Chapter 23: Kicks, Colors & Confusions

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Reet was six months pregnant now.
The glow on her face was unmatched — and so was the drama in her hormones.

The baby had started kicking, not just lightly fluttering, but full-on somersaults like a little gymnast inside.

One afternoon, while Abeer was typing up some files for their hospital, Reet screamed from the bedroom:
“ABEEEEEEER!!”

He dropped everything and ran.
“Are you okay?! What happened?!”
She grabbed his hand, put it on her stomach, and whispered, “Feel that?”
And just like magic, thump.

Abeer’s face softened, his eyes went wide.
“Was that…?”
Reet nodded. “Our baby. First official kick.”
And just like that, Abeer was teary-eyed again. “You’re kicking already? Beta, slow down! We haven’t even finished building your room yet!”

That evening, they had their regular doctor’s appointment — and something unexpected came up.
The doctor asked, “Do you want to know the gender?”
Abeer looked at Reet. Reet looked at Abeer.
They both said together: “Surprise us!”
But in the car back home, Reet mumbled, “I think it’s a girl.”

Abeer grinned. “No way, I can feel it… it’s a boy. Definitely a mini me.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Mini you? Please, we need some balance in the world.”
And thus, the Baby Name War began.
In bed that night, they scrolled through names:

Reet: “What about Anvi?”
Abeer: “No, sounds like my cousin’s name.”
Abeer: “Then Rehaan?”
Reet: “That’s your ex-crush’s brother’s name.”

Abeer gasped. “You still remember that?”
She laughed. “Married, not forgetful.”

By midnight, they had three name lists,
But what mattered more than the name… was the dream.

That every little kick reminded them:
A piece of them was coming to life.
Someone they hadn’t met yet, but already loved more than anything.

Thank you for reading Chapter 23.
Stay tuned for 24.