Part 65: Savera Bhi Hai Zindagi

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Two Months Later
Dr Batra's Clinic
24 December 2015

Ishita finished her examination of her little patient and gave the little girl a playful pat on the head.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it Zoya?" she asked brightly, walking up to the sink in the corner to wash her hands. That done, she walked back to her desk, and then stopped, as a wave of dizziness swayed her feet. She clutched at her chair, as her young patients mother glanced at her quizzically.

"Are you all right Doctor Ishita?' Zoya's mother asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Yes" Ishita responded shakily, sinking with relief into her chair. " I'm sorry Mrs Khan, I don't know what happened. I have been feeling somewhat dizzy and queasy the last couple of days, and for a moment there, I thought I was going to faint. But not to worry, its only momentary, it will pass. Now, Zoya's teeth are fine, the pain must have been from a pinched nerve, but call me if it happens again. In the meantime, keep up with the regular brushing, and no chocolates or slushees, okay Zoya ?" She turned a bright smile to her 7 year old patient.

"Are you going to be like my ammi ?"

The unexpected response from her little patient amused Ishita, and she brushed her concerns about her health to the back of her mind.

" Like your ammi? I am a woman like your ammi, yes Zoya" she responded, matching the little girls seriousness.

" No, I mean will you get fat like her?" Zoya was insistent, nodding at her 7 months hugely pregnant mother.

"Fat? Oh, you mean... " Ishita's voice tapered off as she realized what little Zoya meant. " No, no, nothing like that Zoya." She wasn't able to keep the wistfulness out of her voice, and she noticed Mrs Khan looking at her intently.

" My ammi got dizzy just like you Doctor Ishita" Zoya announced proudly. "And she looked green like you too. Then she got fat. And abbu says I'm going to get a baby brother or sister soon."

Mrs Khan grabbed Zoya and pulled her towards the door, even as Ishita stared at the little girl with an unconsciously wistful look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Doctor Ishita" Mrs Khan called out. "Zoya has babies on her mind, she just can't wait to be a big sister. But she is right, I did get dizzy a lot this time around. Maybe you are expecting?"

"No, Mrs Khan" Ishita smiled sadly as she got up slowly, waving goodbye to Zoya. "That's just not a possibility for me."

She closed the door behind the mother and daughter, and then looked pensively at the photo on her desk of her husband and children.

Raman. Ruhi. Adi. Her loves. Her life.

Ruhi would make such a wonderful big sister too, she mused. Just like Zoya. And Adi. He would be so gentle, just like he was with Ruhi. But no point in crying over the impossible, Ishita, she chided herself, pressing the bell for her assistant, determined to see her next patient before the sadness of her infertility and her failed IVF attempts overwhelmed her.

She had made determined attempts to move away from that sadness since she and Raman had agreed to stop the fertility treatments, or rather, since Raman had agreed to support her decision to stop treatment. But there were still moments when the embers of her failure flared up into unhappiness which threatened to engulf her.

Raman had been so loving, so caring, so understanding, but even as she assured him she was content, even as she lost herself in the sanctuary of his arms, there was still a small part of her that mourned the child she would never bear.

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