The streets were hauntingly quiet at 3 a.m., except for her frantic screams, resonating enough to disturb the stillness of the night. Aarav Suryavanshi held onto the steering wheel with a tight grip, his knuckles turning pale as he fought to maintain his concentration on the road. With his other hand, he attempted to loosen her hold on his shirt, but her grip remained firm.

“Aarav, damn you!” she yelled, tugging at his collar. “I told you one child was sufficient! But no, you just had to talk about ‘a big happy family.’ Look at the state we’re in now!”

Aarav took a deep breath, striving to keep his tone calm despite the turmoil surrounding him. “Jaan, please,” he pleaded, stealing a glance at her amid the turns. “Just breathe. We’re almost there… And for the love of God, let go of my shirt before you cause me to crash! I’d prefer not to be in tomorrow’s headlines: ‘Husband crashes car while trying to evade wife’s labor rage!’”

“This is entirely your fault!” she retorted, her voice shaking with anguish. “If you weren’t so ridiculously charming, I wouldn’t be stuck in this predicament!”

Aarav rolled his eyes. “Charming?! I proposed a quiet New Year’s Eve at home, but you insisted on ‘romance.’ And now we find ourselves racing through the city while you’re trying to throttle me!”

Somehow, they arrived at the hospital. Aarav barely parked before dashing to assist her, only to discover her already confronting the nurse.

“We’re behind schedule! This baby is going to be born in the car because of this lack of efficiency!”

Running a hand through his hair, Aarav let out a deep sigh. “Jaan, we arrived faster than an ambulance! What else do you expect?”

The nurse laughed softly as she assisted his wife into a wheelchair. “Sir, it looks like you’re in for a long night.”

Aarav exhaled slowly, watching her vanish through the doors. “God help me,” he murmured, before following her inside.