May 18 2006
Happy 1st Birthday to Mahi-Meha
Here’s a birthday wish from a dad to his lovely twin daughters on their first birthday. 
Exactly a year ago on 18th May 2005, my wife Heena, gave birth to Mahi & Meha by caesarian. I still remember that wonderful day, which could have also been a dreadful one for me.
At about 8:45am they both were born at Mumbai. Mahi is elder to Meha by 2 minutes. Mahi weighed 1.4kg (3.08 pounds) and Meha weighed 1.9 kg (4.18 pounds). I was the first one to hold Mahi in my hands and was overwhelmed by emotions. I could barely control my tears. Within 2 minutes Meha was brought out and my joy was doubled.
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| One day old Mahi | One day old Meha |
We were told that their mother will be brought out in some time. But we didn’t knew that “some time” will be 8 hours!
Being twins, they were very delicate, especially Mahi. Me and my sister rushed to another hospital which had a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, ICU for new-born) and admitted Mahi there. She needed a special environment and oxygen to survive.
I called up my mom from there and told her that we are coming back. But my mom told me to wait there because they were going to bring even Heena to the same hospital. Her condition was not good!! I was shocked and could not hold myself. We again rushed back to the place where they were born.
Heena had developed a complication. Her uterus had to bear the weight of twins and had expanded quite a bit! Even after they were born, her uterus failed to contract and bleeding failed to stop! She developed PostPartum Haemorrhage (PPH)! There were 4 gynecologists present there but no one could do anything to stop her bleeding! We were told she will need another surgery and we had to rush her to the same hospital where Mahi was kept.
We called for an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. It took barely 10 minutes from one place to another, but those 10 minutes looked like an eternity. From the murmurs of doctors & nurses, we could gather that she was sinking. 
Looking at her condition we even took Meha along with us and admitted even her to the NICU in the same hospital.
At about 9:45am doctors took Heena in operation theatre and called for more blood and also a PPH specialist. We got some blood from the blood bank and called friends/relatives for replacement. After 2 hours an assisstant doctor came out and informed us that half of the procedure is successfully over and she should be out within an hour. But that wasn’t going to happen. He came out again in some time and informed us that nothing is stopping her flow of blood and they need to perform a bigger surgery to save her. We had no option but to agree. And so on the same day, in a span of few hours, she underwent the third operation of the day and the third operation of her life!
At about 5pm she was brought out, unconscious, with 6-7 tubes hanging all around her. She was shifted to the ICU. Out of my small family of four, I was the only one left out with all the other three in separate ICUs fighting for survival. That day and night were one of the longest in my life.
But all’s well that ends well. 
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| Heena in ICU on 20th | In hospital room |
Heena was brought out from ICU after 2 days. After another 2 days we brought out Meha from NICU because she was the healthier one. We were wondering how will we look after such a delicate baby and such a delicate mother! But we somehow managed it.
After another 2 days we were told that its time to bring Mahi out! We were completely at a loss of words! We were barely managing one, how could we manage two? But did we have any option? And I am proud to say that with the help of very co-operative hospital staff and close family members (my parents, her parents, my sisters, her sister) we pulled it off remarkably well!
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| Meha-Mahi at home in smallest available clothes |
A warm welcome |
On 27th of May we all came back home. Heena and my M2, as I fondly call them now, were hale and hearty. Of course, all three were in delicate state and needed care. But they were completely out of danger. A shiver passes through my body whenever I remember those dreadful days and especially the day of their birth. But I am really glad (and thank God for it) that I need to remember only the pleasant part of that day now. As is evident from the Twins Timeline my M2 are doing well! Touch wood! .
Happy Birthday Mahi-Meha. Hope you both live a long happy life. And yes! Happy Birthday Heena! Afterall its the first birthday of your second life.
Congratulations
I am sure, you must be happiest person in the world..afterall who will not love his babies to grow
Thanks. And yes, I am very eagerly waiting for them to grow. Afterall then they will let me sleep at night
But period from 5 yrs to 15 yrs is the best. After that I may again start losing my sleep over their boy-friends or late nights
Congratulations Ashish my best wishes for them.. Get them out and have a lot of fun..
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>But period from 5 yrs to 15 yrs is the best. After that I may again >start losing my sleep over their boy-friends or late nights
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hmm.. really?? :O
Any ways by the way its going.. boys’ parents shud be afraid.. just like my mom and dad are
Congratulations ..!!
Man I am sure you’d be feeling on the top of the world .. All the best wishes to the twins ..!
Thanks
Congo to u and my best wishes for them
MANY MANY MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY TO MY dearestttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt twin Bhanji’s . . . . Strawberry n Mulberry . . . as we call them . . .
With loads of love . . n luck for their future . . . . And sis (Heena) n Jiju, hope u have peaceful nights ahead (lol), but u see every Mumbaiite deserves to enjoy nightlife . . . n that’s wat my Bhanji;s are takin care of for their parents (lol)
Best Regards
Mamu
sorry for late wish,
….
but best wishes are always with them, obviously to mom-daddy too…
man they troubled you when they came in the world .. sure you are gonna get in to more trouble after 15
well, bacchein pareshan nahi karenge, to aur kaun karega
…
GOD BLESS YOU & MANY MANY MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY TO BOTH OF U 
…
Thanks Bhavin and Megha for your “wishes”
We didn’t plan any celebration for their b’day, but had a good day and clicked 52 pics and shot 2 videos
Details and picture gallery later some time 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What else can I say??????????????
Ashish,can’t you put up any interesting blogs?
Well, Antara interesting is a very subjective term. What you find interesting may be totally boring to me and vice versa! Secondly, a blog is a place to share personal thoughts. On 18th May 2006 these are the only thoughts that came to my mind!
I am a family man and love my wife and kids a lot. On this day, exactly a year ago, they could have left me forever! But they are with me and I am very glad about it.
Lets have a look at your blog, if any, and see how interesting it is!
Hmmm…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY(S) is the only word I can say. I wish if I can buy some gifts for them.
Congrats Ashish, you must be very proud and happy now.
Belated happy B’day to the Twins. Being away from India when M2 were born I was totally unaware of these things that happened during their birth. But I am glad everything worked out well and you guys are a family now.
Take care…
Thank you Riyaz and Baiju. Just for other’s information, Baiju is an expectant father
counting last days 
Congratulations!
And Happy birthday to M2! Lol.. I dunno why.. but I’m happy for you!
I’ll be at your place, if only I was in Mumbai!!
Congratulations Ashish. You’re a lucky man!
many many happy birthday
Thank you
Hi Ashish,
Just chanced upon ur site when I was googling for “Meha”. Actually thats my daughter’s name. She is 2 years old now and I always thought she was the only “Meha” in the world. Looks like she has company. Actually thought of writing to u coz of many other similarities. I actually had told my wife that if we have a 2nd daughter, we’d name her “Mahi”.
Hi Riyaj,
Thats really surprising
We have Mahi-Meha and you could have Meha-Mahi! And all those who name their daughters Meha think that its a unique name. But as we all know now, it isn’t unique 
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii meha,
i m sending u dis bcoz u &me hav got d same name
Hi Meha!
When we selected this name, we thought it is a unique name. But as it slowly turns out, it is not so.
Thats good in a way!! Her twin sis won’t complain to us that we were partial in naming them by giving Meha a unique name
happy b’day mahi-meha,
my name is also meha
Hi Meha!
BTW, within 3 more months, they will have their 2nd b’day