The Innocent Mistake

The Innocent Mistake - 22

"Huh!! My bag..", Sana put some pressure on her mind and started walking towards the maternity ward reception where she had gone first to search the baby. She was waiting for her turn to enquire and her bag was placed right beside her but after enquiring, she had forgotten to take her bag with her in tension. Sidharth followed her.

Within a few minutes, they were near the maternity reception.

"Puff.. That's my bag there!!", Sana sighed and pointed as she saw her bag still in the same place. There were a lot of pregnant women sitting. Probably, they thought that it belonged to someone in the crowd hence nobody touched it. Sidharth nodded and pulled the big trolley bag.

"How did you find so much time to pack a big bag in a short time.", he asked knowing she hurried from her home when she learnt anout her father's intention to abandon her baby.

"It was already packed. We were supposed to leave for India tomorrow. They lied to me that my baby was still born.", Sana replied.

"Hmmm..", Sidharth hummed.

"I didn't know where she was so I came to maternity ward but they said that I was discharged from here and that I enquire from main reception. That's when I saw you walking outside.", she said.

"Hmmm..", Sidharth hummed again lost in thoughts

"Sidharth..", she paused and he looked perplexed.

"Are you sure? Will you take the responsibility?", she asked to confirm as he had once abandoned her earlier.

"I will. I didn't abandon you. I just went to arrange a place for you and baby but when I returned I saw you leave with your parents so I thought they took you and baby.", Sidharth replied.

"Did you find a place?", she asked

Sidharth lowered his head and shook his head in denial.

"Where do we go?", she asked, concern taking over her mind.

"I.. don't.. know..", he uttered as he was thinking about the same questions since the time they got the baby discharged.

Sana fell quiet and lost. When she had left her parents house, concerned over her father abandoning her newborn, she herself didn't knew where she would go with the baby. She was lucky enough to find Sidharth again.

"I will find for something. It's warm here, stay here and I will come back after finding a shelter..", Sidharth spoke.

"No.. I will come with you..", Sana said immediately. She feared, what if he leaves her and baby? Where would she go? Her eyes were already welled up in fear.

"Sana.. Don't worry, I will come back. Besides, it's cold outside and the baby might fall sick.", Sidharth assured.

"Hmmm..", Sana hummed looking at the baby.

"If you feel hungry, get something to eat from the cafe there.", Sidharth said forwarding her some money from his pocket while pointing at the cafe.

"I have the money. I got some money and all my identity documents when I left the house. I had to survive alone with the baby, remember?", she said not taking the money.

"Huh? Hmmm..", Sidharth nodded and sauntered towards the exit in search of a house, while Sana looked at his back until he disappeared. Would he come back, she thought. She had been through so much over these few months, she had lost her trust and hope in everyone. Her only hope was the baby in her hand. She looked at the little sleeping angel in her hand.

What do I name her?

Sana pondered looking at her.

...
...
...

It must've been a little over two hour that Sidharth had left that the baby started crying. Sana rocked the baby in slowly. Over the hour she was seated here, she observed how other parents cuddle their babies but her daughter just wouldn't stop crying with that technique.

"Aww.. what's the matter with the little one. Is she hungry?", an old lady, who sat a few distance away, asked when she saw Sana struggling to handle the baby. Taking a cue, Sana immediately pulled out the milk bottle that was in the bag and offered it to the baby. The baby sucked it but cried in between her feed for few times until it totally denied to drink and cried non-stop. Sana tried giving the boytle again but the baby didn't accept it and kept crying. Helpless, Sana was on the verge of crying herself for not being able to understand the needs of the baby.

"Perhaps, she had an accident.", the lady suggested again.

"Huh?", Sana looked at her helpless and clueless, not able to understand what the lady meant..

"She must have soiled her diaper. The changing room is over there.", the lady pointed.

Sana looked at the sign and understood. Nodding her head, Sana stood up. She picked up the baby's bag and looked at her bag as her hands were already full with the baby and the bag.

"I'll watch over..", the lady said.

"Thank you.", Sana said before she went inside the changing room. 

Changing the diaper was a daunting task for her as the baby kept crying and moving her hands and legs. She was literally scared looking at the little one turning red like tomato due to excessive crying. Her hands were shivering while she handled the delicate baby. She somehow managed to succeed in putting a diaper but when it came to wrapping her, she didn't remember how she had unwrapped her. She gave up after multiple tries. Every time the baby cried, Sana would cry herself helplessly.

Reutrning to her seat with the crying baby, she plopped on the chair exhausted.

"What happened?", the lady asked when she saw Sana's red eyes.

"I couldn't wrap her.", Sana uttered.

"Can I help?", the lady asked and Sana nodded.

"Okay, lets spread this one her first and then place this little one on this. Now lift her one arm gently and tuck this end neatly. Place her arm back and tuck the other end securely and fold this up nicely. Here we go, all warm and cozy.", the lady smiled looking at Sana, who was observing her minutely.  The baby had stopped crying.

"Thank you so much", Sana passed her a smile with gratitude.

"No worries, Darl. You should feed her now as you just changed her. That's the rule!", the lady suggested and Sana nodded her head in agreement.

...
...
...

Exhausted and beaten, Sidharth had searched everywhere for a rented place. It was evermore difficult to search for a house than the God in this country. He had money but he didn't have any legal identity proofs to get the house. He was an illegal immigrant after all. It was already dusky and he feared that Sana would get scared if he didn't return immediately. But what would he tell her and where would he take her? He had promised her to take the responsibility and he had failed miserably in that.

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To be continued