A Typical Indian Bride? [✓]

Hope.

Even before I could analyse what was happening I found myself in an ambulance. My husband hadn't left side as I found my right palm tightly packed between both of his. Ma ji was trying to calm me down and the fresh streak of pure oxygen hit my nostrils.

But, my date wasn't expected until a month and a half...

Worry creeped through my heart as much as tears streamed out of my eyes.

"Bahu, no dear, don't cry! Everything's going to be fine."

I was once again swamped into my thoughts and suddenly I felt the vehicle stop. I turned to looked at Raj ji.

His face was struck with anxiety, worry and looked very disturbed. I gently tried to move the arm that he was holding so k can lock eyes with him.

As we did, I also saw that he was tearing up and the sight was unbearable, that my heart sank.

Another unbearable sharp pain scraped through my body as I survived yet another contraction.

The doors opened as the nurses helped me out of the ambulance. Raj ji didn't dare leave me out of sight, while Ma talked to the receptionist.

I was immediately pushed to pre-op and was asked to wait for the doctor. It was really late at night and unlike the clear sky my mind was clogged with too many things.

I am going to be a mother.

We are going to be parents.

That struck me pretty hard. The on-call doctors rushed into the room and asked Ma ji to wait outside.

I was immediately changed to hospital clothes and the doctor's checked my condition.

Puzzled with the looks that they had, it was unbearable to withstand the suspense that they put up with.

"What is it?", I asked as weakness and pain wore my voice down.

Squeezing my hand gently, Raj ji also asked the same.

"Well, we have asked your gynaecologist to come to the hospital as soon as she can and it's really not right on our part tk say anything-"

"Will you shut up and day whether my wife and child are doing okay?", bellowed Raj ji.

The doctors really tried to calm him down, but were in vain.

"Ra-Raj ji-?"

I called him. He immediately silenced and sprinted to my side.

"Baby are you okay?", he whispered.

"You are so tensed, that makes me worried, but otherwise I am okay...", I whispered back.

Another contraction was experienced by me as I felt I was going to die in this pain. I squeezed my husband's hand as if I was going to crush it into a box of powdered bones but, I really had no other go.

"Baby, breathe...", He said.

I really was trying to, I wanted to stay alive for my child and my husband.

"Are you okay?", I asked him.

"Well, it tears my heart into a million pieces to see you go through so much pain-"

Even before he could finish the sentence, our doctor walked in. She looked at the charts and made a small check up on me. The look that was on the on-call doctors came back onto my doctor's face.

"Doctor-"

"Mr. Shukla, your wife's condition is a little complicated. Her water broke even before her due date and from the check up we can conclude that it's better to go for a C-section instead of waiting for her to deliver your baby normally.

Is it okay for you? Please make the decision quick, so we can get started."

He looked at me, I nodded. Having his heart near his mouth, he signed the required forms as the nurses requested me to remove all my jewelry, inckuding my mangal-sootra.

I sentimentally looked at my husband.

"Baby, that's the procedure, I am going to be here, having them safely with me, okay?"

"Raj-", I called back at him.

"Promise me that you'll be okay?"

"Honey, you are going to be fine and so am I, intact so are we-"

"Raj, if the surgery is delayed or it takes time for me and your child to come out of the operation theatre, I want you to go give your exam and come okay?

We dreamt this together, and so will we achieve this together. I really want to be there to kiss you good luck, but apparently it seems like I'm going to have your baby. So, I won't be there.", I chuckled through my tears.

"I know you cannot sleep even for a second, with me, well like this and-"

"Pavi this is unfair-".

"No baby, this is fair.

Everything's fair in love.

Let's hope for the best-"

In mid-sentence, my husband stopped me with a kiss on my cheek as if to wipe away my tear drops.

I held him by his collar to gently kiss him back. The nurses gave us our privacy and noticing that he pecked my lips and then signalled for the nurses to come in.

"All the best, Raj ji", I said as the doctors rolled me away.

"You too, baby, I know you'll do well."

All we could do was hope. I wanted to hope that I deliver my baby well and well come out alive. I wanted to hope that my husband doesn't worry too much that he misses out on his opportunity for us to build a family together like how he dreamed. I wanted to hope that the world becomes innocent, peaceful and happy for my new born child to grow up and have an amazing life.

I whispered my prayers, well that is all I could remember.

Just felt a small sink into a world of light and darkness...

HOPE.

💫💫💫