Blinded by love

Chapter 30-The magic in my life

The early morning breeze cooled my room,brightening it a little.I sat on my bed,petting the huge teddy bear that Kabir had gifted for my birthday.My earphones screamed a beautiful song in my ears.I comfortably stretched my legs on the bed,placing a pillow beneath it.I've been having a terrible back pain for the past one week and there are just four more days for my due date.Besides,I've already begun to feel my child turn its head around to the side of my pelvis.Though I manage to put on a brave face,I'm pathetically scared about this.Mridula aunty said that it would be a normal delivery as both the baby and me,the mother are healthy.Nani,Meghna,Kabir and Laila have stood like pillars beside me,doing even the smallest of things for me so I don't stress myself.Meghna doesn't even let me lock the bathroom door when I use it.I'm forever grateful to them for giving me this wonderful life.

Keeping the teddy aside,I picked up the book that I had been reading-Mahaswetha by Sudha Murthy.I've already read it a zillion times but every time I read it,it seems new.Endless tears,sudden smiles at the perfectness of the lines,the immediate anger....it happens everytime I read it,just that I don't get bored of it at all.

'Like Rohini to Chandra,Lakshmi to Narayana,am I to him.'

I repeated those lines again and again.Just as my lips twirled over those words time and again,I felt a slight pain begin in the lower part of my stomach. Aunty already warned me that such pain would arise due to the contraction of the uterus during my ninth month of pregnancy.She told me not to be worried if the pain stops in a few minutes.But this,its so close to my due date and the pain is more severe than the ones that had come earlier.I adjusted my back comfortably on a pillow and stretched my legs hoping it would reduce the pain,but it didn't.After almost half an hour,the pain increased so badly that I could feel my cervix trying to open up as the baby kicked the upper part of my tummy.I don't know if I peed or if it was something else but I felt my nightgown getting wet with water.Tears,in  reflex,began to flow down my cheeks.I tried to call someone for help but my voice betrayed me.I couldn't speak,yell or even move an inch from the bed.The pain became so unbearable that I began to feel dizzy.I lay on my back on the bed to let myself relax a bit.But I guess that that made the problem worse all the more.The dizziness increased and I felt like vomiting but my legs felt way too weak to move.I couldn't call for help,I couldn't do anything.I don't care about me but my child,I want to save it.I can't let it die.I've done so much to protect it and now,after coming this long,I can't let it go.NEVER!

Putting together all the strength I had,I screamed for Meghna.I couldn't open my eyes or even respond but I could hear the nervous voices of everyone.The next thing I witnessed was waking up in the hospital bed under tremendous pain that I thought I'd die right there.I felt the baby push itself through my cervix,expanding it to a large extent of few centimetres that my heart almost stopped.I screamed in pain and felt the contractions increase,coming one after the other,just within a couple of seconds of gap.I inhaled deeply from my mouth,moved up from the bed and tried to push the baby out.But I don't think the baby came out cause the pain didn't reduce and I could see the nurse giving me a 'come on' gesture.I pushed harder this time and felt the baby push itself past my vaginal opening.Its head half way out,I felt the baby turn around,causing me more pain in my vagina.I almost gave up but my  heart was not ready to let go.I knew I had to do this,NOW!With a few more consequent screams followed by pushes,the baby was out,crying like it had given birth and not me.They cut the baby's umbilical cord.I watched the doctor cover up the baby in a thick towel,as I relaxed.I was sweating pathetically and my breathing was so heavy.

"Its a girl....!!!",one of the nurses told me.

I smiled as the tears flowed down my cheeks in happiness.They placed the baby,covered in a thick towel on my bear chest to make her comfortable to this new temperature.I held her in my arms,as if she were a precious diamond.Well,she was.A drop of my tear hit her cheek and she wriggled a bit.She was still crying,her voice cracking a bit,unable to bear the cold temperature around.Her hands and legs were so tiny that I felt like an elephant near a fly.Her lips were full and I guess her eyes would be pretty large like mine.She had the smallest of noses and the pinkest of cheeks.She had her first feed and they took her away from me.I never had the heart to let her go but I had to.I watched the doctor inject an injection into her and she cried and kicked in pain.I smiled through my tears and blew her a kiss.The doctor checked her heartbeat,the part just below her stomach and then her head.

One of the nurses had gone to inform Meghna and others about the baby and she returned back to tell me that they were so happy and relieved that I was safe.

"A man out there is flying in air.",the nurse told.

Kabir must be really happy that its a girl.He always wanted it to be a girl.A princess,he would call her.And undoubtedly,she is a princess.I smiled at the impeccability of it all and joined my hands together and thanked God.

After all the examination,they gave her back to me.I held her close to me and shushed her but she wouldn't stop.She was crying helplessly,still in the pain from the injection.I held her close to me and whispered in her ears,as if it were a secret,"Don't cry,precious.Mama is there.I'll never let go of you."

"Your baby is born on 5th of April.And the time was....8:20 a.m."

After about half an hour,they placed the baby in the cradle and allowed the others to see me.Meghna and Kabir rushed inside the door and Kabir rushed to the cradle to see her.Meghna hugged me tight and tears rolled down her cheeks in relief.

"Thank god you are ok.....When you passed out,I thought...God!!!",Meghna cried,her fce still white as snow.

"What are you talking about,Meghna!Aarthi is a brave girl.Look at the gorgeous beauty she has given birth to.",Kabir said,beaming at the baby.

"What are we gonna name her?Heera?",Meghna asked,regaining her color.

"How about Aisha?",Kabir asked,

"No...I guess she'll have a beautiful smile.So,we'll name her Smita."

Kabir thought for a few seconds as if it were something to be given a real,serious thought.

"But wait,I think Aarthi deserves a chance to name her,you know!",he finally said.

Meghna nodded and they both looked at me.

"What do you wanna name her?",he asked.

"I looked at her through the grills in the cradle and said,"Maaya...I wanna name her Maaya."

"Maaya....you mean,magic!",Meghna said.

I nodded and said,"The magic in my life."

I smiled and Kabir squealed,"That's perfect!"

The baby cried at the sudden noise and Kabir tried to shush her down,giving her a apologetic look.We laughed at his innocence.It was such a perfect moment,a moment to be endured forever in all our hearts!

Later that night,I was discharged.Before going home,we had to visit Mridula aunty to thank her and get advice on taking care of the baby.

"Is there a problem since the baby is born four days early?",Meghna asked.I never thought of that possibility.When she now asked it out,I tensed up.

"No,no Meghna!I think both Aarthi and the child are perfectly alright.They are healthy but you must come for your monthly check up.Keep track of the vaccinations to be given.Breastfeed the child regularly,keep her away from germs as babies have sensitive skin.And you must take rest till the bleeding stops,Aarthi.It won't be too uncomfortable but the bleeding will be heavy.Don't worry about it,its completely normal."

She gave many more instructions on how to hold the baby,bathe it and put it to sleep.She strictly advised that the baby be with the mother most of the time and that we must touch the baby only with dirt-free hands.She also told that the mother's feed would be enough for the child till she reaches four months of age.

We thanked her and left for home.Nani was so happy to see me safe and healthy.She took aarathi and then let us inside.All the baby products,its cradle and other accessories were neatly arranged in my room,making the whole place look so lovely.Meghna had already hung baby photos all around my room walls as my birthday gift.The room looked so pretty and welcoming.My child and I are so fortunate to have such a huge family with us,flushing us with love and care.Words are unlimited to explain how grateful I am to them.