PROMISE TO BE YOURS

CHAPTER 7

JRS was at work when Gauri and her mother went to the clinic. SRS was waiting outside and insisted he wanted to come in to speak to the doctor. He asked all kinds of concerned questions about both the mother and baby. The doctor was of the opinion that Gauri should be on complete bed rest with a nurse until the baby was born. Once the check-up was over SRS insisted that he wanted to take Gauri with him to the mansion where he could have the 24 by 7 care. A fuming JRS raced to the mansion only to find Gauri fast asleep in a serenely white well furnished room with a silent air-conditioning buzzing in the background. Matilda came rushing to check who had entered the room and left silently when he saw who it was. JRS went looking for his father and found him in the billiard room playing a game with a friend. SRS excused himself as soon as he saw his son and walked out with him. He refused to listen to JRS and insisted that it was his right to make sure the heir to the Singhania wealth was born in comfort. To do so it was important that his daughter-in-law lived under his room.

JRS did not beat about the bush and said he did not trust his father. When the father and son were arguing Gupta and Gauri came in to see what the commotion was. They both thought JRS was over reacting and should have some faith in his father. Gupta took a visibly outraged JRS and spoke some sense into him. Meanwhile SRS told Matilda to take his daughter in law inside so she could rest and not stress herself unnecessarily. Very reluctantly JRS agreed to stay in the Singhania mansion. A week later he was asked to report to work in the Singhania Group as the CEO and Gupta as the Office Administration Manager. By the time Gauri entered her 8th month the doctor visited her every week to check on her. JRS was not convinced but could see his father had changed and did make an effort to make amends. Meanwhile Radhika gave birth to a baby boy and had just returned home.

Gupta was attending the naming ceremony of his youngest son when he got a message his father had met with an accident and he was needed in the village. Gupta was too disturbed to travel alone and his family was too young to do anything. Gauri asked JRS to go with him. He hesitated informing that she would deliver any moment and needed him at home. Gauri reasoned with JRS that it was Gupta's time of need and he should go while she will be extra careful till he returned back. She joked her son will never be happy with his mother so he will wait for his father to come and take over from her. JRS hugged and kissed his wife for a long moment and insisted she be careful until he returned. An unexplainable foreboding was stopping him from moving away. Gupta and JRS left for the village and Gauri went up to the main house with the help of her nurse Matilda. JRS called her several times during the day. She could hear his concern in his voice and assured him she was okay. Gupta's father never made it and the police insisted the reason for the fire was arson. They could not come up with any suspicious names. The funeral was over in 3 days after the police released the body. Gupta asked JRS to go back while he finalized things before he returned.

At the dinner table SRS learnt that his son will be coming back the following day. Arranging a fire hundreds of miles away in village was not done for nothing so he gave a general look at Matilda who was standing behind Gauri's chair. He nod said so many thing. After dinner Gauri felt uneasy and mentioned that she was not feeling herself and should sleep downstairs in case she went into labour. Matilda insisted she should go to her room as it was more comfortable and she will help in case she needed. While going up the stairs Gauri stepped on to a poodle of oil and went tumbling down the few steps she had already climbed. She was in terrible pain and cried for help. Matilda looked at her on the cold floor and said "by the time that husband of yours is here you will be gone but make sure that brat of yours doesn't die" with that she stepped over a Gauri writhing in pain and walked away.

JRS reached the mansion around 1 am in the morning and found an unconscious Gauri at the bottom of the stairs. She had given birth to the baby who was lying naked and cold beside her. He did not know what to do or how to react so he ran to Gupt's house out of habit and Radhika came rushing out with him. She cut the umbilical cord and asked JRS to rush Gauri to the hospital while she took care of his son. JRS could feel the coldness limbs but he knew she was still breathing. He called the ambulance and took in his car so he could meet it halfway. By the time they reached the hospital Gauri was having all the complication one could have. JRS managed to get the best medical attention possible and by around 10 am in the morning Gauri was stable but still unconscious. Radhika brought the baby to the hospital in the morning and the doctors gave him a clean bill except he was screaming at the top of him tiny lungs. The nurses fed him and JRS insisted he wanted the baby with him in the same room as his wife. Gauri's condition did not change. As per the doctors her pressure had shot up and she had suffered from massive bleeding.

Tiny Raghav Singhania was all of 10 days when Gauri opened her eyes for a few seconds. All she was able to say was postmortem and Matilda. Since Gauri was brought to the hospital JRS refused to speak or let SRS come near his wife or son. He kept insisting that he suspected foul play. 24 hours after Gauri spoke she went silent forever. An inconsolable JRS hugged his infant son and cried helplessly. He knew his soul was gone but had to live to take care of his son. Gupta came from the village and walked straight into the horror movie taking place in his friends life. They decided to hand over the infant to Radhika. JRS was too disturbed and distraught to attend to anything. However, he insisted to have a postmortem for his wife and got the reports before his father could lay his hands on them. He knew Gauri had something to say and being a qualified nurse used the one word that would kindle his suspicions.

A/N: Bad company can bring the most powerful of men down from there thrown.