Adhrit Sinha compelled Mitali Pathak to go with him to Sinha Mansion. That she had said nothing yet, whether accepting or refusing, was helpful to him. The woman seemed lost and without direction, and Adhrit was certain that she preferred his company to that of her brother's after all that had transpired.
Despite his cynicism towards interpersonal relationships, Adhrit couldn't abandon the broken woman whose sanity was hanging by a thread.
She declined to eat or take part in any conversation initiated by him. IV fluids prevented dehydration, but doctors warned of dire consequences if she kept ignoring bodily needs.
Although not identical, both of them suffered from the unfortunate mishap and while he had his elder sister's support, she had no one to share her sorrow with. He recognized that the sense of obligation was simply a pretext, since there were other ties that kept him connected to her.
The dormant and unnamed emotions would have to wait for a more suitable time to reappear for him to acknowledge and take action on them.
After hearing the news of her unborn's untimely demise from him, Mitali turned into a breathing statue. The thought of her completing her surrogate duties and leaving her child with him and his unfeeling family, who only cared about their own desires and hopes, made him imagine the amount of turmoil she would go through.
The doctor diagnosed an immune response as the reason for the miscarriage after two days. ABO incompatibility was rare to cause intrauterine fetal demise, but in their case, luck had handed them the shorter end of the stick.
He had dropped the bomb, and it was the only time he saw a reaction on Mitali's face. Her sunken eyes, which had almost forgotten to blink, were flowing with tears. She closed her eyes and drifted off because of strong sedatives. And it affected him and his conscience more deeply than he ever thought possible.
She had lost her muscular co-ordination and could hardly walk in a straight line. He took it upon himself to pick her up and carry her to her niche in his haven. Seeing the ashen face of the once feisty and sarcastic woman against his black shirt broke his heart, as she felt so light and lifeless in his arms.
With the tenderness of a feather touching the ground, Adhrit placed her on the bed and arranged the pillows so she could sit up.
"Mitali, I'll grab something to eat and drink for you," he said, turning to leave, but her voice halted him in his tracks. "You know that's not what I want."
She spoke in an almost trance-like tone, saying, "I want my child back."
He was conflicted about feeling pleased that she spoke or feeling remorseful that his surrogacy decision had made her upset.
Turning around, he found himself face to face with her blank eyes, and his throat went dry. Her heart's emptiness had replaced her once zealous gaze, and now her eyes were like black holes, pulling away any remaining hope of her swift recovery.
He sat down on the bed next to her, grasping her weak right hand.
"You know it is not possible, Mitali. Your..." He took a deep breath and bit back his own tears, before he continued.".. our child is no more."
Her hand recoiled from his touch, and her weak eyes burned with anger and rejection. "NO! I want my child!"
"Mitali! Please calm down! I can understand.."
"No, you cannot! You cannot understand what a mother goes through when she loses her child!" she said, letting the tears flow through her eyes with no restraint.
Her chest rose and fell as she breathed frantically, and he felt her breaths wash over his hand that hung in the tense air between them. Wiping the tears from her burning cheeks, she looked furious. "Losing the life she had carried in her womb leaves a mother with an unimaginable void. It's beyond your comprehension, Mr. Adhrit Sinha."
The feeling of loss and regret for not grieving the untimely death of his unborn child overwhelmed him. How could he? His attention was on binding Mitali's essence to the land of the living. During the miscarriage, she had lost a significant amount of blood, and he didn't want to risk losing the blood of someone else he cared for.
"You think I don't regret the loss of my first child, Mitali?" Adhrit huffed and shook his head in disbelief. "My disagreement with the idea doesn't negate the fact that I had feelings for the life that shared half of my genes."
His form shook when he stifled his sobs. "The warmth, dreams, and love a father has for his child are taken away when a mother loses the life she carried in her womb. That child, Mitali, would have been more than just my first born." He looked straight into her eyes, sincerity and pain swirling in his eyes as unshed tears, and said, "The child was also my first brush with unconditional love."
He was met with a blank stare from Mitali. The blood pool surrounding her emerged in her memory as the storm brewed in her mind, causing her sobs to intensify. She leaned towards the man on the boat almost automatically, knowing he was likely the only one who could comprehend her inner struggle. He stepped closer to her, seeing her gravitating towards him.
She leaned her head on his warm shoulder and crushed his linen shirt in her fingers. He felt a churn in his gut upon seeing a woman whose spirit was as unrelenting as Mitali's, so frail and helpless. Placing one palm on her knee and the other on her shoulder, he caressed her with assurance at every touch.
"If you regret it as much as I do, then can you fulfill my wish?" she asked amidst her sobs.
She had asked nothing from him. She had, in fact, refused his privileges and stood her ground with self-respect, holding her head higher than him. He pondered what she required and what he could provide.
"Anything! What is your wish, Mitali?" he asked in the softest tone she had ever heard him use. She found peace and comfort in resting her head on his shoulder and listening to him. The only place she found comfort was in her father's embrace. The protectiveness, the concern, and the affection which were present in his lovely embrace seemed to reflect through Adhrit. With her father gone for years, she longed for more of his presence, and the soothing comfort of his embrace was nothing but a memory.
"I want my child back, Adhrit. Nobody can bring back the dead or replace our lost child, but we can acquire a replica of the child. Adhrit, I want to become a mother. A child with your genes is the only way to replicate the one I lost. Please accept my request. Please!"
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Poor Mitali and Adhrit! Did you expect Mitali's request? Do you think it is a reasonable request? Please VOTE and COMMENT!
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River & Desert
Romance"There's no need to go searching for a bride, Dadi. We don't need a bride. It's a surrogate that we need. In order to fulfill my obligation, I need a surrogate to bear the heir." **** "We have less than two days left to repay the money," said Mitali...
