Standing Alone

Chapter 45

As Varun promised, he arrived the next evening with a big bouquet and a big balloon. He was overwhelmed with emotions on seeing his sister in the hospital with a baby in her hands. Overnight it looked like his little sister who he had teased and played with had turned into a woman and a mother. He kissed her on the forehead and carried the baby with ease like an experienced father.

"Varun, can you teach Manish to hold the baby like that. He holds her as if she would break on his touch." She giggled.

"Oh! Great. Looks like I passed my first test as an uncle. Manish don't tell me you haven't looked on YouTube before coming into the hospital?" he looked at him with horror.

Shreya and Seema laughed and they looked at each other and smiled with an understanding. They knew that in spite of his playfulness, he would make a wonderful father one day.

As the baby had come a month earlier than the due date, Shreya was asked to be very careful with letting others touch the baby and was sent home.

In two days Shreya was exhausted. She promised herself to never believe in the wording "Sleep like a baby." Because her baby and she was sure most of the babies didn't sleep for more than a hour at time. They didn't know day or night and most of all for some reasons her baby whom she had named "Reema" loved to stay awake for a long stretch of time during the nights and sleep during the day.

Bringing her home was even more nerve-racking. At least at the hospital she was surrounded by nurses and doctors and those white coats gave her a feeling of security. But at home every noise that Reema made, made her wake up and see if she was ok.

In a weeks' time, Manish, Shreya and Seema were red eyed. Varun saw her on skype from time to time. Raveena arrived to give them all, the needed break.

She had brought cute frocks and jumpers and gave Shreya a gift card from diapers.com. Though she didn't have kids of her own, she had witnessed her friends and neighbors going through the phase of pregnancy and deliveries and she had a fair idea about what it involved.

In three months time, she noticed that Shreya had indeed grown up into a woman. In spite of her complaints that she looked fat, Raveena felt she looked beautiful and motherhood suited her very much.

"Shreya you expect all the fat to melt once the baby is out or what? Give it time. You look beautiful."

"But aunty I thought all the weight I had gained was on the baby. Look at her she is so skinny and I am three times fatter than how I was before. Gosh...I don't even have the energy to exercise."

"Shreya, how long has it been since you came home? Ten days now. Be easy on yourself. All you need is some uninterrupted sleep. You go and sleep all you want. There are two grandma's now eager to take care of this little bundle. So go and have a relaxed bath and then a good nap." She hurried her upstairs.

Seema and Raveena looked at each other and smiled.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" they jinxed at the same time.

"As much as I love babies, I think I wouldn't have been able to handle ones of my own. I am glad I didn't venture into that avenue." Raveena sighed.

"It is hard work. Most of the new parents never believe when we say a baby changes your life forever, until they experience it! I am glad my kids are grown up now. But I think I will be more patient with this little one, than my own too."

"Yep, when they are not your own, it is easier to be patient with them. The best part is we can have all the smiles and giggles and leave the diaper change and feeding to the mom and dad." They winked at each other and laughed.