The morning came in full glory.
And Raman carefully opened the door peaking in checking up on her.
The arrival of their baby brought a lot of changes into his life.
The past few weeks it felt like he was hit with a whirlwind of new experiences.
You would think Raman would have adjusted to the new set up in the house….but no he was still in awe.
He lightly pulled open the curtains letting the sunlight trickle in.
The past few weeks he admired her hundreds of times.
Looking at her.
His eyes fell in love with her the first time he met her…held her in his arms.
He was mesmerized.
At the same moment he was flooded with a barrage of emotions
Raman felt like drowning in her love…her smile.
Heaven came in his arms and he thanked God.
In the form of his little Madrasan……
His happiness.
His heart.
He felt like touching the sky as he beamed with pride whenever he held her in his arms.
Part of him was still gone and he missed having her next to him.
Their incomplete story would be complete if it just was for the one thing missing.
If only you were with me…Ishita, Raman said to himself.
I wouldn’t have these tears
Changes he quickly got used to it.
As Raman learned to cope with the new demands of taking care of his daughter.
Even some of the relationships in the family change too.
Simi helped him a lot with good advice and helping him take care of Ruhi.
His mother and Amma were also there whenever he needed some experience hands.
His life was in disarray at this moment in time.
He was often caught in a tangle of conflicting feelings.
On the one hand he was missing Ishita
Everything about her the touch of her smile he was accustomed to…..whenever she walked in a room.
The jasmine scented hair that teased his senses.
Oh and her soft long tresses that were silky to the touch.
With lips were wet with laughter he almost didn’t know if he was permitted to be so happy when he didn’t have Ishita by his side.
On the other hand, he regretted that his days of sleeping late were over.
(Flash back)
All Raman could remember the vage sound of doctors talking to nurses and the whistling of the stretcher’s wheel as they pushed Ishita in the Hospital.
Everything seemed dark and depressed, dim lit room, gadgets and all sorts of equipment making buzzing sounds.
The scent of some sort of disinfectant burned into his sensory memory.
All of the events played back in his mind but no sound came from it.
There she lay on the bed, unresponsive, tubes coming out of his mouth nose.
He closed his eyes as all that were playing out before him was so unreal.
He just spoke to her just a few moments ago……
All that repeatedly flashed back before him was Ishita’s shocked face staring back at him open mouthed.
“Here I am getting was busy surprizing you and here you think this of me….”
All of a sudden the monitor went off with a loud buzzing sound!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone yelled “Code Blue”….. A horde of people dashed in the room, doctors, nurses, assistants…
Mother and child is in distress a voice said in a very calm tone as not to cause any distress.
One of the gadgets just signalled a steady beep…………………………………
FLAT LINE! We have to do an emergency caesarean immediately.
It took a while for them to stabilize her condition.
Pushing her bed out the room was suddenly quiet as they left Raman standing in shock.
Alone.
For a moment the frantic world around Raman stopped
One of the doctors in charge turned back and walked to Raman.
Mr Bhalla your wife developed endometritis and she needed an emergency caesarean.
Unfortunately we can’t allow you to be in the room for the caesarean but we will let you know as soon as she is out of the surgery.
Raman sat there and waited later the rest of the family came to support him.
Both Amma and Toshi encouraged Raman to have faith and that everything would be fine.
Vandita stayed back with Ruhi and Shravan.
Sitting on the cold bench in the waiting room Raman have counted the ceiling tiles as he was getting restless.
It was been an hour and still nothing.
No news.
No news is good news….he thought anxiously.
It felt like the white walls was smothering him…..
He needed to get some air.
Bala and Mihir walked with him ….
There was just something about hospitals he hated….now even more so.
From the corner of his eye he saw a pale boy in the corner and nurse trying her best to clean the vomit the poor child just plastered all over her shoes.
I need a smoke he exclaimed.
It’s been months since he smoked.
Ishita didn’t like him smoking and so he stopped.
The sound of her lecturing him about smoking brought a smile to his face.
Mihika came rushing out.
Raman!
Raman! Raman!
The doctor wants to speak to you…….come quickly.
Mr Bhalla……
I am happy to announce that you are the father of a baby girl……
She has been taken to the neonatal intensive-care unit.
She is 35 weeks and premature, she will need special care.
There are a few things we need to monitor her lungs, blood circulation, her digestive system, kidneys and liver function as she is under weight.
You will be able to go in and see your daughter but she is in an incubator so unfortunately you won’t be able to hold her.
Oh I almost forgot your son is just fine…
For 35 weeks premature he is also in the neonatal intensive-care unit.
He doesn’t need as much monitoring as your baby girl.
My son!
Words slurred out of his mouth.
The sound of amazement was all he could make out through the meaningless gibberish.
I have another son……
An overwhelming sense of pride washed over him.
And Ishita…
My wife…..
What about her, Raman asked excitingly
Mr Bhalla….
He could sense by the tone of the doctors voice that was weary with resignation something was wrong.
Your wife developed some complications which was serious.
She lost a lot of blood but she stable.
His hands were shaking profusely now and when he blinked a lone tear escaped from the corner of his eye.
You need to be strong Raman he willed himself.
Not just for the family but for Ishita and your children.
(Flash back ends)
It was time to pick up Ishita as she and the baby girl was going to be discharged today.
Raman left their son with Amma as Simmi and his mother went out to visit Pammi Aunty.