This chapter talks about a very sensitive and undiscussed topic.
I'm really hope to see your comments about what you think about it.✨️❤️
There's a note at the end of the chapter, don't forget to read and share your views upon it as well.
That evening, when Somnath and Vibhavari came back from work, they were quite tensed. Somnath held Vibhavari's hand assuring her and requesting to act normal atleast in front of the family.
"Som ji, I'm fine." She murmured as they walked inside the Haveli and Vansh ran to them happily.
"Maa Babaa!!!" He shouted and hugged them tightly.
"Aww my bacchaa!" Somnath happily picked him up as Vibhavari kissed his cheeks.
"How was your day?" He asked.
"It was boring! Kaka was teaching Rudhi Didi for the whole day and so we couldn't play much." He pouted, complaining as Somnath walked inside and settled onto the Sofa in the hall.
"Accha? So shall I make you study too?" Anirudh called out, walking out of the study accompanied by Bondita and Rudhi.
"Then you won't get bored!" He teased.
"If it's ever in Dada's hands, he'd make the whole world study for the day!" Somnath laughed, rolling his eyes at his brother.
Anirudh just shook his head and sat on the other side of the sofa while Bondita and Vibhavari giggled.
"Come on Vansh! Let's play?" Rudhi asked excitedly.
"Aren't you tired anymore?" The little boy asked instead.
"No, I'm not tired now." She told happily walking close to him.
"No Didi! I want to play with Maa Baba too!" Vansh pouted and hugged his Maa, jumping into her lap.
Rudhi just smiled and went to sit in Anirudh's lap.
They all sat their talking and discussing about their days and work. Binoy Babu also joined them, while Trilochan Babu and Shubra Maa were gone to the temple.
......
It was late after dinner that Somnath walked into Anirudh's study while the latter was busy arranging a few books in the shelf.
"I don't understand how does Bondita manage to do all of it so quick?" Anirudh murmured as he heard the study door open.
"Dada are you busy?" Somnath asked, walking inside and closing rhe door behind him.
"No I'll just go to sleep after this. What happened? You look stressed...." He asked sensing the tension on his brother's face.
"Just a moment. I've called Boudi too, she must be coming." Somnath told, sitting onto the couch.
It really seemed something serious now. If it involved Bondita too, it must be something even important. Anirudh thought and sat beside his brother.
"Is everything Okay Som?" He asked, placing his hand onto Somnath's shoulder.
"I think so." Somnath murmured.
"You're scaring me now!" Anirudh frowned with worry.
"Who's scaring whom?" Bondita asked, walking inside the study and closing the door behind her. She went and sat beside Anirudh.
"Actually.... Its about Batuk and Mallika." Somnath started, placing a file onto the table in front of them.
Anirudh and Bondita modded, listening patiently as he spoke.
"They'd been trying for a baby for a long time now. But their prayers were never answered." He spoke softly, his voice sounding broken.
"Yeah, but we shouldn't lose hope, right?" Bondita smiled gently.
"Boudi there isn't hope!" Somnath told.
"We had conducted a few tests for both of them and now.... I finally have the reports." He informed, looking at the file sadly.
"What? What's there in the reports?" Anirudh asked being shocked at his first words.
"Mallika is absolutely healthy. Her egg count is perfectly fine and healthy too. But it's not the same with Batuk." Somnath told.
"His sperm count is nearly negligible. And thus the chances of fertilisation are highly less. Nearly 0.2%" he added.
"So.... Is there a solution?" Bondita asked.
Somnath looked down and shook his head sadly.
"There's no solution to this yet. But I really had high hopes from Ayurveda. It has all the solutions to even the worst problems. I'd asked one of my friends, who's a Vaid to find out for this." Somnath told.
"So, there is still hope right?" Anirudh asked with hope, holding onto Somnath's hand.
"No Dada.... I fear there's none. Ayurveda is an undoubtedly effective process, but it takes a lot of time. Infact, Ashwagandha is a key ingredient in all such medicines, and you know how allergic he is to it!" Somnath informed, tears entering into his eyes.
"Yes! He gets high fever and rashed even if he touched the herb." Anirudh recalled and held onto Bondita's arm gently.
"There isn't any other way?" Bondita asked with moist eyes, still not loosing hope.
"No Boudi. It is only possible by some miracle now." He said, breaking into tears as he leaned over Anirudh's shoulder feeling defeated.
"Stay strong, Som." Anirudh the just murmured, hugging his brother tightly as the latter broke into tears.
"How Dada? What's the use of studying so hard... Working to be a Doctor, when you can't bring the happiness to your own family?" He cried.
"Dada please don't.... Don't say like that. You're great! And you tried everything that was possible!" Bondita consoled him touching his shoulder as he hugged her Pati Babu. Tears rolling down her own cheeks.
"Boudi it's.... It's just so heart breaking and..." He stopped midway as they heard a vase fall outside the study.
Alarmed, Bondita stood up wiping her tears and quickly walked to open the doors while the brothers wiped their own tears.
They noticed her expression change to that of horror. As if she'd some ghost! They stood up to walk to her, but were startled as a figure almost ran to Bondita and hugged her tightly...So tightly.
"BATUK?!" Anirudh and Somnath gasped, their hearts breaking that instant.
He was crying... Crying more than they'd ever seen him. He looked almost out of breath as Bondita hugged him tightly and controlled her own tears.
Somnath quickly went to shut the door behind them as Batuk continued to sob against his Boudi's shoulder.
"Batuk, please don't cry..." Bondita murmured, not even knowing what to say.
"Bo... Boudi!" He finally spoke, his voice breaking.
"Why... Why Boudi? Why just my Mallika? Why us?" He asked just a small, losing all his hope.
Somnath just couldn't handle it anymore and closed his eyes tightly as tears rolled down his cheeks. He held onto Anirudh's arm tightly.
Anirudh just couldn't just contemplate what he must do. He just felt like a helpless father, who couldn't do anything for his child! His eyes could just not tolerate another tear from his baby brother's eyes and thus they just decided to shut down too.
"It.. it can happen to any... anyone Batuk," Bondita just spoke, not even feeling right to speak anything to him, because she knew nothing could console him right now.
"I... I'm s... such a bad husband! How much she longs for a child, Boudi!!" He screamed and cried at the same time, his voice breaking everyone's hearts.
"Batuk please," Anirudh finally spoke walking to his brother and gently touching his head, which was still rested onto Bondita's shoulder.
"Please calm down." He said, wiping his own tears.
Bondita pulled him away from her gently and cupped his face into her hands. She was so scared to see her best friend crying like that. It was just so heartbreaking to see the one who made everyone smile, cry like this!
She had to mend his heart first, only then could he mend Mallika's heart, which was yet to broken. She didn't even want to imagine what would happen when Mallika gets to know this.
"Batuk, it's not your fault." Somnath spoke walking to him and holding his hand.
"IT IS!" Batuk cried, falling down to the ground.
"It is my fault Dada! I'm responsible for my Mallika's unhappiness! I'm the one who vowed to keep her happy in all times and circumstances, but see! What am I doing? It'll break her heart into a million pieces Dada!" He cried helplessly.
"Batuk! Don't be mad! You're the best!" Bondita nearly shouted, sitting beside him on the floor along with Anirudh and Somnath.
"Mallika Loves you! And that won't change!" She told.
"She shouldn't," Batuk murmured.
"She shouldn't love me, I don't deserve it Boudi! I don't deserve her love! I don't deserve a marriage.... I don't deserve a wife!" He murmured not even looking like he was in his senses anymore.
"Batuk, my brother! It's not you fault! Try to understand! It's a medical condition, which isn't in your hands!" Anirudh held his shoulders tightly, almost shaking his body as if to bring him out of a deep slumber.
"I will go away.... I will not show her my face ever again.... I.... I don't deserve the love she has for me.... I... I'm not worthy of any of these.... I'm... I'm such a... such a loser! I'm sucha a loser Dada!!! I'M INCOMPLETE!" Batuk just kept crying and murmuring continuously.
This whole thing had traumatised him to the core. The society blames and thinks that infertility is just a woman's fault and the concerns are also just for her. Only women are called "Baanjh" and many other names. Only they're looked down at for not being able ti bear children.
But this could be a problem faced by the men... The husband too! They're definitely not be blamed, but they need to be understood too. Men are always called the "stronger gender" but in reality, nothing like that exists in this world.
Men are even more sensitive and conscious about themselves and their family. They can be broken, traumatised and scared too! They can blame themselves for infertility too!
Batuk was just another man truly in love. How could he break the heart of the one whom he loves so much? How could he not give her what she wanted? Didn't that mean that he failed as a husband? Didn't he fail as a man too?
He thought he did!
"Batuk, stop crying, have some water first!" Somnath handed him a glass of water and made him drink slowly.
"Now listen to me patiently, okay? It's still not impossible! There are still chances.... Very low, but there are!" He told, making even Anirudh and Bondita look at him with shock.
"Is there? Even if there's a single ray of, please do tell, Som Dada!" Bondita urged, finally feeling a bit relieved.
"Yes Boudi.... I've written to a very senior Doctor in London, he's a specialist and has done a lot of research about this problem. Maybe he has some solution. But..." Somnath told, stopping in between.
"But what Dada?" Batuk finally asked, making their hearts flutter as he seemed a bit hopeful now.
"But you might need to go to London for the treatment... And I have absolutely no idea, how much time it may take." Somnath told.
"It's okay, Dada! Even if it costs my life, I'll do anything for my Mallika! Even if there are any risks, I'm not scared! Nothing matters more than the one we love, right? That's what I've learnt from Anirudh Dada..." Batuk said, finally wiping his tears.
"Batuk..." Anirudh murmured feeling so proud and relieved at the same time.
"I'm proud of you... But you really do not need to sacrifice your own life for this!" He added.
"Dada it's fine! Atleast my Mallika will be a mother!" He told desperately.
"But at what cost Batuk?" Anirudh questioned.
"At the cost of her husband? What will that child attain? A future that doesn't have his own father! Will he or she ever be able to forgive themselves? Will Mallika ever be able to accept that child, knowing how big a risk her husband had to face for it? I'm not telling to stop trying or lose hope. You shouldn't! But do think properly! A child NEEDS a father as much it needs a mother!" Anirudh spoke and touched his brother's cheeks gently.
Tears were flowing down his own eyes. Batuk was afterall no less than a child to him.
"You're precious Batuk! You're precious to everyone and the most to Mallika! We'll never let you do anything that harms you, okay? If you wish, we'll definitely go to London for the treatment or even just for consultation! But NOT at the cost of your own health! Do you understand me?" He asked.
Batuk just nodded, his eyes tearing up all over again, by the love he just felt. Being the youngest of the three brothers, he'd always been the dearest to everyone and had always been used to this immense love and care by everyone.
"Yes Dada... I... I promise I will not cause any pain to anyone! I'll not let anything harm me." He assured and Anirudh just hugged him tightly.
"I love You my brother!" Anirudh murmured, ruffling his brother's hair with tears in his eyes.
Somnath also hugged Batuk and Anirudh tightly. Bondita just cried out of happiness, seeing the love between the three brothers. She felt like she should caste all the evil eyes off them, just like her Kaka Sasurji.
But instead, she just joined her hands and touched them to her own forehead, thanking and praying to her Dugga Maa.
"Come on, we've some hope still left, do not cry anymore anyone!" Somnath smiled and they all smiled too.
"I... How do I tell Mallika?" Batuk asked suddenly and it made everyone worried again.
Ofcourse there were more tears and shocks to witness and handle!
......
That's all for this part! Hope you all like this one!❤️
This is a really important topic that I wanted to address through my book.
We've always seen the society blaming just the wife for infertility and not having a child. Husbands and their families even disown the woman if she's infertile.
But that could be the the other way round too. Men could be a prey to a medical issue too. And thus they can feel shattered and incomplete too.
The point is, no one is incomplete if they are infertile. What people need to understand is, marriage and children are just a part of your life and not the only purpose of this life!
This will be further addressed and discussed as the story unfolds.
I hope you'll will be able to understand the depth of this topic, which is really sensitive to discuss!❤️
Love, Author!❤️
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