Only You....

Tough Choices

I don't know how many seconds or minutes passed; the pain made everything feel like an eternity...I felt disoriented and weak, struggling to stay on my feet. Suddenly, I heard Arnav's voice, 'Khushi!..' he called out, and before I knew it, he was by my side. I have no clue how he reached to me, but he reached, and just as I started to collapse, he caught me in his arms, holding me tightly...

'What's wrong? Are you okay?' He asked, panicking.

'Ar..Arn. Arnav, it's hurting..' I managed to say between breaths, the pain shooting through my body, making it hard to speak. My vision blurred, and I clung to him, feeling a mix of fear and helplessness.

'Khushi, Khushi...I'm here. We'll go to the hospital now..' he said tremblingly. He lifted me in his arms and rushed out of the room towards the car...

Hearing the commotion, my mother came out and saw what was happening. She quickly got in the car with us. I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open, and I was sweating badly... My mother patted my cheek and asked me not to close my eyes. Arnav was driving the car fast and glancing at me. I was only eight months pregnant, and the baby wasn't due for another month.What if something went wrong? My mind raced with terrifying possibilities—what if the baby was in danger? What if I couldn't make it to the hospital in time? The thought of losing my child was more than I could bear...My heart pounded in my chest.

Arnav was talking to me in trembling voice, 'Don't worry, Khushi... We're almost there.'

'Khushi, don't close your eyes baccha..we are here..' My mother was holding me tight in her embrace and crying with me.

I tried to focus on their voices, but the pain was too intense..My vision blurred, and darkness crept in at the edges of my sight..I felt my strength slipping away, and despite my efforts to stay awake, I couldn't fight it any longer..The world around me began to fade, and I felt myself drifting into darkness..

............

When I started to regain consciousness, I opened my eyes very slightly. They felt so heavy. With my half-opened eyes, I saw Arnav sitting next to me, holding my hand tightly. His head was resting on the bed. The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of machines. The lights were dim, very dim, making everything feel like a dream. For a quick second, I thought, Am I dreaming? But no, it was reality. I was seeing Arnav, but with the darkness on my side, I was sure he couldn't see me at all. Arnav didn't realize I was awake, and I was sure about it. His gesture was the proof. Though I still couldn't see his face, I felt something wet on my hand. My heart sank—why was he crying? Was something wrong with the baby? What happened to my baby?

The next moment, I heard Arnav's heartfelt words, 'Baby, my sweet baby...' He moved his mouth near my abdomen, 'Are you angry with your Papa? Please don't be. Papa is very sorry that he couldn't take care of you and your mumma in the past few months, but trust me, bacha, I didn't have any other option. Your mumma needed space, and my presence was giving her anxiety. Now you tell me, what should I have done?'

He paused and continued, 'Please don't be mad at me and don't leave me. Your papa promises he will take care of you and love you very much. Please promise me you will come to me. Promise me, baby, you will not leave me or your mumma. You are my sweet baby, right? And sweet babies always listen to their parents. Please, baby, understand your parents need you the most. You are our last hope. We have lost so much in life, and now we can't lose..' He paused as his voice was breaking, 'You..'

A wave of fear washed over me. The way Arnav was talking, the desperation in his voice, made me terrified that something was wrong with our baby. I wanted to reach out, to ask him what was happening, but my body felt so weak. All I could do was lie there, my mind racing with fear and questions. Was our baby ok? Why was Arnav so scared?