Her Saviour

63. Not beautiful?

It was 5th month of Nitya's pregnancy and her body was changing slowly. As instructed by her gynaec , Nitya and Shiv both joined prenatal couple yoga class. But today, Nitya was sitting in her prenatal yoga class alone. There was a break in the session, and she was trying to focus on her breath. It was a couple's class, but due to an important meeting, Shivansh couldn't join her today. He had said he would try his best to come early, but being a businesswoman, she knew how long these meetings could sometimes last.

The instructor got an important call so she put the class on hold for some minutes and in that span of time, some couple already left the room, while some were sitting and talking to each other. Nitya didn't have very friendly relations with everyone, but they used to talk occasionally.

"Hi, your husband didn't come today?" One of the women, Pooja, asked.

"No, he had a meeting," she replied politely.

"They're just excuses," another woman, Sapna, chimed in.

Nitya furrowed her brows, but before she could say anything, another lady, Bhavna, joined in, "They stop caring about their wives after pregnancy."

Nitya was confused by what they were saying. "Why are you saying all this?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Is this your first pregnancy?" Bhavna asked, and Nitya nodded.

"That's why you don't know," Pooja said. "Once you give birth, husbands lose interest in their wives," she added with a hint of longing on her face.

Sapna chuckled. "My husband even clearly refused to come to these classes and only joined when the doctor scolded him about the labor issues I might face," she huffed in frustration.

"They seem normal," Nitya said, a bit upset by their conversation.

"They hide it well, dear, but they lose interest when they see their pregnant wives. My husband doesn't like my increased weight," Sapna said.

"And mine doesn't feel pleasure anymore, so he just stays away from me," Pooja added, her eyes growing moist.

"I think my husband is cheating. I've seen him on his phone many times, but whenever I get near him, he quickly turns it off," Bhavna said with a sad smile.

"My husband isn't like that," Nitya told them, though she felt worried by their words. She didn't doubt Shiv's love for her, but she was afraid of the changes pregnancy will bring into their lives.

"I hope yours is different, but I've never seen a man show the same love for his wife after pregnancy," one of the women said. "But I hope your life turns out differently than ours," she added as the instructor returned, and the class resumed.

Nitya glanced back at the other couples, noticing the distance in their relationships, except for a few. Some men didn't seem to want to be there, while others avoided touching their wives.

After the class ended, Nitya looked at her phone, hoping for a message from Shiv, but there was none.

"Stupid Nitya, don't let their words get into your head. Your Shiv is not like them. Their husbands are just boys, not men who know how to respect and appreciate their wives. He will never be like them. He loves you." she reassured herself.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a man's frustrated voice on the phone. She realized it was Bhavna's husband. She moved closer and was heartbroken by what she overheard.

"Come on man, she and beautiful? Have you seen her now? She's just getting fat. I can't even stand the sight of her. Have you seen how she eats and sleeps? I don't think I'll ever feel the same pleasure with her after she gets stretched out. I get why so many of our colleagues have affairs outside their marriages."