aman is checking the ultrasound reports of a patient, she's in labour and right now she's just 3cm dilated, in ultrasound, he noticed that her uterus is small, and he's sure that the baby's head will be stuck, it's 75% chance, if they go for normal delivery the child may die, and she already had a miscarriage before.
A nurse leads him to that patient room, he entered and sees many family members were there, some of are chatting, some discussing hospital bills, and a group of men having their own discussion.
Aman glanced at the nurse indicating why so many people doing there and she said they were not listening to her, aman sighed, and get irritated when people were not corporate with the medical staff.
" all of you, please get out of here, only two people are allowed in the patient room"
" she's our daughter in law, this is the big day for the whole family, how can we not be here"
" rules are rules mam, they are made for reasons, so please get out of here"
Most of them were seems irritated but get out of the room, only her husband and her mother in law stay, aman told The nurse to check on her while he went to discuss issues with her husband.
"Mr bhaskar, your wife has some complications, I think you know about this.
Her uterus is small, and the baby's head can stuck which may cause
Brain injury and even death, so my advice is to you to go for a Caesarean, if you take a risk and go for a normal, the child can't survive and in future, it will be hard for her to get pregnant again."
Aman explain to him that, he noticed that his mother does not seem happy with this, aman sighes and told the nurse to bring the consent form.
"Doctor, how much all this will cost?" Her mother in law asks him.
" approx 30,000 Rs and with this private room, it would be around 42,000rs."
"Doctor this is too much, and we book this private room because of our family members and this room charge is too much"
"Mam this is a private room, she has to stay at least three days after delivery, so you better decide early."
Aman told the nurse to explain the rest of the things to this couple, he comes out of the room and then goes to other patients to check on them.
After settling everything, a nurse informs him that they are ready for operation, aman went into OT wearing a surgical gown, as they were in the middle of the operation.
"Sir?" A newly appointed doctor asks him.
"Hmm?"
" sir, her mother in law asks me whether the baby is a girl or boy?" He said with a sad smile.
" prepare yourself, pal there would be more questions like this, just do your work properly, we can't afford to make mistakes in this profession," Aman said while his hands operating.
"Yes sir, I will."
The operation was successful, she delivers a healthy baby girl, and a nurse takes her for cleaning and checked her health.
Aman comes out of the operation theatre in scrubs, he sees the whole family were waiting outside,
"Congratulations, Your wife is healthy and she delivers a healthy baby too, they both are fine and safe."
"Thank you, doctor," he said shaking his hands with aman.
Aman smiles and makes his way to his chamber, when he enters he sees Karan, a neighbour who lives across from his hospital, he knows him because he was his sister's doctor when she was pregnant.
"Are karan, kya go gaya, everything's fine?" Aman was quite surprised to see him, last time he was here to invite a family function.
"Aman bhaiya!!! Please help me, I don't know where to go" Karan said in a tense tone.
" calm down! And tell me what happened."
"Bhaiya..i..i am not feeling well, I really hate this feeling"
"Where you're not feeling well?" aman asked him gently, trying to comfort him as much as he can.
...............
Ashima was working on some documents in the Conference room when a woman entered with lots of files come, she seems irritated and had some tears stains on her cheeks also.
She greets ashima briefly, sat on a chair in front of her, and starts working on those files, ashima noticed that she was not well..so she tries to start a conversation.
"What's your name?"
"Vani, I am an intern in the technology department."
" oh, you're an intern, well I am the head of this department."
" oh you...you are the head, I am sorry mam, I only heard your name."
"It's alright...don't be sorry, is everything fine? office environment doesn't suit you?"
" no mam, everything is fine."
"It's okay you can tell me, I am the head, it's my responsibility to check everything."
" mam I feel that I will be not selected permanently here."
"Why do you feel like this?"
" the other intern kushi, everyone likes her, she also hangs out with seniors and some of them just push their work to me."
" well if she's socialising with everyone, then you should also do, and complain to your superior who give their work to you."
" complain to superior, my hard work will go in vain after that, she's a slut mam, I heard rumours that she was sleeping with our superior."
" she's a slut then whom she's sleeping with, also a man whore."
"No...no, I mean ye..yes."
"Vani, you're calling her slut just because of rumours and let's just suppose, if she's sleeping with her superior for a permanent position,
Because she's confident in her looks, in her body to gain anything...I know this is wrong in this profession but just think,
If she's so confident in her body, are you confident in your talent to get what you want?"
"I...I am not, but even if I get confident, she will always be ahead of me, she's beautiful mam, she's so white, perfect features...everything,
And me, I am not beautiful, I am not white like her, I am dark."
"Who said you're not beautiful? If you're not feeling good about yourself and how others will do it?
Honey, first you need to feel beautiful, then before you know it, you can hear someone say that you look so beautiful today.
In professional and personal life, you need to get confidence and make sure to believe in yourself."
Vani starts thinking about what ashima said, meanwhile ashima collects her documents and put them in order then call vani name.
"Vani?"
"Yes, mam?"
"Are you in the group on WhatsApp?"
"Yes, mam."
"Send their names who give you their work"
Before Vani can reply, ashima was already out of the room, vani sit in that room for a long time and keeps thinking about everything.
..........
Ashima comes home, putting aside her bag and extra things, she looks for kushu but he wasn't on his bed, so she goes to her bedroom to check.
And there was the king himself, laying in her bed sleeping peacefully between two big pillows, and blanket covering his bottom, this guy is living his life.
Ashima shakes her head at this cat but didn't wake him up, she starts taking off her jewellery, as she was removing them she suddenly stopped looking at her face in the mirror,
She remembers what she said to vani, she looks at her face and caresses it with her fingers,
"tume koi haq nhi hai, itni sundar dikhne ka."
Ashima covered her face in embarrassment and laugh at her silliness, she look at her father's picture which was on her dressing table.
"Don't look at me like this Papa, I am not mad...your daughter is just happy."
Ashima said with a smile while looking at her papa's picture, she caressed his picture and reassures him.
"Don't worry, I am really happy...Sacchi maie."
Ashima smiles and puts her father's picture on the table, then goes to the washroom to freshen up, she comes out all fresh and looks at kushu, who already woke up but still lazing around in her bed.
Ashima goes to her closet and starts searching for what to wear, she thought she has nothing to wear, even though her closet is packed with clothes,
She takes out a Kurti and plazo and decides to wear them today, she goes to her dressing and wears juhmki in her ears, she fixed her nose ring,
Then she put on a small bindi, but looking for a moment she decides not to wear them, she put on her watch and a bracelet on other hand.
She applies moisturiser then sunscreen, curls her eyelashes and put on some mascara, applies some lip balm on her lips, and that's it she's ready.
Ashima grab kushu and put him in her arms, she then goes to the kitchen and grabs an apple, then take her bag, and locked her apartment.
Then she goes to her car, She put kushu in the back seat and secures him and then sits in the driver's seat, and goes to aman hospital by his given location instructions and some routes.
While driving, she was eating her apple, talking to kushu and listening to a Punjabi song.
As she reaches his hospital by asking an nth number of people, she parked her car, take kushu and put him in her cotton bag, it was quite big and kushu is still a child, only his head can be seen.
She looks at the hospital in front of her, it was a two-story building, with a modern exterior, she read the hospital name.
Amicus maternity and child care hospital
Ashima goes inside the hospital, she texts aman, and he replied that he will come in 15 minutes, she sits on a sofa, far away from most people as she has kushu, and pregnant ladies should not be close to cats.
She sees many mothers with their children, a few pregnant ladies with their husbands, and mothers cradling Their sick kids in their arms, whispering some sweet words,
A husband keeps caressing his wife's pregnant stomach while talking with her with a wide smile, a lady was so tired that she just sleeps in sitting condition, and her husband put her head on his shoulder, maybe reassuring her.
She also see a heavily pregnant lady, but she was alone, nobody was with her.
A weird feeling arouses in ashima, she doesn't know what it was, her hand unknowingly clenched, she took out her water bottle and drink some water to calm down.
An old lady was sitting beside her, she notice ashima is sitting and not going to the reception or any doctor, so she strikes a conversation with her.
" Are you here for a checkup beta?"
" no aunty...I am here to meet a friend, he works here."
" ohhh...you shouldn't be close with cats when you're pregnant." The lady said while eyeing kushu, who was peacefully licking himself.
"No..no, I am not pregnant," Ashima said denying the old lady's conclusions
"Oh acha, beta are you married?"
"No, I am not married," Ashima said with a smile.
"Ohh, my daughter in law is inside, she's four months pregnant."
" nice, congratulations"
" beta, you should also get married and have kids, you look quite young and nowadays it's hard to find a good guy."
Ashima didn't say anything and just nodded her head with a small smile, old lady also stop talking,
The weird feeling again arouses but she sees aman coming with a young boy, she felt like he was able to protect her from these things,
"Aman?"ashima called him.
" hey, I hope you didn't have to wait too much," aman asked her.
" no it's fine, you made it on time, uhm shall we go?"
"Yeah...just wait a minute" he talks to that young boy for some time.
Aman finished his talk, ashima take out kushu, and while aman was holding her bag, ashima noticed that the old last was looking at them keenly.
They both come out of the hospital, with ashima adjusting kushu in her arms and aman holding their bags, they both go to ashima's car, and she put kushu in her backseat.
They both sit in the car and take off to the veterinary doctor, ashima was driving, and aman was in the passenger seat and our kushu tries to scratch aman's belongings.
"Kushu behave!" Ashima said sternly.
"It's alright, so how was your day?" Aman asked her.
" It was good, what about yours?"
" yeah...it was okayish, but what happened to you in the reception area, your face looks pale."
" I was just overthinking...seeing all those women, experiencing Their motherhood, it was a kinda weird feeling....don't know." Ashima said with an ironic smile.
"It's okay, pregnancy and motherhood are important but not everything, ashima you're an independent, strong woman, you can adopt one if you don't wanna go into processors " Aman knows exactly what she's feeling.
"I know...thank you," ashima said with a smile, she was expecting something else in his response but still feel so light-hearted after sharing her thoughts.
They all the reached veterinary clinic, ashima took kushu and locked her car, and aman was walking beside her, explaining to her how will things go.
Aman greeted his friend and introduce him to ashima, they both shook hands, and ashima asked him how much time was needed for neutering.
"Max 5 minutes, but the problem is that I have too many animals today...so it will take some time for your turn, sorry aman, I really can't do anything.
"it's okay, we can wait right?" Aman said asking for Ashima's approval.
"Yes, it's totally fine," ashima said placing kushu with other cats.
They both sat down, waiting for their turn, ashima turns to aman, and look at his face, she sense that today he was disturbed by something, he was not his usual self.
"Aman? Shall we go for a walk?"
" yeah sure "
They both go to a small park, where some elderly are walking ng, a few kids were playing, and some of them walking their pets, ashima and aman sat down on a wooden bench.
As they sat, both were in silence, no one utter a single word, aman was in his thoughts when he heard Ashima's voice.
"What's bothering you?" Ashima asked him slightly touching his fingers to get his attention.
Aman looked at her for a moment then sighed.
"Do you remember that kid with me, when you came to the hospital?"
"Yes..."
"He...he told me that he was not feeling well, so I...I checked him and when I checked him I noticed his anus was partially ruptured and his....his male genitalia has forced scratches"
A small gasp left from Ashima's mouth, she was too shocked, she turns to aman, and sees him nodding his head with a numb expression.
"Yes...he was forced."
Both were too stunned to speak, ashima couldn't believe what she just heard, she never thought this can happen to a man?
Maybe she was just used to hearing about women getting assaulted, forced and get raped,
Not her only, but we all kinda used to it now, like it's just an everyday thing, but we forget that no one is unsafe in this world.
Where needed women want equality as men, some evil souls misuse their rights in fake rape charges, domestic violence and divorce alignment etc.
It's not like only women suffer, yes they do suffer but we forget that men also suffer, maybe their suffering was not big or too deep.
But suffering is suffering, it can be a low thing for one person, but it can become a large problem for others person's life.
........
"How can we help him," Ashima asked aman, desperate to help that poor child.
"I gave him the urologist's number and the psychologist's card, I explain to him everything we can do, and I will try my best to support him." Aman sighes and just look in distance.
"Poor child, he had to endure so much at this young age."
"Don't worry, we will help him."
"Yes."
After telling her everything, aman kinda feel relieved to share his problems with someone, his heart feels so light, and he was glad that she was with him, at this moment, helping him, reassuring him that she will be there for him.
He turns to look at her face and notices she seems sad, wants to remove this dull atmosphere, and he strikes up a conversation with her.
" kushu is dramatic cat ashima, do you know, he was glaring at me that day."
"Really? " she chuckled and shook her head in amusement.
Ashima looks at aman, and noticed that aman keep looking at her with a small smile on his lips.
"Take a picture, if you think I am so beautiful," Ashima said teasingly.
Aman blinked his eyes, he turns his head to another side, he was embarrassed, ashima softly laugh at his actions, she nudge his arm.
"Aman"
"Hmm?"
" tell me seriously, am I beautiful?" Ashima asked him while posing in some manner.
He looks at her for a moment, seeing every feature of her face, her forehead adorned with some hair strands, freeing from her clutcher and keep falling to her face,
her dark brown eyes looking at him as they were also asking ' are they beautiful ', her nose with a simple nose ring looking so beautiful, her lips in a small smile, he notices a very small mole Little bit below her lower lip,
Beautiful.
"Aman? Batao na?". Ashima whines, scrunching her nose a little.
Aman looked at her and made a typical Indian aunty hand gesture and said
" haye, kisi ki nazar nhaa lage."
Ashima burst into laughter seeing his hand gesture, she couldn't hold back her laugh, unknowingly aman also start laughing, forgetting their problems, and worries for moments,
And just enjoying each other presence.
Ashima sees a panipuri stall and gets up, putting her bag on her shoulder, aman gets confused about ashima but before he can say anything.
"May I?" She forwards her hand to take his hand.
"Yes." Aman was a little stunned for a moment but quickly put his hand on her.
"Kaha jana hai?" Aman asked ashima, as they were both standing holding hands.
"Vaha." Ashima point at the panipuri stall with her eyes.
"Chalie?" Ashima asked aman with a smile.
"Chalo." Aman also said with a smile.
They both were walking while holding hands, aman looked down at their hands, and she secure his hands in her, her fingers pressing on his, reflecting their relationship initial step, a small but a very important step.
Aman doesn't want to touch her without her permission, he was quite unsure how to take a step forward in this relationship but she just did it so naturally, he couldn't help but to smile and tighten his hands around her small and soft hands.
They both reached to panipuri stall, and start eating it, in India who doesn't like panipuri, but can't say anything, exceptions are everywhere.
As they both were eating, aman looks at ashima, the wind was fast so her hair keep coming on her face, but she was so engrossed in eating, didn't even notice.
Aman take a step toward her, he touched her face, gathering all her stubborn hair and tucking them behind her ear, revealing her tattoo, a beautiful butterfly wing.
Ashima felt his touch, she look at him with a questioning gaze, and he shook his head at nothing just smiling at her.
'Bhudhu'
Aman heard her whisper and just chuckled, they both finish eating and when it the time to pill the bill, aman takes out his wallet,
"How much?" Aman asked him
"40 Rs sir."
Aman looked at his wallet, only 500 notes were there, he look at the vendor and the vendor look at him.
" do you take card?"
"No, But we have Paytm, phone par and others also."
Aman opened his phone only to see a 2% per cent battery, he straightly look at ashima with an expression.
'It's not my fault'
Ashima who was watching all this silently, trying to hold back her laugh, seeing aman acting like this somehow remember kushu, she ignored her thoughts and take out her wallet and paid that vendor.
Aman looked at her sheepishly, and ashima shook her head with a small smile.
"I'll pay next time, pakka!" Aman said
"it's okay "
As they were walking, aman slide his hand into hers without hesitation.
Ashima smiles that he took a step forward, she tightens her hold and just keeps smiling, they both go hand in hand.
..............
Author note
Hello beautiful people, how are you all doing?
I hope you all like this update, I add some harsh realities of society
Just want to add the touch that nothing is perfect
This world is beautiful and cruel at the same time, so I hope you like this.
Do vote if you think this chapter deserves it.
Song:- gallan 4 by talwinder
Be happy and healthy.