TANGLED SOULS

Our family -2

"You might lose your wife Akshara or your babies."

The ground crumbled beneath his feet and Abhimanyu staggered in his stance, nearly losing his balance in a tremor that shook him to his core. He blanched and blinked back his rapidly moistened eyes, his mind processing the meaning of the words.

Lose.
Akshara.
Babies.

How...How? How can those words be said in the same phrase? Lose? He- how can he lose his Akshu? His very reason of breathing? His babies? How can his dream-their dream be broken before it even realized? How can he lose his babies before even having them, holding them? How? Why? Why was his Mahadev punishing him in such way? What sin did he do to deserve this kind of punishment? Why didn't he take his own life away? Wasn't it better than this?

"Dr. Abhimanyu." He took few seconds to come back out of his daze to stare at the doctor who was looking at him gravely. "You've to make a choice." His heart dropped. "If something goes wrong, will it be Akshara or—"

"Akshara." He cut her off fiercely before she could finish her phrase as he looked up at her determinedly. "Nothing is more important than my Akshu." He said firmly.

"But Dr. Birla, we're talking about two lives over one. Think rationally. Are you ready to lose your babies at birth?" His heart broke into millions of pieces hearing that.

"Any father would rather die than losing his babies." Abhi stated in a shaky voice as he wiped away his lone tear. "But losing my Akshu is not an option, nor a risk I'm willing to take."
He said more firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"I don't mind living without kids, but I can't breathe a second without my Akshu. I choose my Akshara. Save my Akshara if something goes wrong."

Abhimanyu looked dead serious and Dr. Meera nodded finally, understanding the crazy, intense love he's for the woman currently in the labor room.

"I will save your Akshara at any cost." She gave her word to him before she entered the labour room. Abhi let himself slid against the wall as he brought his knees to his chest, letting his head fall on his knees.

One tear escaped his eye, followed by another and a third one before he heard his Akshu's shout from the closed room. His eyes widened and he straightened up in a heartbeat, wiping away the wetness of his eyes furiously, as he touched his heart, eyes shut tightly.

"Take my life. But please protect my family, Mahadev." He prayed, his tone unfaltering. It was a demand to the god of a devotee who's worshipped him all life.

With that he entered the labor room and quickly sanitized himself as he rushed to his wife's side, who was moaning and crying in pain, throwing her head left to right. The sight broke his heart but he found himself questioning the past seven months all over again before he shook his pessimistic thoughts away to concentrate on his pregnant wife.

The moment Akshu saw him, she let out a throaty sob, his name escaping her parted lips. "Akshu!" He sharply breathed as he let her hold his hand. "Lean on me, Baba. You'll be more comfortable this way." He spoke ever so softly as he slowly cradled her head against his heart, whilst she sighed, the feeling of her love being with her all way, reminding her that she wasn't alone was already a reassurance for her. Her biggest cheerleader, her anchor...her Abhi was there.

Abhimanyu held her by shoulders and alternated between applying light pressure on her shoulder blades and used his thumbs to draw soothing circles on her skin, just explained in many of the pregnancy books he devoured in the past seven months.

"Breathe in, Breathe out, Akshu." He whispered. "Comm'o, do it with me." He added as he did it and she nodded following his initiative. "Perfect. It makes it more bearable na?" Abhi gave her an encouraging smile. "Let's do this again? Breathe in, and now breathe out." Akshara inhaled and exhaled in his arms through her contractions and he was right, it did relived her a little.