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"Sumo, you make me proud."
Shravan whispered in her ear. He had surprised her by returning from Delhi before the said day.
She could not contain the excitement. She turned around and hugged him tight.
"I really missed you. Dare you leave me alone even for a single day, Mr. Lawyer Malhotra. Lord only knows how I spent this week without you", she scolded though her scolding sounded more like mumblings from his shirt but to him they were words spoken in love.
After two years of their blissful marriage the couple had to shift to London for the oldest branch of Shravan's widely famous and successful law firm was in an urgent need of his due attention after Eric, the 50% partner of his London firm had suddenly wished to open an independent firm in the city. This had had Shravan in a fix. How could he ask Sumo to accompany him there when her own business was in full swing! And how could he go without her when he knew how much her absence of only a few hours could hamper his heart's peace! But Sumo turned out to be his best friend in the truest sense of the word by solving his problem in the little span of three seconds.
"Shravan Malhotra, how can you doubt that I'll leave this opportunity to open the next branch of PCT in London!"
"And most importantly, the chance of just you and I", she added sheepishly.
She could not afford to stay away from him for such a long time. Her world was where he was and she could happily renounce her work to accompany him even to Hell, whereas leaving for London only to be by his side wasn't anything of that sort.
Within these two and a half years of their stay in London PCT had done amazingly well and was able to attract more than a quarter of Indian population of the city along with a good number of British clients to its homelike quality food.
When she had informed him that her investors had willingly purposed the opening of another branch of PCT, Shravan was dying to be a part of her happiness and he decided to get back to her as soon as he could be free.
"What should I gift my wife on her success, dear bestie, any suggestions?"
She smiled slyly and went on her toes to kiss him with an open mouth on his razor-sharp jawline.
"Since you've already gifted her love and happiness and not to forget jewels and a perfect honeymoon in Switzerland. Anything else could be an awful anticlimax, don't you think? I mean, what's left?"
"Sumo, you were supposed to help me. There must be something. How about another honeymoon?", he asked hopefully.
"That would be our fourth honeymoon!
Plus there's a thing I want, very badly, Shravan", she looked up at him with pleading eyes.
He bent down to reach her forehead, "what is it dear?"
"You know what it is, Shravan."
His reaction was instantaneous and deathly calm, "No, absolutely not."
He moved back but held both his hands in hers.
"Please Shravan."
"I thought we were already done with the final decision, why are you bringing this up again?"
"But Shravan.. "
Today he ignored those pearls falling from those eyes which stabbed his heart brutally but he could not help it.
She took to sulking this time, though was certain that if her tears could not nothing else in the universe could make him agree.
They had never discussed on this topic ever since the day Dr. Singh had informed them that Sumo's womb was too fragile to conceive a baby. She had strictly warned them that her pregnancy could invite several complications. Although Sumo wanted to give it a try, Shravan was able to convince her against it.
She too never felt the need of anyone else other than him in her life until these last few days after Shravan and she had to babysit their neighbour's little baby boy the last pleasant Sunday.
Of this Sumo couldn't tell him anything because Shravan had to rush for an important hearing at Delhi, the very night.
Though Babysitting wasn't a child's play, they were able to work as a wonderful team. She could feel the essence of having a child of their own.
She didn't know whether it was emptiness or something like that, but longing to taste motherhood had increased to ten folds during his absence, especially when she remembered the aching sadness in Shravan's eyes when Mr. Singhania was describing the incredible feeling of being a father to him.
She was sure that her husband wasn't anything like most men in the world who wished their wives to provide them with their children at some point of their lives. Shravan's love for her was way above all that but it was her own desperation to witness what their genes could create together.
She ate in silence and quietly went into their room to sleep.
Shravan entered after some time.
She had her face to the other side and pretended to be asleep but he knew her too well to buy that.
He slid into the comforter and called her, "Sumo.. ".
"Sumo, please listen, sweetie".
Again no response.
He now pulled her into his embrace to which she gave in, reluctantly.
He stroked her hair while she traced their names on his chest with her fingers.
"What's the sudden need to have a baby, dear?"
"Shravan Dr. Singh had told we can if we wish to".
"I know that but why take the risk? You know what I'll turn into if in case anything goes wrong."
"Shravan, Sheetal was telling me how her baby provided their marriage a subtle reconciliation when it was on the verge of being broken. She was telling how a baby completed them."
He smiled at her silliness. "How could you even think that we might have a phase like that in our married life!"
"And honestly Sumo, I have never felt the want of a third one between us. Never. Not even before our session with Dr. Singh. When I fall sick, you are a mother providing tender love and care to me. When you cry over stupid things you a child requesting me balloons. We'll be each others' support in our old age. You complete my world. We are complete."
***
Sumo walked out of the building where her obstetricians' offices were located, and suppressed the absurd urge to throw out her arms and twirl around on the sidewalk. Turning her face up to the sky, she stood, letting the autumn breeze caress her skin, smiling up at the clouds. "Thank you," she whispered.
It had taken nearly a year and two long consultations with her obstetricians, who specialized in problem
pregnancies, to convince Shravan that whatever the outcome of her pregnancy might be, if Suman followed their instructions and treatments impeccably, including staying in bed for part of her pregnancy, the risk to Sumo herself would be only slightly more than to any woman. It had taken another nine months to hear the words she'd finally heard today: "Congratulations, Mrs. Malhotra. You're pregnant."
On an impulse she crossed the street and bought a fistful of roses from a florist shop, then she walked down the block to where Pushkar was waiting with the car, surprising him by arriving from a different direction. She opened the door herself and slid into the front seat.
"So? "
Sumo looked up at him, her face glowing with wonder and awe. And she smiled.
A broad answering grin split Pushkar's face. "Bhaiya's gonna be one happy man!" he predicted. "After he gets
over being one very scared man!"
Shravan was waiting for her, pacing back and forth across the living room windows, raking his hand through
his hair, berating himself for ever agreeing to let her try to get pregnant. He knew she thought she was, and he was half hoping she was wrong, because he didn't know how he was going to endure the fear if she was right.
He lurched around as the front door opened, watching her as she walked toward him with one hand
behind her back along with Pushkar. "What did the doctor say?" he demanded when he couldn't stand the suspense anymore.
She produced a dozen long-stemmed roses from behind her and held them out to him, her smile bursting
out like sunshine. "Congratulations, Mr. Malhotra. We're pregnant!"
He yanked her into his arms, crushing the roses between them. "God help me!" he whispered raggedly.
"He will," she promised.
Pushkar took the Kodak moment.
The above piece was loosely based on Judith McNaught's Paradise.
I wasn't supposed to write anything but this thought wouldn't leave me alone, after all ShraMan is much more interesting than "Hydrolysis of Xenon Fluorides". Thankfully it's penned (rather typed) now.
Do let me know if it was worth your time.
You can criticize wholeheartedly, too. 😊
Wishing you a very a Happy New Year.
Thank you for reading
Love,
Swarnima
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