Part 31
Naina's Mother (NM): Gunny beta thank you for coming to Jaipur to pick us up. We took the first flight we got from New York. How's Naina now?
Gunny: Aunty Naina just delivered a beautiful baby girl an hour back. It was a tough labor but she is doing fine now.
NM: Thank God! That's amazing news. Can we talk to her?
Gunny: Aunty I'll call Raj and see?
Hmm.. He doesn't seem to be taking my call. Must be bad signal. Let's get going. We'll be in Jaisalmer in a few hours.
Doctor's Cabin
Dr: Raj, we discovered some internal bleeding. We need to operate on Naina to identify the source of the bleed and to stop it.
Raj: But doctor, she'll be fine, right?
Dr: Raj only when we open her up we'll know the full extent of the bleed. I need you to sign these papers?
Raj: What do they say?
Dr: If anything inadvertent where to happen to Naina in the course of the surgery, you'll take full responsibility.
Raj: Are you saying I am responsible for Naina's condition. Nani.. Am I responsible?
Gayatri: Raj this is standard paperwork before a surgery. Beta, keep yourself together. You have to be strong... Especially for gudiya, right?
Raj wiped away his tears and signed the papers.
Naina was wheeled into surgery. One hour passed. then a second. Raj was beginning to panic.
Raj: Nani, why isn't anyone telling me anything?
Gayatri: Raj, let the doctors to their job? They are the best in the field.
Shalini walked in holding the baby.
Shalini: Raj she started crying incessantly. I can't seem to calm her down.
Raj: Awww... my bacha.. I am sorry... I shouldn't have been away for you for so long. Come here... Come to papa. There, there... Everything is ok gudiya. Papa is here.
Raj rocked the baby side to side and kept holding her.
Shalini: Thank God, she's calmed down. Look she's even gone to sleep. I'll take her back to the nursery. Don;t worry Raj. I'll be there with her.
Another hour passed.
Naina's parents and Gunny reached the hospital. They hugged Raj and looked around excitedely for Naina.
NM: Raj, which is Naina's room? Is she awake?
Raj: Maa... Woh... Actually...
Gayatri: Sudhaji, Naina developed some complications after her delivery.
NF: What complications?
Gayatri: Doctor's discovered a bleed. They took her in for surgery.
NM: I told you we shouldn't have left Naina here. We would have taken better care of her. And made sure that she went in for an early delivery. Raj, how could you be so irresponsible?
Gayatri:I am sorry Sudhaji. I realize you are hurting. But you have no right to blame Raj.
Raj: Nani's it's ok. Maa everything will be alright. I promise you...
Half hour later the compounder came in with sweets and offered them to Naina's parents.
Compounder (to Raj): Colonel Sir , I have distributed them all over the hospital. Everyone blessed your baby girl.
After the compounder left,
NM: Our daughter is in surgery and you are distributing sweets?
Gayatri: Raj ordered them before Naina developed complications.
Raj: No Nani. I won't defend my actions. I am as worried for Naina if not more. But the birth of our daughter is a huge moment in our lives. And I will not let anything cloud it. I am sure that's what Nana wants too. For us to celebrate our gudiya.
NM: Gudiya, Celebration. Nonsense.
She's nothing but a bad omen. A jinxed baby who's already caused my Naina so much pain and has now landed her in this condition.
Saying this she threw the sweet in her hand into the dustbin.
Raj (raising his voice): Enough Ma... Enough... Not even you have the right to speak like this.
Gayatri: Raj this is a hospital. Stop yelling. Go to the nursery and see how gudiya is doing. Go, I said.
NURSERY
Shalini: She just got up a few minutes back. I fed and burped her. Just look at how she's staring at you. You want to go to Papa?
Shalini handed the baby to Raj who held her gently. He told her Shalini what had transpired with Naina's parents outside.
Raj: How did Naina's mother say that about my daughter? Call her a bad omen? A jinx?
Shalini: Raj, they are very worried. It's not easy seeing their daughter, Naina, in a critical condition.
Raj: I understand. I haven't taken anything they have said to me to heart. But not my baby... Not my baby...
I have spent my entire life hearing things about myself, my birth... My daughter won't.
She won't.
Raj cradled the baby closer to him and kissed her.
A nurse came inside.
Nurse: Your wife is out of surgery. The doctor is calling you.
Raj again returned the baby to Shalini and went to the doctor's cabin. Naina's parents were also there.
Dr: Raj when we opened Naina up we discovered a massive bleed. We had to first drain the blood before we could even identify the location of the bleed and stop it. We finally managed to do that. But...
Raj: But what doctor?
Dr: Raj I am afraid Naina has slipped into coma. Often when the body is under extreme pain or pressure, it responds by shutting down.
NM: How can you let this happen? You are the top specialist, aren't you?
Dr: Ma'am it's not useful to play a blame game. But to clarify, I have been pushing for an early delivery all along. As the baby continued growing it put a lot of pressure on Naina's frame and the delivery itself was extremely difficult.
NM: You are right doctor. The person to blame is Colonel Rajveer Shekhawat. Naina's husband for the world. But in reality, he's a self-centred man who was only interested in his baby - a baby who could carry forward his lineage. Give him a sense of belonging because he grew up without one as an orphan.
Dr: I'll give you guys some space. But again, ma'am, blame games aren't healthy.
The doctor left and Naina's mother continued yelling at Raj, who sat in the chair pale faced and completely silent.
NM: You were going to leave my daughter weren't you? But only held on to her because she was like an incubator for your unborn daughter. Now you have what you want. Your baby.
NF: Enough Sudha!
NM: NO! ITS NOT ENOUGH. HE FIRST KILLED OUR SON. LED HIM TO HIS OWN DEATH. AND NOW HE HAS PUT OUR DAUGHTER IN A COMA. WHY DON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING RAJVEER? WHAT DID YOU SAY EARLIER? EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT? OF COURSE EVERYTHING IS FINE FOR YOU. YOU HAVE YOUR BABY. WHETHER NAINA LIVES OR DIES, HOW DOES IT MATTER?
Gayatri: Enough! Not one more word. Raj beta, let's go from here.
Gayatri nudged him to get up. He walked behind her lifelessly with many unsaid words in his mouth and unshed tears in his eyes.
Edited by paradigm - 8 years ago
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