Chapter 14

Seven Months Later

‘What are you doing in the bathroom, Aarav? Open the door, I need to use it!’

‘Just five more minutes.’

‘You should know that you’re living with a pregnant woman and you should always have one restroom empty for her! Come out, Aarav!’

Aarav opened the door. He was washing clothes.

‘What the hell?’

‘You told me the maid would be absent today, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, I told you. But I never asked you to wash the clothes, did I?’

‘No, you didn’t. So what if I did? Forcing my eight months pregnant wife to wash clothes would be a shame for me, as a husband!’

‘Oh, baby…’ Ashima hugged him.

‘Come, darling. It’s breakfast time! And I’ve made a sandwich and some fresh juice for you with some porridge that you have to eat at any cost!’

Ashima ran inside the bathroom and vomited. Aarav rushed and gently patted her back.

‘Hey, are you okay?’

‘See, just the name of porridge does this to me!’

‘Stop kidding, Ashima. Tell me are you fine?’

‘Aarav, this is normal! Nothing to worry, and I’m great! Let’s have the breakfast.’

Aarav and Ashima had breakfast and as per his routine, Aarav worked for two hours from his home, and then had lunch. Then they watched some soap operas together on TV and in the evening, went for a walk. It was hard for Ashima to walk with such a big tummy, but Aarav made sure that she was comfortable. then they returned home, had some dinner, and Ashima’s favourite butter-scotch ice-cream, and lied down on the bed.

‘I think I’ll soon need an extra-large, separate bed for my own, to accommodate this huge tummy!’

‘Don’t worry sweetie. Just one more month, and we’ll get an extra-small bed for the new member of our family!’ Aarav kissed her forehead.

‘Darling, you know what?’

‘What?’

‘I’m afraid…’

‘Of what?’

‘Of the pain, which I may have to go through during the delivery!’

‘Don’t worry, everything will be alright!’

‘I heard it hurts a lot, what if I’m not able to survive?’

‘Shut-up!’

‘Seriously, Aarav. What if I die during childbirth? Many women die…’

‘Stop it, Ashima. Will you?’

‘Okay, I’m sorry.’

‘Hey…look at me!’

‘What now?’

‘Look, if you’re not comfortable with a normal delivery, we can go for a C-section.’

‘No, I’d prefer a normal one. If our mothers can have it, so can I!’

‘Alright, mother-India! Shall we sleep now? It’s 1am.’

‘No! I want to eat a chocolate.’

‘Now?’

‘Yes!’

‘At this time?’

‘YES!’

‘No shop would be open at this time, sweetheart.’

‘But I want it now!’

‘Alright, hold on.’

Aarav opened his laptop and checked the stores in the city which maybe open at this time. There was one store that had 24 hours availability, but it was four miles away.

‘You really want to eat a chocolate?’

‘You bet!’

‘Alright then, you stay home, and stay in touch with me constantly! Don’t you dare do anything foolish, I’ll be right back.’

Aarav went to get her a chocolate in his pyjamas. He was back after forty minutes. He ran inside the home, shouting.

‘Why the hell you didn’t pick up my call? I was so worried, Ashima.’ Aarav rushed inside the room and saw Ashima, crawling on the floor, with tears in her eyes, she was pleading for help.

‘ASHIMA?’ he screamed. The chocolates fell from his hand, and he took her to the hospital immediately.