MishBir Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Bliss of Motherhood - #1

The Bliss of Motherhood 

Recap: Kuhu is Mishti's surrogate. While everybody thinks it is Kuhu's biggest sacrifice, only Kuhu and Meenakshi know the real deal. Completely ignoring the fact that she herself had begged, prayed and blackmailed Abir-Mishti to let her be the surrogate, Kuhu is now on a taunt-spree and leaves no chance to remind Mishti what a great sacrifice she is doing for her. Treating her like a servant, Mishti bears the brunt and even Kunal has started to ill-treat Mishti, much to Abir's disappointment.

Just the way Mishti has to always call it a night with Kuhu's indirect insults, Mishti had been sitting on the bed wiping the tears she couldn't shed in front of the family. Today, even her little baby couldn't give her the feeling of a mother-to-be, and to add salt to her wounds, she was indirectly threatened of having her kid taken away even before she could have him/her. Abir walked in and like a routine, noticed Mishti hurriedly wiping her tears expecting Abir to not talk about it.

"Ahem." Abir gained her attention, "Agar pichhle 6-7 mahino ke tumhare aansu, jo tum mere aate hi poch leti ho," he raised a brow, "collect kiya hota toh poore Gujarat ki water problem solve ho jaati."

Mishti rolled her eyes. "Salt water ka kya karoge, Ajeeb Rajvansh?"

"Matlab tum maanti ho ki tum chhup-chhup ke roti ho." He smiled sadly and sat down next to her.

Mishti couldn't contain her tears anymore. She jumped into his open arms and sobbed. Abir's heart was painfully aware of every bit of agony that Mishti was bearing, not just from the harsh truth of her life but also from her so-called sister, their child's surrogate.

"Ab..Abir..." She spoke between her sobs, "Baby pet mein ho... toh... butterflies feel hote hain?" she looked at him with glossy eyes, "Kick marta hai... toh... kaisa lagta hoga?"

Abir cried in his heart for his Mishti, the look of longingness on her face was too evident to ignore.

"Baby aur mumma ki friendship, sabse pehli... and longest friendship... hoti hai." She whispered in a trance. "Kuhu humare baby se... baatein karti hogi na?" she touched her flat belly.

Tears rolled down Abir's eyes.

"Baby, agar tu yahan hota na, main tujhse dhero'n baatein karti." She caressed her belly with  tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, main tujhe yahan jagah nahi de paayi. I'm so..sorry." Mishti whimpered.

Abir wiped her tears and caressed her cheeks. "Kisne kaha tum apne baby se baat nahi kar sakti?" He handed her a notebook. "Sab ismein likh do, jab bhi baat karni ho."

Mishti opened the book, only to have 2 sonography scans fall on her lap.

"Kuch mahino mein yeh sonographies nahi," Abir eyed the copies, " humara baby hoga, tumhari goad mein."

And for the first time in the entire day, Mishti smiled the smile that took Abir's heart away.

"Waise," Abir caressed her knuckles, "baby ke aate hi tum toh busy ho jaogi." He pouted, "Mera kya hoga?"

Mishti raised a brow. "Baby ke papa, aap bhi busy hone wale ho."

Abir made a face.

"Aww!" Mishti pulled his cheeks, "Yeh toh papa ke saath unfair hogaya na?"

Abir gave a mischievous smile. "I know unfair ko fair kaise kiya jaaye."

"Kaise?"

Abir pulled Mishti by her waist before she could do anything. With one arm around her waist and the other sliding through the scruff of her neck, Abir closed in on Mishti and whispered in a husky voice.