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Monday 24 November 2014

Becoming a father

Sridhar was pacing up and down the corridor. There had been a flurry of activity from 11 PM. A life changing event was imminent and he was not sure whether it was going to be good or bad. Tired, he sat down on an empty chair located near a hospital ward room. As he stretched in the chair, trying to shed off his languor, the noise in his surroundings became duller. He remembered her – his wife, Kavya, when she had let out a squeal as a tear escaped her eyes on hearing from the doctor that she was pregnant! Her joy had been seamless. She had called her parents and in-laws over to their house for a grand get-together party. She had chosen names for her unborn daughter or son.

Nine months had just flown by for Sridhar. Well, for him, the news was exciting and unnerving at the same time. More responsibilities to be shouldered, more savings to be made to welcome a new member, all of it suddenly seem to come down on his head at once. Doctors had asked him to be careful as her blood group was O negative, the rarest group. For all reasons, his in-laws had decided to stay with them for domestic help, and life for him was hunky-dory as they took care of her hospital visits and medications as he rushed at office from one meeting to another. Work load was heavy for him as it was the peak time of the year, targets to meet, appraisal around the corner, he hardly could have a wink of sleep at night. He had almost forgotten that she was pregnant until he had to take an off from his office and admit his wife to the hospital that day.

“Congratulations, Mr.Sridhar, it’s a girl”, said the doctor. What? He was a dad? It didn’t sink in at once, he stared at the doctor. “Go ahead, meet your wife and your daughter in room 203”, the doctor smiled and walked away. He rushed immediately, not knowing where 203 was. And then he realized, it was in the opposite direction. He turned around the corner and stood at the door. There he was standing as a dad, witnessing his daughter’s cry. He waited until he was sure of reality. He wanted to make sure it was happening for real. Then he slowly walked across to her bed. Kavya’s eyes were closed. A nurse handed over the baby to him.

He was so overwhelmed with joy that he wasn’t sure whether he could hold in his hands something so delicate, tiny and beautiful. He found himself holding her, an extension of his body. A part of his life had taken a shape of a beautiful human form and staring back at him. Oh my, my! He placed the baby next to his wife and looked at her. He touched her cheek and said, “Kavya, thanks for a daughter.” She opened her eyes gradually, awakened by the touch. “Kavya, thanks for a daughter”, he reiterated. She smiled and held his hand.

They used to be a happy-go-lucky couple before marriage. But, after they had moved to the city and settled with a married life, their jobs had taken away all the time that could be spent together. Their relationship was just like any other mechanical life, trying to make ends meet, fill stomach and buy basic needs and wants. But, now, they were a father and mother! Their love had transformed from a careless-teenage love to an engaged relationship to a committed marriage and now as parents of the most beautiful daughter! He kissed Kavya on her forehead and tightened his grip around her hand.

He placed his other hand’s little finger near the baby’s hand and it soon wrapped its fingers around it and dozed off to sleep.

The touch of a loving wife and a beautiful daughter had awakened a loving husband and a loving father in him. He was bound to the love of his life, now, stronger than ever and for forever!

2 comments:

Locomente said...

Aw!!! This is so lovely... Oozing with pure love!

Sunshine-struck said...

Thanks Locomente! Love is the basis of life. :)