Tears of Joy or Sorrow Part 20 on pg 39 - Page 23

"Peehu Ram Kapoor" – Ek Meethi Pyar Ki Ehsaas!

Ram, where are you? I have the most wonderful news for you and I cannot get a hold of you. I have tried calling you at home, on your mobile and even at your office, many phone calls but never got through to you. Ram, I am pregnant – yes we are going to be parents, our love child is on its way and I so desperately want you by my side. I cannot go through this alone. This is the fruit of our love Ram, why should I enjoy it all alone? Why is life so unfair? Please pick up your phone Ram? I have to give you this good news. What has destiny in store for us? Why could I have not stayed in police custody for just another twenty-four hours when the results from the prison hospital would have been out and the news of my pregnancy would have been out in the open then? Why did I have to be so far away from you, unable to talk to you, not share this beautiful news with you?

Well we cannot fight destiny, so if ever destiny brings us in contact with each other or you get to see our baby, I am going to maintain this journal for your eyes only – so you can also see and feel what I am going through. I am so excited Ram, excited because our dream is journey. Here is the very first glimpse I had of our little baby – the ultrasound was amazing. Thank God for the advancement of technology that we are able to see our baby as it grows in my tummy. The feeling was amazing, yet incomplete, wish you were by my side, sigh! The baby is ten weeks old, thirty more weeks before I can actually hold him or her in my arms. Thirty weeks seems a long time to go and I pray to God to give me the strength to go on this journey alone. I love you Ram, more than anything in this world. I promise to be there for our child and he or she is the only reason I am alive now.

Back to the present:

Ram has tears in his eyes as he read the first part of Peehu's life in her Mamma's womb, in her words. He looked closely at the ultrasound picture and moved his hand over, while his other hand was still on Priya's tummy. It was as if he was trying to picture what Peehu must have felt like when she was in there. He picked up the picture and kissed it and wiped a tear that fell on it. He put it back carefully in the book and closed it. He put the book by his bedside and got out of bed and went to Peehu's room to check on her. He lay down beside her for a few minutes, taking her in his arms and cradling her like he would a baby. He bent down and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

Ram to himself: Peehu, my baby, the love of our life, thank you for being my daughter. I couldn't have asked for anyone better than you. I love you my Rockstar!

He put her back gently on her bed and went back to his bed and lay down on his side propping his head up on his hand staring at Priya, looking deep into her calm and peaceful face. He moved his finger across her face to push aside the strand of hair that was threatening to disturb her sleep, as if he was protecting her from anything and everything that came anywhere near her and caused her any discomfort. Slowly he settled down on is pillow with his hand possessively on Priya's tummy holding on to mother and baby. It was a beautiful sight indeed. He was scared to sleep just in case his snoring disturbed Priya. After a few minutes Priya stirred and Ram immediately jumped up and looked at her. She turned and looked at him in a surprised manner.

Priya: What is the matter Ram, why are you not asleep? Is something bothering you?

Ram with a very concerned look: I am scared that my snoring will disturb your sleep.

Priya smiled at him as she took his face in the palms of both her hands: Oh my dear Ram, I am unable to sleep soundly because there is something missing and now that you said it, yes, I miss your snoring and that is not letting me sleep.

Ram smiled back and heaved a sigh of relief: Thank God Priya, I was wondering how I am going to keep myself from snoring the next few months so that you can sleep soundly. You have just made my life a lot easier. He bends over and gives her a light kiss on her lips and she moves close to cuddle him as they both fall asleep.

Next morning Priya wakes up early feeling very uneasy. She tries to get out of bed but is too dizzy to even keep her eyes open. The room seems to be spinning around like a top and she feels very light headed. She doesn't want to wake up Ram, but in the end has no option but to: Ram, I need some help.

No sooner than she finished uttering those words and Ram was up and was startled: What's the matter sweetheart? What do you want?

Priya: I want a drink of water, but am unable to get up as the room is spinning so fast, I cannot open my eyes. I need some help.

Ram immediately jumps out of bed and goes to her night stand and pours a glass of water from the jug and tries to give it to Priya. Seeing her groping around and disoriented, he puts the glass of water down, lifts Priya from her shoulders and sits behind her so she is propped up against him. He puts one arm around her and with the other takes the glass of water and puts it to her lips. She opens her mouth and takes a few sips and stops to take a deep breath. Ram gently rubs her back and tries to give her some more water and she signs to him to stop. Her head drops back as she feels faint and her body goes limp as she is deftly caught by Ram from behind. He has no clue what to do and keeps calling her name and shakes her gently. He takes some water in his hand and sprinkles it on her face and she slowly responds by opening her eyes. He is relieved to see her eyes open and she notices his eyes are brimming with tears.

She looks at him and smiles as she shakes her head from side to side and lifts her hand to wipe the tears flowing down his cheeks: Ram, there is nothing to worry, these symptoms are normal. This is just one of the different kinds of morning sickness that women face during the first few months of pregnancy. Please don't worry.

He bends down and kisses her forehead: I don't like this. I am going to ask the doctor if there is any medicine to stop this. I cannot see you suffer like this.

She laughs: This is just the beginning Ram. But it is alright.

Ram: Last night, I read a little bit of your journal and saw Peehu's ultrasound pictures. She looks so beautiful even as a tiny little baby inside your tummy. Thank you for capturing all that for me, but it somehow felt incomplete without you. Priya, I can see how much you missed me, just like I missed you when we thought we had lost you forever. Please don't ever leave me and go again. I cannot live without you.

Priya: I promise never to leave you and go anywhere Ram. Now I think we should get up and wake up Peehu, she has to go to school. She tries to lift herself off from Ram's lap and he holds her back. He looks at her and she at him and all they can see is endless love in each other's eyes. He bends down and kisses her forehead and then slowly helps her get out of bed. He stands behind her just to make sure she is steady on her feet and escorts her to the washroom.

Ram: Please don't lock the door from inside, I will make sure no one comes inside. I don't want you to faint or collapse and no one can reach you to help. I think you should not lock any door behind you for a while now. I just want to be careful and avoid any situations that might need drastic interventions.

Priya smiles at him: I love you Ram, thank you for your concern. I am sure I will be fine, especially with you as my guardian angel. She comes out of the wash room in a few minutes and goes towards the door when she bumps into Ram, who is coming into the room with their morning tea.

Priya: You shouldn't have bothered Ram; I was going down for that anyway.

Ram: It's not a bother at all. I didn't make the tea, just got it from downstairs. I don't get a lot of opportunities to serve tea to my beautiful wife – the love of my life. Saying this, he goes behind Priya and holds her by her shoulders; maneuvers her towards the garden swing in their verandah and makes her sit down. He sits next to her and makes tea for both of them.

Priya: I have an appointment with my doctor later this morning, so once I drop Peehu at school I will go and meet her.

Ram: Ah, yes I got a call from her office saying they will do an ultrasound before she sees you. What time do you have to go in?

Priya: The appointment is at ten this morning.

Ram: Okay then we will go and drop Peehu at school and then go for the appointment. I am taking this week off from work; I told Rishabh that he will have to take care of everything in my absence.

Priya: I don't think it is a good idea; there will be times later on that you will have to take time off, so why do you want to stay home from now itself? Ram your work is as important as our little one, so please don't neglect it.

Ram frowns and pouts like a little child and Priya laughs: You look just like Peehu when you do this, my cute little Golu. She pulls his cheeks and bends down to give him a kiss on his cheek and he turns his face at the same moment so they end up in a lip lock. Ram puts his arms around Priya and pulls her closer. Priya's heart beats a thousand times faster and she realizes where this could go and breaks the kiss.

Ram: Hmmm! I love you sweetheart; I could just stay that way all day. Please let me stay home this one day at least? I haven't had enough of you and my baby. Please please?

Priya looks into those innocent baby eyes and when he is pleading they look even cuter and she just melts in them: You always manage to get what you want out of me, you know my weakness. Ah well, just this one day. Promise me you will go back to work tomorrow?

Ram: Ah yes, I promise.

They get up and go to Peehu's room. Ram lies down by her side and tickles her around her tummy: Good morning Rockstar time to rise and shine!

Peehu squirms and laughs: Good morning Papa. I can't wait to go to school and tell my friends that I am going to be a big sister soon. I am so happy Papa.

Priya walks towards Peehu's room and stops by the door. She looks at the bed and smiles at the sight – both father and daughter roughhousing around on the bed. Priya goes to the other side of the bed and gives Peehu a big hug.

Priya: Good morning Princess, if you want to go to school then you have to get out of bed right away and get ready.

Peehu: Good morning Mamma. Then she rubs Priya's tummy: Good morning Baby. Priya looks at her darling daughter and smiles.

She jumps out of bed and goes to get ready. Soon the three of them are on their way, first to Peehu's school and then after dropping her off they head to the doctor's office.

At the doctor's office, Ram walks in with Priya and wait in her chamber. Ram is nervous and impatient like a school child waiting for his interview result. He is scratching his temple and beads of sweat adorn his forehead. Priya looks at him and smiles to herself as she wipes the sweat with her pallu. She bends her head sideways and looks into his eyes as he turns and looks into her eyes. He smiles at her and they are lost in their own world. The doctor enters and sees the two of them and smiles. She clears her throat and both of them are startled out of their beautiful moment.

Dr. Jain: Good morning Mrs. and Mr. Kapoor. Congratulations on your second parenthood.

Both Priya and Ram say good morning together.

Dr. Jain: We will go for the ultrasound scan now and after that if you have any questions, please don't hesitate.

Ram: Dr. Priya was feeling light headed this morning and fainted. Am just a bit concerned about it. Is it normal?

Dr. Jain: Yes, Mr. Kapoor. She will have this uneasiness for another couple of weeks or so. This is part of the first trimester and she might even throw up and feel nauseous. Some people have this sensation all through pregnancy. She turns to Priya: I hope you have your reports from your first pregnancy, so we can compare the two.

Priya: Yes, Dr. I brought my medical file with me. She hands her file to the doctor and they all get up to go for the scan.

Priya is lying down on the table and the scan is being done. Ram is holding her hand and waiting patiently. The picture of the fetus appears on the monitor and the doctor explains what they see, showing the baby. Ram tightens his grip on Priya's hand and both of them are looking at the picture. Ram's eyes are filled with tears and he kisses her hand. He is staring into the screen and when the doctor is done she leaves them to clean up and come back to her chamber. Ram takes the towel and gently wipes the gel from her tummy and slowly caresses her tummy. Priya is a little embarrassed as she is looking around to see if there is anyone around the room. She goes behind the screen and changes while Ram is waiting patiently for her on the other side of the screen, respecting her need for privacy. She comes out and sees the tears in his eyes. She walks up to him and wipes them with her hand and smiles at him. She takes his hand in hers and gently kisses his palm. He puts his arm around her and takes her into the doctors chambers.

Dr. Jain: The baby looks healthy and so do you Priya. I don't think there will be any reason for worry, but if you have any pain, or bleeding or any discomfort, please don't hesitate to call me.

Ram: Can we have copies of the pictures from the ultrasound?

Dr. Jain: Yes definitely Mr. Kapoor. I will send them to your home by the end of the day with the reports. Please make sure that she eats healthy and gets her share of exercise. Yoga, walks and exercise is very important.

Ram: Is it alright to bring our daughter Peehu for the next scan appointment so she can also see the baby?

Dr. Jain: Yes, that is fine. It will be a while though. I don't want to do too many scans. The next one will be when the baby is 15 weeks. You can bring your daughter for that appointment. I am sure she will be very excited. Also, the next scan will be a good time for you to know the sex of the child.

Priya: No thanks doctor. We would like it to be a surprise at the time of birth. It takes the thrill out of the wait.

Dr. Jain: I understand, but if you change your mind, I can tell you when you come for your next scan. Please make sure you come in for your checkups regularly and follow up with all the tests.

Ram: Okay doctor. I will make sure, but please tell her strictly not to overdo things around the house.

Dr. Jain: She can do her regular chores around the house, but not too much. No lifting weights or climbing unsafe stools to get things that are not reachable.

Ram and Priya thank her and leave. When they reach KM Dadi and KK ask them if everything is ok and they nod in affirmation. They are very happy. Ram goes upstairs while Priya is talking with Dadi and KK

Dadi: Priya, what would you like to eat?

Priya: Actually Dadi, I am not hungry at all. The very thought of food makes me want to throw up.

KK: I know beta, but you should not starve. It is not good for the baby and for you. Do you want me to send your lunch upstairs or will you come down?

Priya: Ma, we will come down for lunch in a little while. I would like to go and rest for a while.

Priya goes upstairs and looks for Ram. She doesn't see him anywhere in their room so she is looking around. She sees him in Peehu's room sitting on her bed with her Baby book in his hand. He is looking at her ultrasound picture and rubs his hand over it as if he is trying to feel her. Priya sees this and has tears in her eyes. She walks up to him and he looks into her eyes, both of them are staring silently into each other's eyes, talking with each other without saying a word. Slowly Priya breaks the eye lock and wipes his tears while he does the same to her.

In a little while both of them leave to pick up Peehu from school.

Ram: Rockstar, do you know what we did this morning?

Peehu: What Papa?

Ram: We went to the doctor and she took pictures of our baby inside Mamma's tummy. The baby looks beautiful, just like it's big sister.

Peehu looks with wide eyes: Really Papa? Can I see the pictures too?

Priya holds Peehu's hand and puts it on her tummy: Yes, princess, you can. The doctor said she will send the pictures home in the evening and you will be the first one to see them. Also the doctor said that you can come when she is doing the scan the next time, so you will be able to see the baby moving in my tummy sweetheart.

Peehu is very excited and happy to hear that: I love you, Papa and the Baby. She bends down and kisses Priya's tummy.

Priya: Peehu, next month is your birthday, so we must plan for the party. What would you like for your birthday?

Peehu: I want to call all my friends from school and also Kush, Nani, Nanu, Nuts bua, Karthik Mama, Maasi and Vikram uncle and all of them for my party. Can I?

Priya: Sure baby. It is going to be your party.

Later that evening when the reports come they show the pictures to Peehu. She is very excited.

Ram and Priya take her to her room and show her baby book: Peehu, I want you to see your baby picture too. When you were in Mamma's tummy the doctors in Dubai also took pictures. Here take a look at how pretty you looked even then. You are growing prettier by the day.

Peehu stares at the picture and kisses it. Then she goes to her Mamma and kisses her tummy again. She is very happy and excited: Thank you Mamma and Papa. I love my baby.

…. To be continued

Awesome update...love the peehu-baby interactions!!!