Soulful ShiVi Stories

Oops

Author's note : This prompt was given by VaishaliIngle Hope I did justice to your prompt. Thankyou Saru Di and Shru for helping me when I was stuck and Meghna for proofreading...

**Mentions of menstruation and blood.

Happy reading!!!

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"Mumma, yaha aao na jaldi ," 13yr old Shivi yelled from her bedroom.

When Shiva heard his beloved daughter yell for her mother he rushed to her room thinking that she had tripped and gotten hurt. But he reached her room only to find it locked from inside.

"Kya hua, aapne bulaya tha bacche?" He softly knocked on the door.

"Meine toh Mumma ko bulaya tha, kaha hai woh? Unhe bulao na," Shivi responded from inside.

"Shivi Mumma toh bahar gayi hai, aapko jo bhi kaam ho aap mujhe bata sakti ho." Shiva was now concerned about his daughter's strange behaviour.

"Badi mummy ya choti mummy hai kya? Unhe bulao na please."

"Shivi, ghar pe Chipkali, Rishita bhabi aur Dhara bhabi teeno nahi hai. Aap batao na baat kya hai? Mein aapki madat karunga."

The door creaked open as Shiva entered the room, only to find standing against the wall as if she was hiding something behind her back.

"Kya hua Shivi aap aise kyun khade ho? Aur aap taiyaar kyun nahi hue, aapko school nahi jaana kya?" Shiva said gently, knowing that something was bothering his little girl.

"Woh...um...woh...bed...pe..." she mumbled as she pointed to her bed.

When Shiva looked down at the bed, he noticed a large stain on the bedsheet, a blood stain to be precise. He returned his gaze to Shivi, who was clearly embarrassed by the situation she was in with her father.

Shivi turned away from her father's gaze. When she woke up this morning and saw the stain, she panicked at first, but then remembered the teacher talking about periods at school last week. She had called out to her mother, hoping she would come to her aid, but now here she was alone with her father, with no other woman in the house.

Shiva quietly went to his room and took out a sanitary pad from Raavi's cupboard. He handed it to Shivi, who dashed into the bathroom to take a bath and change, while Shiva changed the bedsheets and took the old one back to his room to wash later.

She felt much better after a bath and returned to the dining room to find Shiva serving dhoklas on the table as the rest of the Pandya children rose from their seats, already having finished their breakfast. Shiva looked at her as she nodded, assuring him that she was fine now. He joined her at the table, as they both munched on dhoklas in silence.

Finally Shiva decided to break the silence,"Shivi aaj aap mujhse apne periods ke baare mein baat karne ke liye itna sharma kyu rahi? Apko pata hai na aap mujhse kisi bhi topic par baat kar sakti ho?"

"Mujhe pata hai Papa aap kabhi mujhe kisi bhi baat ke liye judge nahi karoge. Actually kuch din pehle meine Badi mummy ko Tara didi se baat karte hue suna tha ki periods ke baare mein Papas se baat nahi karna chahiye. Mein aapko embarrass nahi karna chahti thi Papa. Isiliye mein aapse baat karne ke liye jhijhak rahi thi," Shivi told her father sincerely.

Shiva had always been a kind and supportive parent. Despite his mother and Bhabhi lecturing him on why girls shouldn't play sports, he had enrolled his daughter in cricket coaching when she told him about her interest in cricket. But today seeing his daughter hesitate to speak to her own father about a very basic biological process like menstruation made him ponder how such issues are still deemed taboo even in large towns like Somnath.

As they finished their breakfast, Shiva decided to drive Shivi to school because she had missed the bus. This would also allow him time to speak with his daughter.

 (In the car)

"Shivi aapko pata hai jab aapki mummy ke periods pehli baar shuru hue the tab kya hua tha?"

"Kya hua tha Papa?"

"Aapki mummy 12 saal ki thi jab unhe pehli baar periods aaye the. Mujhe aaj bhi yaad hai uss Chipkali ko toh pata bhi nahi tha periods kya hota hai. Usne khoon dekar yeh socha ki who ab marne wali hein aur zor zor se rone lagi thi. Phir teachers ne use samjhaya ki periods is just a way of our body telling us that we are growing up. Tab jaake rona band kiya usne. Ma'am nepure class ko explain kiya tha ki periods kya aur kaise hote hai and how women shouldn't be embarrassed about it. So Shivi, periods are just a sign that you are now growing up. Isme koi sharmindgi ki baat nahi hai. Aur aaj aapne situation ko kitne maturely handle kiya na. My little baby girl is now growing up and I am very proud of her", Shiva caressed her head lovingly.

"Mein kitni bhi badi ho jau but I'll always be Daddy's little princess. I love you, Papa. You are the best."

That day when Shivi returned from school, she found a small hamper on her bedside table which contained a pack of sanitary napkins, a hot water bag, a box of her favourite chocolates and candies and a note which said, 

"For our little baby girl who is now growing older."

Love, Chipkali and Bandar.

P.S. : Dress up come down as we are taking you for icecream. Thoda pampering toh banta haina.

Shivi giggled as she realized while her friends were complaining about their periods, her periods are gonna involve lots of pampering from her parents. Maybe it wasn't as bad as people had told her it would be.

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