More than just Feluda (Fanfic)

Things gone wrong

The room door opened. He had been pacing in front of it with his Charminar the last twenty minutes. Kaaki came out from the door and he was about to rush in, when she pulled him by the sleeve to the side.

"I was right. It's a miscarriage. She got too emotionally stressed by the news."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh god!"

"Did you think you were on some case here, Felu? Just plainly telling the person their relative died; as though coping with it was entirely her issue... This is your wife here, who was in a fragile condition! Why did you tell her in the first place?!"

"Kaaki we had to tell her some day! I only thought it was better to explain things to her calmly than she knowing it later and getting even more hurt...""

"And see where it has brought things!"

"I really didn't mean to..."

"Of course you didn't!... But she's still a young girl Felu, not even twenty; she isn't yet mature enough to handle all this... You should have been more considerate. Now it's taken a toll on her health, mental peace,... and your child!"

He went in and sat by her bedside. She was sitting laidback on the bed with fresh bedsheets changed into a fresh dark-blue saree, eyes closed yet streaming down tears. Her hair were dishevelled out of their pleats, hands resting on her stomach.

She made a lifeless picture, which terrified him more than anything else. His Sindhu, always like a freshly blossomed flower; now lay here like a heap of wilted leaves. He caressed her hair and then her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes to look at him and spoke with efforts.

"What a paradox god put me in! I have two lost lives to grieve for, but I have the strength for none..... I'm sorry. I couldn't be a good mother." Her voice crackled and she started weeping before even completing the sentence.

He quickly pulled her into his arms and she cried her heart out, resting her heavy head on his shoulder. Her stomach still hurt and her head throbbed with pain as if it would burst any moment, while she just cried out of everything around; memories of her father, the letter where he had asked to see her, her fears that ShyamaMaa might have done something to him, the guilt of not being there for him as a daughter, And then her dreams of motherhood that had shattered into pieces, how she had let down everyone else in the house too.

If only I had somehow gone to meet him...

Meanwhile he patiently held her close and gave her the warmth she needed. That was all that he could do at the moment. She had been crying for a few minutes now, when he realised that she had suddenly slumped down putting all her weight on him.

He patted on her cheek, "Sindhu,... Sindhu?.....Rosogolla?..." 

She didn't answer. 

Realising she had fainted again, he picked up the glass of water nearby and sprinkled some on her face. She could hardly open her eyes. Blabbering something incoherent she tried to get up in her drowsy state, clutching her stomach. He however held her down and made her gulp down some water. Then he slowly made her lie down on her back and sleep. She finally stopped talking and slept silently, or maybe fainted again. He didn't know, but she was resting right now and that was enough. He pushed aside the hair on her face and kissed on her forehead. 

She didn't deserve any of what was happening to her right now. Maybe he was somewhere at fault too, as Kaaki said. But he knew the doctor had already discussed this in private with him during the last check-up. She had warned that Sindhuja might have a risk of miscarriage. But like this?