Virika FF: New Beginnings - Page 8

Originally posted by: suju143

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*Note: I'm gonna assume Jeevika was around 6 weeks pregnant when they found out (nausea generally starts around that time); then they would have found out she had a weak cervix at 9 weeks and the ultrasounds would have gone on for another few weeks

Chapter 7

14 weeks into Jeevika's pregnancy and it was time for her to have the cerclage. Viren escorted his wife into the hall, his grip tight on her hand in his nervousness. The rest of the family awaited them; they wanted to be there for support to make sure Jeevika would be okay. "Tum teekhay?" Viren asked her.

She smiled up at him reassuring, "Mein bilkul teekhay, Virenji, don't worry. Aur aap?" She knew him so well.

"I'm fine...I'm fine..." he let out a long exhale, trying to calm his agitated nerves. "Baby is fine too," she added, placing a hand over her stomach, where the curve in her stomach had begun to show.

He smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder, "Mein jaanti hoon."

They entered the hall to do puja. Viren closed his eyes, Mansi sleeping peacefully in his arms as he prayed, "Please...let Jeevika and the baby be okay...please don't let us lose another child..."

Once they had finished, the family headed to the hospital in separate cars. Manvi gave Jeevika an encouraging hug in the waiting room before she left to the change room, "I'm sure baby will be fine. Don't worry Di."

Jeevika nodded, her own tension slightly quelled. Viren gave Mansi to Vanshika and waited for her outside the curtains of the small change room for a moment, before pulling it aside to join her. "Virenji?" she looked up at him, confused, the hospital gown still folded in her arms.

He set his hands at her shoulders, "Jeevika, I want you to know that you and the baby are going to be okay, the cerclage is going to be painful, but-"

She interrupted his stream of unsteady words with a hug. He was so sweet, he loved her so much; this was far more difficult for him than it was for her emotionally, he was trying to protect both her and their baby, he was worried for both, while she was concerned only for their child. He held her tightly; neither of them could be sure of who was supporting who at that moment, both encumbered by shared worries and hopes. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead lovingly before heading out of the room. A few minutes later and she joined him, seated on the hospital bed, hands clenched on the material of the gown, as they waited in tense silence for the nurse to appear. Ten minutes later and she did. "Mrs. Vadhera, follow me to the operation room. We're going to be putting you under anesthesia as this procedure is extremely painful, so don't worry; you will be unconscious while this is happening. Mr. Vadhera, you will have to wait outside. Once the operation is over, we will move her back to this room where she will be kept for the night to be monitored for any discrepancies."

Viren nodded, yet his hand seemed loathe to leave Jeevika's. "Don't worry," she said.

"Says my FMji," he tried to make light of the moment, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

Jeevika followed the nurse into the operation room, where she lay back on the bed. A doctor came in the room and after explaining the details of the cerclage, administered a needle. She winced at the slight prickle of pain; its soreness fading as her eyes fluttered closed and her mind blank and dark.

Viren rocked a crying Mansi in his arms, restlessly pacing the hall. Manvi was looking similarly disturbed, except she had handed Jhanvi over to Virat and appeared to be reading through the pamphlets on the shelf on cerclages and pregnancy, although her eyes were glazed over. "Kya hua, beti?" Viren murmured to Mansi, "You're missing your Mummy? Don't worry, she'll be okay, she'll be holding you soon. You know, your Mummy is very brave. She worries about everyone else, but she never worries about herself. So, what is your Papa to do? He has to worry about her doubly, otherwise then, what will happen?"

Mansi quietened and was staring up at him with her large, round eyes. Her mother's eyes. "You tell me," he told his daughter, "What will happen then?" Mansi made a soft cooing sound and he smiled despite his anxiety. "Exactly, you understand, don't you? Mummy is always worrying about you and I, but she never worries about herself, so we have to make sure we take care of her, right?" A smile curved his daughter's small mouth and he gasped. "Manvi! Virat!" he called all of them over, "Mansi's smiling!"

"Arrey, is this the first time she's smiled?" Virat exclaimed, touching his finger to Mansi's cheek with wonder in his voice.

"Haan, yaar, I was just talking to her and she smiled!"

"Such a beautiful smile she has, just like Di," Manvi said, "When do you think Jhanvi will start smiling?"

Virat grinned cheekily, "Not for a long time, I think. How can she smile when she has a mother like you around?"

"Virat!" Manvi hit his shoulder, "You think she's unhappy when I'm around, give her to me!" she took Jhanvi from his arms, glaring at her husband and Viren chuckled to himself as he watched their daily argument take place.

Swamini looked at them exasperatedly, "Jeevika is having the cerclage performed and you two can't stop fighting even in the hospital?" This reprimand effectively subdued the two, although Manvi shifted an inch away from Virat, pointedly not looking at him. Virat responded by moving closer and she made a face at him.

Viren whispered to Mansi, "And your Chachu aur Chachi? See how they're always fighting with each other. Your poor cousin seems to be caught in the middle of it!" He was only teasing; he knew both Manvi and Virat were wonderful parents and loved their daughter as much as he and Jeevika loved Mansi.

"What do you think?" he asked Mansi, but Mansi had fallen to sleep, her unconscious smile still gracing her tiny rosebud mouth.

"Mr. Vadhera, the cerclage has been successfully completed."

Viren felt relief wash over him, "Can we see her now?"

"Yes," the nurse replied and they rose to make their way to the room with happy anticipation.

Jeevika was lying down on the hospital bed, the blankets tucked around her, with flushed cheeks and tired-looking eyes. "Di, you're okay, right? You're feeling okay?" Manvi bombarded her with anxious questions, as soon as she entered the room, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Haan, Mannu, I'm okay," Jeevika replied with a weary smile. They all spoke to her comfortingly and asked her questions to which she replied, although her eyes were focused only on her husband and daughter, the former who was simply gazing at her with such love in his eyes that she almost blushed. He placed Mansi in her arms and she cuddled her closely under her neck, laughing in delight at her daughter's smile, some of her liveliness returning to her eyes.

"So, Bhabhi, you're gonna be in the hospital for the night, will you be okay?" Virat asked, concerned.

"Of course she'll be okay," Manvi announced, "I will stay with her."

"Nahi, Manvi," Vanshika shook her head, "You have to take care of Jhanvi, beti, you go home with Virat."

"Leken, Virat can take care of her," Manvi protested, unwilling to leave her sister's side.

Jeevika spoke up, "Manvi, tum jao...I'll be fine, you need to take care of Jhanvi, okay?"

Manvi sighed in concession, "Alright Di, leken, I'll come pick you up from the hospital in the morning, okay?" Jeevika nodded with a smile.

"Maa, I'm going to stay with Jeevika," Viren said firmly.

"Leken, Virenji, you need to take care of Mansi, hai naa?" Jeevika objected.

"Jeevika beti, it's okay, I will take care of Mansi, I don't want you in the hospital alone," Vanshika said reassuringly, taking Mansi from her arms, "Take care, dear."

They exited the room, leaving Viren alone with Jeevika. He pulled a chair close to her bed and took her hand in his, kissing her palm tenderly, "Are you really okay?"

"Just tired...a little sore..." she replied.

"I'm scared about the side-effects," he admitted, placing her hand over his cheek and leaning into it.

"They might not occur," she reminded him, "The doctors will monitor me over the night."

"I know...just, I worry...I want you to be okay, physically as well as emotionally and I feel like you're being drained of both."

"Emotionally, I'm perfectly fine, how could I not be?" she took his hand and placed it over her stomach, "As for physically, I will be alright come tomorrow, I'm only tired from the anesthesia and sore from the operation, that's all." She smoothed out the creases in his forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"Removing your stress."

He chuckled. A nurse brought in food and set it on a tray over Jeevika's lap; she made a face at the bland soup and he took the spoon and began to feed her, ignoring her protests, at both his ministrations and the insipid taste of the soup. "Virenji," she suddenly realized, "You must be hungry, too, and you haven't eaten anything."

"I'm not eating your food," he said sternly, holding another spoonful to her lips, "You need the energy."

"At least go buy something out. I'll be fine."

"After you've eaten I'll go," he decided.

"But you're hungry!" she held her lips pursed shut so he couldn't feed her the rest of the soup.

"Arrey, fine! I'll go now, but you better eat while I'm gone, okay?"

"Teekhay," she agreed.

He returned after fifteen minutes, a box of biryani in his hands. The delicious aroma was tempting and she eyed the biryani hopefully, her soup forgotten. "Virenji..." she pleaded.

"Acha, teekhay," he gave in, unable to ignore her imploring gaze. Sitting down back in the chair, he held a spoonful of rice out to her, but she took the spoon from his hands and fed him instead. They ate together contentedly, relaxed; a nurse popped in from time to time to check on Jeevika. A few hours later, Viren's head slumped over the bed, too tired to keep his eyes open any longer.

"Virenji," Jeevika said softly, running her hand through his hair, "Virenji, get up, you'll hurt your neck like that." Half asleep, his movements slow and weary, he brought his legs over the bed and lay down beside her, over the blankets, careful not to shift her body and she curled up close to him, sharing his warmth. His last fading thoughts were his fears of the morning, when the doctor would inform them of the possible side-effects. He worried so much...could not stop his fears from entering his dreams...his only wish that his wife would be completely, absolutely alright. Jeevika fell asleep in the comfort of her husband's arms, any shy concerns she might have had over a nurse walking in to find them sleeping together on the bed vanishing from her mind...her only thought that she felt completely content with the assurance of a healthy baby and a beautiful, growing family to look forward to, come morning.