could respond, she held his hand and pulled him gently toward the room, where the doctor was already waiting.
Shivika carefully lay down on the bed.
The doctor paused for a second before lifting her dress, silently asking for permission. Shivika gave a small nod.
The doctor lifted the fabric just enough and applied the cold gel on her stomach, making Shivika flinch slightly.
Meanwhile, Rakshit stood beside her, close to her face, his hand softly caressing her hair, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek.
His eyes didn't wander even once. Not to the screen. Not to anything else.
Just her.
Shivika looked up at him… and smiled.
He smiled back, his eyes softer than ever.
There was something different today, something deeper.
Maybe it was the realization that this could be the last time they would see their baby like this… on a screen…
Because next time-
Their baby would be in their arms.
"Look… you can see the baby properly."
The doctor's voice gently pulled them out of their silent world.
Shivika blinked and turned her gaze toward the screen, but even without looking at him, she could feel Rakshit's eyes still on her.
She slowly turned her head toward him.
Her voice was soft, yet it held something that reached straight to his heart.
And the moment her words registered in his mind, Rakshit finally shifted his gaze.
His eyes landed on the screen and his heartbeat instantly quickened.
It felt like everything inside him just… stopped… and started again.
Shivika's eyes brimmed with tears.
She couldn't believe it.
That tiny life…
That small, moving figure…
Was growing inside her.
"Baby is completely healthy… and also moving properly," the doctor said gently.
Tears slipped out of Shivika's eyes as she saw the baby move… tiny legs pushing, small movements that felt like the most beautiful miracle in the world.
Rakshit gasped softly.
His fingers tightened around her hand.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
This wasn't just a screen.
This was their baby.
He tightened his hold even more, and Shivika could feel it, his hand was trembling.
Her lips curved into a soft, emotional smile.
"Aksh…" she whispered, her voice shaking just a little, "our baby."
Rakshit looked down at her immediately.
His eyes were already moist.
He leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead.
"Our baby will be in our arms soon…" he whispered, his voice barely steady.
The doctor watched the moment quietly, a small smile forming on her lips as she gave them the space to feel everything.
"Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" the doctor asked softly, looking at both of them.
"Yes," both of them answered together, almost instantly.
For a second, they looked at each other… and smiled.
The doctor nodded and adjusted the machine.
That sound filled the room again.
Fast… steady… alive.
The baby's heartbeat.
Shivika's lips parted into a bright smile as her eyes slowly fluttered shut, as if she wanted to feel the sound, not just hear it.
"It feels so amazing to hear this…" she whispered, her voice full of wonder.
Her fingers instinctively tightened around Rakshit's hand, holding onto him like this moment was too precious to let go of.
But Rakshit, his entire focus was fixed on that sound.
His brows slowly furrowed.
Something felt… different.
His grip on her hand tightened unconsciously.
"Doctor… are you sure everything is fine?" he asked suddenly.
Shivika's eyes snapped open.
The doctor looked at him, confused.
"Yes… why? What happened?" she asked.
Rakshit didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed, his mind trying to process what he was feeling.
Silence fell.
Shivika's heart skipped a beat.
Her fingers tightened around his instantly as fear crept into her chest. She turned her head toward the doctor, her eyes already searching for reassurance.
But the doctor, she was just staring at Rakshit.
Without blinking.
For a moment, she didn't speak at all.
"Sir…" she finally said, almost in disbelief, "you are really something else."
Rakshit frowned immediately.
He wasn't interested in compliments.
Not right now.
"Doctor… answer first. Baby's okay, right?" he asked, his voice low but firm.
At the same time, his hand gently moved to Shivika's hair, stroking it softly, comforting her, even though his own heart was restless.
The doctor's expression softened.
"Yes, sir. Everything is perfectly fine," she said reassuringly.
Both of them visibly relaxed… even if just a little.
"The last time you heard the heartbeat, the baby's heart was still developing. With time, as the baby grows, the heartbeat becomes stronger… more prominent."
Relief washed over Shivika instantly.
Her shoulders relaxed.
A soft breath escaped her lips that she didn't even realize she had been holding.
Rakshit closed his eyes for a brief second, absorbing her words, letting the tension leave his body.
"We are doctors, sir… we know this," the doctor added with a small smile, "but we usually don't have to explain it to parents. There's no need. They are just happy hearing the heartbeat."
She paused, still looking at him with a hint of amazement.
"But here… you noticed it yourself. And I still can't believe it. How can you differentiate between heartbeats like that?"
Rakshit didn't reply immediately.
He didn't know what to say.
Because how could he explain something that he himself didn't understand?
It wasn't knowledge.
It wasn't logic.
It was just… a feeling.
Before he could even think of an answer, Shivika spoke.
Her eyes held pride… love… and something deeper.
Rakshit looked at her.
His eyes softened instantly.
All the tension, all the worry, it melted away in that one moment.
He leaned down slightly, closer to her, his lips near her ear.
A small shiver ran down Shivika's spine.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, a soft grin spreading across her face.
She lowered her gaze, trying to hide it… but failing.
After a while, doctor gently wiped the gel from Shivika's stomach and carefully pulled her dress down.
"Come, Shivika… now we will measure your weight," she said softly.
Shivika nodded.
Rakshit immediately helped her sit up and then stand, his hand firmly holding hers as if letting go wasn't even an option.
Even as she stepped onto the weighing machine, his grip didn't loosen.
The doctor noticed.
She cleared her throat lightly.