The Scars ✓

Seventeen

After calming themselves down, both Arjun and Vrinda decided to go to her mother-in-law and father-in-law and tell them the good news. When they did, they saw that they were genuinely happy for both of them. Vrinda internally wished that at least now all the painful words that were directed towards her would stop.

"Arjun, can you drop me to my office today? I really don't want to travel alone in the bus. I don't think it'll be safe." Vrinda asked Arjun.

"Of course. Let me just get the keys to the car." Arjun said and was about to go and exchange the keys of his bike to the keys of his car when Vrinda spoke,

"Why car? I want to ride with you on the bike."

"You're joking right?" Arjun said and looked at the serious expression of Vrinda and then continued,

"What? No, you are not riding on this bike with our baby inside you. We have to be careful about this. Please. I don't want to risk either of your lives." Arjun stated.

"You won't. Relax." Vrinda said, putting a reassuring hand on Arjun's shoulder.

"Sure, but we're still taking the car. I'm not discussing it at all, please." Arjun said and grabbed the car keys and then continued,

"Come on, let's go otherwise we'll be late." Vrinda just rolled her eyes but smiled at his protective side. She felt content that they were in this together and that Arjun was as ecstatic about the baby as she was!

***

Soon Vrinda's stomach started to show. Everyone in her friend circle and family knew that she was going to have a baby. The ambience in her house was peaceful. Arjun took great care of her and instructed her to follow the diet plan set by her dietitian without any fail, to attend to all the physiotherapies, doctor's appointments without fail.

"Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Kaushik. Ready to see how the baby is doing?" Asked the doctor when Vrinda and Arjun went for her regular checkup.

"Yeah, we are." They said in unison.

"Alright, let's see. Vrinda, lie down on the bed and roll up your t-shirt." The doctor said and Vrinda did as told.

"This might feel a little cold." She said and applied the clear liquid gel on her swollen belly. Arjun grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze and earned a huge grin from her.

The doctor then moved the device on her stomach and saw pictures of the ultrasound on the screen.

"Look, that's your baby's head. These are the little toes and the voice that you are hearing through the monitor is its heartbeat." Said the doctor.

Vrinda was overwhelmed by the emotions of seeing her baby for the first time. She didn't realise that she was crying until she felt Arjun wipe the tears from her cheeks and kiss her forehead.

"That's our baby!" Arjun said, holding Vrinda's hand.

"It is." Vrinda replied.

"Would you like a picture of your baby?" The doctor asked the couple and nodded their head eagerly.

"Okay. The baby and the mother are doing perfectly fine. They both are healthy. Vrinda, take a schedule of exercises from the reception that you'll have to do to keep you both healthy." The doctor said and Vrinda nodded and wiping the gel off her stomach.

They both collected the schedule and pictures from the reception and headed home. Vrinda's life was sorted now. She felt happy that she was getting all the love and attention that she desired and deserved from her in-laws. She felt special, honoured.

Her mother-in-law asked her to pray for having a boy child. She told her to perform certain tasks which, she thought, would ensure that she has a boy child. Though Vrinda did them but she internally was totally against it.

"How can some stupid task change the gender of my baby?" Vrinda thought to herself.

She wasn't an orthodox woman, who was pessimistic in her thinking. She was a modern woman who was a realist and had complete faith in God.

"I'll do what she wants. I have faith in God. He'll never let my child be harmed. I love my baby irrespective of the gender." Vrinda pacified herself.

Vrinda just wanted a healthy baby in all respects, both physically as well as mentally. She was always taught that there is no difference between a boy and a girl. All that mattered is your love for the baby and because that doesn't depend on the sex of the child, therefore the sex doesn't matter as well. What matters at the end of the day was that the baby was healthy and happy. That's all!

Vrinda had her daily routine planned out, from exercising in the morning to listening to music in the evening. The only problem was her sudden cravings to not just eat anything, but eat something weird at a weird time. One night, she woke up feeling like having fried pickle and hazelnut cocoa spread over it. She checked the clock which showed that it was almost three in the night. She did try to control her craving but ultimately could not. She woke up Arjun by gently shaking his arm.

"What? What is it?" Arjun's eyes flew open and they studied Vrinda carefully, examining if she was okay.

"I want to have fried pickle and hazelnut cocoa spread!" Vrinda whined and pouted.

"Wait, what?" Arjun replied and made a disgusted face at her. She huffed and sat there and glared at him until he sighed in defeat and got up to fulfil the cravings of his wife.

"She's so weird." He muttered to himself.

"Heard that!" Vrinda shouted from the room.

Arjun chuckled to himself and thought, 'I'm a very lucky man to have her as my wife and the mother of my child.'

Vrinda and Arjun crossed each day on the calendar in excitement. Their long wait was over when they marked the first day of her ninth month on the calendar. Vrinda was both scared and excited as this was the first time that she would be experiencing such a feeling which any mother does and what she wished for since she was young.

She was waiting for that day when she would have her first child. She was elated to feel that the time was near and that she could meet her baby any day now. Arjun, too, was very excited to meet their child.

By this time Vrinda had taken a three month maternity leave from her office as well. Even the smallest task she would do would leave her feeling fatigue. If she stood on her feet for long, her feet would swell up.

"I'm telling you Vrinda, it's going to be a girl." Arjun said.

"Whatever it will be, I just want it to be healthy." Vrinda said gently caressing her stomach.

"Yeah, you're right. Our love is not dependent on the gender. We'll either be its king and queen or its superman and superwoman." Arjun said, lightly kissing her stomach.

"It kicked again, Arjun. Look!" Vrinda squealed and brought Arjun's retreating arm to touch her stomach again.

Arjun's face lit up like a Christmas tree the moment he felt the baby kicking Vrinda's stomach. Whenever Vrinda and Arjun went anywhere, on any vehicle, the child would climb up Vrinda's stomach as if one more jump and the child would just fall down...

Vrinda just wished that this time could be frozen for them. They both were genuinely happy, the house was at peace, she was no more listening to the harsh words from her new-found family. Everything was perfect.

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Don't forget to hit the star! ❤