Sorry Misha!
Ashutosh rubbed the back of his neck wearily as he exited the OT. It had been touch and go in there for a minute. In his more than a decade long career as a surgeon, he had lost patients before on the table. He had accepted the verdict of the powers above whenever his efforts had proved futile. However, things had been different lately. Every success and every loss was affecting him personally, much like they had in the early days of his career. Gone was the cynicism and somewhat matter of fact acceptance that years of medical practice had bred in him. Was it the life that nestled within his wife's womb? Was it that which made him extra sensitive now to the lives that he worked with? Was it that life that made him personally grieve every loss and rejoice over every success? He did not know for sure! What he knew was his as yet unborn child had fundamentally altered something within him. He was the same person that he had been. And yet, in some strange ways, he was not! Life would never again be the way he had known it. In shattering the walls of his fortress, Nidhi had already set the process in motion. Now, the baby would be his one shot at a lineage that had eluded him all his life. A lineage that began with him and that which would be taken forward by the coming life and, God willing, the life or two that would follow! Ashutosh could not help smiling at his greed. The first one was not even out yet and he was already fantasizing over more! Wonder what Nidhi would have to say about that? Given the way she had taken to motherhood like a duck to water, she would probably embrace the thought wholeheartedly! How he loved the little mother his feisty butterfly had turned into. She was learning knitting from her Dadi Bua and had enrolled for baking classes. She wanted to bake the baby's first birthday cake. Not that it meant that her career took a back seat. She made sure that she gave it her due attention too. She had just figured out the art of time management!
"Dr Ashutosh, please call home immediately!"
Ashutosh came out of his reverie.
"What is it, Janki Bai?"
"Don't know, Sir. Dr Nidhi's Dadi Bua called and asked for you. She sounded rather worried though!"
There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Had something gone wrong?
"Did you inform Dr Nidhi?"
"She called in the morning to say she won't come in, Sir! Apparently, Misha has gone into labour!"
Ashutosh felt a sense of relief before anxiety grabbed him again. Was this why Dadi Bua had called? Was Misha alright?
Nidhi had told him that she would drop by at Col Verma's place to check on Misha before coming to the hospital. Since he had an early surgery scheduled, he had not been able to accompany her!
He pulled out his mobile and called the Verma residence. His father-in-law picked up after three rings.
"Sir, this is Ashutosh...is Misha alright?"
"Ashutosh, thank God you called..can you please get here immediately?"
"What happened, Sir...is Misha alright?"
"Please come soon, Ashutosh!"
He could heard Nidhi wailing in the background before the phone went dead.
Oh God no, had something happened to Misha? Why was Nidhi wailing? How would this affect her?
If he had wings, he would have flown there. Since he did not, he had to make do with his car!
Misha was a stray cat that had taken up residence at the Verma home.
Dadi Bua was not particularly fond of cats. But, Misha had been pregnant when she had come to them and the old lady did not have the heart to turn her out. Not when her own little girl was at the threshold of motherhood!
Nidhi and Anjie had been fascinated by the cat and had named her Misha. They avidly followed her pregnancy since they were to be mothers soon themselves. Ashutosh recalled Nidhi gently stroking Misha's swollen belly before putting a hand to her own. There had been an almost Madonna like expression on her face when she had done that. The girls had been discussing names for the kittens along with drawing up a list of names for their own babies. When Nidhi had thrust the list under his nose, he had reacted with a horrified expression to the name Snow ball. Nidhi had doubled up with laughter before clarifying that the list was for Misha!
Was all well with Misha? Ashutosh couldn't imagine what impact it would have on Nidhi if she weren't!
He ran into the house, only to stop short at the sight of a wailing Nidhi.
Dadi Bua, Anjie, Shyama Aunty and Col Verma were trying hard to console her but to no avail.
"Nidhi...Baby, what happened?"
At the sound of his voice, Nidhi got off the sofa laboriously and threw herself into his arms.
"Baby...why are you crying...is Misha okay?"
She would not answer and wailed harder!
"Jeejaji...Misha is fine...and so are her five kittens!"
Ashutosh was perplexed now!
Why the hell was she wailing?
"Baby, Misha is fine...so why are you wailing?"
"I am sorry, Misha...am so sorry, Misha!"
"Sorry...what are you sorry for?"
Anjie looked at him with a confused expression!
"Jeejaji...she has been saying that ever since Misha almost scratched her!"
"What...Misha scratched her?"
"No..she didn't..it wasn't her fault anyway...it was all my fault!"
Nidhi raised her face from his chest to answer.
"Why baby...what did you do?"
"I tried to lift her baby...!"
Ashutosh was puzzled now!
"Why would you do that...don't you know how protective mother cats are of their litter?"
Nidhi shook her head sadly.
"I didn't!"
"Anyway, what are you sorry about...and why have you been wailing?"
"Do you remember...I said that having babies was not such a big deal..after all, animals had them too!"
Ashutosh frowned at the memory!
"Yes, you did...but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Misha proved to me today that her maternal instincts are no lesser than mine...she may not send her kittens to school and college...she may not be planning their future already...but she loves them no less than me...she guards them with her life...and was ready to scratch my eyes out just because I tried to touch her little one...I felt so ashamed that I said what I did then...I wanted to say sorry to her...to tell her that she is probably a better mother than I ever will be!"
She sniffed hard before continuing.
"Do you really think I will be as good a mother as Misha?"
It seemed the silliest of questions on the surface of it. And yet, beneath it lay a mother-to-be's insecurities. Ashutosh dropped a kiss on her head before hugging her tight!
"You will be the best mother in the world!"
He noticed Anjie's face begin to crumple from the corner of his eye.
"You and my darling saali Anjie both...you are going to be the best mothers the world has ever seen!"
He held out an arm to Anjie and she gladly came to him.
Ashutosh held both the mothers to be to him while they all watched Misha feeding her litter.
Misha looked up at them and her beatific expression seemed no less Madonna like to Ashutosh!
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
