Jee le zara iss pal mein aa... saari yeh zindagi
Title is the song 'Tera mera rishta' from movie 'Jalebi'
Monday meeting in the office lasted for half a day. Naina was glad she did not have any discomfort in the morning and was able to sit through the meeting. But when she tried to get up after it ended and others had left the conference hall, the room swam in front of her. She flopped back on the chair.
"Naina." Sameer's frantic yelp resonated in the vacant hall as he rushed to her side.
"Uhh... kuch nahi Sameer bas thoda chakkar aa gaya tha." She mumbled, thankful for the comfort of his chest to lean upon.
He hurriedly uncapped the bottle of mineral water with one hand and took it to her lips. A few sips made her feel better.
"Chalo tumhe ghar le chalta hun. Meri galti hai, tumhe laana hi nahi chahiye tha. Pehle drive aur ab itni der tak meeting... tumhare liye bohot tiring ho gaya." He went on blabbering as he tried to fan her with the notepad, in spite of the strong AC.
Naina smiled, trying to straighten, "Offo Sameer theek hun main. Aadha din office attend karna itna tiring nahi hona chahiye. Shayad main zyada hi relax karne lagi hun isliye aaj bahar aane se aisa feel ho raha hai. I think mujhe roz office aana chahiye."
"No way." Sameer retorted sternly, "Tumhe zarurat hai rest ki."
She rolled her eyes, "Abhi toh chaar mahine hi hue hain. Main kya delivery tak ghar pe baithu?"
His voice turned softer, "Naina, main tumhare case mein koi risk nahi le sakta. Kaam se zyada important tumhari health hai."
"I agree lekin main akeli thodi hun jo iss condition mein office aa rahi hai. Preeti bhi toh jaati thi. Seven months ke baad usne ghar pe rehna start kiya tha." She argued.
"Kya usse office mein chakkar aaya tha?" He huffed, knowing the answer very well.
Naina looked away, "Ab tum faltu ki zid kar rahe ho."
Crossing his arms, he stated in a determined voice, "Agar tum nahi manogi toh main office aana band kar dunga. Tumhe shauk hai na, toh aake sambhalna sab kaam, main ghar pe rahunga."
She looked back at him. Like a petulant child, he stood glaring at her. She waved her head, "Aur ghar pe rehne ki kya explanation doge?"
"I'm going to be a father. Paternity leave pe hun." He shrugged.
She kept staring at him in silence, till her face broke into an adoring smile, "Achaa baba kal nahi aungi. Lekin parson Mr Sehgal wali meeting ke liye mat rokna."
He let out a breath, "Okay. Par sirf meeting ke liye. Uske baad main tumhe wapas ghar le jaunga. Jaise abhi hum jaa rahe hain."
Sameer left for office after dropping her home and informing his mom about her dizziness. Though Naina said she could go to her room, Vishakha insisted to help her. Once she had freshened up and changed into comfortable clothes, Vishakha made her sit against a pillow.
Naina looked at her, "Mummy, kya aane wale paanch months main aise hi bed pe rahungi? Sameer ne saaf keh diya hai ki main abse office nahi aa sakti. Lekin mummy, aise ghar pe baithe baithe toh main pagal ho jaungi. Preeti bhi toh jaati thi. Aap batao, kya aapko bhi papa kuch kaam nahi karne dete the?"
Vishakha smiled at her innocent query, "Sabki situation alag hoti hai. Sameer ke time shuru ke che mahine maine koi precaution nahi li. Office toh main kabhi jaati hi nahi thi, na ghar ka kaamon ka koi pressure tha, par mera ghoomna phirna, kitty outings, club dinners... sab aise hi chalta raha."
Naina was amazed, "Aapko tired nahi lagta tha? Itni energy rehti thi ki aap yeh sab kar sako? Doctor ne rest ke liye nahi bola?"
"Doctor ne kaha normal routine continue rakho jab tak kar sakti ho. Mujhe seventh month mein jaake thodi thakaan hone lagi. Lekin zyada nahi." Vishakha smiled shyly, "Maine bahar nikalna isliye band kiya kyonki zyada hi pet dikhne laga tha."
Naina put a hand on her visible bump. Vishakha noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. Patting her cheek, she assured, "Ismein conscious feel karne jaisa kuch nahi hai. Main uss waqt nasamajh thi. Aur batane wala koi tha nahi... maa aur saas dono hi..." She lowered her eyes for a moment before smiling again, "Rohan aur Deepu ke time mujhe aisa feel nahi hua. Aaram se last day tak ghoomti rahi. Tumhe wohi karna chahiye jismein tum comfortable ho. Agar office jaane ki energy hai toh zarur jao, lekin khud ko exert mat karo."
After instructing her to have the fruits that Ramdhari had brought, Vishakha left her so she could rest. Once she had emptied the plate, Naina adjusted the pillow and laid down, feeling the fatigue grip her as if she had run a marathon. She wondered why she felt so exhausted without doing even one fourth of her regular work while Preeti, and even Vishakha were able to continue with their normal routine for so long. Was it just because every pregnancy is different, as Vishakha said, or it was something else. Was her body still incapable of... A wave of fear shot through her. She shut her eyes, forcing her thoughts to shift to Sameer... thinking about him was the only way she could push out such apprehensions from her mind. He tried to keep her positive about the whole thing. She too had started to feel good after first trimester. Her thoughts again drifted to her state. This wasn't merely her fear... the excessive weariness, feeling drained out, getting tired just by simple daily tasks... these were real issues which meant her body was struggling to cope with her present condition.
She decided to speak to the doctor about it.
Dr Amrita gave her a patient hearing, then explained warmly, "Sabse pehle toh tum apne dil se yeh darr nikaal do ki yeh sab normal nahi hai... because it is. Tumhari twin pregnancy hai, usse baaki sabse compare mat karo. Tired feel karna bohot common hai. Baaki hum Thursday ko saare test karenge hi. Iss baar, sonography ke baad, main detail mein tum dono ko bata dungi kaunse symptoms normal hain aur kya alarming ho sakta hai. Tab tak koi stress mat lo aur relax karo. Agar tum meri baaton se satisfied nahi ho toh main Harmeet ko bolungi tumse baat kare."
"Nahi doctor, aisa kuch nahi hai." Naina was embarrassed, "I believe you. Bas thoda ghabra jaati hun. I don't want anything to go wr..." She could not bring herself to utter the word.
Dr Amrita comforted her, "Don't worry beta. We all are doing our best... tum, tumhara husband, tumhari family, aur hum doctors. I'm sure you'll play with both your babies in a few months."
This one sentence invigorated Naina more than any amount of rest or relaxation could. She let out a full blown smile, "I'm waiting desperately."
The sound of soft laugh was clear at the other end, followed by doctor's comment, "Kitne bhi desperate ho tum dono, nine months ka short cut nahi ho sakta."
Putting the phone away, Naina laid back, her heart much lighter. There was something very gentle, yet very convincing and assuring about Dr Amrita. She was thankful to Harmeet for suggesting someone so compassionate. Reminding herself to thank him when she called next, Naina drifted into peaceful sleep.
The meeting on Wednesday turned out to be much easier than Sameer had expected. After he received detailed reports from sales department, Naina had sorted the figures vis a vis the campaigns run by Mr Sehgal's agency, and other agencies. No doubt his projects had yielded better results but collective returns from other three weren't dismal either. When compared to sales, Mr Sehgal hadn't brought enough business to justify what he was asking for. In the meeting, when the same was projected, his demeanor changes instantly. And when Sameer proposed the six month contract, his confidence wavered more. It would be detrimental to the reputation of his agency if such a big company curtailed their contract in the second year of business with him. Silently cursing his partner for suggesting this trick to make quick money, he agreed to the terms of Maheshwari Industries, accepting a ten percent hike in the rate from previous year.
In his room later, Sameer beamed, "Aaj usse dekh ke lag hi nahi raha tha yeh wohi Sehgal hai jo uss din apni baat pe adda hua tha. Pata hai Naina, uss din toh dhamki de raha tha, aur aaj..." he laughed, "...I never thought he would be so easy to deal with."
She leaned back in the chair, "Tum bekaar hi itni jaldi tension le lete ho."
He grinned, "I know, nahi leni chahiye... kyonki mere paas itni smart biwi jo hai. Tumhare idea ne uski bolti band kar di."
Naina smiled, "Woh pehle hi line pe aa gaya tha, sales figures dekh ke. Sameer, obvious hai, profits calculate karne se pehle sales trend dekhna chahiye na. Yearly profits mein aur bhi bohot saare factors hote hain. Yahan humein direct effect dekhna tha Mr Sehgal ke methods ka. Ek baar unhe samajh aa gaya ki woh itne bhi mahaan nahi hai jitna khud ko samajh rahe hain, it was all a piece of cake."
He pulled a chair next to her and swirled her chair to face him, "Itna detail mein jaana sirf meri Naina kar sakti hai. Isiliye I love you."
She raised a brow, "Mr Sehgal ka contract karwane ke liye?"
He bent down and kissed her belly, "Har baat ke liye. Just for being with me... in everything. Tumhe..."
His words halted abruptly as she clutched her tummy, "Ohh. Phir se move kar rahe hain."
His mouth fell open. There was a blissful expression on her face as she moved her palms slowly over her bump. Quickly, he placed his hands closed to hers, but nothing could be felt under them.
"Naina, mujhe bhi feel karao na." He fretted, following the movement of her hands urgently.
She sighed, "Doctor ne bola tha abhi nahi pata chalega tumhe. Thoda wait karo."
He sulked, "Yeh kya baat hui. Kuch toh tareeka hona chahiye. Aakhir mere bhi toh babies hain."
"Kal jayenge na sonography ke liye, tab mil lena tum apne babies se." She pressed his wrist.
Next day, he sat in the waiting room with Naina, constantly shaking his knee, twisting his fingers, chewing his lips.
"Sameer." She placed a hand on his leg, "Tum itne nervous kyon ho rahe ho?"
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, then tried to smile as he faced her, "I'm... fine."
"Dikh raha hai kitne fine ho." She chided, "Sonography ke liye aaye hain, interview ke liye nahi."
"Naina." He clutched her hand, "Interview ka toh pata nahi, par itni tension ho rahi hai ki samajh nahi aa raha kya karun."
"Kis baat ki?" She placed her other hand over his palms.
He gulped, "Agar... agar abhi bhi mujhe babies nahi dikhe toh? Jaise movements sirf tumhe pata chalti hain aise sirf tumhe hi dikhe toh?"
It slowly dawned on her that he had no idea what a sonography was. But before she could explain, doctor's assistant asked them to follow her to the room at the other end of the passage.
Dr Amrita smiled at them from across the table, "So, are we ready?"
Sameer anxiously observed the room which was different from the one where doctor always consulted them. Next to her chair was a monitor, along with a keyboard type of gadget but not exactly one. On the other side of monitor was a narrow bed, which was slightly elevated from one side. The assistant helped Naina to lie down, with her head on the elevated part. She then lifted her kurta above the bump. Doctor spun her chair to Naina, and picked up a bottle. Squeezing a gel like liquid over a probe, she started to move the equipment over Naina's stomach.
Till now, Sameer was just trying to grasp the happenings, but seeing this, he immediately walked to the other side of the bed, taking Naina's hand in his. She gave him a smile. He narrowed his eyes, raising his brows in question. She shook her head slightly, then blinked. He let out a breath, at her assurance that she was not hurting by the procedure. But she did look jittery now, like he was earlier. He squeezed her hand.
The assistant, who was looking at the screen, turned to her, "Relax ma'm."
Naina licked her lips.
Doctor smiled, leaning to press her shoulder, "Nothing to worry. Easy."
She nodded.
Doctor adjusted her glasses and peered at the screen again, "Take a deep breath."
The moment Naina inhaled, she said, "Hold it."
The same instructions were given few more times while the doctor continued to glide the probe over her stomach, her eyes fixated on the screen. Sameer kept holding Naina's hand, his eyes darting from her face, to doctor's movement on her belly, to the screen that was just partially visible, to doctor's serious expressions. He had absolutely no idea what was happening.
"Yeh lo mummy papa, aapke babies yahan hain." Dr Amrita's cheerful voice made both gaze up instantly at the screen which she had swiveled towards the bed.
At first, Sameer didn't know where to look. The image was like an X-Ray. But it was moving, though it did not have any human form. He narrowed his eyes, dipping his head to one side, then other. Maybe the picture was not clear, it needed some more adjusting. He felt a sudden pressure on his hand that Naina was clutching and his eyes darted to her... all doubts were gone instantly. The beatific expression on her face meant only one thing. The babies were visible to her, but not him.
Before he could voice his disappointment, Dr Amrita pointed at a hazy, moving portion, "Yeh wala baby move kar raha hai. Can you see it Sameer?"
When she didn't get a reply, she turned to look at him. A smile erupted on her face, seeing his knitted brows. Dragging her chair closer to the monitor, she elaborated the picture on screen for him, describing the uterus, the amniotic sac... and the two grainy impressions, that appeared to be swimming.
And suddenly all was clear.
With open mouth, Sameer gaped at two rounded heads in black background, bobbing now and then. When Dr Amrita showed the tiny limbs, his breath got stuck at the back of his throat... one baby was moving his arm.
He felt a tug on his hand, and tore his eyes from the screen. Naina was looking at him with glazed eyes. He blinked a few times, to absorb the feeling... he was actually seeing both his babies, along with his wife. Their eyes again darted back to the screen.
Dr Amrita could understand their state. She moved the probe a little more on Naina's stomach, which showed the movements in more clarity whenever an arm or leg moved. She explained that the head appeared bigger than rest of the body because this is how the babies looked when they were in womb. As they would grow, the body would become more proportionate, and in ultrasounds conducted in later months, they would even be able to see the face, with clear features.
The moment screen was turned towards her, Naina could see the little ones. She had been through one such experience, so she knew what it looked like. But this time, the surge of motherly affection was so strong that she felt a tightening in her chest. There were two lives inside her... healthy and thriving. She was capable of bringing them to this world, to Sameer. The burst of emotions inside her was unfathomable.
It wasn't much different for Sameer. His heart fell full. This was the end of all his thoughts. This one feeling was so profound that there was no place of any other notion. These two tiny moving visuals, which did not look like real babies but he knew they were... his babies... their babies.
Next update on Thursday
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