The room was quiet, wrapped in a soft calm that only came after long hours of waiting, healing, and watching. Nikolai stood by the wardrobe, his sharp eyes scanning through rows of clothes. He had found four different suits—each one tailored, each one perfect in its own way. Black. Deep emerald. Ivory. Midnight blue. He exhaled slowly, running his fingers over the fabric.
"Sohan told him that the India and Bangladesh wedding attire will be given to him by both families," he muttered under his breath, nodding slightly to himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by the soft rustle behind him.
Lilith.
She stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light. The first thing she saw was him—her giant husband, standing like a quiet storm beside her.
She lifted her tiny hand and tapped the bed softly.
Nikolai turned instantly.
The moment his eyes landed on her, everything in him softened.
"Hi, baby," he said gently, moving closer and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She blinked at him, then patted his face clumsily.
He smiled, carefully helping her sit upright.
"Hold on, Bambi… let me get you breakfast, okay?" he said.
She nodded.
Reluctantly, he left her side.
Downstairs, the kitchen was alive with quiet warmth. Riyana stood by the counter, while Sohan stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"Good morning," Nikolai said.
"Morning," they both replied.
Riyana turned and handed him a tray.
"Here is Mihu's breakfast."
"Thank you," Nikolai said, taking it carefully.
He didn't waste a second returning upstairs.
When he entered the room again, he paused.
Lilith was sitting up, her eyes fixed on the television.
A basketball game.
Her gaze was intense, focused.
Doctors quietly entered behind him, observing her.
Nikolai instinctively reached for the remote.
"Maybe I should change it to a cartoon—"
"Hold on," Dr. Violet interrupted softly. "Look at how she is fully concerned on the game… look at her hand."
Nikolai looked down.
Her tiny hands moved slightly, mimicking the rhythm of the game—the players running, the ball bouncing.
Her lips parted.
"B…Bouncing ball…" she said with a giggle, clapping her hands excitedly.
Nikolai's chest tightened.
He sat beside her and kissed her cheeks.
"Here you go, Bambi," he whispered, lifting the tray.
"T…T…Thank you… N…Nikki…" she said.
He fed her gently—baked beans, pancakes, sausages, eggs, and orange juice.
She hummed softly as she ate.
A habit.
A familiar, comforting habit.
"Neva?" Reyan's voice came from the door.
She turned instantly.
"Rey!!" she said, her face lighting up.
He walked over, sitting beside her and pulling her into a hug.
"How are you feeling, cupcake?" he asked.
"Okie," she replied.
"Good. Here… Grandma is on the call. She wants to talk to you."
Nikolai raised a brow. "Which one?"
"Mumma's mother. Dida."
Lilith held the phone.
"Hello?"
"Neva! Are you okay? How are you feeling, baby?" Mrs. Asma's voice was filled with worry.
"L…L…Lily okay… G…Grandma…" she said softly.
"You sure, baby? We're preparing for your wedding. What color do you want for your dress?"
Lilith paused.
She looked at Nikolai.
He answered for her, his voice calm but certain.
"She wants a black midnight dress. She loves black and green."
"Alright. Come soon, Neva baby. We haven't introduced you to the whole family—they've been asking about you."
"Bye-bye, Granny!" Lilith chirped.
The call ended.
Reyan held her hand gently.
"Lily, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Silence.
Nikolai blinked.
"…come to think of it… I have never asked her," he murmured.
Lilith tapped her face, thinking deeply.
"Hmmm…"
"L…L…Lily is g…g…gonna be A…A…Art and a…" she struggled.
"You mean an artist?" Leonid asked.
She nodded eagerly. "Uh huh!"
"And what else?" Reyan asked.
She looked at Nikolai again.
"Lily want t…t…to o…o…own a little f…f…flower res…"
"Restaurant, Bambi?" Nikolai said softly.
"Yes! That one!" she said proudly.
"So Bambi wants to be a businesswoman, huh?" Nikolai asked.
She nodded.
"Yes… and Lily wanna h…h…help people… d…don't have m…m…money…" she said, coughing lightly.
"Then Lily will go to business school," Reyan said.
"Yeah!" she smiled, hugging him tightly.
By 8:49 PM, Lilith was asleep.
Peacefully.
Downstairs, preparations had begun.
Her tea party.
In the kitchen, Nikolai stood alone.
An apron tied around his waist.
He carefully mixed ingredients, focused like a man handling something far more dangerous than flour and sugar.
Carrot.
Lemon.
Strawberries.
Her favorites.
A group of men peeked in, recording him quietly.
Nikolai turned.
"Get lost," he roared.
They scattered instantly like ants.
He continued, applying vanilla icing carefully.
With precision, he wrote:
"Happy Birthday my Beautiful big Bambi ♥"
He stepped back.
"…Done," he said, a proud grin forming.
Damian walked in.
"Boss—The—"
He froze.
Apron.
Cake.
Nikolai stared at him.
"What?"
Damian cleared his throat.
"Uh… your best friends contacted me. They're on their way."
"Okay."
"She will love the cake, Capo."
"I hope so," Nikolai replied quietly.
Midnight.
Nikolai opened the door slowly.
Lilith was awake.
Sitting on the floor.
Drawing.
He walked closer.
"Bambi?"
She looked up, rubbing her eyes.
"Nikki…"
He stepped aside, revealing the cake.
"Happy Birthday, my big Bambi," he said softly.
She gasped.
"N…N…Nikki m…made it for L…Lily?!"
"Yes, Bambi… do you love it?" he asked, suddenly nervous.
"YES!!" she screamed, jumping into his arms. "Lily loves everything N…Nikki give me!"
"I love you, Lilith," he whispered.
"I love you so much, Nikki," she replied.
She cut the cake.
Fed him first.
Then he fed her.
They stayed there, wrapped in each other, the world reduced to just them.
Morning.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY!!"
"YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!" she screamed.
The garden was prepared.
Green theme.
Soft, elegant, magical.
By 2:34 PM, after injections, medications, and examinations, Nikolai dressed her carefully.
She stood before him—
Tall.
Elegant.
Curvaceous.
An hourglass figure.
Her waist narrow, her form graceful.
Her arms slender.
Her beauty overwhelming.
He braided her hair gently.
Then kissed her lips.
He covered her eyes.
"Come on, Bambi," he said, guiding her outside.
She tried peeking.
"Hold on," he chuckled.
They reached the garden.
"Now open, Bambi."
She opened her eyes slowly.
Green.
Everywhere.
People dressed in green.
A surprise tea party.
She screamed with joy, jumping.
"YAYYYYYY!!"
"Careful, Mihu!" Sohan warned.
Nikolai held her hand, leading her forward.
No chairs.
No tables.
Only art supplies.
Freedom.
Creativity.
Love.
Nimra held Farhan's arm.
Everyone gathered.
"T…T…thank you… L…L…Lily H…H…h…happy now…" she said, hugging Nikolai tightly.
Damian walked in again.
"Boss… they are here."
Nikolai nodded.
Four people entered the garden.
Their eyes landed on Lilith.
"…who is that?" one of the women whispered.
"You know," Damian said quietly.
The garden fell into silence.
Lilith painted.
Everyone painted.
Nikolai leaned down and kissed her softly.
The four newcomers stood frozen.
Shocked.
Then—
Slowly—
Nikolai took her hand.
And began to dance with her.
Soft.
Gentle.
Like she was the most fragile, most precious thing in the world.
And in that moment—
She was.