Hey!
Lovely pankhis and fans of maaneet...hope you all are doing good and safe and beyond the reach of Corona virus.
This OS is the prequel of Two shot short story "Lockdown" I posted in the first lockdown. If you haven't read the story I am providing the link below. And you are allowed to even criticise me...par pyar se
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/153166070
The parents
'Damn woman! What does she want to prove?' Maan roamed restively in the front of the labour room at a hospital in Bangalore.
When he arrived at the hospital,she was in the labour room and even after 8 hour, she was still groaning in pain. Lines began to crease his forehead. His pace increased. He was restless, anxious and afraid. He felt alone and desolate. At that time he would not have minded his ex father in law company. Even Brij' s lashing would be fine. But no one was around.
No one.
No one was there. Neither her parents nor her siblings. Rage coursed through him at their carelessness. How could they leave her alone in such conditions?
Geet didn't inform him. Fine. That is totally acceptable. Expected. She must be hating him. He is not her husband anymore, just an ex husband. I have the right to be informed. . His heart argued. But what about her parents? Her siblings? In the hospital at least one attendant should be there. What if something happens? He shook his head. He doesn't even want to think on that line. What does she think of herself? What is she? A jhansi ki rani?
Thank god Adi apprised him.
He dragged in the long breath then exhaled. He was too fidgety. He scrolled through his mobile, tempted to touch the screen to call his Dadima. He had tried calling his grandmother but the old lady seemed too angry to revert his call. He tried again but she didn't pick up.
He sighed and leaned back on the wall. One leg folded against the wall while the other rested on the tiled floor. He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed.
His Dadima wasn't on talking terms with him since his divorce. Time and again the old lady has held him responsible for their divorce. Wasn't she the one who had pinned him for spoiling Geet's life and when he had granted Geet divorce trying to mend his wrongful act and Geet's life. He had been accused of snatching Her happiness away.
A loud baby cry broke his trance.
…………..
He sat by the cradle. His one hour old daughter had been sleeping.
Mesmerized, he looked at his baby. A tiny baby wrapped in cloth lay in the nurse's arm. With Geet's nose and his lips. Eyes were closed. His baby was sleeping so peacefully.
His hand itched to hold her but he retracted his hand. Unsure.
Geet had been mad at him. Why was he here? She had asked and told him that he was the reason for her unhappiness. Maan wasn't ecstatic either. This woman tried to keep her pregnancy a secret. Why did she think of him? He would have asked her to abort his child. Delivered the baby all alone. He too had a lot to lash at geet yet He reigned in his boiling rage. Neither her condition nor the place was suitable.
He extended his hand again but retracted before it touched his little angel. He doesn't want to enrage geet now. Despite their divorce she nurtured and gave birth to his child. He will be obliged to her his entire life.
He sat again by the cradle just looking at the baby.
Meera, Geet's neighbour and a nurse at the same hospital saw this all. His dilemma. His hesitancy.
"Maan"
He looked up. Meera. He is obliged to this woman too. She has deftly handled the situation and made his stay possible with the newborn.
She lifted his sleeping daughter from the cradle.
" don't you want to hold your daughter? Meera finally asked.
"I don't know" he looked dazed. His eyes fixed on the little creature.
"I mean I am scared. I haven't held a baby before" he looked at the sleeping Geet. "Besides Geet won't like it"
"You are telling me a mother won't like her child being pampered by its father"
He doesn't want to shake whatever the Meera believes or counter argue, she had helped him today but he couldn't help saying " I think you saw the sample"
"She is just a bit angry….
Geet will be ecstatic " she assured and made him sit on the sofa and diligently helped him to hold his baby and left giving him the time to get acquainted with the little angel.
His vision clouded. When was the last time he cried? He vaguely remembers when his parents died but that was tears of sorrow, grief , pain and of loss. A lone tear had departed when they separated yet he instantly cajoled himself. His happiness lies in hers. If that counts too. It was too the tear of loss, the void in his life that had morphed into the water.
These newly formed tears were new to him. His eyes were not acquainted with tears of joy. Of happiness. With an overwhelmed heart he looked at the miracle so delicate so divine he created with Geet. His heart swelled and rejoiced, euphoric.
Feeling of holding one's baby for the first time is inexplicable. At least for him. What he felt for this little person is love, immense and depthless.
He wiped the tears with the back of his hand. They were blurring his vision. Obstructing him to adore and admire his very own doll who was sleeping peacefully on her father's arm and planted a chaste kiss on her tiny head. She stirred and stretched her tiny arm and clutched the proffered finger of her father.
……….
Geet stirred as her baby's cries reached her ear. But it faded. She had heard her baby wailing with all the energy her little self could muster but Pain and exhaustion had left tired. On top of all, her outpouring on Maan had left a throbbing ache behind head and a lurking regret.
She saw Maan rocking the baby and laid back. He had stayed.
He had come to see her and their baby and she ended up lashing him. All the pent up anger, pain, emotions, her sufferings had found a leash.
What pricked her most was the plethora of his time thrown her way now, He didn't have time for her earlier
And his obstinacy to stay beside her.
How readily he let her go, when she asked for the divorce. As if he was just waiting for her to take the lead. Given the first opportunity he stepped out of the marriage.
Had he asked her for once. She had stayed back with him. She didn't want to end this marriage. Wasn't she managing their marriage alone while he did his business, his work. She had just said it in a fit of anger and her wish was granted.
"Ale kya hua meri Mridu ko" Maan asked his daughter as she started to wail again. "Na na rotey nahi"
He sat on the sofa opposite to her bed. Cradling the baby in his long arms. Eyes fixed on a small face. The baby had been looking at his face as his beautiful eyes bore hers with so much love and adoration that Geet's heart warmed and began to thaw.
Nanhi kali sone chali
Hawa dheere aana ...
Pyar bhare pankh liye jhula jhula jana
Geet heard Maan crooning slowly as he gently rocked their daughter to sleep. He sings?
Nanhi kali sone chali
Hawa dheere aana…
pyar bhare pankh liye jhula jhula Jana
She wiped her trailing tear off her cheeks that began to spill out of her eye.
Chandkiran si gudiya nazo ki hai pali
Chandkiran si gudiya nazo.ki hai pali
Aaj agar chandaniya ana meri gali
Gun gun gun geet koi haule hau...
All of sudden she felt fresh and alive. First time in these 7 and half months her rage relented a bit. She felt peace settling in. She kept looking at them.
Maan has love and time atleast for his daughter. It's enough.
She wanted to forget everything that had happened in the past and wanted to be with her small , cute family. Could she? They have been granted divorce. She closed her eyes helplessly. Time can't be reversed.
Neend bhare pankh liye jhula jhula jana….
Resham ki dor agar pairo ko uljhaye
Resham ki dor agar pairo ko uljhaye
The baby started wailing. She can't be cajoled anymore with a lullaby. He resorted to strolling instead of singing. She cried even more, more loudly with tears. He felt helpless.
Geet looked at the clock. It was 1.30 in the night. It's been more than 3 hour she had her feed.
"Maan" she called him slowly.
His body stiffened.
He had been so engrossed to appease his bundle of joy that he didn't realise that geet was awaked.
"Maan"
He looked up. His eyes met with her and he instantly tore his gaze.
"She needs her feed"
Maan nodded and handed the crying baby to her mother.
……..
"She's more like you, Maan" Geet said, caressing her daughter who had been suckling rigorously at her breast. Her tiny hands clutched her night.
He didn't say anything. Kept scrolling his mobile. Infuriated at her previous outburst that too in front of her neighbour.
" You have named her Mridu"
She looked up at him. He averted his gaze.
"It's a cute little name" Geet continued caressing the baby's little M-shaped lip.
"What does it mean?
"Mridu means one who speaks sweetly jo Meetha bole taki koi meri beti ko kadwa bolne wala na kahe"
Geet downcasted her eyes. She has once asked him itna kadwa kaise bol lete hain aap.
It was directed at her, his anger.
But she chose to ignore it.
They are parents now, not just an estranged couple and to provide their daughter the love and care she deserves, they need to learn to tolerate and ignore.
"Accha hain, main bhi nahi chahti hamari beti ko aisa kehe"
In the whole sentence what his mind registered was 'hamari beti' which soothed his aching soul and melted his heart.
Yes, their daughter. Daughter of Maan Geet. His orbs shone matching the shine of the new mother.
They are not husband and wife.
They are the parents.
Cricket
Kumkum Bhagya
Tum Se Tum Tak
Sampoorna
Jhanak
