For G, from Juan

ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ꜰɪꜰᴛᴇᴇɴ

Vijay woke up alarmed, hearing the screeching of a wheelchair. He was glued to the bench in front of the birthing ward, in the long, gold-lit corridor.

His heart pounded heavily as she started to wince in pain inside. As the sound got louder, he stood up, his limbs still paining, trying to escape from the noise and guilt.

Amaya, in her night-wear shut her car door in a loud thud and walked as fast as she could towards her cabin.

Rushing to the birthing room in her doctor coat with pyjamas, she halted for a second to process shock. Putting his presence aside, she proceeded.

The midwives inside, alerted her to seal the glass. She shook her head in refuse.

'Drithi, baby, I'm here' Amaya said.

'Thank god you're here chechi..' Drithi said frailly and fell back at the pillow as she couldn't push further. 'I can't do this. Can't we stop here, please?' Indeed, two hours, it was too early for her accept pain of this magnitude.

'Darling, few more minutes, just a few more minutes okay?' Amaya huffed, clearing her mind pervaded with dark clouds, just like the exterior.

Dhrithi quivered, thanks to the weather and nodded her head sincerely. Inside him was an overwhelm of fear and guilt.

From the open window, Amaya could see the silhouette of a woman with a saxophone on the greens. A usual sight for her. The woman started playing the saxophone as the heavy winds accompanied her.

Dhrithi's sudden scream cut through the waves, silencing the saxophone. Coinciding with her, the cry of the shrillest voice woke the world up, with Vijay.

The rays of the early sun wafted inside the room, shining upon the little one. Vijay fell to the floor, spread out his legs and closed his eyes to breathe relief.

As time passed, a tap on the shoulder woke the dishevelled young man. 'Doctor Amaya..' he stood up to her.

She forwarded him a glass of water and he gulped it in one go. Before he could inquire further, the doorbell rung. 'Vijay, that should be your parents' she said worried.

One of the maids opened the door to find Juan at the door with a dozen of coffee cups, grinning.

'Doc, got the lychnobites some coffee' he smiled.

'Who's that?' She asked. 'You guys, working all night..' he replied, opening the sealed paper cup. She nodded her head, disagreeing, her lips curved up.

'How is Juan up so early today?' One of the mid-wives asked, handing over a cup to Vijay. Juan looked at Vijay and unsmiled, he had understanding for the lad that did not come with empathy.

'Waking up late happens only when I sleep, sister'

'You know what's better than coffee?' Amaya indulged.

'Eight hours of sleep, I know. But I just can't do it, doc. You also know this is a practice only on few days, so chill.'

She sighed and shrugged her arms.

'By the way, how did you know about Dhrithi?'

'Having a transparent window as your bedroom wall is an advantage to those wanting to poke their noses in others' businesses.' The women in the corridor laughed.

Inside the room, a womb itself, lied Dhrithi quietly, lost in the vastness of the alfresco. Vijay kneeled down, glancing at the little bundle lying in a cradle. A midwife entered the room with a jug of water.

'Dhrithi..' he called out before unfolding the storm in him. Breaking from the ambedo, she moved her eyes to him.

'I'm fifteen. I have a life beyond this. I cannot take care of this child' she said with a straight face. He looked into her eyes that were brimming with tears.

'You know, it was easier when I said this five months back.. but now.. I can't even face him' she shed her tears of helplessness. He was not willing to say anything more.

A few seconds later, he ran out in the pouring rain, in the direction of the railway station. G, who was pacing slowly towards the building, saved herself from the dulge on which he had stepped.

As she opened her squinted eyes, a huge name-board came to the proximity of her sight.

Dev Birthing Centre.

The door was open and the corridor was empty. As she walked further, she saw a huge crowd inside the operation room.

Circled around the cradle, each of them waited for their turn to see what Vijay had placed beside the boy, before leaving.

Juan, the tallest among the crowd, watched the baby fiddling with a emerald fairy pendant. Teemed by tears were his mystical eyes.

TO BE CONTINUED

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