I walked out the NICU, having given the Azaan in baby's ear. Taking the elevators to the fifth floor, I jogged up the stairs leading to the maternity ward, hoping to see a smile on anyone's face.

My Kainaat had to be okay.

She will pull through.

I barged inside the waiting room, looking at everyone with anticipation as I announced, "I met the baby."

"Her baby." Husna breathed out, her eyes red, Inaya squeezed her hand, giving me smile.

They were all here, right outside her room. Her parents huddled in a corner, while my dad worked with the hospital's paperwork. Fariyal and Sahar Bhabi werre at home with the kids and Dadi, while Sami, Khalifa, Husna and Inaya stood in another corner, consoling Husna.

None of them looked okay.

She will be fine, I wanted to say. But my words died down as a gulp formed in my throat. The image of her when I last saw her haunted my mind, and I let out a breath, feeling my lungs clog up as I thought of her condition now.

"She needs oxygen!"

"Her pulse is dropping, get us ready for the emergency surgery, now!"

"Doctor, she isn't responding, she isn't moving!"

The voices echoed in my head, and I closed my eyes. I could not breakdown so easily. My wife was strong, she would never, ever let go so easily.

Kainaat would fight. She will.

She had to.

***

Two Months Later.

I clutched the bouquet of peonies in my hand, the brown paper wrapped around it making a small ruffling sound at the action, the trees around me had grown a bit since the last time I came here and the birds flew higher today, away from the direction I was walking in.

The greenery seemed to have increased, flowers bloomed here and there, and somehow the place, although it shouldn't be, seemed brighter. Maybe because she was here.

I looked around me, inhaling deeply. The moment was finally here.

As soon as I stepped on the first step of the stairs on the front porch, the door slammed open,

"Baba!"

Muskaan came running out, her arms wide open, and I hurried to pick her up, spinning her around in my arms before kissing her cheek,

"Salaam Princess!"

"Wassalam Baba, look what I got!"

I laughed at the struggle she had to say Walikumassalam, before looking down at what she held in her hands- a small, tiny white sock.

I looked back at her with a questioning expression and she gave me a very mischievous, naughty grin before whispering,

"It's the baby's. I stole it. Everyone's searching for it."

I laughed out loud and she shrieked out a laughter when Fariyal came into view, walking towards us,

"I swear, she's so much like Kainaat that it's scary. And you," she turned to me, "you're an hour early, go away!"

I narrowed my eyes, "You guys are taking way too long. What's going on?"

Fariyal rolled her eyes, just as she caught Muskaan's hand in her own and took the sock from her, "We're getting everyone ready, and the kids are just making it difficult and- STAY WHERE YOU ARE you're not allowed to get in just yet Zaidaan!"

I let out a laugh at how hurriedly she completed the sentence, and stepped back down, "Fine, fine, fine. Whatever, I'm giving everyone half an hour more and then I'm walking in, I don't care."

Fariyal huffed at me, "Ugh, can you atleast tell me the name now? I'm tired of calling the baby as 'the baby', it's unfair that Husna knows!"

I shrugged, "Ask your sister, Husna only knows because someone had to do all the decor and stuff."

Giving me a frustrated look, she walked back inside, Muskaan on her toe, and I shook my head, walking back to my car and sitting inside. Exactly half an hour later, when I got no call from anyone, I quietly stepped inside.

Waah, kya din aagaye, I thought to myself, I have to get inside my own home like a thief.

I peeked through the front door, making sure the coast was clear. I knew Fariyal had probably announced that I might walk in, but I guess they wouldn't expect me to sneak in. I quickly ducked behind the stairs when I noticed Inaya briskly moving in the Kitchen, instructing the cooks and whatnot. I shook my head, before sprinting up the stairs, making sure the coast was clear. Turning to my left, I leaned against the door, trying to hear if someone was inside the room. When I heard silence, I turned the knob and stepped inside, briskly closing the door behind me.

The dimly lit room around me smelled of roses and scented candles, and I took a step ahead searching for the side lamp as I didn't wanna turn on the light.

I was just about to do so, when I heard a voice beside me say, "Seriously Zaid?"

I stilled for a moment, smiling to myself, "You left me no other option, darling."

I turned around to find her looking right back at me, arms folded, a small, lingering smile on her face. I pursed my lips as I took the sight of her in, my eyes finding their peace when she let her smile bloom across her face. She flipped her hair back, and took a step ahead,

"How do I look?" I heard her say.

She let the drape of her white sari flow down, fidgeting with her rings. I gulped down the knot in my throat, overcome by emotions for no apparent reason except the fact that she was standing right in front of me, stronger than ever.

"Kainaat," She dropped her hands to the side, and I covered the distance between us, taking them in my own. I kissed the back of both her hands, leaning my forehead against her,

"You're gorgeous." She chuckled at my response,

"You don't look bad yourself."

I raised my eyebrows, "That's it? No 'my husband is the most handsome man walking on earth' or 'you're so hot, Zaid'?"

She leaned away and rolled her eyes, "Okay, you look really handsome, ma sh Allah, let me go and go away before the girls see you sneaking in like this."

I pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Don't you think I deserve a bit more for meeting you after two whole days?"

I watched as she squirmed under my gaze, her cheeks tinging noticeably pink even in this dimly lit room as she bit her lip. My thumb traced the side of her lips, falling to her chin when she let out a breath, inching her face closer,

"I missed you,"

She smiled, "I love you."

I leaned down, my hands brushing against the bare skin of her waist on purpose, and our lips almost brushe-

"Bhabhi, do you need extra pins- OW OKAY, what is happening here?!"

I groaned and moved two steps back as Inaya stood in the door frame, a hand covering her eyes,

"Astaghfirullah!"

I glared at her as she said that, "We're married, get over it."

She chuckled before meeting my gaze as my ears heated up, "Husna will kill you if she sees you here."

I rubbed the back of my neck, "umm, well, about that..."

Sheepishly smiling, I moved to the side to let her in and she turned the lights on, shaking her head as she walked to Kainaat.

Today was our housewarming, a month after Kainaat had come home from the hospital with our baby. And since it needed to be furnished and completely set up, I had taken up Husna, Inaya and Fariyal's help to set everything up in a week's time, but more specifically perfecting the house to Kainaat's choice in the past two days. And today, as soon as we had prayed Fajr, the girls kicked me out of my own home to 'prepare everything for the party'.

It was also our baby's 'name reveal'. Since we didn't have any gender reveal or a proper baby shower, we'd decided to keep the name a mystery with only me and Kainaat, and Husna for planning purposes, knowing the name of the baby. It annoyed the heck out of literally everyone, and it was fun to watch them all call the baby as 'the baby' everytime they wanted to talk.

How we managed to not let it slip for two months? No one knew, but I was quiet proud of it.

It took Kainaat a whole month to get back and finally be healthy enough to sit up on her own, and another week for the baby to be healthy enough to be shifted out of the NICU. Those nearly 40 days were the worst of the worst, for all of us, more specifically for Kainaat with all the medications and pain relievers, surgery, IV's and the emotional rollercoaster.

A few hours later we all sat down, the elders on the sofa and everyone else scattered about the living room which was adorned in white and blue fairylights, the cake and desserts spread out on a table and kids roaming all around it, impatient to dig in. Mehek sat on my lap, happily nibbling on her her chocolate as Husna tried getting everyone's attention,

"Okay, Okay listen to me please. Sahifa, gather the kids please jaanam. Now, here's how the game goes..."

Basically, everyone got one cake pop, and inside them were tiny little cubes with one letter of the baby's name. Once all the letters were out, anyone who guessed it in the first go would be the winner.

"What does the winner get?"

At Sami's question, I piped in, "Whoever wins can pay for the diapers and endless baby necessities."

A wave of laughter went around before Husna said, "There's no gift, you just know you'll be good at scrabble."

As Khalifa bit into his cake pop, and shook his head as it was empty, Mehek leaped out of my arms and ran to where Sahil and Afra were seated. I glanced down at the baby peacefully laying in Kainaat's arms, surprisingly awake and my mind instantly went back to the first meeting I had after the birth.

I walked down the empty hallways, my steps slowing down as the distance lessened. The white tiles beneath shone in the bright lights, the heels of my shoe making a small ticking sound as I walked down a path meant to be walked by two.

I turned to my left and stood outside the glass doors, counting my breath, inhaling deeply. Pushing them open, I walked inside. The lights were lit and silence encompassed me, the intensive care unit almost empty. And then, at the end of the room, lay the glass cubicle with the most beautiful baby inside.

My baby.

Mine and Kainaat's baby.

The NICU was dimly lit as I stared down at the baby resting inside the incubator, quiet and motionless, the only sign of life being his tiny chest moving up and down and the oxygen attached to his small face with all sorts of tubes attached to his small fragile arms. The white cloth around his eyes made it difficult for me to make out his nose, but of what I'd heard from my mom and Inaya, he had my face, that may or may not be the case because then again, it was my mom who said that.

All I could do while standing there was stare down, at the miracle resting in front of me.

"Mr. Farooq?"

I turned to Dr. Samra, as she gave me a tight-lipped, difficult smile,

"Please," she motioned with her hand for me to move forward, and I did as I was told. She then pushed aside a small circular port on the incubator,

"You can touch him this way."

I heard her say as she stepped back and watched me. I looked at her and then at the incubator, just in tome to see the baby move his arm as he let out a small sound. My heart leapt up in my chest.

I stepped closer,

"How is Kainaat?"

I watched her as she pursed her lips, and then met my eyes, "Allah Kareem, she will be alright."

"Has she touched him?"

Samra nodded, "They had the skin-to-skin, moments before..."

"Before she collapsed."

She nodded, a worried expression taking over her face, "Yes."

I stepped closer, and took a seat on the chair, trying not to make any noise, and ever so carefully placing my finger in his fisted palm,

"Assalamualikum, Yahya."

I stretched out and took him from Kainaat, his tiny arms flailing around. I rocked him in my arms, until he calmed down. I looked up at Kainaat, finding her looking right back at me with an emotion I couldn't recognise.

She rested her hand above mine, which was on Baby Yahya's tiny little tummy, gently drawing circles with her thumb on the back of my hand, our gaze fixed on each other, her smile mirroring mine and I knew for a fact she was thinking of the same moment as I was, way back when Sahil was born.

The house was decorated with blue and silver balloons, strings and various other strings, with everyone wearing the same combination of shades of blue and silver.

Me and Kainaat matched in sky blue and dark blue, and I watched as she made her way to me and rocked her nephew in her arms, sniffing him every now and then.

I gave her a weird look,

"Why do you sniff the baby?"

She shot me a glare, "I'm not sniffing, Zaid. I'm inhaling his baby scent."

I scrunched, "His what?"

She rolled her eyes, "Come here,"

She said before motioning me to hold the baby. I held my arms up in mock surrender,

"No. No way. Babies scare me. I mean, he's so tiny I'm not taking any risks."

She frowned, "But you did hold him at the hospital!"

I scoffed, "Were you so focused on me holding Sahil that you failed to notice that Khalifa was holding him for support and I was just, like, touching the blanket or are you always so ignorant?"

She coloured a bright shade of pink,

"I'm not ignorant!"

"Okay. Unobservant?"

"That's not a word."

"It can be."

"Whatever."

We fell silent after that, before she bat an eyelash and I took a precautionary step behind. Uh-oh, she was using her skills,

"Zaid?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, Kainaat. Don't blackmail me like this."

"Shut up and hold the baby."

With that she stepped forward and practically shoved the tiny bundle of muscle and bones in my arms. I stumbled as my arms trembled, and noticing my hesitance, Kainaat shook her head and muttered something along the lines of me being a baby.

She then placed her hand around my arm, supporting me. We sat down with baby Sahil in my arms, her arm around my arm which held him, her palm on his tiny stomach,

"See, relax your muscles. He's a baby, he won't bite."

I did as ordered, and for a minute my heart leaped out of my chest when Sahil moved a bit in my arms and life nearly left my soul when he made a noise.

She chuckled as I slowly got the hang of it, the feeling of holding him feeling my heart with content. And that's when I actually understood why Kainaat kept sniffing- no, inhaling his scent. It actually made sense, and felt damn good.

We sat there as Kainaat made faces at him, his eyes a reflection of Khalifa's, with him in my arms.

Kainaat placed her palm at Sahil's tiny stomach, and on an instinct, I kept mine above hers.

She looked up to meet my gaze, and I didn't know what, but something caused us to still.

I could feel the elders watching us, a small smile on their faces, and I watched how something clouded Kainaat's eyes, a realization of sort, and she broke the eye contact, leaving me feeling uncanny.

And now, we sat here with our son in my arms. Our Yahya.

"It's Yahya!"

We broke our little moment and looked up as my dad exclaimed, almost screaming the name out in his excitement, and a round of surprised gasps went around.

"Oh finally," I heard Fariyal say, "ma sha Allah, that's such a beautiful name."

Everyone took their time meeting Yahya and showering him with prayers. Later that night, as I lay with my finger wrapped around Yahya's fist, I watched him breath and sleep peacefully, finding contentment in the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Kainaat joined me a while later, once she had put the girls to bed.

She shifted until she had enough space and took Yahya's other hand in her own, inhaling his scent as she kissed his forehead,

"He's so soft," I said as I watched them. She looked at me with a smile,

"And when he grows up, he'll have a heart as soft as his father's."

I looked down at him, his features actually a perfect blend of me and Kainaat. "In sha Allah," I muttered back in a trance.

I looked up at her, "I love his name, you know that right?"

"I love you too, till the end of forever."

I looked at her with an amused look on my face, "Forever doesn't end."

She reached out and placed a hand on my cheek, caressing it as she looked into my eyes,

"That's the point, my love."

***