Remaining

Sadhvi's POV

After remaining in the same position for the last twenty minutes my ass felt numb, but I was scared to make the baby cry again.

The new mother he has made me was scared to make her baby cry, because of her, the moment my heart cried for him I promised myself, today was the last he would cry.

I was to become a mother after seven months but destiny has blessed me in its own way. I have a life inside of me and a life in my arms at the same time.

My hands were suddenly full and I had everything.

I felt complete. Fully satisfied.

Sitting here in my car I saw a whole movie of me giving birth to a life while carrying a life in my arms.

“You are mine”
I promised and kissed his cheek

A heard a honk from the other side of the road and it wasn’t even a second when I saw him stepping out of the back seat of his white car.

The moment his eyes landed on mine vehicle at the corner and soon at me inside, through the glass window, his face revealed how worked up my cry over phone had made him, he wasted no second and ran upto me from the other side of the road.

I was counting his steps. Maybe was eager to share this with him as well.

Avrudh sprinted, literally at that, soon unlocked my car door and opened it to see me, he heaved a huge sigh and crouched in front of me. I started crying automatically.

Avrudh without asking what is in my arms covered with my scarf was, cupped both of my cheeks and kissed my forehead,
“Why are you crying?”

He pulled back and looked into my eyes and scanning my body for any possible injury asking,
“Are you hurt somewhere?”

I shook my head and turned to face him properly still crying as it was his face only which I needed to see and all the feelings came rushing out, I gulped motioning him to the life I have in my arms.

With furrowed eyebrows Avrudh ran a hand through my head and then tried to take the scarf off my body revealing the baby..

I smiled when Avrudh pulled back with a shock, “What?” “How?”

He looked baffled and I cried even harder, “He…he was inside that box” I pointed out and cried keeping my face in Avrudh’s neck, “His mother left him there… I- I don’t… for how long”

Avrudh hugged me and kissed my forehead repeatedly as if to assure me he is here for me. “How can people be so brutal, the dogs were surrounding, what if… what if they…”

“Shush… don’t think too much. Nothing happened, you were right there at the right time. Okay?”

I continued crying when he rubbed my back again.

“We need to take him to the hospital” Avrudh said and patted the baby’s head weirdly as if scared to touch him.

He stared at the baby with eyes so painful that I felt lucky because I was more expressive than him, “He needs medical attention, he might be running a fever” I informed which pulled Avrudh out of the reverie

He nodded pulling back and helping me out of the car. Avrudh signaled his driver to bring my car to the house and in his car we drove off to the hospital in silence.

Maybe both of us were too scared to believe this world could be this harsh.

.

.

.

“I have completed the paper work. How’s the baby doing?”  asked a worried looking Avrudh upon entering the Pediatric care unit.

As soon as we entered the hospital gates we rushed inside the emergency department, within a delay of fifteen minutes we were taken to pediatric care unit where this little life is getting an IV done.

The poor baby even in sleep looked all red from all the crying he has done. My heart clench everytime I think of the moment I found him. A strange wave passes through my body whenever I think of it.

When asked about how we found the baby, we both said the truth and the hospital easily informed the abandoned baby boy to the NGO workers.

We were inside the ward with the baby because I was a doctor myself and after so much of pleading Avrudh was allowed to stay for my moral support as well.

I wanted to hide the truth about the baby because I had made up my mind about the kid now being my own. He is mine, I had it declared the moment he accepted my embrace.

He was running a high fever and when I was asked to breast feed him, to fill his might be empty stomach, that was the moment I have them known the truth.

“Just five minutes ago I finished feeding him milk, the fever is yet to go down, but he will be better” I said with the blink of my eyes looking at the baby, involuntarily my knuckles went to run along the tiny length of his cheek.

Avrudh repeated the same with me, with the rough of his fingers he brushed my cheek and asked,
“How are you holding up?”

I turned to look at him and again my eyes pooled up with the tremble of my chin, “Not good honestly, how can someone do that?!”

Avrudh hugged me tight, I muffled my cries in his neck hugging him back, “I want to keep him with me Avrudh, he is mine. Please.”

He said nothing just rubbed my back.

With the corner of my eye I looked at the baby and promised myself to fight for him.

“I need to inform Rajveen. She must be very worried.” I said pulling back wiping my tears and hiccupping once.

“I called and told her what happened, she asked me to call her when you are free to talk.”

I nodded. “I need to eat something, I am hungry…”

“come on, I’ll take you to the canteen” Avrudh said hugging me sideways and was about to move when I stopped him

“I don’t want to leave him alone, you stay.”

Avrudh looked at the baby first for a good pause and then at me,  “Ah… I can get you something to eat here only” he suggested

I denied shaking my head, not picking on his hesitation,
“I need to use the washroom also”

“oh okay” Avrudh replied and sat beside the bed with an awkward pose.

I left the room in a rush to get some air or else I will keep on crying.

I had an idea, the husband of mine was going through a rough stage expressing his emotions at moment but I needed to give him time and space for awhile, just like I needed to fix myself.

I was leaving him to bond with the life we found so that when found, we stay forever. A life of me and my family.

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Avrudh’s POV

I don’t know what to feel.

When I received her call I was thinking she might be calling to infirm that she is running late a bit than the expected time but when I heard her crying, I lost my senses.

Like a mad man, I left everything and with my driver left the house.

I saw her car and without waiting for the U turn, crossed the road and ran upto to her like I always do.

There she was inside waiting for me, I saw her first and then her tears, the last I saw was the life she was carrying.

A little soul, which was yet to become even a soul.

Abandoning was a different topic but my wife being ready to claim him as her own was something prideful for me.

How I landed this strong woman in my life was the thought which occupied my head, if earlier I was in love with Sadhvi here I was all over in love with her again. Each passing day my pride elates for her.

When Sadhvi left the room to fresh herself up, my neck turned around the four walls looking for some sort of distraction. I was having a hard time collecting my thoughts.

A man who goes under the category of middle aged men was feeling awkward facing an infant. I was strange sometimes I knew but with a baby I would behave this way I never knew.

I was waiting as to make a conversation with him, so that we could have an ice breaking session. Sadhvi was the only mediator who now has gone.

Sadhvi was brave enough to pick the baby up in her arms, cry tears for the baby, hug him to life and kiss his cheeks claiming him to be hers.
But I wasn’t able to respond anything.

I was not in a right mind. Feeling so many things all at once.

I tried to look around the room, searching among all those baby posters when I saw the picture of another baby playing happily in his father’s arms.

With a strange emotion my eyes moved to look at the life sleeping peacefully with his face all red in his hospital crib. He looked so fragile and tiny.

I was even afraid to touch him, I might hurt him or make him cry. Again.

I looked and just looked at him until my eyes screamed at me to blink.

The baby in his sleep moved and rubbed his nose. The small ball of life moved and my heart soared in a bad way.
I want him too.

I bit on my lip and tried to touch him. He twisted a little and made a gruff noise. I was almost pulling back when the nurse approached us.

“Wait, let me help you” she smiled at me and first moved towards the plastic IV bottle and adjusted the flow which was almost coming to an end.

She rubbed her hands later with some sterilizer and smiled while carrying the baby in her arms and took a round turn to approach me.

“Careful, one hand under the head and the other holding the hip” she gave him to me

“I don’t know… I mean… is this... let me just” I struggled to find words and at once  he was in my arms, the nurse was even gone.

I felt his negligible weight, he was heavy very heavy. The kilograms were less but the package he bought with himself weigh tonnes.

The emotions were heavy, the feeling he brought within me were heavier than anything I had ever witnessed in my life. They were weighing me down. My shoulders felt some weight on them and were squaring themselves to take up, to keep up with this all.
My whole body just wanted to collapse then and there, just to come back stronger.

My knees felt weak all of a sudden and if it wasn’t for me carrying a very big responsibility in my arms I would’ve given in to the weakness and called quits.

“It is okay, Avrudh. Take a deep breath, just relax” I offered myself some courage and looked at the ceiling fan collecting my emotions which were threatening to fall out of the brinks of my eyes.

When I looked down suddenly I wasn’t afraid anymore, his weight wasn’t weighing myself any longer, it was me, all me who was too confused.

I smiled on my own when my eyes rested on his tiny-fluffy-red cheeks. The small pair of dark pink lips, collected in a pout. Small fingers scrunched on his chest and tiny body frame was all it takes to make him.

He was to bring happiness in two lives and he wasn’t aware of it yet. He is going to change so many things in my life. I once invited a hurricane and now its all shiny here.

It was only Sadhvi who claimed him but now it was me ready to fight for him.

Just then and there I decided to try with all my might and take him home with me.

I smiled and bend my neck to place a kiss on his forehead when a voice said,
“I know how it feels”

A chill ran through my body, feeling caught expressing my emotions, upon turning I found reclusion. Only then I was calmed.

Upon recognizing the meek gentle voice my eyes filled with unushed tears and moved to seek her comfort, “He is ours” I said suppressing my tears

She just smiled cupping my cheek, running a thumb along she pulled my face down and kissed my forehead, “I promise”

With the tiny life in my arms Sadhvi pulled me for a hug. I was too scared to return the embrace because my mind was calling me unskilled in holding the child.

Sadhvi with a small giggle took the initiative and hugged us both for a breath too long.

“On my way back home, I kept on looking at the pair of shoes and clothes I bought for our unborn baby. Surprisingly I had bought a pair extra because…I dont know, I simply just couldn’t resist and now I know why I couldn’t” she said taking the baby from my arms.

She knew I wouldn’t let her so she started talking, and what she talked about paused my attempt of protest.

“Sorry… take few words back… what did you just said?” I said shaking my head like a fool

She just cooed at the sleeping baby and smiled to herself.

“Sadhvi, I am asking you something”

She gave me a glance and said,
“He is soon going to be an elder brother”

I took a complete minute to process the news.

“I think I need to sit down first” I said running a hand through my hair, I just got rid of one weight and another emotional ride took off.

My wife just giggled keeping the baby in between her neck and chest space, hugging him tightly yet softly.

I looked at her, just kept looking at her and then at my hands intertwined in front of me, I looked at Sadhvi once again who was now keeping the baby back in the crib and then my eyes moved to her for now flat stomach.

"Stop staring Avrudh, this isn't a good habit"

I blinked and the next second Sadhvi was in front of me with her hands on my shoulders, “I know this has been a very emotional night for both of us, and I wish things are very difficult but…”

“But this is one of the most amazing night of my life Sadhvi” I said and pulled her stomach for a hug. A very tight hug.

“I love you Sadhvi, I love you so much” I said and cried like never before, “I am so much at moment and yet nothing from inside. I cannot explain what I am right now. Empty or full, please tell me. Do this for me.” I cried and she let me.

Running her hands through my head she just said the most beautiful words of my life, “You are the man I love, the partner my destiny gave, just now you became a father and soon you will be a father of two. I am proud of you. You are full, your hands are full, you don't need anything anymore.”

______________________

"If the whole world was watching,
I'll still dance with you
Drive highways and byways to be there with you

Over and over the only truth,
Everything comes back to you.

-This town (Niall Horan)

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Before I found you

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So this is how the story came to an end, I hope you guys enjoyed the journey just like I enjoyed making it.
This was the end chapter and I might come up with one vodka shot kinda bonus chapter soon.

Thank you guys for your support this far. I really appreciate your love. Please bless me with the same always.

With love,
Ankita 🐿️