River & Desert

Part 19

"Your money is of no interest to me anymore, ma'am. There's nothing more important than my sister's wellbeing right now." Anurag couldn't stop himself from unleashing scathing words at the remorseful woman, saying that no amount of money can bring back his sister or her happiness once lost.

Despite the tears pooling in her bloodshot eyes, Purvi held them back, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "My reason for saying this is that it will benefit your sister. Although you may suspect I have an ulterior motive, I genuinely believe that not having another pregnancy could be more harmful to Mitali than having one."

"What makes you think we should listen to you after everything? You could-"

Mitali interrupted Anurag's speech with her outstretched hand, motioning him to pause, and got up from her bed as a rebellious act against her declining health. Her body lacked the strength that her will had. Her knees buckled, and she braced herself for impact on the soft mattress or the unforgiving granite floor.

The person closest to her side, Adhrit, caught her in his protective grip. She had closed her eyes, anticipating a sharp pain, but opened them to see his sunken and misted eyes. Her piercing gaze forced him to avoid her accusing hazel eyes.

"Mr. Sinha, you prevented me from falling onto the ground. But can you prevent me from falling into the depths of depression? From falling into the vortex of darkness from which I would know no escape?" she asked. Her trembling whisper shook the very foundation of his conscience.

Her tears, taunts, and depression after losing their unborn child had a profound impact on him. Her venomous daggers found their way through his rationality just as easily as the accusations penetrated the flimsy membrane without resistance.

"Mitali..." he started, but her effort to sit up halted him. He assisted her to the position she desired, and the touch of her icy fingers on his warm arm sent chills down his spine.

"Your wishes were the priority, weren't they? My brother pressured me to sign this surrogacy contract that I didn't want to enter."

Anurag's angry expression turned into a trembling lower lip and he hung his head in remorse. "I didn't have any intention of spending the night with Purvi Sinha's brother when she asked me."

Purvi kept her lips sealed to stop the regretful cries and whimpers from escaping. Her form trembled with the sobs she was holding back as she balled her fists. I didn't desire this miscarriage in any part of my being, physical or emotional. Is not even one wish of mine worth fulfilling?" she asked, scanning at the two grief-stricken men and woman with eyes hindered by her fluttering eyelashes.

"Mitali..."

"Out both of you! Now!" said Adhrit, and neither of the two addressed had the courage to stand up against Adhrit Sinha at the zenith of his fury. Anurag followed Purvi out of the door, but not before he cast a last glance at his sick sister. To give the duo inside the room, the privacy they needed. He closed the door behind him.

After facing several emotional storms, Anurag concluded his sister would benefit from sharing her heart with the man next to her. Anurag's optimistic side believed that only someone who had suffered a loss like hers could help restore her shattered soul.

Taking a seat beside her, Adhrit clasped her right, clammy hand with his warm and rough palms. "Mitali, I understand your sense of loss. You can't replace a child, but death is permanent. It's time to move on."

Mitali withdrew her hand from his grasp as if his touch was scorching, and it moved towards the north, to his amazement.

"Your sister was right and even now she is right. If only we hadn't sought a second opinion, our child would still be alive. There was a time when you listened to both her and your grandmother. Why is it difficult for you to listen again? Why don't we try for another?" she asked.

She clasped the length of her dupatta with quivering fingers and shed a tear as she pulled it away from her torso. When Adhrit realized the truth, his eyes widened and his lips formed a circle, but then darkness enveloped his heart.

"What are you doing, Mitali? Pushing her hand towards her torso with a gentle but firm force, he whispered, "This isn't you," and looked away.

"Mr. Sinha, is my beauty lacking? I know you have had the pleasure of being with exquisite models in the past, but..."

"Mitali, you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Your conviction, integrity, and determination never ceased to amaze him," he said.

From the sidetable, he took the injection filled with the sedative. The doctor recommended the use of a sedative if she experienced another panic attack like the one triggered by the news he had shared with her. He knew her condition was far from a panic attack, but he did not have it in him to see her possessed by the insurmountable urge to try for another child.

"Then why do you refuse me?" With childlike naivety, she proclaimed her willingness to do anything to regain custody of her child, ignoring the mild sting of the injection. It didn't take long for Mitali to collapse against Adhrit, her ear resting against his racing heart.

"I am sorry, Mitali. I truly am." While caressing her scalp and giving her a soft kiss on her hair, he asked for forgiveness and helped her get into a comfortable position for a peaceful slumber.

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Clinic,

"Mr. Sinha, it's not uncommon for women to become depressed after a miscarriage. The hormones, altered brain chemistry, and sudden changes that follow a miscarriage all contribute to this phenomenon. You mentioned she lost her parents at a young age, and had to enter this surrogacy contract because of coercion," said the psychologist, Nisha.

Adhrit nodded in agreement, and Nisha hummed in comprehension as she wrote it down in her notes. Because of her loneliness during conception, it's possible that she developed a stronger attachment to the child than you did. Maybe she had seen the child as the only one she could call her own."

He reminisced about the way Mitali had moved to disrobe herself in her weak attempt to seduce him. She did not just want the child; she needed the child for the sustenance of her sanity. Her beliefs and image held no significance to her. They treaded over a tight rope with unrelenting monsters waiting to drag them into the unfathomable depths under the rope, should they fail and fall?

"What do you suggest I do then? Even though she wants another child, I know she wouldn't take her child with her, and neither would my family allow her. I'm not generous or selfless enough to let my child be with anyone else forever, even if it's their own mother. I can't marry her because the idea repulses me, and I won't subject her to a phony marriage. Would it be fair to burden her with lifelong turmoil just to relieve her present agony?"

"Meeting the patient is necessary before giving advice, but based on the information you shared, she desires a sense of control and a personal connection. Mr. Sinha, whatever occurs in the future is beyond our control. It is best not to dwell upon it," she said, with a weak smile on her lips.

Nisha took advantage of Adhrit's silence to add more to her advice. "It's impossible to ensure a life without suffering for Mitali, no matter what choice you make, Mr. Sinha. Rather than just thinking about what would be appropriate for her, try to think about what you want and where that could lead you. This may aid in expediting your decision-making."

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Poor Adhrit and Mitali! What choice do you think Adhrit will make? Please VOTE and COMMENT!