More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

The News

1966:

Sindhuja had been having a mild headache since two days. Today she also felt sick in the stomach.

"I feel like I need to vomit, but I can't..."

"It might be because of bad food or acidity... Let's go to the doctor."

"No, not the doctor for every small thing!" She said getting off the bed, but lost her balance.

He quickly stepped and held her. "Sindhu!"

He made her sit back on the bed while still holding her steady.

"This isn't small, see! I'm not listening to anything else. Get ready, we're going to the clinic.

"Mitter babu, you were going to the court for some case right, You'll get late!"

"I'll see what to do about that. You're coming to the doctor now, that's it."

She sighed. "No, you'll get late. I'll go myself."

He frowned. "Miss independent, you're sick yourself. Don't go alone, I'll ask Kaaki to take you... Is that Okay?"

"Hm, yeah."

He came back late in the afternoon to find Kaaki and Sindhuja had just gone to visit the doctor. They came back in some time.

"What happened? What did the doctor say?"

Sindhuja just stood there looking down while Kaaki replied, "Don't worry."

"But what's happened to her?"

 "Sindhu, you go and rest. And Felu, don't go around bothering her with questions. She is alright."

"Kaaki, but she's-"

"She isn't sick. And, there was a telephone call for you in the morning."

He understood there was no point asking anything to Kaaki right now. "I'll go and check."

He was totally confused why Kaaki was behaving like this, but she later sent him out for work so he couldn't talk to her or Sindhuja until dinner.

At the dinner table, Kaaki and Sindhuja were serving food while he, Kaka and Tapesh were having dinner. 

Kaka asked Sindhu for some water, but Kaaki stopped her saying, "Wait, I'll get it."

Bringing in a glass of water, Kaaki announced, "You, Tapesh and Felu. Listen. Stop bothering Sindhu for small things now. The doctor said she needs to take care of her health for a few months."

He looked up. 

"Why, what happened?" Tapesh asked.

Kaaki slowly poised a smile and said, "Because Tapesh, you're going to become a Kaka soon."

He choked on food and started coughing before Tapesh could say anything. Kaka passed his glass of water to him. "Felu, be careful."

He drank the water and slowly settled down, his gaze straight at Sindhuja. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked down.

Kaka turned to her. "Congratulations, Sindhu and Felu!.."

Tapesh also repeated, "Congrats!..."

She managed to smile in response, blushed and left to the kitchen. He had no expressions other than surprise on his face. Kaaki had now started over with her list of foods that she planned on preparing for Sindhuja and all grocery materials she needed for it, Kaka assuring her he'll have all the things arranged, Tapesh asking what he could do to help in all this. Their happy ruckus in the background blurred out as it sunk in him. A new relation, a new responsibility...

He was pulled out of his thoughts with Kaka putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hello, father-to-be; where are you lost? We're talking about something here..."

Later he came in their room and saw Sindhuja already making the bed. He quickly closed the door and went to her. She straightened up and stood facing him too. 

He held her shoulders. "Is it true?"

She rolled her eyes at this question. "Do you think Kaaki would joke around about something like this? Obviously it is true!" 

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"We were told by the doctor today. After that Kaaki sent me to rest. When was I going to tell you?... And what's the matter with you? Why're you so distracted?"

"Me? No- nothing..."

She sighed. "Are you angry I didn't tell you first? I'm sorry, I really couldn't..." and she walked into his embrace while saying so. He said nothing.

While still resting her head on his chest, she asked him in a low voice, "Are you not happy, Mitter babu?"

He looked down at her. Breaking away from the hug, he asked, "Are you happy?"

"Of course I am! Think about it; our child, running around in the house, laughing and babbling...  We'll be parents, our family would be complete! Didn't you see how excited everyone else was just with the news?! This is in fact one of the happiest days of my life..." Her eyes glinted even more than the stars out of the window as her face took a warm shade like the evening sky. He held this beautiful site of her face cupped in his hands. 

"You're happy right, then I'm very happy too..." He said and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. 

She ran into his embrace again. He caressed her hair while thinking...

Sindhuja was new in my life, yet I was lucky that she understood and adjusted to me. But would our child understand and adjust too? Rather, why should it understand and adjust like this? What is it's fault?... 

Maybe I'll have to change after all. For both of them. For us.