The grey canvas

• Part 5

9th month:

-"When someone is not picking up your calls, means that he is busy somewhere. Don't you get this simple thing?" Dev blasted his mom as he finally received her call.

"Dev, I have something important to say." His mom replied calmly.

-"And you need an invitation for that?"

"Dev...." she sighed. "Forget. What I was telling is.. Tara has been hospitalised. So please... come fast."

-"What? Why??... I mean the expectant date was in next week, right??"

"Her water broke suddenly..."

-"Is she okay?"

"She is in pain... and needs you urgently."

-"Am coming in 2."

When a panic striken Dev reached the O.T, all the blood from his face visibly drained away upon seeing me lying on the bed and shouting like a maniac. As such he had already became paranoid since the last few months, but today he got nervous like never before. Infact this nervousness had reached a point where he couldn't even decide whether to walk in or not. Dumbstuck like a fool, he kept standing at the door for a brief period, until my eyes fell on him and I called him back-

"Dev.... what the hell are you doing there? Just come inside!!"

He nodded hysterically and came in. And along with him, his senses came back too. The doctor then handled him a pair of surgical gloves and cap. He put them on and rushed to my side.

-"Tara, are you okay??" He asked, caressing my hairs, bending upto my level so that I could hit him in whatever way I wanted.

"Seriously Dev? Here I am dying in pain and you're asking if I am okay or not!...DO I EVEN LOOK LIKE BEING OKAY HUH???" I shouted.

-"Acha acha.. sorry." He blew some air over my face and tucked few forlorn strands behind my ears. He then turned towards the doctor and enquired- "Whats the status Priyanka? Is there any complication??"

"Complication toh nahi hai... But we were thinking about the caesarean method. It would have caused less pain." She muttered slowly and looked at me. I gave her a mean frown and looked away.

-"Haan so what is the problem? Just go on na!!" Dev snapped.

"Problem is with your wife. She wants a normal delivery...she thinks that the caesarean method might harm the baby!!"

-"What nonsense! ...Tara, thats just a myth. You don't need to believe in them, okay?" He tried to explain in a convincing tone but it went in vain.

"You don't want to believe? Fine. BUT DON'T YOU DARE EXPECT THE SAME FROM ME.... I WANT A NORMAL DELIVERY AND THAT'S FINAL.. BASS!!!" And I screamed yet again, with an intensity atleast double the previous one.

-"Why is she shouting Priyanka?" Dev asked cluelessly, moving away a step back.

Dr. Priyanka rolled her eyes. She had expected something logical from him, but when she realised the hopelessness of her colleague, she muttered under her breathes-
"Becoz she is going to give birth to a baby!!"

-"Oh oh...yes." Dev nodded in despair. "Okay then, proceed with the normal method."

"Are you sure?" Priyanka asked for the last time.

Dev looked at me, held my hand which had been tightly grasping the bedsheet and declared
-"If she wants that then let it be in her ways."