The Village Girl

Chapter Fifteen - [Aaryan]

When the fifteenth day hit, that was when I was beginning to feel a little hopeless.

I did not leave my room that day. I could not even bear to see my children.

I was relieved that Lady Suhanya took Maya, and Seetha's mother took Aathu, and while alone, I sat in a chair at the side of the bed, holding her hand, pressing her fingers against my lips, my elbows on the bed. Just... sitting.

Sometimes I would talk to her... Lady Suhanya had said that talking to her may help. She may hear us, and try to push through in order to respond to us. So I did it, though it did not seem to be working.

Hours passed of me just looking at her face, noting how much her fingers felt so boney, and wondering if all of this was my fault.

Lady Suhanya said that sometimes this just happens. Sometimes childbirth is not as smooth as it should be. There are not always specific causes for it and this case was just like all of those. She told me to be grateful... that some women don't make it in cases like this. Usually the pain and the blood loss is too much and they pass away. Sometimes the baby dies too.

Seetha was strong.

Her body was fighting.

But I still could not stop thinking that maybe this was my fault.

Maybe if I had not entertained her desire to work so hard, she could have rested more. Maybe if I had forced her to relax, everything would have been better. Maybe I should have made her think I didn't trust her.

Maybe that would have prevented all of this.

My thoughts were soon interrupted though, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. The feeling startled me, but when I turned my head I saw that it was Seetha's father. I let out a breath, noticing that he was holding the sleeping Maya in his other arm, making me assume that Lady Suhanya and brought her to him. "I apologize for startling you," he said. "I thought I should interrupt you since there is a guard waiting outside for you."

I looked back at Seetha. "What does he want?"

"He mentioned that your mother and father need to speak with you."

Nothing good usually came out of that, so I frowned.

My father-in-law stood there for a moment before taking a step forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I must admit," he said. "This may sound quite inappropriate, but it makes me a little happy to see you like this."

I looked at him.

"To see how much pain you are in because of my daughter... I have never been so sure of your love for her."

I let out a soft laugh.

He put a hand on his daughter's leg, squeezing it gently and then looking at her face. After a moment, he looked at me. "How do you feel, son?"

I hesitated. "How do I feel?"

"It may help to just say it."

I frowned. "I feel like I have consistently failed her," I said, honestly.

Her father kept his eyes on me, nodding slowly. "And why do you feel that this is your fault?"

"Because I am supposed to protect her. I am supposed to keep her happy."

He considered that, before looking at his daughter. "Have you ever spoken to her about this?"

"I have," I said. "She slapped me."

He smiled. "Sounds about right."

I smiled too, not too surprised that the idea of his daughter slapping her husband didn't bother him.