Ansh was two months old. His mother, Arpita had passed away soon after the delivery. His father, Yash was still coming to grips with his loss. In the meantime Vidhi was looking after her nephew and had brought him with her and Payal for her annual break at her mother's.
That was all Vidhi told her friend. And that was all Arti needed to know. She felt for this baby, this tiny perfect, beautiful being who was motherless from almost the instant of his birth. She knew what it was to be an orphan – who better? At least Ansh still had his father, though it sounded as if his father was too grief-ridden to care for his child. Arti understood his pain only too well though and was thankful that Ansh was blessed with a household full of loving relations, the primary being Vidhi.
Arti avoided touching Ansh, avoided going near him. Her heart longed to see him, touch him, play with him, care for him as she had cared for Payal. But she was afraid, so very afraid….what if she hurt him? And though she did not dare acknowledge it even to herself – what if he hurt her? What if this baby pushed open the door she had locked and barred shut on her feelings about her own baby? She refused to let herself think of her baby, just the initial thought bringing so much pain with it, it seared her. And she feared this tiny baby, the motherless infant, Ansh, had the power to unleash that pain, pain that Arti feared she would not be able to deal with.
One afternoon Arti and Vidhi sat together in Arti's room. Payal was playing somewhere and Ansh had just had a feed. Vidhi had brought him into the room, patting him on her shoulder, lulling him to sleep. She then lay him down on the bed while the two friends chatted. Or rather, Vidhi talked while Arti listened, nodding and smiling at the appropriate places, though her attention was riveted on the sleeping baby.
Suddenly a heart-wrenching scream rent the air. "Payal!" Vidhi exclaimed, sitting up straight. She hurriedly got off the bed, telling Arti "Keep an eye on Ansh please Arti" as she ran out of the room.
Arti didn't have a choice, but at least the baby was asleep. And then he started moaning, as the scream penetrated his unconscious, nearly awakening him. Instinctively Arti reached out and patted him gently on the chest. As one of her long fingers brushed past his mouth, he made a sucking motion. Fascinated, Arti brought her finger close to his mouth again, gently touching his lower lip. Ansh immediately latched on to her finger, pulling it into his mouth as he suckled it, soothing himself back to a deep sleep. A chuckle escaped her as she heard the slurp when he finally slept and loosened his hold on her finger.
Sunaina stood at the door. She had come to help Arti – she knew how nervous she got around Ansh. But the sight that greeted her warmed her heart. There was hope. Yes, there was hope. Little Ansh had done his magic – he had managed to place a wedge into the door that Arti had shut. Perhaps he would help open it further.
Payal had got a small scratch on her knee and being the drama queen she was, had screamed the house down. After pacifying her and putting her favourite band-aid on the scratch, Vidhi came back towards Arti's room. She saw Sunaina at the doorway, who turned as she heard Vidhi's footsteps. Placing a finger on her lips, Sunaina motioned her forward. Arti was sleeping, her arm placed around Ansh, guarding him in sleep. Vidhi's eyes moistened and mother-daughter shared a hug as they looked on.
That had been the turning point. After that incident, Arti could not stay away from Ansh. And he took to her immediately, preferring to have her feed him, bathe him, put him to sleep.
"Traitor", Vidhi said laughing when Ansh cried as she came to pick him up. When Arti reached out he gurgled happily, pulling at her hair. Vidhi handed over Ansh to Arti and she took to him as if he were her own. He brought out the mamta she had clamped down and sealed away; brought it gushing out so much so that it hurt when Arti had to put him down in the crib.
Two weeks later when Vidhi left for Bhopal, Arti finally broke down. The last two days had been harrowing for her – she had known her time with Ansh was at an end, and she tried to cram everything into those two days. She didn't sleep, staying by his crib, holding his finger as he slept. She spent every moment she could with him. She was frantic, holding him, kissing him, playing with him as if there was no tomorrow. And for her, there was none.
As the car left for the station, Sunaina came and held Arti. Arti turned towards her, her eyes filling and then she slowly slumped down. Kneeling in front of the only mother-figure in her life, Arti burrowed her face into Sunaina's stomach as she finally allowed herself to cry for her lost baby. With Ansh leaving she at last acknowledged her loss; Sunaina did not need words – she understood only too well.
By the time Arti left for Delhi a few days later, she had come to terms with her loss as best she could. The first thing she did on her return was to visit the orphanage near her house. She spoke to the orphanage authorities and signed up as a volunteer. And her evenings were now full of children – every day after work she went to the orphanage, playing with the older kids, helping with homework and caring for the babies. Her time with the children helped assuage her pain and almost as important, tired her so much that she went home exhausted, sleeping deeply, dreamlessly, through the night...
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Hi,
Thank you for reading.
I know this part is short - probably the shortest update i have ever done 😛. I wanted to complete the path for Arti's recovery first, without adding anything else to the story line. Now that i have set her on the road to heal herself and face life fully, i will add to the story, move it along, starting with the next update. And yes, Yash will finally make an appearance.
Thanks for bearing with me through these parts. Its been a difficult journey - both for Arti and me.
Thanks,
Kat
Cricket
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
