The Binding String

F O R T Y - S I X

"Mumma aapke hi pas hai beta, how can Mumma leave Roohi alone?"  Ishita assured her daughter with a smile and nuzzled her nose in her tummy, she often uses this trick to make her smile and today her trick bought smile on Roohi face. Raman and Ishita didn't get much chance to interact with Roohi as Dr. Ansari showed up.

"Good morning Sir." Raman shake his hands with Dr. Ansari who greeted him back with a polite smile.

"Sir, why Dr. Archana diverted this case to you? Have....have you checked her reports?" Ishita asked in a impatient tone hugging her daughter close to her heart.

"Relax Mrs. Bhalla I'm checking that only." Dr. Ansari replied with a soft smile which calmed down young parent. After few minutes of checking the reports Dr. Ansari asked Ishita to make Roohi sit on the stool kept for patients.

"Hello beautiful lady. May I know your good name?" Dr. Ansari strike a conversation with his little patient while checking her pulse. Otherside the shy child in Roohi simply blinked her eyes several times instead of replying back.

"Hey, tell him your name varna unko lagega ki aapka koi name hi nahi hai." (Roohi tell him your name otherwise he would believe that you're a girl without any name.) Ishita whispered in Roohi's ears but the serious faced middle aged doctor and foreign environment was making her scared.

"My name is Roohi Bhalla." Roohi told her name softly looking at her mother rather than Doctor. Meanwhile Dr. Ansari checked her pulse and put  stethoscope on her chest.

"Mrs. Bhalla please take your daughter to examination table." Ishita obliged same and scooped Roohi in her arms to take her towards examination table. She made Roohi lie down on table and clutched her hand tightly in a reflex whereas the experienced pediatrician started to examine his patient. After few minutes of intense examination Dr. Ansari passed a warm smile to Ishita and called his assistant, "Mrs. Bhalla, your daughter need to undergo few tests. A nurse will take you for x-ray and few other tests. So please go along her." Ishita nodded in affirmation and she walked outside of cabin taking Roohi along whereas Raman who was done waiting for doctor, bombarded him with his questions.

"Doctor I cannot wait anymore. I want to know why Dr. Archana referred my daughter here. Something is serious with her, right? And please answer me honestly because I can't wait anymore."

"Raman if you came to know about your daughter illness from some general pediatrician, wouldn't you took her to some high profile Doctor?"

"I...I would have done that." Raman replied after hesitating a little.

"So Dr. Archana did it beforehand. It's confirm that your child is suffering from pneumonia. We just want to check if she is developing some other issues or not. That's it." Dr. Ansari didn't wished to scared his patient and hence he spoke half truth. Dr. Ansari soon left to take a round instructing Raman and Mihir to wait outside of his cabin. Otherside Ishita was sitting inside of laboratory to give Roohi's urine sample. They already did x-ray of her chest and waiting for other tests to happen.

"Mumma...." being a scared mother Ishita chose to hide her in her warmth. Ishita was lost in her world wondering about what went so wrong with her little girl that she fainted and they advised to visit Fortis. Ishita wiped her tears swiftly and looked at Roohi, "Kya hua beta?" (Hmm I'm with you darling.)

"Mumma...hum ghar kab jayenge? Mujhe yahan bilkul bhi accha nahi lag raha hai." (When we would go back to home? I'm not liking anything here.) The little Roohi was scared with everything she was surrounded with but most she was scared with those big machines.

"Bas baba evening mein hum ghar chalenge." (We will go at evening dear.)

"But abhi chalo na aap....please Mumma." (No...I want to go now only.) Roohi pleaded her mother with teary eyes.

"Are itni si baat pe itne bade tears? You know na Mumma can't see you crying." Ishita lovingly wiped her daughter tears.

"Kal na papa bhi yahi bole the Mumma jab Roohi rone lagi thi." (You know Mumma.....even Papa told me same when I started to cry yesterday.) Roohi spoke softly wounding her hands around her mother arms. "Mumma....aap kal kaha thi? Mujhe aapki bohot saari yaad aayi. Aap kahan chali gayi thi mujhe chod ke?" (Mumma where was you yesterday? I missed you alot. Where you left me yesterday Mumma?) Ishita eyes brimmed with tears listening her little daughter words. The guilt engulfed her heart and she started to think about the days when she used to leave this little soul all alone and the same she does a day back, she was set to fly to another country leaving her little baby alone. Ishita wiped her cheeks through collar of her kurta and kissed Roohi's forehead.

"Sorry beta, woh Mumma ko kuch kaam tha na isliye Mumma gayi thi but aapko aisa kyon laga ki Mumma Roohi ko chod ke kahi jaa sakti hai?" (Sorry honey. Actually some urgent work came up which needed Mumma presence. But I promise from now I won't leave my darling alone.) Ishita joined her forehead with little Roohi, she peaked her forehead repeatedly until her daughter believes that her mother cannot leave her alone, even the thought of leaving her is scary.

"Mumma is going to stay with you, always." Ishita repeated her words with smile.

"And so do papa. Papa cannot leave Roohi and Mumma, ever." Raman joined them and hugged the mother daughter duo. The family remained seated outside of laboratory waiting for other tests to happen, deep down they were praying to almighty to make things alright in their daughter life.

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

SAME DAY
AT EVENING

"Mr and Mrs Bhalla. Dr. Ansari called you." Raman and Ishita asked for a bed for their tired daughter and they were seated beside her in children ward when Dr. Ansari assistant called them. Raman and Ishita looked at Roohi who was sleeping and then at nurse who assured them that their daughter would be taken care in their absence. Raman and Ishita almost ran towards Dr. Ansari cabin unable to wait anymore.

"Doctor has the reports came?" Ishita and Raman spoke in unison as the entered inside the cabin.

"Yes...please be seated."

"The reports are here Mr. and Mrs. Bhalla which states that along pneumonia your daughter is suffering from Ventricular Septal Defect i.e. VSD. In simpler language, Roohi has a hole in her heart and her situation is not so good."

And Raman and Ishita worst fear came true that evening...