Reconciliation

Chapter 15 : Kabir sees the World

Avni didn't gain consciousness for a day and Neil felt absolutely lonely. Ayesha and Kabir were sleeping in their incubators and barely made a noise. He would sit for a couple of hours, staring at them, touching their tiny arms through the hand holes and feeling mushy.

Then he would go to Avni, sit besides her, keep his head on her chest and talk to her. "Avi Kabir is ticklish, you know. I stroked his arm with my finger and he shifted." He whispered, holding back his tears.

"Get up soon please." He repeated for the nth time and kissed her forehead. His request was finally accepted after thirty one hours of his children's birth. Avni shifted weakly and winced in pain.

"It's all exertion and the post partum effects, don't you both worry for one minute." Dr. Dipika remarked, examining Avni. Avni then looked at her belly which had seemingly flattened to a great extent.

"Where are they?" She asked faintly, although she did hold Neil's hand very firmly. "Ayesha and Kabir are in the room next to this. NICU. They're doing okay." He replied softly and hugged her.

Avni sobbed in his chest hearing that they were blessed with lovely babies, brother and sister duo. She tried to get up and walk towards them but was held back by both Neil and the nurse. "I'm their mom!" She protested, her lips wobbling.

"They've been without me for a day-" She began, her nose turning red as she realised she did not hold her dear babies close to her, feel their warmth, give them comfort and tell them their mum was with them.

"We'll take you on a wheelchair." The nurse said bracingly and helped Avni onto one. The new mom and dad went to the NICU and stopped near their children, who were asleep, like always.

"That's Ayesha." Neil whispered, pointing at a cute tiny baby girl covered in a pearl pink baby blanket, with stars and moon printed on it. Her eyes were merely slits and skin almost matched the shade of her blanket. Her tiny hands were outstretched near the hand hole as if sensing that her momma was there to hold her.

"Hey..." Avni whispered, her outstretched fingers touching the glass, trying to find a way to break the barrier and hold her baby close to her. "Can I hold her?" She asked, impatiently, wiping her tears alongside. "4-5 days more." Neil replied sadly, caressing Avni's hair.

"She'll...she needs us — look at her she's so fragile, she's alone in there Neil-"
"I know Av. I'm more impatient but this is the best for her." Neil said half heartedly. He had himself behaved frantically when he was told he could not hold Ayesha in his arms but he had told himself with a heavy heart that it was what it was.

Avni put her hands through the two holes and sandwiched Ayesha's tiny hands between her warm ones. Ayesha shifted a little, her tiny nostrils flared a bit as she took in air through a cannula and continued to sleep. Avni sobbed audibly seeing her tiny baby surrounded by equipments.

"You're strong. You're so strong baby just hang in there for a few days more then I'll never let you be more than a centimetre away from me." She whispered, removing one of her hands from Ayesha's and caressed her tiny head with little scattered black hair.

Neil too put his hand inside the hole and sandwiched Ayesha's between his and Avni's. A loud cry from the adjacent incubator made them chuckle a bit. Their baby boy was awake and shifting around continuously, punching the air.

"Sleep baby." AvNeil whispered and went to Kabir next. "He's healthier. His health is about normal for him to be handed to you after twelve hours or so." The nurse informed, smiling at the cute family.

"I'll make sure you train for football with your Nani, Kabira." Avni chided her baby boy playfully, as she put her hands inside and held Kabir's. Tears still rolled down her cheeks but the fact that Kabir looked healthy lifted her spirits. She was so sure he was the one kicking her all along.