Chapter 29 Aaransh
Rain poured heavily outside the Rathore mansion that night.
Thunder echoed across the dark sky while soft yellow lamps glowed inside the bedroom.
Aarohi Mehra slept peacefully against Ekansh Rathore's chest, one of his arms wrapped protectively around her large pregnant form.
Eight months and three weeks.
The doctors had already warned them the baby could come anytime now.
Which meant Ekansh had been functioning under permanent anxiety for the past month.
Every tiny discomfort became emergency-level concern.
"Aarohi, are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Baby moved less today."
"He literally kicked you thirty minutes ago."
"What if it was weak kick?"
"Ekansh."
"Okay."
He had packed hospital bags himself three times.
Rechecked them daily.
Forced doctors into speed-dial access.
Threatened traffic police indirectly to keep emergency routes clear.
Vivaan called it "Mafia Fatherhood Syndrome."
At around 2:13 AM
Aarohi suddenly stiffened.
Ekansh immediately woke.
"What happened?"
Aarohi blinked sleepily.
Then suddenly her expression changed.
"...Ekansh."
Instant panic activated.
"What? Pain? Breathing? Baby?"
Aarohi looked down slowly.
Then whispered
"My water broke."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ekansh stared at her.
She stared back.
Then
"VIVAAN! Bring the car!"
The scream echoed through the entire mansion.
Chaos exploded instantly.
Twenty minutes later, the convoy of black cars sped through Jaipur roads dangerously fast.
Inside the backseat, Aarohi gripped Ekansh's hand tightly while contractions tore through her body.
Pain radiated violently through her stomach again.
She gasped sharply.
Ekansh looked seconds away from collapse himself.
"Breathe."
"I KNOW HOW TO brEATHE," she snapped before crying out again.
"Okay okay okay."
He looked absolutely terrified now.
Vivaan from front seat whispered to driver
"I've seen this man in shootouts calmer than this."
Another contraction hit.
Aarohi bent forward painfully.
Ekansh immediately held her carefully.
"I'm here."
Tears filled her eyes from pain.
"Hurts."
That one broken word nearly destroyed him.
Because Ekansh Rathore could fight bullets.
He could kill enemies.
He could burn cities.
But watching his wife suffer while being unable to stop it?
Unbearable.
He kissed her forehead repeatedly.
"Just little more."
"I hate you," Aarohi whimpered weakly.
Vivaan silently looked out the window to hide laughter.
Ekansh looked genuinely emotional.
"...Fair."
The hospital staff was already waiting when they arrived.
Within seconds Aarohi was rushed toward labor and delivery while Ekansh refused to leave her side.
"Sir, only one person..."
"I'm staying."
Nobody argued further.
Because the look in his eyes promised destruction otherwise.
Labor lasted hours.
Long.
Exhausting.
Brutal.
By morning sunlight, Aarohi was trembling from pain and exhaustion.
Sweat clung to her skin while contractions grew worse.
Ekansh remained beside her the entire time holding her hand tightly.
Every scream from her physically hurt him.
At one point Aarohi nearly crushed his fingers during a contraction.
He didn't even react.
"Ekansh..."
"I'm here."
"I can't do this."
His heart shattered instantly.
"Yes you can."
"I'm tired."
Tears slipped down her face weakly.
And suddenly
Ekansh's own eyes burned too.
Because she looked so exhausted.
So vulnerable.
He kissed her trembling hands repeatedly.
"Listen to me."
Aarohi looked at him weakly.
"You survived bullets."
Another contraction wrecked through her.
"You survived me."
A tiny broken laugh escaped her through pain.
Ekansh gently pressed his forehead against hers.
"You can survive this too."
Hours later
the doctor finally announced
"One final push!"
Aarohi screamed in pain as her body strained again.
Ekansh held her desperately.
"You're doing amazing."
"I WILL KILL YOU AFTER THIS!"
"Accepted!"
Another push.
Another scream.
Then suddenly
A sharp newborn cry echoed through the room.
Everything stopped.
The sound filled the air beautifully.
Tiny.
Fragile.
Alive.
Their baby.
A baby boy.
For one second Ekansh completely froze.
The doctor smiled softly while lifting the crying infant carefully.
"Congratulations."
But before Aarohi could even react properly
her exhausted body finally gave out.
And she fainted.
"AAROHI!"
Instant panic again.
Doctors quickly reassured him.
"She's exhausted, sir. This is normal."
But Ekansh still looked terrified while nurses cleaned the baby nearby.
His eyes darted helplessly between unconscious Aarohi and the tiny crying infant.
Like his heart physically split into two people now.
The nurse finally approached carefully holding the newborn.
"Would you like to hold your son?"
Son.
The word hit differently.
Ekansh stared silently for a moment before extending his arms almost nervously.
The baby was placed gently against him.
Tiny.
Warm.
Perfect.
And suddenly
the feared mafia lord looked utterly defenseless emotionally.
The baby immediately quieted slightly against his chest.
Ekansh stared down at the tiny face in complete disbelief.
"My son."
His voice cracked softly.
The baby's tiny fingers wrapped unconsciously around one of his.
And that destroyed him completely.
Because nobody had ever held onto him without fear before.
A tear slipped down his face quietly.
"You're so small."
Vivaan, who had secretly entered halfway through, nearly started crying himself.
"Oh my God, boss became father."
Ekansh ignored him completely.
Still staring at the baby like he was sacred.
Then softly
"You'll never feel unwanted."
The quiet promise nearly broke the room emotionally.
A few hours later, Aarohi slowly regained consciousness inside the VIP recovery suite.
Her body felt heavy and exhausted.
But the moment her eyes fluttered open
she heard a soft familiar voice nearby.
"She's awake."
Aarohi turned weakly.
And immediately smiled.
Because Ekansh sat beside her bed holding the world's tiniest baby unbelievably carefully.
His expression softened instantly seeing her awake.
"Hi."
Aarohi's eyes filled with tears immediately.
"Our baby?"
Ekansh stood and carefully brought the baby closer.
Then slowly placed the tiny bundle into her arms.
The moment Aarohi saw her son properly
something inside her melted completely.
Tiny nose.
Tiny fingers.
Ekansh's eyes.
Her lips.
Perfect.
"Our son," she whispered emotionally.
The baby shifted softly against her chest.
Ekansh sat beside her immediately, one arm around both mother and child protectively.
For several minutes neither spoke.
Just stared.
Because somehow this tiny human belonged to them.
Created from love.
From survival.
From healing.
Finally Aarohi looked toward Ekansh softly.
"You're crying again."
"I'm not."
"There are literal tears."
"Hospital lighting."
A weak laugh escaped her.
Then softly
"What should we name him?"
Ekansh looked down at the baby thoughtfully.
Then toward Aarohi.
"You choose."
Aarohi smiled faintly.
"No. Together."
Silence settled warmly between them.
Then suddenly Aarohi whispered
"Aaransh?"
Ekansh looked at her.
"Aar from Aarohi."
"And ansh from Ekansh," she completed softly.
A small smile appeared on his face instantly.
"Aaransh Rathore Mehra."
The name felt right immediately.
Whole.
Their son shifted softly again as if approving personally.
Ekansh gently kissed Aarohi's forehead.
Then leaned down and kissed tiny Aaransh's head too.
"My family," he whispered quietly.
And for the first time in his life
Ekansh Rathore truly understood peace.
The following days became soft chaos.
Ekansh completely transformed into impossible husband-father combination.
Nobody else was trusted with Aaransh properly.
"Support his neck carefully."
"Boss, I know babies."
"No you don't."
Vivaan looked offended.
"You learned parenting from YouTube."
"And I mastered it."
At night, Aarohi often woke to find Ekansh staring at their sleeping son emotionally.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking breathing."
"Again?"
"He's tiny."
"You've checked twelve times."
"Still tiny."
Aarohi laughed softly every single time.
One evening she watched silently while Ekansh fed Aaransh carefully after Aarohi finished nursing.
The giant feared mafia lord looked absurdly gentle holding a baby bottle.
And somehow
it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Ekansh looked up suddenly noticing her watching.
"What?"
"You're beautiful like this."
He blinked slowly.
Then immediately became emotional again because apparently fatherhood destroyed all remaining emotional stability permanently.
Later that night while Aaransh slept peacefully between them in the hospital crib, Aarohi rested against Ekansh's shoulder quietly.
"You know," she whispered softly, "I used to think you were terrifying."
"I am terrifying."
"You cried holding our baby."
Silence.
"That information was private."
Aarohi laughed softly.
Then gently kissed his cheek.
Ekansh looked toward his sleeping wife and son afterward.
The two people who turned a monster into a man.
And quietly
while holding both their hands
he thanked fate for not letting him lose them.