Mujhe Tham Le

Part 10: Jo Mila Uska Humko Bahut Shukriya

"Mr Bhalla" The nurse had returned and was calling him. Raman snapped out of his reverie, rushing to the door.

"You can come in" The nurse stood aside, ushering him through.

He hurried inside, stopping at the examination table. Ishita was still lying on the bed, a sheet covering her, while the doctor and a technician stood alongside her.
"Ishita, are you okay?" His voice was full of anxiety, his heart in his mouth, as he grabbed his wife's hands. He noticed the bewildered look in her face, the tears that had made splotches on her cheek, and his heart sank even faster.

"What's wrong?" He demanded, his hands tightening on hers, as he looked around fiercely at her doctor. "What's wrong with my wife?"

"Mr Bhalla, I think I'll let Doctor Ishita tell you herself. I'll be back in five minutes" So saying, the doctor and the other medical attendants walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Raman was still holding tightly to Ishita's hands and he looked bewildered from the closed door to her.

"Ishita kya baat hai. Meri jaan nikal rahi hai. Mujhe kuch bataogi please"
(Ishita, what's the matter. I'm losing my mind. Please will you tell me something)

"Raman, it's okay" His wife spoke for the first time, and there was the same bewilderment in her voice as there was in her face, but there was something else too. There was joy. She struggled up into a sitting position and he quickly moved to help her, half sitting in the bed as he put his arms around her.

"Kya baat hai jaan? Why did you faint?"
(What's the matter love? Why did you faint?)

"Because of stress" she replied. "Doctor Singh says I've been doing too much, with work and the girls and all the emotional stress and....."

"And what Ishita?"

"Raman, Doctor Singh says I'm pregnant"

"Pregnant?" He recoiled in shock. Pregnant, at her age? After everything that had happened eight, nine years ago, they had been told pregnancy was no longer an option, that surrogacy was their only chance of ever having a baby. And Ishita had been in her late twenties then. Now, at 38, how had this happened? Would her body be able to cope with the pregnancy? Would the baby be born healthy? Would she even make it to full term?

A hundred questions reeled through his mind as he stared down at her, anxiety fighting with love, shock with acceptance, and concern with joy.

She saw the concern on his face, and she read it right. He felt the same way she did - they would be happy once they accepted the news, but they needed to know what the ramifications, the consequences could be.

"Doctor Singh said it should be okay Raman" she answered his unasked questions. "I need to start taking things easy now, I need to rest a lot, but if I take care of myself, then she says there is no underlying reason why I can't carry the baby to term or why the baby won't be healthy. It is a high risk pregnancy yes, but Raman, think about it. Hamara sapna...aap ka sapna...shayad iss baar puri ho jaaye." (Our dream...your dream.....maybe this time it will come true)

His dream for her - that she get to experience every facet of being a mother - from their baby's kicks to childbirth, from first laughs to first steps. She had missed that with his two children and then had missed it again with their Pihu.

He swallowed hard as he stared down at her - he could see the joy that fought with anxiety in her face, the expectation that peeked through eyes that seemed afraid to hope. He felt so scared for her in that moment - they had not planned this, had never thought it possible or he would have taken precautions. He would rather that she never have this expectation then that this joy be snatched away from her again. She would not be an;e to bear that. He knew her - she would not be able to bear losing this baby too. He had to do everything in his power to make it right, this time.

"Ishita...meri jaan...tumhe kuch ho gaya toh...." (Ishita, my love...if anything happens to you, I...) Tears thickened his voice and she sunk into his arms, holding him as he cried out his anxiety and his fears in her arms.

"Shhhh..." She soothed him, caressing his hair, his face. "Kuch nahi hoga mujhe. Hamara sapna pura hoga Raman."
(Shhh. Nothing will happen to me. Our dream will come true Raman)

*******************************

They had forgotten the ice cream he had promised his daughters by the time they finally started for home, Doctor Singh had wanted some further blood tests before he let Ishita go with a full diet chart and detailed instructions.

Raman remembered his promise to his little daughter as they walked into the front door - he was holding his wife's hand tightly, had been telling her exactly what she needed to be doing, when they walked in and were met by a barrage of anxious children, parents and siblings.

"Pihu beta, I'm sorry, I forgot your ice-cream" he said contritely as their daughter came barreling over to them.

"Papa, forget the ice cream" Ruhi spoke up, eyes full of worry. "Is Ishima allright?"

"Just let mumma sit down, Ishita here" He settled his wife on the sofa, taking the seat beside her as their family continued to stare anxiously at them.

"It's okay" he told them all as they stared expectantly. "Kuch bura nahi hua hai. In fact, in fact, khush khabri hai, lekin ab se koi bhi Ishita ko kisi bhi tarha ki stress nahi dega. Aap sab ka job hai, ki apni Ishima ki, mumma ki puri tarah se khayal rakhe. Koi bhi kaam nahi karegi yeh. Ma, kal se aap cook ki bandobast karlijiye, ab mein Ishita ko kitchen mein jaane nahi doonga. Aur is ke liye nurse rakh raha hoon. Office toh yeh bilkul nahi jayegi, lekin aap sab ko mere saath inka khayal rakhna hai. Samjhe?"
(It's okay. Nothing bad has happened. In fact...in fact there is good news. But from now on, nobody is going to give a Ishita any stress whatsoever. You all have the job of making sure you take good care of your Ishima, your mumma. She is not t0 do anything at all from now on. Am, organize a cook from tomorrow, I'm not letting Ishita enter the kitchen. I'm getting a nurse for her and she is not to go to her office at all. But you all need to help me to look after her, understand?)

His family had been looking at him in bewilderment, except for his mother and Simmi, who had big smiles in their faces.

"Nahi samjhe papa" Adi said in exasperation. "Kya keh rahe ho aap? Ishima kyun kaam nahi kar sakti? Aur iss mein khush khabri kya hai?"
(We don't understand papa. Why can't Oshima work? And what's the good news in all this?)

"Adi khotiye" Simmi gave her nephew a playful slap. "Itna bada ho gaya aur teri samajh mein kuch jaati hi nahi. Tera papa yeh keh raha hai ki tu phir se bada bhai banne wala hai."
(Adi you idiot, you're so big and you still don't understand a thing. Your father is telling you that you're going to be a big brother again)

A smile lit up Adi;s face and the faces of his two sisters as they finally understood. They all launched themselves at Ishita, but their father intercepted them, pulling them into his embrace instead.

"Careful" he cautioned. "Ishima ko ab kisi bhi tarha ki stress nahi." (Careful. Don't stress your Ishima) But his voice held no censure, and his love was evident in his embrace as he held all three children close, smiling at his wife as she reached over to caress her children's happy excited faces.

Their happiness was going to grow - and finally their dream would come true.

"