Chapter 108
"She’s coming around" Dr Khanna called out as Geet slowly regained consciousness.
Maan stood by the corner of the bed looking concerned between the doctor and his wife, Geet had fainted for a short few minutes but he’d felt his heart sinking especially with the commotion around their baby then his wife. He didn’t know whom he should reach out for, Geet or their baby. He tightened his fingers around Geet’s hands as she slowly woke up.
"Geet" he crouched down pressing his lips to her temple sighing in relief as her eyes met with his.
"Baby…" she whispered. Maan didn’t have an answer, he looked at the doctor for one but she stared unsurely.
Before she could speak, a midwife walked over whispering something in her ear, Dr Khanna excused herself returning to where they were checking up on their baby.
"Why isn’t baby crying?" Geet looked at Maan, her eyes filled with tears and her heart pacing faster with each passing second. "Maan…" she urged looking at him desperately.
"They haven’t let us know anything yet" Maan responded softly glancing over his shoulder, they hadn’t yet gotten a glance of their baby and it was paining him a lot.
"What’s happening Maan?" she tried to shift into a sitting position.
"Geet, they’re…" he paused when doctor Khanna returned by their side.
"It’s been 20 minutes doctor, what is going on?" Maan asked.
"I’m sorry but your daughter didn’t make it"
Geet and Maan felt their world shattered as they heard the words, their faces paled and they both stiffened. Maan blinked as a rush of emotions overwhelmed him, "Girl?" he murmured.
"I’m very sorry for your loss" Dr Khanna responded softly.
"Our daughter was moving and healthy a few hours ago" Maan told her. "What could have happened?"
"Mr Khurana, it’s going to be best if you both register this news before I go further into this" Dr Khanna responded.
Geet shook her head, "I want to know what happened to my baby" she cried.
"Your baby was born stillborn, she died in the womb" Dr Khanna slowly broke to them. "The kick you felt before, it wasn’t a kick. Your water didn’t break Mrs Khurana, the fluid you felt on the way over was blood, when you came to the hospital we learned the baby was already gone"
"No… no" Geet shook her head, she didn’t want to believe it. "Maan…" she turned to him tightening her hand on his, she reached for him desperately wanting to be held and hidden away. She didn’t want to hear it, her baby couldn’t have died. She was just in her womb, safe and protected just a few hours ago… She pressed her face into his middle gripping on to him tightly.
"Why didn’t you operate immediately when you knew?" Maan looked at Dr Khanna.
"We couldn’t risk an operation, Mrs Khurana is still young and anything going wrong in the procedure could have affected her becoming pregnant again" Dr Khanna explained.
Maan looked away from the doctor, his arms tightening around his wife as he stared down at Geet, she shook her head not wanting to believe it. "No… No… she was just here"
"All we can offer is some time with your baby" Dr Khanna spoke. Geet broke down unable to hold herself together, tears streamed down her cheeks and sobs escaped her lips.
"Geet…" Maan sat on the edge cradling her face in his palms. He couldn’t find the right words, he didn’t know what he can say to soothe her broken heart. He felt his heart being shredded into pieces, the loss of his daughter and the broken state of his wife was killing him within. He looked at Dr Khanna. "We want to see her"
"Okay, we’ll just get Mrs Khurana cleaned up and moved into the recovery room"
Maan paced outside the room as the midwife helped Geet clean up and change, he wondered how he was going to break this news to dadima. He sat down on the waiting chair clutching his head as he thought about their baby.
They’d had a daughter. Tears glistened in his eyes when he saw Geet break down, he didn’t want to believe this was happening to them.
Only a few hours ago, they’d felt their baby he was sure of it. He didn’t care what the doctor said, it was his daughter’s kick. His phone vibrated and he noted it was dadima, she was probably calling up to check on them.
"Hello…" he swallowed thickly trying to stay strong but all he wanted to do right now was cry for the loss of his daughter and for the heartbreak his wife is going through. He hadn’t Geet so broken ever in his life and seeing her break down, he couldn’t digest it.
He hoped seeing their daughter brought comfort to their broken hearts, they might know their baby but at least they’d see her for the first and final time.
"Maan bete, any news?" dadima asked unaware of what her grandchildren are going through.
"Dadima…" his voice thickened.
"Maan, kya hua? Geet teek toh haina?" she straightened sharing a concerned look with Meera and Vikrant who’d been waiting beside her.
"Our baby didn’t make it" he broke down brushing his palm over his face as tears slipped down his cheeks.
"Wh…" Dadima couldn’t speak properly when she listened to his response, she’d dropped her phone slumping onto the sofa.
"Dadima" Vikrant rushed over to her side whilst Meera picked up the phone.
"Maan bhai…" Meera called out concerned. "What’s happened? Is Geet alright?"
"Dadima…" Vikrant touched her cheek.
"Come to the hospital Meera with Vikrant and dadima" Maan whispered, "the baby… our daughter didn’t make it… they’re going to let us spend some time with her and… Geet would need everyone’s support…"
Meera covered her mouth as she felt the pain they all must be going through, she hummed in response sniffing though she tried to remain calm and strong.
Maan nodded though she couldn’t see him but he couldn’t bring himself to speak anymore so he cut the call and waited for the nurse to let him know when Geet is going to be shifted to the recovery room.
Geet was shifted a few minutes later and Maan entered the recovery room she was in, her eyes were all red and her face completely pale. Maan didn’t look so good either, it was evident he was crying as his eyes were similarly red and tears had stained his cheek.
He approached her side sitting on the edge and looked at her, his hand slowly reaching out for hers, Geet threw her arms around his neck and cried pressing her face into the hollow of his neck.
"I’m so sorry" Maan apologised as he cried alongside her, he wanted to be strong for her but in this situation it was difficult. They had just lost the baby they’d come to accept and love more than anything in the world. How can someone get over the loss of their child like that?
Maan slowly pulled back cradling her cheeks brushing away her tears with his thumb though they continued to flow endlessly.
"Why… why did it happen to us?" Geet cried pressing her hand atop of his.
He didn’t have an answer for that, what answer could he give?
Was there anyone at fault here? Or was it just fate?
Who does he blame for this situation?
Maan glanced over his shoulder when the midwife walked into the room, their heart rapidly thumped as they watched her walking into the room slowly, in her arms was their baby wrapped up in a pink blanket.
Maan shifted to the side so he faced the midwife as she walked around and slowly lowered her arms, Geet instinctively had her arms in position as the midwife passed their daughter. Once Geet had held their daughter, the midwife left the room giving them some time alone.
Geet felt her heart shatter once again, she was holding their baby and she wasn’t breathing.
She brought her closer to her chest and cried pressing her lips to her daughter’s temple whispering for forgiveness. Maan wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter holding onto them. He wished he could’ve prevented this, had he failed in some way?
How couldn’t have doctors noticed anything? How couldn’t he have noted anything?
Maan looked down at his daughter in her mother’s arms, he had no doubt that their daughter would’ve been loved immensely and she would’ve been the luckiest girl in the world. He tried to stay strong as he stared at their adorable daughter that they both had created however the pain within overwhelmed him, his sobs were stifled but seeing his wife so devastated, his emotions washed over him and he broke down sobbing with Geet. For the first time he shed away his defences and showed his true self without thinking twice. He regained some composure after some time focusing on their daughter. His eyes fixated on her and Geet.
"She’s…gone on you" he swallowed thickly. "Look at that nose and lips"
"It’s not fair…" Geet whimpered squeezing her eyes closed. "She should’ve had a chance…"
Maan nodded, he lowered his head pressing a kiss to his daughter’s cheek. "You were loved" he spoke gently. "Your mama and papa loves you peanut"
"I’m sorry" Geet opened her eyes staring at her daughter, she seemed so peaceful but her unmoving body reminded her that her daughter wasn’t here with them. She’d left them.
Geet and Maan felt an emptiness within them that they hadn’t ever anticipated for, it was as if a part of them died alongside their daughter, no one can explain the grief of losing a child.
The dreams they’d woven together for their daughter seemed so far away, their hearts filled with grief and an emptiness they didn’t think anyone could replace.
"I want her back" Geet sobbed tilting her head back. "Give her back please" she begged.
"Geet…" Maan touched Geet’s cheek trying to comfort her.
"I want her back Maan" she turned to him cuddling their daughter. "I want her back"
Maan brought her close into his arms holding her.
"She deserves a chance…" she sobbed.
"I’m sorry… I’m so sorry" he cried for the helplessness he was feeling, he cried because he couldn’t do anything, he cried for his wife and he cried for his daughter.
Dadima, Vikrant and Meera arrived at the hospital and were directed instantly towards the recovery room where Maan and Geet were.
Dadima felt a wave of brief overwhelm her as she stopped outside the door, both her grandchildren just looked utterly devastated. She wanted to be strong for them both knowing they need her but seeing them so devastated overwhelmed her with grief.
She slowly walked in, Maan glanced over his shoulder noticing dadima first and dadima noted that her grandson was totally shattered. He’d never been so broken ever, not even when his mother left. She walked around the bed going to Geet’s side and touched her shoulder.
Geet looked up throwing her arms around dadima. "They took my baby dadima, they took her from me. She left me…"
Dadima tightened her arms rubbing Geet’s back gently, she didn’t have words of comfort for her Geet, she didn’t know how to soothe her grandchild.
What words of comfort will help a grieving mother?
Meera walked around and touched Geet’s shoulder in comfort, she couldn’t bear seeing her friend so broken. Vikrant placed his hand on Maan’s shoulder, Maan nodded gratefully and hugged Vikrant tightly then turned to Geet and dadima.
"Why did this happen to us dadima?" Geet sobbed pulling back. "It’s all my fault" she cried. "If I hadn’t said I was ready the…."
"Nahi Geet" dadima cradled her cheek. "Bete you are not to be blamed"
"Then why is she gone? I want her back!" Geet turned to Maan. "Maan… bring our baby back please. Bring her back. I want her, I wasn’t ready before but… I…" she stammered hiccupping, tears flowed endlessly.
"None of this is your fault Geet" Maan pulled her into his arms enveloping her in his arms tightly. "She’s… It’s not your fault, you understand me? It’s no one’s fault"
Geet closed her eyes. "She didn’t get a chance"
I know he thought inwardly tightening his arms around her. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything Geet
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