Mera Rangsaaz

Chapter 25

Veer

"Veer, zara Chetan ko dekhna" Asha bhabhi says while I sit in the hall. Chetan is just playing with a ball. Only me, Tara, Jhanvi, Asha bhabhi and Amma are at home. I refuse to leave Tara alone in this condition. I don't care who is with her but if I am not with her then in my terms she is alone.

"Mein bas abhi Dhruv ke kapde badal kar aayi"

"Theek hai bhabhi" I reply and continue to look at him. My child will also play with him in some years.

"Chachu" Chetan says in his baby voice.

"Haan?"

"Mere saath kheloge"

"Theek hai. Fhek meri taraf"

He throws a ball which doesn't even reach me. This makes me smile. He is so small. My baby is also going to be so small. I will protect them with everything I have got. I play with him for sometime until Asha Bhabhi returns and then go to my room. Tara is resting right now as she isn't able to sleep in the night. I feel so bad for her so I happily agree to whatever she says.

I enter the room to see her sitting.

"Kya hua Tara?" I ask looking at her face. It looks like she is in pain.

"Dard sa hora hai"

"Kyu?! Kaha?!" I say going near her. I don't know how to reduce her pain and it makes me feel so useless.

"Aap Asha bhabhi ya Amma ko bhula dijiye"

"Theek hai Theek hai" I run downstairs.

"Asha bhabhi, Tara ko dard horaha hai"

"Kya?" She asks and immediately stands up. She gives Dhruv to Jhanvi and runs to my room. Amma is also behind her. My Tara looks in so much pain now.

"Veer, Daima ko bhula kar la jaldi" Amma says and I immediately go. I bring that midwife within 5 minutes to our house and try to enter my room.

"Veer tu bahar reh" Amma says while I hear Tara screaming. I so badly want to take away her pain.

I want to stay in the room but I decide not to make things difficult for them. They close the door and I sit outside on the floor, my back pressed to the door. I keep my hands on my head.

"Ahhhhhhh" I hear her painful scream again and I close my eyes.

Bhagwan ji meri Tara ko kuch mat hone dena.

I pray while the screams continue. Amma opens the door and I immediately stand up.

"Kya hua?" I ask her, my voice tensed.

Amma shakes her head. I again hear her scream.

"Tujhe bula rahi hai. Andar aaja tu" Amma says. I immediately go inside and stand by her head side. Her face is covered with sweat and tears.

"Ji" she looks at me and cries. I hold her hand.

"Mein hoon Tara" I sit down on my knees while the rest of them continues to assist her to push. I continue to encourage her. She keeps on taking the long breath while squeezing my hand with so much force I didn't know she was capable of. I guess mothers are capable of everything.

"Hogaya Tara Hogaya" I say controlling my emotions. She continues to push. I feel completely helpless. My wife, My Tara is in so much pain and I can do nothing except saying these words.

With a last push, I hear a cry. A cry of a child. I look away from Tara, towards the midwifewho is holding our baby.

"Ladki hui hai" She says.

I look at Tara happily but her eyes are closed.

"Tara? Tara?" I say shaking her face. She can't leave me right? God please no.
"Daima Tara ko dekhiye jaldi" I shout.

She gives the baby to Asha bhabhi after cutting the cord and comes to check on my Tara. I hold her hand tightly. She has no grip on it.

"Tara utho Tara utho na"

"Veer ruk ja" Amma says but I ignore her. I look at the midwife who is checking on her.

"Kya hua hai Tara ko?" I look at her and then at Tara who slightly opens her eyes and then closes it again.

"Thakan ke mare chakkar aagya hai bas"

I give Tara some water. She barely drinks it and again closes her eyes to rest. I take a deep breath.

"Veer" Asha bhabhi says forwarding me my daughter. I look at Tara to make sure she is alright and then take the baby very carefully from Asha bhabhi.

She is so small. Meri bacchi.

Amma takes out bundle of notes and rotating it around her little body and then at Tara's head, gives it to the midwife.

"Sab kaha hai?" We hear Sanjay's noise from downstairs.

"Mein batake aati hoon" Asha bhabhi says and goes downstairs. Amma is talking to the midwife. I look at my small girl who looks like that she is sleeping peacefully. I look at Tara again making sure she is ok and then turn around such that my back is to everyone while holding my baby.

I look at the terrace trying to fight back the tears which are ready to fall. Today I felt like I was about to lose my Tara. Thank god. Thank God.

I blink a couple of times so tears go away. My baby girl starts to cry again so I gently rock her in my arms.

"Kya hua meri beti ko?" I say to her and she looks at me with her big eyes. She immediately stops crying so I lay the baby beside her mother who has also opened her eyes now and is giving me a small smile.

Midwife asks Tara to feed the baby while I go out of the room. Everyone congratulates me. Once the baby is fed, everyone slowly goes inside to meet Tara and the baby. Midwife has already adjusted Tara's clothes. I am immediately by her side.

"Lagta haina ki ekdum Veer bhaiya ki beti hai" Daksh says.

"Haan dekh kaise ghoor rahi hai"

"Kuch kaha tum dono ne" I look towards them.

"Kitni pyaari haina bhaiya yeh" They say smiling.

"Chalo ab sab Tara ko aram karne do" Amma says and pushes everyone out.

It's just me, my Tara and our baby now. I close the door and sit beside Tara.

"Kitni pyaari haina?" She says in a weak voice.

"Haan"

"Apne sahi bola tha ladki hogi" she says remembering our fight about the gender of the baby when she was 5 months pregnant. I nod smiling.

"Aap kuch bol kyu nahi rahe?" She says looking away from the baby and at me. I keep my head on her shoulder and let my tears fall.

"Kya hua ji?" She asks while I gently hold her. I can’t bear losing her.

"Tum mujhe chord kar kabhi nahi ja sakti. Maar jata mein tumhare bina"

"Aree kahi nahi gyi mein. Yahi hoon aapke paas" she says patting my back.

I look up at her and she wipes away my tears.

"Chalo aaram karo tum" I say getting up. She holds my hand again making me sit.

"Yahi baithiye na" she says and I sit down. I watch her and our daughter sleep and thank god for everything. I feel peace looking at them.