My Heart Slips Away With You!

The Treatment

“Hate on my father?” Magizhini asked with her eyes wide. She has never known her father. The only father figure she has in her life is Ramachandran. She has no memory of her father, her mother has never talked about him, neither did Ramachandran or Iniya. 

“Yes, your father. You should know what happened to better understand Iniya. Iniya had a sister. Kavinaya. Kavi! Kavi was my wife. It was arranged marriage for us but we fell in love almost instantly. We lived happily but even after five years of marriage, Kavi could not get pregnant. I was ok with it but the sorrow of not having a baby started eating her away. It killed our happiness. I could not blame her either because it was she who had to answer our relatives. I kept telling her to wait until it happens naturally to us.”

***

“It is killing me, Chandru. I don't want to live like this. I am done waiting. Come with me to the doctor. If it is my fault, I will move out of your life. I know you feel bad when your friends talk about their kids.”

“Don't talk like a lunatic, Kavi. I am alright with just loving you and living my life in the love you show me. What if the problem is with me? Should I leave you then?”

“We will find a solution. We will adopt.”

“Then why would you want to leave me? If coming to the doctor would make you feel better, I will come with you. But whatever the situation is, we should stick together. I can live without a baby but I cannot live without you.” Ramachandran told his wife and she hugged him tight in overwhelming love. 

They went to the hospital and got their checkups done. The one week the doctor asked them to wait, the anticipation of what was to come started killing them. Though they stayed calm and comforting to the other, their insides felt the tremors all the time. 

Finally, it was the day of the result, and Kavi and Ramachandran got ready for the hospital in silence. It was too heavy for them to tolerate. Ram was so tensed to know the results. He wanted it to be his fault if there was any. He knew in his heart that if the problem was with Kavi, she would definitely break. He was not ready to see her break. 

“I am scared, Chandru.” She held his hand while waiting for their turn.

“Whatever it is, I will be with you. Everything will pass but our love will stay the same. Don't worry,” he consoled her. The doctor called them and they sat in front of the doctor. The doctor was looking at their reports and lifted her eyes in pity towards Kavinaya. Kavinaya’s eyes produced tears almost instantly as if she knew what the doctor was about to say. Ram held her hands tight in his grip and got ready to listen to the doctor.

“Well, your reports are ready Mr. & Mrs. Ram. Your sperm volume, count, concentration, motility, and structure are above average and there is no problem with you, Mr. Ramachandran,” the doctor said as she shifted her gaze to Kavinaya.

“I knew it!” Kavi shed tears.

“Shhh, calm down. Let's hear what the doctor has to say.” Ram said to Kavi.

“Relax, Mrs. Kavinaya. Every problem has a solution. Don't get emotional. You have uterine tuberculosis. It is usually asymptomatic and that was why you felt nothing wrong with your body.”

“Tuberculosis? You mean TB?”

“Yes!”

“Is there a treatment for this?” Ramachandran asked the doctor with hopeful eyes. His hand gripped his wife’s hand in hope. But Kavinaya’s grip on his hand was lost.

“There are surgery and chemotherapy treatments but it will only cure her TB. The chances of her getting pregnant are very little. I don’t want to put your hopes up high, Mr. Ram. Even if she gets pregnant, the risks of ectopic pregnancy and loss are very high. Moreover, if chemotherapy is done, her uterus will become very weak. I am so sorry to say this, but the chances are very minimal,” the doctor said that broke Kavinaya. She started crying and Ram didn't expect this. He thought if there is a problem with fertilization, then they can try to conceive through science. But she can never bear a child is a shock to him as well.