Author's Diclaimer:
Kindly make note, I am no expert in pregnancy related ailments. All the things that Paro goes through are based on my imagination which may have no medical basis at all. They are just tools to move the story forward nothing more.
CHAPTER 61
"Thank you for coming Doctor," Dilsher thanked the physician who had treated their family for generations. The septuagenarian checked the woman's vitals. He gave her shot and declared that she would regain conscientiousness soon. "Mohiniji, this is nothing to worry. When your beendini is as delicate as a flower, the smallest stress causes her to faint. Just take of her diet and make sure she takes her prenatal vitamins. It should be fine," he instructed. But the matriarch wasn't placated. She glared at Maithili in accusation.
"Glare at her some more. You eldest beendini is at fault here," the doctor remarked. Maithili held back tears which threatened to make a scene. She thought she was taking utmost care of her little sister, especially since devarsa was away. She didn't understand where hings went wrong. "Look at her, such great news I have received about the next Ranavat heir and she has treated me to the best halwa of Chandangad," he continued. Maithili was dumbfounded when the rest of the burst into laughter. Dilsher patted her head jovially and sent her off to the kitchen.
"Dilsherji, it's time for you to get more active. Once your granddaughter arrives you won't have time to sit," the doctor commented as he sat down in the closest chair. He asked if the child was of the female gender. "Why? You already have a son. I thought you were longing for a girl of your own ever since Sunheri was born," he recollected. Dilsher smiled softly looking at the sleeping young woman, "I have a lovely daughter now. And everyone here knows her heart is set onnot one but two sons of her own."
Maithili returned with a tea tray filled with snacks. "Where is my halwa?" he asked in mock anger. Dilsher replied that if he leaves here with Halwa in his pot belly his wife will be very disappointed with him. "If you don't distribute sweets, all of Chandangadh will be disappointed," he roared. Mohini promised there will be a feast like never before when they host Paro's godh barai.
The doctor agreed and reached for the tea placed near the bed. His glance fell on the bag of tamarind. "This is the culprit. In small quantities, it's very good during pregnancy. But the women of this area have acquired a habit of over-eating this fruit. In some cases, the blood sugar drops because of it resulting in fainting spells," he explained.
Maithili grabbed the bag when she noticed Paro stir slowly. "Doctorsa, I will hide this. But can you tell her it's because she is not drinking milk?" she requested. He shook his head, if she doesn't know the consequences, she will get her way with her husband's aid. Everyone knew how the Major would move heaven and earth for his wife's happiness. "I'll tell devarsa. But when it comes to milk, she is worse than Shanti," Maithili replied.
"Rudra... Rudra..." Paro mumbled as she got up. Her father-in-law replied softly that he would be back the following day. She looked around taking her time. She recognized the doctor and greeted him warily. "Are you feeling better? Maithili asked caressing her forehead. She held her stomach anxiously. Was something wrong with her baby? "Don't worry everything is fine," the doctor told her getting up. Maithili whispered to her mother-in-law that halwa was almost ready. "Join us doctor. Your halwa is waiting for you," the matriarch invited.
Paro eyes spotted the packet of tamarind between the folds of her sister's skirt. "Bring some for me here beta. I want to stay with Parvati," Dilsher told Samarat as he moved his chair closer. Paro looked at her hands guiltily. She didn't mean to worry everyone. "I was just talking to Shatabdi when everything went black. What happened, Bapusa?" she asked. The older man explained what the doctor said. Paro felt terrible. Did that mean she had to avoid her favourite snack? She watched as they all slowly followed the doctor out. She heard a chair being pulled closer. She realised Bapusa had stayed behind but she couldn't lift her head to meet his eyes. How disappointed he must be.
The elderly man smiled at the young mother to be. "Do you know why the greatest bond is between a mother and a child?" he asked her. She met his eyes and slowly shook her head. "It's because they are connected from the time life is created in their womb. Every thought, every wish, every emotion their baby feels they come to know first. Even after they come into the world their hearts always longed for the one who made them. I should know, I watched Rudra wait for her for years unflinchingly. Forget that, I shouldn't be talking about that," he backtracked.
She held his hand. She was his daughter. He could tell her anything."I know beta. But I am starting to ramble. What I need you to remember is that no matter what you feel your baby wants, you should think about what is healthy for both of you. You will be a wonderful mother Parvati. Think of this as one of the many mistakes you will make as a parent," he assured.
Paro pointed him that Rudra would be upset. "He is my son. Trust me he will make ten times more mistakes more than you," he burst out laughing. Paro wasn't so sure. She knew how possessive her husband was. "Don't worry about him till he returns till. Then we will see what to do," he assured. She laid back to rest. Dilsher hobbled out relieved that she was better now.
Later that day, the doorbell rang loudly, echoing through the halls. "I'm coming wait!" Sunheri shouted as she got to the door. "Eeek!" she screamed when she saw the biggest teddy bear when she opened it. Samrat rushed to the door with his daughter at his tail. He saw a man hand over a receipt. He signed it and asked for his copy. "Sorry sir, I forgot. I will bring it later," he promised adjusting his cap. Something was definitely wrong, Samrat thought to himself as the man scampered away. His glance fell on the BSD guards standing at the gate. He felt better. Rudra had taken precautions in his absence.
He saw Sunheri with a little note. "Bhaisa, this is supposed to be for Baby Ranavat. But since he is not here yet, can I keep it in my room?" she asked. He observed the note if it had a name. "No! This is my baby brother's so I'm going to take it to Papo. She can keep it in their room," said Shanti decidedly as she tried to pull the stuffed toy.
Danveer smiled seeing the exchange. There was a time when Samrat was just as protective of his little sister. "Why don't I help you take it?" he asked the little girl. She nodded and handed her grandfather a paw while she held the other one. He heard the click and realized his daughter had taken a picture. His son however was lost on thought. "I will be right back," he said and walked out.
"Is everything alright?" the constable asked Samrat surprised. Usually the men of the household pretend they weren't there. Except for Dilsherji who gets them to sneak in alcohol. "When is Rudra likely to return?" he asked. They shrugged. The major was highly unpredictable. Unless he was worried about his wife he would go to headquarters before coming home. Samrat just nodded and walked off. Maybe this could wait.
Paro was thrilled to see her gift. She spent hours playing with her niece and the new bear named Baba. "...teddy bear, teddy bear off to school," Shanti sang pretending to go to school. Then she took her bag and threw it on the bed. "Shanti if the bag gets spoiled how will you go to your play school?" Paro asked. She struck her tongue out and replied that she will stay at home with her little brother. Paro pulled her into a hug. But the little girl wriggled out. "Papo your turn!"
She got from the bed and mimicked her niece who sang once more, "Teddy bear, teddy bear..." She loved it when to hear the girl laugh. Soon there will be another baby playing with them. She twirled gaily but stopped when she heard a gasp. She lost her balance. She braced herself but there was no fall. Instead she was ensconced in the sturdy arms of her husband. She noticed a bright flash heading out of their room and pouted. "Why did you chase her away? I was having fun," she complained. He brought her close and whispered that it was his turn to play with her.
He felt her heart beat louder than usual and smirked when he saw the blood rush to her cheeks. He loved it when she realized what kind of games he was interested in playing. The bold avatar of Paro was far more enticing than the demure one. She held his hand gently and led him to bed. He looked back to see that their door was still open. She guided him to sit down and he saw the curtains blow inwards. "Paro, what are you doing?" he asked cautiously. She was confused by his reaction. "I just wanted to sit and listen to you tell me about your day before I told you about mine," she said innocently.
About half a mile away, a man pounded the desk in impotent rage. He actually liked her. He thought of her as a kind, gentle woman who was forced somehow to marry his brother's killer. He wanted to give her the benefit of doubt. He had heard the story how she had been held captive in his house. Surely the simple minded peasants would have given her no choice but matrimony. But what he heard would make his brother turn in his grave. His widow was completely in love with his murderer.
He looked at their photograph together taken before he got sent away to India. Their parents had died and they were utterly lost. An old acquaintance of their father had offered them both jobs. He didn't want to work yet. Their father dreamed of them becoming a doctor or a lawyer. He had slogged to the bone for them to end up as a blue collared worker like him. But Varun bhaisa knew that they needed money badly. So he accepted the job.
For the next two years the brothers barely met each busy in their own world. But he noticed the strain in body and stress in mind. His brother was starting to become cold and cynical. One day he found drugs in his bag and confronted him, "What kind of work is Kakosa getting you to do? This isn't right." His brother had laughed and told him that this kind of money pays enough to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.
He had had enough. He decided to give up his studies and find employment too. If both of them worked bhaisa won't need to get involved in illegal activities. Varun hadn't liked it. He had promised to fix things and not to give up on their parents' dreams.
A few days later, Varun bhaisa had told him that he should apply to JNU in India. They had to sell their house which was becoming harder to maintain. "Where will you stay?" he had asked. Bhaisa's employer had agreed to house him at their estate. "Someday we will have a home again. We will build our family again," he promised.
With a heavy heart he had packed his things and migrated to India. It wasn't so bad. He picked up a part time job to support his needs. "No bhaisa, you start saving for our future bhaisa," he pleaded rejecting the money orders that arrived at his hostel. His brother's pride was wounded he had stopped calling.
In December last year, he finally got a call. "How are you?" his brother asked awkwardly. He wept. Then he smiled his brother was getting married to a young woman from India next month. His employer was taking care of the expense. "I'll book tickets immediately," he said making note in his diary. Varun bhaisa stopped him, "No, after I make a nice home for you with her help, you can come." He had been disappointed. This was the most important day in his brother's life. He wanted to be a part of it. "I took away your home. I will not have you return until I have another one for you," he replied.
He then asked about his bhabhisa. What was she like? "No idea. She must be pretty I suppose. I just hope she is worth the trouble, else I will just have to out a bullet through her brain," he answered in a cavalier manner. This bothered Shantanu. Wasn't he excited about his upcoming nuptials? "It's just a means to an end. Nothing to get emotional about," was the reply. His brother was still cold and cynical. Hopefully with his bhabhisa's help he will be able see the beauty of life again. "I'll call you when you need to get home. Bye," Bhaisa had promised.
The call never came. February became March. Still there was no news. He returned back to their former home and met with the horror that had unfolded in the deserts of Rajasthan. His brother and everyone had been mercilessly killed. It took him months to track the devil responsible, Major Rudra Pratap Ranavat. The man actual had the audacity to marry his brother's widow. Ever since he first saw her, he could see how she would be the one to rebuild their home with gentleness. That could still happen once Rudra was out of the way. He slowly made acquaintance with her as her tutor. She truly was a nice lady. Maybe that's why the BSD man married her. But she was also naive to the ways of the world. She had fallen for the murderer and was now was carrying his child.
He wanted to believe with all his heart that she was conned somehow. He even imagined that she was taken against her will and he needed to rescue her for her brother's sake. But the microchip in the bear had proved him wrong. She was besmirching his brothers memory. Parvati Ranavat would pay. Edited by -Disenchanted- - 9 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
