Chapter 11
Sameer came out to see Arjun sitting horizontally on the couch… his eyes drooped… perhaps he was sleeping… and Sakshi snuggling on his chest… sleeping calmly… yet Sameer noticed the moistness in Arjun’s eyes…
Ayesha squeezed his shoulders a little…
No one had the actual blame here… Arjun’s thoughts… her actions… it harmed them both…
Yet they were harbouring one of the truest symbols of love… a child…
Dr. Mustafa rang the bell… it shook Arjun out of his sleep… his hand instinctively went on her stomach…
Sakshi stirred a little…
As she walked in the view in the living room made her smile… a genuine smile…
She ruffled Sakshi’s hair affectionately…
“Yeh toh bohot jaldi shant ho gayi…” She smiled…
“Jadli… Doctor… yeh toh 5 minute zor se chillai… phir aadhe ghante roi… bohot mushkil se neend aayi hai…” Arjun told… his eyebrows raising as he stressed on “chillai”....
“Arjun… when you were not there she used to yell for minutes together… which used to give her cramps… mujhe darr tha ki bachi…” she left the words incomplete…
Arjun’s eyes widened…
Was she hurt so much? Did she… oh Lord… why…
“Kuch nahi hoga… dono ko…” he said… his jaws stiffening…
Sameer and Ayesha sat on the couch opposite to the doctor…
“Sakshi…” Dr. Mustafa called her gently…
“Hmm…” Sakshi woke up… comfortably… she blinked her eyes for a few minutes… she turned around and saw herself resting on Arjun…
Her wide eyes met his eyes… she didn’t miss his anxiety filled face…
“Aap?” she said… looking at Dr. Mustafa… Sakshi shifted a little from Arjun… yet he didn’t let her budge…
“Sakshi… it’s ok.. now do explain why you yelled? You know your kid could have died?” Dr. Mustafa glared at her…
“Am so sorry… I don’t know what got into me…” Sakshi bit her lips…
Dr. Mustafa patted her forehead… “Now Sakshi… take a deep breath ok… good girl… acha kya khaogi? Itne raat toh fruits nahi jamega… kya khaogi?” She asked…
“Juice… aur salad khaane ka mann kar raha hai…” Sakshi told Dr. Mustafa…
“Main abhi lekar aata hoon.. chalo Ayesha… aur kuch Sakshi…” Sameer smiled…
“Nahi khamakha…” Sakshi started to be glared by everyone…
“Okay.. theek hai… anything light… sandwich… jaisa.. cheese… aur fruit yoghurt…” Sakshi said softly…
“Yeh hui na baat!” Dr. Mustafa smiled…
“Arjun… call me any minute she turns hysterical and stuff… aur haan… make sure ki madam sab kuch kha le…” Dr. Mustafa left along with Ayesha and Sameer…
As Sakshi and Arjun lay alone in the house… Sakshi remained silent…
“Kuch bolna chahti ho?” he asked…
“Woh… I am sorry… I don’t know kya aa gaya… I mean… no way… main apni bachi se nafrat nahi karti… I love her from the bottom of my heart… naahi Ayesha Sameer se naahi tumse… I mean… tumne itne pyaar se yeh cheezein lei aaye maine dekha bhi nahi… oh God…” Sakshi held her head…
Arjun sighed by looking at Sakshi… she looked so haphazard… so confused… she wasn’t anymore the ace journalist whom he knew… she had become vulnerable… scared…
“Sakshi… I am sorry… main ghalat tha… ghalti toh meri hi thi... calm down now… it doesn’t make a difference… trust me…” he looked into her eyes.. and she knew he meant it..
She hugged him tightly as he stroked her head…
“Chalo kuch dresses dikhata hoon… yeh dekho… dekhna chahti ho na?” he asked… she nodded…
She got so excited seeing the colourful dresses… she kept half of them on her round belly…
She teared up watching the baby feeders, cot, pram, car seat, creams, lotions, toys, night dresses, tiny frocks, sandals, booties …
“Aur Ayesha ne kaha kuch personal packet hai… khol ke dekh lo…” he said and Sakshi checked the packet… it was nursing bras…
Sakshi smiled at that thought… Arjun and her dear friends made everything so much more easier…
“Sakshi…” he said… by now her head was back again… on his chest…
“Main agar yaha rahoon tumhari delivery tak… is it fine…” he asked…
Sakshi just sat mum… and hummed in response…
I don’t want to be your burden Arjun… she thought in her mind…
“Sakshi…” he called her… his voice tentative…
“Hmm…” she said…
“Do you regret this child? Ki yeh sab…” Arjun voiced out…
Sakshi closed her eyes to feel her baby place her hand on the walls of her skin… Sakshi rubbed her hand over her swollen belly…
But…
“Never Arjun… not the bachi… par…” Sakshi bit her lips…
“Par?” he looked at her… his eyebrows frowning…
“Par… I perhaps regret from the way she came…” Sakshi confessed…
Arjun’s jaws stiffened…
She regretted of them having made love…
“It’s not that Arjun…” Sakshi read his eyes…
“I dd… don’t regret that… just the time and situation… bas woh… I don’t know main hysterical kyun ho gayi… yeh bachi meri jeevan hai… agar yeh nah hoti… toh main kahi ka nahi rehti… she’s the reason for my life… for whom I live… she means everything for me…” Sakshi whispered and patted her stomach… rubbing off the tear at the corner of her eyes…
Arjun looked at her… Sakshi had now cooled down and shifted from his embrace…
He felt the distance come through… not the distance in space.. but in hearts…
It was only the child who meant for her…
Arjun nodded mentally… it’s fair… didn’t he prove the same thing?
But I know it’s beyond that…
Sakshi was no longer laying on Arjun’s chest… but still she was very much in his arms… her little shifting didn’t create much space… but she started to lock herself up in her mind…
~*~
As Arjun watched her making space… one thing went through his heart…
Don’t push her away…
And for the second time in his life that he heard his heart… he held her soft palm in his tightly… passing a soft smile…
And he watched her face turn into shock, to comprehensive, to a knowing look… and finally the smile that he missed 9 months before… a soft carefree smile…
“Thank You…” she whispered…
She hoped he knew that she meant it for his presence…
He squeezed her palm slightly… nodding… and she realized he understood…
~*~
Sameer was about to get in the house that Ayesha stopped him…
“Ssh…” she gently held his hand…
“Kyun?” he asked… she pointed out at the eye-lock Arakshi shared…
“Par Ayesha… this is only happening because Sakshi turned hyper…” Sameer sighed… his shoulders slumped…
“Hey…” she said softly and put an arm around his waist… he half smiled at her… her eyes asked him to explain…
“He doesn’t love her… yet… it’s only for the safety of the baby that he’s finally speaking to Sakshi… I know him that much…” Sameer frowned…
Ayesha grimly nodded… it did seem like a sweet phase… but then… this… was the reality… once Sakshi would come back to be normal… perhaps after the delivery… Arjun would revert to his own form… and that would perhaps break Sakshi forever…
“I hope not Sameer…” Ayesha said softly…
“I hope not…” Sameer said softly…
Ayesha kept her gaze and released a sigh… Sameer looked at her and found her to be eyeing at Sakshi’s protruding belly…
He resolved in his mind to make his Ayesha laugh, live and feel complete… after all… he felt complete by being with Ayesha herself… she was a gift for him… a precious gift…
~*~
“Hey Guys!” Sameer said… breaking the eye-lock between Arakshi…
“Hey..” Sakshi gave a small tired smile…
“Al righto… so maine ek acha sa cheese sandwich with juice le aaya… also for us… I have got Chinese!” Ayesha grinned…
“Chinese!” Sakshi said excitedly…
“Don’t worry madam… tumhare liye bhi thodi bohot bachake rakha hai!” Ayesha smiled…
As the four tucked into their late night meal… Sameer surprised Sakshi with an ice cream… though it was half melted!
~*~
“No way Sakshi… tum aur Arjun yahi beitho… main aur Ayesha bartan dho lenge!” Sameer put his hands on his hips…
“Tum AUR Ayesha…” Sakshi gave him a “yeah right” look… Arjun smirked a little…
Raesha smiled to see the little glimpse of old Sakshi…
“Shut up Sakshi…” Ayesha turned slightly crimson…
As the couple walked towards the kitchen Sakshi smiled at them…
“Kya hua?” Arjun asked…
“Ab duniya ki sabse lengthy bartan dhona dekho! Yeh dono bartan dhone ke sevai sab kuch karenge…” Sakshi smiled at them… even Arjun smiled at that comment…
They had obviously heard Shree and Liza’s narrative on the beautiful moments of Raesha… which included the kiss!
“I thought of a name…” Sakshi said suddenly…
“Kya?” he asked… his intent eyes looking at her…
“It starts with A…” she said softly… knowing she had Arjun’s rapt attention on her…
Before his gaze would make her feel… perhaps… shy… she continued with the name…
“A-h-s-a-a-s…” She spelt out to a slightly amused Arjun…
As she looked at their entwined hands she repeated the name…
“Ahsaas…(pronounced as Ehsaas…)” she whispered… “Matlab…” she found his gaze locked with her…
“Realization…” he mumbled…
~*~
“Sameer… yeh kya kar rahe ho?” a highly amused Ayesha noticed Sameer sitting on the counter wiping the plates and giving her soft gazes every now and then…
“Kuch nahi…” Sameer answered… keeping the last plate on the counter…
“Yeah… yeah…” Ayesha nodded..
“Acha toh tum hi bata do kya kar raha hoon?” Sameer looked at her and cocked his eyebrow…
Keeping her hands on her hips Ayesha turned towards Sameer…
“Aise roadside Romeogiri mat karo… agar karoge na toh!” Ayesha smirked… warning him!
Sameer jumped off the counter and looked at Ayesha… folding his hands across his chest he walked towards Ayesha…
“Hmm… toh kya?” Sameer walked further towards her…
“Toh… toh.. toh… main tumhe coffee nahi dungi!” Ayesha smiled in victory but to her embarrassment and amusement he walked closer…
“Theek hai… sabke saamne tumhare cup se hi pee javunga…” He smiled and brushed his moustache in victory… seeing Ayesha blush was a treat…
“T.. toh… toh main… main… tumhare saare shirts keechar main phek dungi!” Ayesha raised her eyebrows and smiled at him…
But to her surprise he backed her to a counter and placed his hands on either sides of of the counter… trapping a red and amused Ayesha…
“I didn’t know mujhe shirtless dekhne main itni jaldi hai tumhe…” Sameer chuckled…
Ayesha looked at him in sheer embarrassment and slapped his chest…
“Main na tumhari moustache kat dungi! Bohot chubta hai!” Ayesha pulled his moustache…
“Nahiiiii!” Sameer said in shock while Ayesha burst into peals of laughter…
“Haha… Sameer… tum na mucho ki maamle main… aur uske saath romance main… fattu ho… hahaha…” Ayesha laughed…
“FATTU… mujhe fattu bola tumne!” Sameer’s ears fumed… “Acha… abhi lesson sikhaata hoon!” Sameer glared at her…
“Ayesha… shut up or I will use my technique of shutting you up!” Sameer growled at her…
“Really? How?” Ayesha chuckled… poor girl didn’t know that she had challenged ACP Sameer Damsingh Rathore…
And thus… he cupped Ayesha’s nape in his hands and shut her mouth with a hard long kiss…
Ayesha’s eyes popped out… she remained in shock for a minute… her heart almost jumped out of her body… she took in a good few seconds to register what is happening with her…
And after that she wound her arms around his neck… smiling against his lips…
Sameer smiled in his mind and the minute she responded he parted…
She pouted at him…
He chuckled… “Kyun? I shut you up right?” to see a red Ayesha staring at him…
He laughed his heart out….
“Aur Miss. Ayesha Kapoor… teen baate seekhlo… ek toh mujhe kabhi challenge mat karna… do mujhe apne muche ko kabhi kaatne mat bolna… aur teen… fattu kabhi bhi mat bulana…” Sameer whispered to Ayesha who nodded to him…
“Hmm… not bad… kya hua agar maine kisi ek cheez ki?” Ayesha folded her arms across her chest…
“Challenge ko defy karna mera bachpan ki aadat hai… abhi abhi toh example dikaya…” Sameer pulled Ayesha’s cheeks gently…
“Aur muche… heh, kaha chubhe tumhe? Tum toh araam se respond kar rahi thi…” Sameer winked at her… making her hit her palm on her forehead… yet a warm colour rise up his cheeks…
“Aur akhir main… agar bhool ke bhi fattu bulaayi… toh woh woh karunga… ki… chalo… let me say like this…” Sameer thought and pulled Ayesha’s waist near him…
“Yeh toh trailer ka 30 second bhi nahi tha… par tumhe toh poora film dikha dunga…” he bit her earlobe slightly…
“Aila!” A voice came through kitchen…
Sameer and Ayesha immediately parted as if they got an electric shock…
Arjun was just gaping at them and Sakshi had placed palms on her stomach…
“Ayesha Sameer! Kya dikha diya mere bachi ko!” Sakshi looked at them in a teasing glint… she kept her palms on her belly, as if hiding her baby’s eyes…
“Main toh bas soch raha tha ki agar hum nahi aate toh…” Arjun said… a hint of tease was in his eyes…
“Main pocha maar rahi thi aur Sameer bartan dho raha tha!” Ayesha said nervously… blushing furiously on being caught… Sameer nodded too…
Arjun and Sakshi just gave a “yeah please… do you think we are fools” look to the couple…
“Chal Sakshi… bahar beith te hai…” Ayesha almost ran out before Sameer told her…
“Yaad rakhna Ayesha… iss baar toh warning diya… agle baar warning bhi nahi milega…” he winked as Ayesha ran out of the kitchen…
“Wow Sameer! Kaafi achi improvement hui hai…” Sakshi smiled… it almost felt that she was glowing… a few minutes of Arjun being something to her… something more than a father of her child… made such a difference to Sakshi…
“Hmm… kya chahiye?” Sameer asked…
“Woh… kuch nahi.. main sone jaa rahi thi… socha good night wish kar doon…” Sakshi smiled and headed towards her room…
Taking the comforter over her tummy she looked at the ceiling…
A warm fuzzy feeling filled her… Arjun cared for her… it mean so much… so much…
She felt Ayesha poking her… asking her about what she’s lost in...
Ayesha had volunteered to be next to Sakshi for the night…
The girls passed a few minutes in harmless teasings… Ayesha didn’t tease her about Arjun cause she knew that it would give more pain than anything…
Thus she happily became the victim to Sakshi’s teases…
As Sakshi propped herself up with pillows and dozed off…
A strange happiness filled her heart… making things… were going to turn off well…
Maybe…
~*~
Chapter 12
2 weeks later
These 2 weeks had been heaven for Sakshi…
A literal heaven… no… it’s not that Arjun bought roses for her or cooked up dinner…
He would stay in the other room… and during breakfast he would make sure that at least one fruit would be there on the table…
In fact one day Sakshi had quietly watched him reading up on Pregnancy… and she smiled to herself…
And nowadays during morning hours… she found herself to be walking next to Arjun… he would keep jogging… though his gaze would follow a lazy Sakshi walking around the garden…
And it was not a surprise that Sakshi’s health improved dramatically…
She no longer needed the high BP medicines… at evening even while Sakshi watched Cartoon Network, Arjun would sit on the other couch… a newspaper in his hand…
Somehow his presence helped Sakshi to bloom into a beautiful pregnant mother…
Sakshi nowadays used to stand in front of the mirror… stare at her big belly… but then not more than 5 minutes… her back used to ache…
Sakshi never wanted anything much from Arjun… just these little things… that he did for her…
Not for baby… but her…
That made the difference…
Sakshi’s appetite had increased…
Her life was almost going peaceful and perfect… had she not… if only she hadn’t heard that conversation that was to take place…
~*~
“Heyya!” Sameer and Ayesha came in with a box of sweets… followed with Liza, Shree and Chotu…
“Arrey poora ETF toli idhar aa gayi…” Sakshi smiled… walking towards them…
“Arrey Deva… Sakshi… tu toh bilkul pari lag rahi hai! Haha… yeh maternity gown pe bohot sweet lag rahi ho… ab bacha tu hai yah tere andar waala… difficult ho raha hai!” Chotu chuckled and side hugged Sakshi…
Well by now it was almost impossible for anyone to hug Sakshi frontwards…
“Hey meri twin… yaar tera petu itna bada ho gaya hai yaar! Udi Baba!” Shree laughed and hugged a pouting Sakshi…
“Dhat Shree… tu bhi na! Aise hi baat kehni thi kya! She is looking beautiful Shree! Itni khubsoorat maine tujhe kabhi nahi dekha… Shree.. tera kuch nahi hone waala!” Liza glared at Shree…
“Uffo tum log bhi na! Kahi pe shuru… acha bolo kyun dekhne aaye sab log?” Sakshi smiled…
“Arrey hum toh ETF jaane waale hain abhi… par Chief mahashay aur Chief ki dil idhar rehne waale hai kuch der ke liye!” Shree winked at Sameer and Ayesha!
“Shree! Kya tumne woh Mehra ki bak details nikal diya… aur uski nahi… unke 8 bhaiyon ka aur phir Mrs. Mehra ki past life ki history ke saath pichle week ka report submit kiya hai?” Sameer crossed his hands on his chest…
Everyone laughed… “Sir… main abhi aaya… by Sakshi… chal Liza!” Shree tugged Liza with him…
“Arrey… sirf Liza kyun? Chotu ne kya ghalti ki!” Sakshi chuckled towards a red Shree and Liza…
The three friends left… leaving Sakshi alone with Ayesha and Sameer…
Her face contorted with pain… she held her belly slightly and rubbed it…
“Sakshi… tu theek hai na?” Ayesha rubbed her back…
Sakshi nodded… “Bas pata nahi pichle 3-4 ghante se ek pain ho raha hai… I think I will be fine within a few hours…” she tried to put a smile…
“Bache ek sundar cheez hai na?” Ayesha sighed…
“Aur usse sundar hai woh pyaar… jo ek pati patni ke beech hote hai… bache sab kuch nahi hote...” Sameer argued… he had been doing his best to keep Ayesha happy… that’s why he got out of his shell and used to tease her at times…
However Ayesha glared at Sameer… signalling towards Sakshi…
Thankfully Sakshi was resting on the sofa… so she didn’t catch on the conversation…
“Yaaro… mereko akele rehna hai… kuch der ke liye… please…” Sakshi panted slightly…
“Sakshi are you ok?” A tensed Arjun came running as he saw sweat beads forming on her forehead…
“Haan… me almost ok Arjun.. bas ek glass pani please…” Sakshi smiled… Arjun immediately rushed to her with a glass of water… he patted her cold forehead…
As Arjun and Sameer walked towards the kitchen to give Sakshi her space… Ayesha sat next to Sakshi…
Sakshi placed her head on Ayesha’s shoulder… “Ayesha… tumhe nahi pata… agar Arjun ka yeh care nahi hota… toh shayad yeh bacha mar jaata…” she said softly while Ayesha cupped her cheeks…
“Nahi… aisa nahi kehte… I always knew Sakshi that he cared for you… not just because you have his child…” Ayesha smoothened her hair…
“It’s not that I want intense love from Arjun… just that… during this phase… I needed a companion… just a friend… bas… jo mujhe bas… thoda sa care kare… bas itni si toh maang thi… and I can never thank Arjun enough…” Sakshi took a deep breathe…
Ayesha smiled at the matured heavily pregnant woman next to her…
She patted her forehead… “Bas Sakshi… haan… zyaada maang nahi hai tere… itti so toh koi bhi maang sakti hai na… bas… ho chuka hai… now… main thoda susu karke aau?” Ayesha put a baby face…
Sakshi got off her emotional face and started smiling… “Susu… really… bacha?” Sakshi pulled Ayesha’s cheeks..
Ayesha smiled as her effort worked… “Haan mumma!” Ayesha chuckled…
As Ayesha came back from the washroom Sakshi rubbed her stomach continuously… a crunching pain hit her… she tried to gulp but her throat had turned dry…
“Ash... feeling little uncomfortable… chalo let’s get some water…” Sakshi got up and Ayesha assisted her…
~*~
Kitchen
“Arjun… am really glad that you have started caring for Sakshi…” Sameer smiled at Arjun…
“Well… obviously… she is in her advanced stage… itna care toh zaroorat hai…” Arjun answered…
“It’s nice Arjun… your love has shown betterment for Sakshi…” Sameer gulped a glass of water…
“Wait… I don’t love Sakshi… and… main yeh sab pyaar main nahi kar raha hai…” Arjun replied to a slightly stunned Sameer…
“Then?” Sameer asked…
“See… iss waqt pe stress lena can be dangerous for our baby… isliye I am giving her the best amenities so as to our baby doesn’t suffer… once baby comes I will go back home…” Arjun told Sameer who looked at him shocked…
“And trust me… am waiting for yeh pregnancy kab ho jaye… like… to just get this duty over…” Arjun said..
“Arjun… do you have any idea of what you are saying! Matlab… yeh sab ek natak tha!” Sameer held his head…
“Sort of... bas that I just made her feel comfortable… I don’t like or love Sakshi… in fact I have no attachment towards Sakshi... but I love my baby… that’s it…” he said…
Filling a bottle of water Arjun said… “Aur waise bhi am doing nothing for Sakshi… it’s just for my baby… bas… Sakshi ki jagah koi aur hoti it would have been the same… waise bhi after the baby is born I would look into legal papers so as to Sakshi and I get equal rights of our kid because I don’t want to miss out anything of my baby… and then if Sakshi gets married to someone else in the future then also I would look into an agreement that I would be the father of the child… not her husba…” his words were stopped by a shriek…
They turned around to see a horrified Ayesha staring at them… and a heaving Sakshi clutching her stomach…
“Aaah!” Sakshi held her stomach…
The two lost their breath… what had she heard?
~*~
Chapter 13
“And trust me… am waiting for yeh pregnancy kab ho jaye… like… to just get this duty over…” Arjun said..
“Arjun… do you have any idea of what you are saying! Matlab… yeh sab ek natak hua!” Sameer held his head…
“Sort of... bas that I just made her feel comfortable… I don’t like or love Sakshi… in fact I have no attachment towards Sakshi... but I love my baby… that’s it..
“Aur waise bhi am doing nothing for Sakshi… it’s just for my baby… bas… Sakshi ki jagah koi aur hoti it would have been the same… waise bhi after the baby is born I would look into legal papers so as to Sakshi and I get equal rights of our kid because I don’t want to miss out anything of my baby… and then if Sakshi gets married to someone else in the future then also I would look into an agreement that I would be the father of the child… not her husba…”
These words swirled in Sakshi’s head… she wanted to puke… had Ayesha not held her hand… she would have fallen on the floor... and her heart broke… every hope and dream of hers shattered…
She didn’t want Arjun to love her or kiss her! But respect… that’s it… and here he spoke of drama! Legality…
And that’s when her baby kicked her hard… and her water broke…
“Aaah!” Sakshi held her stomach…
Arjun and Sameer’s face whitened…
Arjun ran up to Sakshi… “Sakshi…” he looked at her… tensed…
“How… dd… dare you!” Sakshi heaved… pushing Arjun away…
“Natak.. dd.. duty… aah maa… nn..nn… naatak!” Sakshi screamed!
Oh no… no … wait…
“Dekho Sakshi… calm down… please…” Arjun held her hand… but she shrugged it off… clinging on to Ayesha and Sameer…
“AAH!” Sakshi held her stomach… “Ayesha… tum jaake gaari ready karo… main yaha reh raha hoon…” Sameer instructed and Ayesha sprinted off… using the stairs instead of the elevator…
“Calm DOWN! HOW! 2 hafte se jis insaan ke saath reh rahi hoon… ss.. ssar.. pe… boj banke! Tt… this … wwa… was an… AAH… act! You bloo*y… thh… think… I… ww.. will marry… ss… someone...e.. else?” Sakshi cried…
Sameer cradled her head and wiped off the sweat… when he and Arjun noticed something liquid on the floor…
The water had broken!
“Sam… uska water break ho chuka hai… we have to take her to the hospital… now…” Arjun ushered and Arjun lifted Sakshi in his arms while Sameer called the elevator…
“AAH!” Sakshi yelled… holding her stomach…
“Don’t worry... you will reach hospital soon…” He assured her… but she nodded no…
“Main tumhare ehsaan…. aa… aur… nn.. nahi … ll… le sakti… why… kyun kiya aisa…” Sakshi cried and Arjun looked into her eyes…
Did I really not care for the woman in my arms… did I have no attachment with her?
Guilt seeped into his blood as Sakshi yelled in pain and they rushed towards the hospital…
She was still few weeks off her due date…
Sakshi clutched his shirt… yet her eyes had more than the pain of of childbirth… they held betrayal… pain… helplessness…
As he rushed her towards the operation theatre she still faintly tried to push Arjun away from her…
“Oh Maa… aah…” Sakshi began howling… her vision turned misty… her baby would be coming… her child… her life… her everything…
She could feel her pushing through… nudging her way out and a pain shot up her spine when a familiar hand wiped her forehead…
She forced her eyes open and found Arjun rushing by…
Probably she was being wheeled towards the labor room…
Voices blurred… his betrayal seeped into his blood… her pain increasing every minute… she feebly tried to push him away…
Arjun’s heart shattered into pieces as she yelled him to back off…
Finally she was put on the recliner… the midwifes immediately swapped her nightclothes with that of a hospital gown…
And at last she saw the face of that one person… her second mother… Nazuk…
Sakshi breathed in… on her sides she saw Ayesha holding her hand… placing a kiss on her forehead…
“Don’t worry Sash… our princess will come through...and you will be able to do it…” Ayesha clenched her fist with Sakshi’s icy palms…
Sakshi closed her eyes for a millisecond…
Her baby was coming…
Her baby… a part of her flesh was coming… a part of her… her little princess…
Sakshi’s face broke into a half smile… she heard the faint mumbling…
She tried to focus her gaze… “Push Sakshi…” Nazuk told her…
Sakshi pushed… she could feel the little tears… “AAAH…” Sakshi yelled…
Panting Sakshi was about to push when her vision blurred…
She managed to whisper to Ayesha…
Nazuk looked up… finding the worrisome faces… Sakshi’s face had contorted to a different twist of pain…
Alerted she told the midwife to look into Sakshi while Nazuk ran up to Sakshi…
Sakshi clutched the sheets…
Something was wrong… something was terribly wrong…
~*~
Chapter 14
Dr. Nazuk’s POV…
I was having my coffee when I got a sudden call… Sakshi’s in the hospital… she got her contractions…
I put on my white coat and called on the most expert and trusted midwives and rushed to the labor room…
Outside I saw the faint figures of a fuming Sameer and a distressed Arjun…
I ignored that and walked into the Labor Room… she had 3-4 weeks left… early labor… that increased complications…
I walked in and found Sakshi clenching her fists to control the pain…
I saw my daughter in her… the first thing I did was hug her… for the first time I felt nervous… after all Sakshi was no less than my child…
I ushered Sakshi to push as the vagina had dilated… but not enough for the baby to come through…
That’s when I realized that Sakshi had a discomfort written on her face… her whisperings to Ayesha and confusion screamed it out…
I asked Melinda to look after and ran up to Sakshi…
I clutched her cold face in my palms…
The moment I notice her face stiffen after a second… I get to know… something’s wrong…
“Sakshi… is something wrong?” I pat her cold cheeks to get her attention…
Childbirth Rule 101 : Always trust a mother’s instinct… always…
Sakshi manages to answer and I feel my breath knocked out of my lungs…
She has been a physically weak mother indeed… I gulp… I had been out for the past two weeks… and I realize that with me being away… she didn’t come here either…
“Sakshi… hold on ok…” I assure her… I touch her stomach… and I get a perception as to what it is… I frequently pray that I am wrong…
“Get the ultrasound right now…” I say… I can see that Sakshi is getting tired…
“Sakshi… don’t push…” I say to find Ayesha looking at me in surprise…
Sakshi relaxes on the bed… taking in air and water…
“What happened?” Ayesha asks me…
I speak in basic layman language… “Ayesha… the baby has rested horizontally for birth… head is not down…” I bite my lips and I find Ayesha turn a shade paler…
I scratch my head… a millisecond can’t be lost… this means that the shoulder of the baby is hitting the pelvis… not the head… which meant that there is risk for not only the foetus to be injured but also her uterus to be fractured… oh no…
I signal to the midwives to get the necessary equipments… my hands shake as I take in a deep breath… I will try to manoeuvre the baby’s head towards the uterus… it is successful in 50% of the cases… I hope Sakshi and her foetus falls in the 50%...
Ayesha, I guess has a vague idea of things and the dangers…
“Doctor… complications…” Ayesha asks…
“Foetus can be injured… fatally… umbilical cord can get pressurised… and I am afraid her uterus… it can get fractured… and we might lose Sakshi...” I told Ayesha…
Though I admired how she composed and nodded…
She kissed Sakshi on her forehead…
I knew this would be painful… I asked the midwife to administer an Uterus Relaxant… it would help me manoeuvre the baby…
When I notice Sakshi’s irregular heartbeats… I gulp… this is not a good sign…
I prayed to Allah to grant Sakshi the boon of her life… her princess… as well as her life…
~*~
Sakshi’s POV…
I feel my heart pulsating and sweat breaking out.. Ayesha kisses my forehead and wipes off the sweat…
I feel myself going weaker… I am scared to push… I know something is wrong with my baby… panic ensues my heart…
I don’t want anything to touch my baby…
I feel Nazuk trying to perhaps move my baby… aah… it.. hurts…
I blink away my tears… biting my lips blue…
I feel myself slipping away… but my gut instinct tells me my baby would come through…
But to my horror I realize one more thing…
I wouldn’t be able to pull through it… I need Arjun… I need him…
I try to breathe… and turn towards Ayesha…
“Cc… call… Aa… arjj.. jun…” I manage to whisper…
And she sprints of without a second’s delay…
I can hear only blurred words… I fight to keep my focus…
“Easy Sakshi… you can do it girl…” Nazuk’s voice cuts through the fogginess before me…
My eyes frantically search for that one person I need to speak to before I slip off…
But I resolve in my mind… I would give my baby… no matter what…
~*~
Arjun’s POV…
I lean against the wall… biting my lips in controlling the guilt… I still recalled her panicked face… and when she pushed me away amidst labor contractions just cut me…
I bury my hands in my face…
My heart is thudding… I feel something is wrong… something is terribly wrong…
I find Sameer’s eyes land on me… they are full of disgust, coldness and disappointment…
It reminded me when Roshni had died…
I couldn’t bear his accusing eyes on mine…
I turned aside… trying to hide myself…
I need to go to Sakshi… I need to apologize… I need to go to her…
“Where are you going…” Sameer almost yells at me…
“I need to go to Sakshi… please…” my voice cracks…
Before Sameer can say anything Ayesha came bursting out of the room..
“Arjun…” she called me… the first time… without the “sir...”
I run up to her… she’s in furious tears… Sameer looked at her with anxiety…
“Baby’s not in position to come out… in place of head it’s the shoulder… so there is chance of Sakshi’s uterus fracture and injury to baby…” Ayesha breathes out… continuous tears dripping out of her eyes…
“Will baby be ok?” I find my voice… Ayesha and Sameer just glare at me…
“Oh yeah… YOUR baby would be fine… but it’s Sakshi who’s slipping out…” Ayesha blasts at me…
And I feel the ground slip beneath my feet… my world spins…
“Sakshi…” my throat croaks…
“I don’t know why… and I don’t know why I am listening to her friggin demand but yeah but she’s calling for you…” Ayesha holds my limp hand and drags me towards the labor room…
I hear Sameer curse “Damn It.”... he follows… standing near the door…
Ayesha puts a cold liquid on my hand and asks me to clean my hand… I kick out my slippers and walk through…
I look into the yellow lit room… an ultrasound equipment was placed… Sakshi was sitting on the blue recliner…
I felt my knees go weak when Sakshi was put an oxygen mask… her face looked pale and white… she had clenched the sides… her eyes looked here and there and stuck on mine…
She motioned me towards her…
I ran up to her… my one hand held her icy palm… the other one cradled her head…
No… oh God please… nothing should happen to her… oh please… please…
My eyes moistened looking at her situation…
She has been going through all this… just due to me… and yet I say that I have no affection for this woman?
I felt myself stabbed as I recalled my own words…
I gulp and ask her… “Kya baat hai Sakshi…” my throat has turned dry…
She interlocks my hand with hers… her big frightened eyes peep into mine… sweat beads form on her upper lip, temples and forehead…
“Arjun… take care of her…” Sakshi whispers out… her eyes have fear set in them…
I cup her face in my hands… I pat her head frequently… keeping the strands aside… her tone sounds different…
“Sakshi…” my voice sounds hoarse as I cradle her in my palms… her cheeks feels clammy against my palms…
She grasps my hands… her face contorted in pain…
“Arjun… I… w… won’t be… able… to… m.. make through this… please… tell… my… bb… baby that I was… her mum… and… l… loved her… pp… promise me…” Sakshi’s eyes locked with mine…
And I felt my brain to be frozen… it took me a few seconds to comprehend… my heart thumped hard… my ribs shook…
I refused to understand what she told me…
“ARJUN…” her angry panicked voice reaches my ears… snatching me off my thoughts…
You can’t leave me Sakshi!
“Sakshi you have to stay! Please… Tumhe kuch nahi hoga… please…” I cup her face and place my forehead against her cold sweaty forehead…
“I… cc… can’t… aah… pp… please… pp… promise…” Sakshi weeped… taking a deep breathe…
“Promise…” she asked me… her face had turned pale… tears streaming off…
“I promise… but…” Before I complete she closes her eyes and rests her head on the headrest…
“That’s all…” Sakshi whispered… tugging her hand away from mine…
Ayesha rushes next to Sakshi… she kept on sushing Sakshi with soothing words…
I step back… my throat parched… I feel the world swirl around me…
“All done… baby’s head down… she will come soon… Sakshi… push… please…” Dr. Mustafa tells and I feel air whoosh into my lungs…
A midwife goes towards Sakshi and removes her nightgown slightly away… exposing her heaving chest… Sakshi was palpitating…
Would I damn still feel nothing towards her…
My conscious throttled me…
I felt a lump form on my throat…
I stood near the foot of Sakshi’s recliner…
I staggered towards her and saw the vagina dilating right before my eyes… a round thing seemed to push through…
Our baby…
The doctor took the surgical scissor and in front of me sliced Sakshi’s tender muscles a little so as to it becomes easier for the baby to come through…
I stare in horror as when she clipped the soft inner muscle of Sakshi… I felt my blood drain away as a little blood trickled out of Sakshi…
No… it will hurt her… I try to say but my voice seems to have left me… the nurses press on the edges… while one nurse holds the stomach…
“Push Sakshi… baby’s here…” Dr. Mustafa says…
“Aaaah…” Sakshi yells and gives a final push…
My breathing stops and my heartbeat stops when I see the head stretching on her muscles… and blood flowing out a little…
Every second seems like an hour…
“The mother’s fatigued… she’s unable to push further…” one of the midwives says…
I turn towards Sakshi and see her cringing and whimpering in pain…
“Sakshi Push… almost there… just a little push… please…” Dr. Mustafa says…
The midwives and doctors stretches her muscles further…
I close my shaky palms and plead to God to get this through… I can’t see her in pain anymore…
I find my throat to be paining as I control my tears…
Sakshi gives out one final scream and I let out my breath as the head of our child comes through…
Immediately the doctor grabs the child’s head and neck and pulls the baby out…
“Oh God…” a soft curse escapes my mouth as I see our blood covered child in the doctor’s hands…
Sakshi pants hard… her face has turned deep red… our baby is immediately placed on Sakshi bare chest… the doctor places a rubber pump to remove the fluids from our baby…
I rush next to Sakshi… and amidst all this… Sakshi raises her IV hands and holds her our baby… happy tears coming out of her face…
I can’t remember what all the doctors do…
I just stand… looking at Sakshi… my one hand goes to her head… and amidst all the pain and torture she has been… she looks into my eyes… and then our baby… and then gives out the most heartfelt smile ever…
Every pain etched on her face is replaced by a heart warming smile… I felt blank when I notice that amidst this gruelling pain she has tears of happiness trickling by her cheeks…
Nurses are wiping the baby continuously… our child’s cries reaches to my ears and I burst into tears… I press my lips against Sakshi’s temples…
She still cradles our child… pressing her quivering lips against our child’s forehead…
I pace around the room to control my outburst when I see the doctor removing the embryo with the help of the cut umbilical cord and my breathing stops… as I see blood seep out…
I start crying…
My chest rises up and down rapidly as tears gush down…
I touch my baby for a second…
When I see Sakshi closing her eyes… breathing rapidly…
The doctors take our baby away…
I look at them questioningly…
“NCU… later… will explain.” One of the midwives answer… I feel as if a part of my life has been snatched away…
What happened to my baby…
When I notice one Dr. Mustafa cleaning Sakshi up… which involved the stitching.. I moved aside… not being able to see more… I go near Sakshi … caressing her head… when I notice her to be pale…
When one of the nurses exclaim…
“Doctor… we are losing Sakshi…” a nurse said…
And I felt my life snatched away…
~*~
Chapter 15
Arjun looks on blankly…
“No!” his mind roars… he can’t lose Sakshi… no… he can’t… he can’t… he will die if anything happens to her…
The nurses ask Arjun and Ayesha to side off as they try to revive Sakshi…
He fall on his knees… praying to God… to give back Sakshi to him…
Sameer holds Arjun by his shoulders…
“Sakshi…” his hoarse voice rasps… his eyes searching for hope…
Sameer just looks at him blankly…
Arjun composes himself…
He stands on another wall… his gaze fixed on an unconscious Sakshi…
Ayesha hugs Sameer tightly… by her shaking Sameer understood that she was sobbing…
Sameer pecked her forehead… Ayesha’s misty eyes met his red eyes… “Nothing will happen na?” she said softly….
Sameer hugged Ayesha tighter… his faith lay in the God above… “Nothing…”
“We’ve stabled her… par woh hosh main kab ayegi… nahi pata… aur woh kisi bhi waqt...” Dr. Mustafa told them…
Nazuk walked off… wiping away the tears from her ears… Sakshi could die any minute… it’s as if she had given up the resolve to live anymore…
The nurses ushered a shattered trio out of the room…
Arjun stood near the door… cursing himself over what all was happening…
Sameer and Ayesha were leaning against the wall… Ayesha was huddled in Sameer’s embrace…
One of the nurses approached Arjun… “Sir… aap apki beti ko dekh sakti ho… haan it’s a girl…” the nurse passed a soft smile…
Arjun collected his shattered form and nodded… he looked at Sameer… then at Ayesha… they were just a foot away… yet… felt as if they were miles apart…
Arjun staggered towards the Neonatal Care Unit… his mind was blurred… he needed someone to support him… yet today he found himself deserted…
He peered into the glass incubator… his fingers touched the glass incubator… seeing the little pink baby inside… he frowned a little as there was an IV on her tiny forehead… and a minute oxygen mask placed on her nose…
Arjun gulped… hastily wiping off the tears off his eyes he watched his little bundle of joy…
Words evade him… he just gaped at his child… he looked at the nurse… asking… that… it’s… his baby…
The nurse passed a soft smile… joy seeped into his heart… tears trickled down his eyes…
He peered a little more to see his baby looking at the sky…
Oh yes… he is their child…
For she had taken completely on her mother…
She had taken completely on her mother… the pink creamy skin… the large dark coffee brown eyes… rose pink lips…
His baby turned her tiny head aside… her soft deep brown orbs stuck with his black ones…
Arjun stopped blinking….
“You can touch her…” The nurse smiled at him and put his hand through the cabinet… near his baby’s palm…
Arjun took in a shaky breath as the tiny chubby fingers touched his rough finger…
She wrapped her fist around his pinky finger…
Tears flooded his eyes… he stopped breathing altogether… looking at his bundle of joy…
However the little pipe that stayed across her little flaring pink nose…
Arjun turned towards the nose… “Yeh sab…” he asked pointing at the IV and the pipe across her nose…
He couldn’t see his precious little poked with injection…
“Sir… she’s a weak baby… nutrition lack hai usme… and she’s a few weeks premature… but don’t worry… with her mum’s first milk she will gain back her health…” The nurse then took Arjun away from the room…
Arjun felt his knees to betray him… but… he kept his hands on the glass window… trying to steady himself… staring at his child…
“Bohot pyaari hai…” Sameer said softly…
Arjun nodded… “Meri… meri bacchi…” Arjun told softly… his fingertips caressing the window… a pride filling his face…
“Ab toh aap ke liye situation perfect hai na?” Ayesha’s curt voice brought him to reality…
Arjun frowned… “Woh… S.. Sakshi kaisi…” he asked to see a smirking smile on Ayesha…
“Don’t worry Arjun… bohot jaldi woh marr jayegi… phir tum aur TUMHARI beti ek saath khush rehna… yehi toh chahte the na tum? Legal papers bhi banane ki zaroorat nahi hai! In fact ab jab Sakshi zinda hi nahi rahegi woh toh kisi aur se shadi bhi nahi karegi! Oh wait… woh jab zinda rehti Arjun… tab bhi toh kisi aur se shadi nahi karti cause she bl**dy loved a useless good for nothing cop! Congratulations Arjun! Beti mil gayi… aur maa ka jhanjhat hi nahi… kyunki maa toh marrne waali hai!” Ayesha growled at him and left…
“Ayesha!” Arjun ran behind her… but she showed her hand to him…
Sakshi can’t die…
“Sam… woh marr nahi sakti… usse zinda rehna hoga… please… Ayesha ko bol na woh sab ghalat soch rahi hai…” Arjun pleaded to Sameer…
“Hum sab wohi soch rahe hai joh tune dikhaya hai…” Sameer said softly…
He left Arjun alone in the corridor…
Arjun collapsed on the chair…
His Sakshi can’t die… please… no…
“Sir… aap apka beti ko dekhna chahte hai… she has started moving…” the nurse told him…
Arjun turned his face towards the nurse… “Nn.. no…” he mumbled… the nurse frowned…
He staggered towards the chamber… where Sakshi was there…
He looked at the nurse in front…
“Mm...mmain… mil… ss.. sakta… hhoon?” Arjun asked the nurse…
The nurse gave a sad smile and nodded…
“Kk.. kaisi hai?” he looked at her with expectant eyes…
“Zinda…” Nazuk stepped out… looking at him…
Her face was rigid… her expressions were stiff…
“Arjun… I need to speak to you…. kuch farak nahi padne waala… next 15 minutes ke liye toh hosh nahi aane waala…” Nazuk took Arjun’s limp hand and walked towards the cabin…
For the first time Nazuk had been scared… because Sakshi was almost like her own daughter…
“What is it doctor?” Arjun asked nervously… he hastily wiped out the tears… his heart hammered against his chest…
Nazuk wiped her hands on the white cotton jacket… she remained standing… she couldn’t sit…
She took in a few breaths and tried to control herself before blasting at the man before her…
“What did you say or do to Sakshi?” she asked in an icy tone…
“Ma’am I swear in my mother’s name I didn’t do anything to her… main pichle do hafton se uski poori dekh bhaal kar raha hoon…” Arjun answered… his gaze flicked towards her tensed face…
“You didn’t do anything… agreed… but what did you SAY to her Arjun?” her temper rose and she looked back at Arjun…
His guilty eyes and shuffling of feet convinced her of the fact that he must have said something really terrible… so much that even an egoistic man like him had to bend down before his words…
“Arjun… do you know what goes through a pregnant lady?” Nazuk looked at his face…
“Arjun… it’s not that a pregnant lady just feels nauseous or faints… the nausea gives her acidic burn near her oesophagus… you know that? In normal circumstances people get tired if they vomit once… for her she feels like this for months… she feels fatigue… she feels tired… she needs support at this stage… mental as well as physical… you get that?” Nazuk stared at him…
“She’s very sensitive… frequently had heartburns… pata hai kya hai voh? Kuch bhi thode se idhar ki udhar khayi then the acid caused by her food will give her burning sensation near her breastbone… headaches, insomnia… etc etc… and after all this… she gives a baby… kya usko respect dena itna mushkil ho jaata hai Arjun?” Nazuk glared at Arjun with an intensity that made him cower with fear…
“I respect her…” Arjun replied in a soft voice…
“Khud se poocho… ki vakaiye karte ho ya nahi… Ayesha se meri baat hui hai… aapko toh award dena ka mann kar raha hai… aapko uski waha haziri deni ki koi zaroorat nahi thi Arjun… and yeh kya keh gaye aap! Bina soche, bina samjhe! And you know...the pain one feels during labour? It’s 20 bones getting fractured at once… even if you tried to imagine the pain… you would probably die cause a normal human can’t handle that…” Nazuk almost barked at Arjun…
To see him slumped on the chair and sobbing…
“I know… mm.. maine ghalti ki hai doctor… I ss.. shouldn’t… shouldn’t have said all that… I...jj.. just wait… ki woh hosh main aaye aur main maafi maangu… sab ne mera saath chod diya… Roshni ne toh sabse pehle… ab Sam, Ayesha… agar Sakshi… I am tired of being alone… meri ghalti… nahi gunah ke barabar…. I just need one chance to apologize…” Arjun sobbed out…
Nazuk softened and looked at the boy before her… he too was like a son to her…
“Jab maine… humare bachi ko dekha… she’s just Sakshi… I.. she… she has to be there… I need Sakshi… and moreover… I want Sakshi…” Arjun wiped his tears…
Nazuk placed her palm on his head…
“Arjun bete… you must be thinking that why have I said so much… now the thing with Sakshi is that..” Nazuk drew in a sharp breath…
Arjun frowned and looked at the motherly woman in front…
“Kuch nahi ho sakta! Aap Doctor hai na… aap Sakshi ko kuch hone toh nahi denge na… toh aap darr kyun rahi hai?” Arjun looked at her…
“Doctor sab kuch thodi na kar sakte hai… I wish… jo tum keh rahe ho woh sahi hota…” Nazuk slumped on a nearby chair…
“Sakshi can be saved Arjun… she can come out from her semi-coma situation… but…” she stopped…
“But?” Arjun looked at her…
“Sakshi doesn’t want to come out… her body has given up…” Nazuk put her head in her palms…
Arjun felt stabbed into his heart…
No…
~*~
At the canteen…
“Nahi Sam… mujhe kuch khane ka mann nahi ho raha hai…” Ayesha refused for the 5th time…
Sameer sighed… he took Ayesha with him and sat on the soft chairs…
Ayesha wrapped her arm around his… her head on his shoulder…
“Ayesha… Sakshi would be fine… trust me… you see… yeh na ek bohot painful phase hai… toh iske baad she needs a break… she would come back…” Sameer gently stroked her forehead…
“I hope so Sam…” she sighed tiredly and closed her eyes…
“I hate Arjun! Woh kitna ungrateful hai!” Ayesha cursed…
“Ayesha… if I died and you slept with another guy… and hypothetically was carrying his child… what would you do?” Sameer looked at her…
“I would kill myself Sam! Aur yeh kya baat keh rahe ho tum?” Ayesha’s words stopped…
“You mean Arjun right? Dekho Sam… even I understand… par… I dunno… am just waiting for Sakshi to come back…” Ayesha frowned…
“Yeah… so just have a cup of coffee and be okay… alright? Agar Sakshi utke yeh chehra dekha na.. toh waapas faint ho jayegi… samjhi?” Sameer coaxed her and got her a cup of coffee and a biscuit…
“Nahi mujhe biscuit nahi khaana…” Ayesha pouted…
Sameer ruffled her hair… “Bacho jaisi zid mat karo… you haven’t eaten anything for hours now Ayesha… dekho main khila raha hoon… itna toh khalo…” he fed her the little piece of biscuit…
She glared at him while chomping… “Jush caush you al pheeding me…” she muttered and reluctantly ate the biscuit…
They took slow steps towards Sakshi’s cabin… when Ayesha hugged Sameer suddenly…
“I love you Sam… tum nahi hote toh main… Sakshi has been my only family member isliye am more hyper and…” Ayesha was stopped by Sameer…
“Hey… tumhe mujhe kuch justify karne ki zaroorat nahi hai… Sakshi is in very capable hands… dekhna woh jhat se waapas kaisi aati hai… and I love you too... waise Ayesha… I am happy that you would never go through this… main phir tumhe kabhi nahi choota… if you…” Sameer was silenced by AYesha…
“Ssh… samaj gayi… ab chalo… let’s… what’s Arjun doing in her cabin?” Ayesha growled…
“Let him be there Ayesha… usse dekhne toh do ki kya ho raha hai…” Sameer told an angry Ayesha…
“Ayesha… maine usse andar bheja hai…” Nazuk told her…
Ayesha still peered from the window… her gaze softened as a broken Arjun held on to Sakshi’s hand…
~*~
“M..main Sakshi se miloon… please…” Arjun pleaded Nazuk…
She nodded and led Arjun to Sakshi’s cabin…
Arjun drew in a sharp breath seeing Sakshi amidst the white hospital sheets… an oxygen mask on her pale face… an IV sticking onto her frail left hand…
He took a few steps and sat at the edge of the white hospital bed…
He took in a few breaths… staring at her sleeping form… exhaustion was written on her face…
He entwined his palm with hers and kept it near his thudding heart…
“Sakshi…” his voice sounded throaty…
Always her gaze had been on him…
For now he seemed to realize that she always wore blue whenever he would meet her… he still remembered the slight lilac scent of hers…
He thought that keeping a formal relation with her would keep things platonic…
He cursed himself again…
“I am sorry Sakshi… please come back…” he whispered… caressing her pale face…
He placed a chaste kiss on her palm…
“Sakshi… you know… our baby… itna chotu sa hai… bilkul tumhare tarha dikhti hai… she’s pink… she has the same coffee brown eyes of yours… sh… I am sorry Sakshi… please… ho sake toh maaf kar do…” he broke into tears… holding her palm on his forehead…
This woman had given up everything for him… and yet… yet… he said he feels nothing for her…
Is it true?
Why is it that he remembered the faint lingering of her lips on his shoulders?
Why does he remember the scent of her cranberries smell and the way her dewy eyes looked at him when he claimed her…
Why does he remember the way she responded to his kisses…
It wasn’t a physical thing they had…
His palm trembled as she gave no response…
As he looked at her almost lifeless form he swallowed a gulp…
She had become the only tangible reason for him to eat, breathe, talk…
For him to live…
His eyes widened as he realized what he truly felt for her… his heart started thudding against his sternum…
He moved closer to her… and clasped her frail form in his arms…
He pulled her close and snuggled near her neck… pulling themselves into an intimate embrace… his eyes drooped off… feeling her close to him…
He could feel her heart thump slightly under his… he could almost feel her blood pulsate back to him…
Oh Lord I was an idiot to have not understood before…
He held her head and buried his face in the crook of her neck…
And the few words mumbled out of his lips… which grazed her earlobe…
“I love you…”
~*~
No comments:
Post a Comment