It was a cold, quiet, night in Delhi. A soft breeze was blowing outside, rustling the leaves of a lone tree that stood in front of the Bhalla residence. A few tender branches of the tree tapped lightly at a window that looked into a room on the second floor of the building.
A man, fast asleep, was beginning to toss in his bed. RamanKumar Bhalla was a handsome man, with good looks so rugged and a charm that made your knees go weak. As he lay asleep, Raman shifted his position, slowly wakingup to the rattling noise on his window. As he opened his eyes, he heard thebuzz of his cell phone, his ringtone getting increasingly louder. Raman turned to the bedside table and moved as swiftly, but as quietly, as he could to grabhis cell, making sure not to arouse the two people who lay beside him. Raman answered his cell phone, dreading the conversation that would occur next."Raman, I am so sorry ki maine tumhe itni subah disturb kiya," said a modulated voice on the other side of the phone. The voice belonged to Mihir Arora, Raman's best friend and confidante, who also happened to be Raman's manager.
Raman rolled his eyes at the sound of Mihir's voice. Mihirwas his best friend, but he was also a nagging manager. Mihir was the kind of manager who was over-enthusiastic about every professional opportunity and whomade sure that Raman was updated and on top of every deal."Ab disturb tho tumne kar hi diya hain, ab kaam bhi bata do ," Raman said in a jocular tone.
Raman knew that Mihir was not one to call if a situation didnot require his immediate attention, so he patiently waited as Mihir filled himin. Raman had forgotten to sign a few contract papers that needed to besubmitted before 8 a.m the following morning, and had to go in to his office tocomplete a few formalities. After Raman put his cell phone down, he decided to lay in bed for a few minutes before going about his morning routine.As he turned to change his sleeping position, Raman found apair of glossy, chestnut eyes looking back at him. Ishita looked stunning asthe moonlight contoured her face and a smile adorned her lips. Ishita's eyesheld a question, one that Raman was hesitant to answer. He knew that Ishitawanted to know if he had to leave for work in the middle of the night, andRaman hated leaving his family, especially before dawn. Raman managed alopsided smile and nodded his head in silent admission that he had to leave forwork.
He looked at Ishita as she lay next to the next love of his life, their daughter Ruhi. Ruhi was Raman's daughter from his first marriage to Shagun, but Ishita had reared Ruhi as her own child, loving her and taking care of her as if she was Ruhi's biological mother. It had been two years since Raman had married Ishita in a marriage of convenience, but Raman had grown to
respect, and gradually love Ishita as his companion and soul mate.
Now, two years after their marriage, Ishita was 29 weeks pregnant, carrying a child who was as much as a miracle as the child born through Immaculate Conception. Ishita had been deemed infertile and had been told that she would never become a mother to a biological child, but here she was, immensely pregnant and carrying hers and Raman's child.
Raman leaned over little Ruhi who was lying between him andIshita, and placed a soft, gentle kiss on Ishita's forehead."I'm sorry jaan. Mujhe jaana padega. Par main shyaam ko jaldi se vapis aane ki koshish karoonga. I promise," Raman said as he began to retreat back to his place on the bed.
Ishita caught Raman's hand and placed a kiss on the back ofhis palm and said in a whisper,"No problem, Raman. Aap jaldi se taiyaar ho kar neeche ajaiye. Main aap ke liye breakfast laga deti hoon".
As Ishita pushed herself off the bed, she felt a hand on hershoulder, leading her back to her bed to be seated. Raman placed his armsaround Ishita and said,"Uski koi zaroorat nahi hain Ishita! Main office se kuch kha loonga. Tum please thodi der araam kar lo. Main teek hoon."
"Par main bhi teek hoon, Raman. Mujhe acha lagta hain. Aapfresh ho kar neeche a jayie. Main jaldi se kuch bana leti hoon," Ishita said ina gentle but firm voice.A strand of hair had escaped Ishita's tightly bound bun, so Raman lifted a finger, pushed it behind
her ear, smiled and said, "Teek hain. Main paanch minute mein ready ho kar aata hoon."
It was now 6 a.m and Ishita was in the kitchen, preparing a wholesome breakfast consisting of parathe and adrak wali chai for Raman. Ishita was pouring tea into two cups when she felt two strong arms encircle her from the back. Ishita immediately recognized the arms and the scent. Her husband smelled fresh and crisp, and the sweet smell of his aftershave hung in the air.
Raman placed his hands on Ishita's pregnant stomach and saidreferring to their unborn child, "Aapka intizaar bade besabri se kiya ja rahahain, chote janab."Ishita was as excited as Raman to see the birth of their child. Ishita had never dreamt that this day would be possible, caressed in the arms of a man she loved and whose child she was bearing. She was inundated with the thought of being mother not only to Ruhi, but to a second child also. But she knew she had to be calm and patient while she allowed herself and Raman to
experience this pregnancy.
Raman turned Ishita around, lifted her chin, smiled a lopsided smile and said, "Haye! Phir to hame kaafi der intizaar karna padega".
Ishita nodded her head, a coy smile playing on her lips, reachedto place a soft kiss on Raman's right cheek as she said, "Woh toh aapko karnapadega, Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla." She pushed against Raman's chest and guided him to the breakfast table.Raman and Ishita spend the next few minutes eating breakfast and talking about their plans for the day. After Raman left to the office, Ishita proceeded to wash the dishes. She stood at the basin in her kitchen, and looked out the window where the sunlight was beginning to burst at the seams. She opened her window and felt a light, warm breeze enter the room. In a far away distance, she could hear the humming of the birds, chirping as the new day was beginning. She could smell the freshly forming dew in the air; every morning excited Ishita because it meant another day spent with Raman and Ruhi, and another day filled with amazing possibilities.
Ishita began preparing Ruhi's breakfast when she felt a sudden pang in her belly. She almost crouched down from the intensity of the pain, but the shooting pain had dissipated just as fast as it had come. Ishita waited a minute to see if the pain would come back, and when it did not, she chose to ignore the pain.As she was moving plates from the kitchen counter to the breakfast table, a pain so magnifying ran down Ishita's abdomen. She could not stand up straight from the pain and dropped all the plates in her hands. Ishita grabbed her abdomen as the pain radiated from her upper stomach to her entire abdomen and her back. She let out a cry for help as she tried to grasp for air. The pain was so strong that it was taking her breath away and she felt like she was caught in the undertow of a wave.
"AHHH," she yelled, helpless. Raman had left to work half an hour ago, Ruhi was upstairs sleeping, and Mr. and Mrs. Bhalla were on a flight back from Amritsar. Who could shecall for help?The phone was too far from her, the pain was intensifying and she felt like her insides were twisting, being squeezed and pulled out from inside her.
Ishita felt like she was going to pass out. How could she be going in to labor already? She was only 29 weeks pregnant; the baby would not be fully developed yet.Even as Ishita mustered up the strength to walk towards her phone, fear overtook her.
"No! No! No!", She kept saying to herself. "This cannot be happening".Ishita switched on her phone, trying to find Raman's number. She was feeling so dazed and could hardly see the numbers. She ran her fingers through the dial, not knowing who she was calling.
As soon as she heard a voice on the other side of the phone,she yelped, "HELP! Please! Somebody!"************
Chaper 2 - Page 5
SO!!!!!! That was that!!!! Did you guys enjoy it? Please do leave your comments and suggestions and even your ideas. Sending you all LOTS of love and hoping that you all are having a beautiful day!
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