The Simple Truth
March 29th, 05.00 a.m
He was dressed and reached for the car keys. Sanjay hurried over to the basement and started his car in a jiffy. The uneasiness had not left him. It was still lurking in his stomach, making him more uncomfortable than ever.
“It’s a girl”, Vinay’s voice kept alarming him. “Oh my god”, he thought in an absolute state of fright, “How am I supposed to raise a girl?”
From the back of his head, a voice sprung up, loud enough to distract him from his driving. ‘Never show affection on your girl. Keep yourself detached from them. That is exactly how a girl earns a good name in the society. Raising a girl is not a child’s play. You need finance, security and a lot more responsibility. Women are liabilities to the family they are fostered in. You have to raise her carefully, send her to school, keep a watch over her academic performance, provide her with pocket money, send her to college, keep a watch over the guys she befriends, get her married in a lavish manner. And? She leaves you to take care of another family while you sit on a feeling of contrived satisfaction that her upbringing was perfect. It’s a mirage, you fool. How can you possibly think of raising a girl?
Sanjay was sweating profusely. So that was the truth. He wasn’t ready for a baby girl. The ‘feeling’ elevated to his chest. His lungs felt clogged, making it difficult for him to breathe and his head started spinning.
06.00 a.m
He reached the third floor where he had to encounter his fear. From the extreme end of the corridor, Vinay spotted him and ran towards him.
“Where have you been?” asked Vinay. “I couldn’t explain everything over the phone. The doctors waited for hours but the baby was entangled in the umbilical cord. Finally they had to do a caesarean section at 2 in the morning. I thought it was too complicated….”
Vinay’s voice was faltering. All Sanjay could hear was silence. The ‘feeling’ rose up and clasped his neck. His ears seemed to block themselves against external sound.
Finally, after a disturbed silence, he spoke. “I want to see her” Vinay gave a sigh and gave him a directional nod.
Sanjay entered the ward, his eyes probing for Neha. And there she was, lying on the single bed. A chair stood along the bed. She looked weak but smiled with all her might. Her hands were holding the reason for the big smile. Neha’s smile widened. He moved closer and seated himself on the chair. No sooner than he did that, Neha promptly handed him the baby. He was quite taken aback at the promptness but held it in his arms and lowered his head to look at thereason for his state of fear.
Silence
Sanjay’s eyes opened wide.
Absolute Silence
He was looking at the most beautiful thing in the whole world. It was a baby, so tiny and cuddlesome. He kept staring at it for so long that everything else around him blurred. And then he did something that he hadn’t done in ages. He graciously smiled.
It was then the miracle happened.
The baby opened its eyes for a split second and looked at him. It was as though the baby knew it was in its father’s hands. The baby yawned and closed its eyes again. The ‘feeling’ in his neck spread up and reached his eyes. A second later, it came out and flooded his vision. Sanjay had to wipe his tears with his shoulder. He smiled even more and never realized he could smile to such an extent.
The ‘feeling’ was gone. “To hell with the back voice”, he thought. “You are my baby, my daughter, my asset, my own priceless gem. I am going to make all the fathers in the world jealous of you”
Neha watched the miraculous transition of a man whom everyone had accused of being insensitive. “Perhaps it’s a day of miracles”, she thought and smiled.
As the miracle was still happening, she summoned up the decision to break the silence. ‘Love at first sight?’, she quipped. Sanjay tore away his eyes from the baby and looked at her. He understood the jest and replied, “Love at first sight, it is”
The sunlight glinted at the room through the window. The room gleamed in the natural source of sunlight. This was followed by a whiff of gentle breeze that gushed in and hit his face. Sanjay realized he had never appreciated the beauty of the rising sun and the gentle breezes before. For the first time in his life, Sanjay felt complete.
And thus, a beautiful day had begun.
March 29th, 05.00 a.m
He was dressed and reached for the car keys. Sanjay hurried over to the basement and started his car in a jiffy. The uneasiness had not left him. It was still lurking in his stomach, making him more uncomfortable than ever.
“It’s a girl”, Vinay’s voice kept alarming him. “Oh my god”, he thought in an absolute state of fright, “How am I supposed to raise a girl?”
From the back of his head, a voice sprung up, loud enough to distract him from his driving. ‘Never show affection on your girl. Keep yourself detached from them. That is exactly how a girl earns a good name in the society. Raising a girl is not a child’s play. You need finance, security and a lot more responsibility. Women are liabilities to the family they are fostered in. You have to raise her carefully, send her to school, keep a watch over her academic performance, provide her with pocket money, send her to college, keep a watch over the guys she befriends, get her married in a lavish manner. And? She leaves you to take care of another family while you sit on a feeling of contrived satisfaction that her upbringing was perfect. It’s a mirage, you fool. How can you possibly think of raising a girl?
Sanjay was sweating profusely. So that was the truth. He wasn’t ready for a baby girl. The ‘feeling’ elevated to his chest. His lungs felt clogged, making it difficult for him to breathe and his head started spinning.
06.00 a.m
He reached the third floor where he had to encounter his fear. From the extreme end of the corridor, Vinay spotted him and ran towards him.
“Where have you been?” asked Vinay. “I couldn’t explain everything over the phone. The doctors waited for hours but the baby was entangled in the umbilical cord. Finally they had to do a caesarean section at 2 in the morning. I thought it was too complicated….”
Vinay’s voice was faltering. All Sanjay could hear was silence. The ‘feeling’ rose up and clasped his neck. His ears seemed to block themselves against external sound.
Finally, after a disturbed silence, he spoke. “I want to see her” Vinay gave a sigh and gave him a directional nod.
Sanjay entered the ward, his eyes probing for Neha. And there she was, lying on the single bed. A chair stood along the bed. She looked weak but smiled with all her might. Her hands were holding the reason for the big smile. Neha’s smile widened. He moved closer and seated himself on the chair. No sooner than he did that, Neha promptly handed him the baby. He was quite taken aback at the promptness but held it in his arms and lowered his head to look at thereason for his state of fear.
Silence
Sanjay’s eyes opened wide.
Absolute Silence
He was looking at the most beautiful thing in the whole world. It was a baby, so tiny and cuddlesome. He kept staring at it for so long that everything else around him blurred. And then he did something that he hadn’t done in ages. He graciously smiled.
It was then the miracle happened.
The baby opened its eyes for a split second and looked at him. It was as though the baby knew it was in its father’s hands. The baby yawned and closed its eyes again. The ‘feeling’ in his neck spread up and reached his eyes. A second later, it came out and flooded his vision. Sanjay had to wipe his tears with his shoulder. He smiled even more and never realized he could smile to such an extent.
The ‘feeling’ was gone. “To hell with the back voice”, he thought. “You are my baby, my daughter, my asset, my own priceless gem. I am going to make all the fathers in the world jealous of you”
Neha watched the miraculous transition of a man whom everyone had accused of being insensitive. “Perhaps it’s a day of miracles”, she thought and smiled.
As the miracle was still happening, she summoned up the decision to break the silence. ‘Love at first sight?’, she quipped. Sanjay tore away his eyes from the baby and looked at her. He understood the jest and replied, “Love at first sight, it is”
The sunlight glinted at the room through the window. The room gleamed in the natural source of sunlight. This was followed by a whiff of gentle breeze that gushed in and hit his face. Sanjay realized he had never appreciated the beauty of the rising sun and the gentle breezes before. For the first time in his life, Sanjay felt complete.
And thus, a beautiful day had begun.
THE END/THE BEGINNING
"A crack in a building is enough for a plant to grow. Even in the most concrete heart, all love needs is a soft corner"
5 comments:
Whose Quote?
heyy nice one da.... good imagination...
Good one! And after writing so well, please don't claim to have got inspiration from me. I am nowhere near writing so well!
When's the next one? I am waiting...
u can be a wonderful short story writer!
excellent story n skills 2 b appreciated :)
lovely narration :)
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