Sapno Ka Shaher

64. Instincts

Sameer parked the car in its parking space in the Sea Queen Society. Slamming his door shut, he rushed to the other side, opening the door and extending his hand forward. Turning and drawing her feet out of the car first, Naina clasped Sameer's hand. Her other hand landed on her belly instinctively and she stood up with Sameer's help, heaving an exhausting exhale right with this small activity.

The sun was overhead, shining in its full glory, bringing sweat beads on their temples even in the month of October. As Naina took the necessary breaths before moving forward, Sameer whisked his handkerchief out of his pocket. He kept his gaze down while wiping her face, gently tapping the handkerchief all across her face.

"Mai thik hu, Sameer..." Naina smiled at him, knowing the sweat on his forehead wasn't of heat but of worry. He only nodded and smiled back, assisting her towards the J wing.

"Aa gaye tum dono?" Rakesh's exasperated question greeted them the moment Sameer and Naina entered the house. He had a suitcase open on his bed.

He dropped the neatly folded t-shirts in his hands in the suitcase, leaving his packing midway and dashing towards the couple.

"Tu thik hai na beta?" He cradled Naina's face in his hands, "kya kaha doctor ne?"

Naina smiled at his worried face. Both these men in her life were in panic mode since yesterday.

"Baith kar baatein karte hai, Papa?" She proposed.

"H.. haan... haannn... baithte hai na..." Rakesh mumbled, letting them take places on the sofa and directing himself to the kitchen to get water for them both.

Meanwhile Sameer made Naina relax on the sofa, extending her feet on the tea-table and supporting them with a cushion below.

"Papa..." Seeing Rakesh's frowning face, Sameer decided to answer after finishing his water, "Ragini Ma'am ne kaha yeh thakaan, pairon me soojan aana, neend na aana... yeh sab pregnancy mein normal hai... Naina ko bass aaram ki zaroorat hai..."

The crease on Rakesh's forehead eased a little, "aur woh jo pet mein dard ho raha tha woh?" He questioned further.

"Woh contractions hote hai Papa," Naina said, "ab woh bhi hone lagenge... bass blood pressure badh gaya hai mera..."

Sameer continued to run his thumb on her knuckles, he hadn't left her hand all this while. Her fingers were slightly swollen too, the long and slender fingers he so loved entwining with. Last night he had to snatch the pen from her while she was being a stubborn woman wanting to write, even though she faced difficulty. He took a deep sigh, wishing all this wreck of thoughts in his mind would stop with it.

"Tu na abse koi kaam nahi karegi..." Rakesh declared, "sirf aur sirf aaram karegi thik hai?"

"Papaaa..." Naina whined, making a face, "woh sab chhodiye na... khana kha lete hai... mujhe bahot bhook lagi hai..."

The two men rose to their feet in no time, taking it as the command of their Queen and dashing to the kitchen. Naina giggled at them, shaking her head in adoration and rounding her hands on her belly.

"Dekha baby?" She whispered, "Papa aur Nanu kaise bhag-daud kar rahe hamare liye..."

And in the moment, she felt the contraction again, the smile on her face getting replaced by a painful grimace immediately.

She looked in the direction of the kitchen, deciding not to panic Sameer and Papa more as she heard them talking. And she took it on herself.

The braxton hicks contractions were sure painful to her, the new medical term she learned today from her Gynaecologist Dr. Ragini. She practiced deep breaths, inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth.