"The test was negative. I'm not..."
Mitali couldn't finish her statement as her chest tightened in agony. The pregnancy test's single line stared back at her, and she felt cramps in her fingers after holding the strip since sunrise. The brightness diminished when the small hand of the clock said goodbye to two o'clock.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I know that what you wanted was not this. But..." Snigdha hesitated to place her concerns for Mitali to ponder over. Her rational self, which recognized the pregnancy as a threat to Mitali's sanity, had battled with her insolent heart, which wanted her friend's wish to turn true.
Despite her logical aptitude rejoicing in the result, her compassionate mind struggled to see it as beneficial. Mitali's sniffles interrupted the gruesome war between her brain and her heart. "Maybe... maybe I should test again. The test kit could be faulty, right?"
"I'm hesitant to be too optimistic because the kits are very accurate. Maybe it's a sign that you should stop trying. "
"Stop trying?" said Mitali, interjecting. Mitali ridiculed and burst into contemptuous laughter. "So, even you believe I should just give up on my child, Snigdha. I expected better from you!"
A crease formed on Snigdha's forehead because of the sharp tone of her words. "You refer to it as your baby. The child wouldn't be yours on paper. Are you aware of that? The Sinhas have the authority to restrict your visitation with the child at any time."
"They can't-I'm the mother.."
Snigdha had no desire to listen to her friend's monologue, which was born from delusion and fueled by a need for revenge. "No, Mitali! You are the surrogate! There's a line between the two that you keep failing to notice. There is a right on one side and a responsibility on the other, with repercussions if you don't comply."
"Lines, lines, and more lines!! I'm tired of these boundaries! I'm done with subduing my desires to stay within lines drawn by others. When I said I will bring my child into this world, I meant it and I will do it, regardless of who supports me or vindicates me!"
Mitali disconnected the call, without giving a chance to Snigdha to offer her rebuttal, and threw the phone across the bed. Leaning against the bed, she took a long breath to steady herself.
Her phone's screen lit up with the notification of an incoming call, making her roll her eyes and turn towards her side to avoid the sight of the phone and the reminders brought upon by the phone call to her friend.
The arguments of her friend made the voice in the back of her mind stronger, begging her to rethink her position and making her less determined. The brewing vengeance and fury inside her made it impossible to allow that.
As Mitali Pathak peered at her reflection in the mirror, the sunken eyes with pigmented scars encircling those hazel orbs, bereft of the kajal she loved to adorn, called out to the sanity lying dormant within her. With a kiss between her upper and lower eyelashes, that reminder had been erased.
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"Ms. Pathak, are you sure you want to do this again?" Dr. Singh looked at the young couple seated across her. "There is a possibility that conception may not happen this time, and even if it does, selecting the compatible embryo is not risk-free. If blood group incompatibility comes up again, it might force you to relive the memories."
When she had first discharged the young woman, she never thought Mitali would return to surrogacy, but she did.
"I am aware of the consequences of my actions, Dr. Singh," said Mitali, in a voice devoid of emotion. "My presence here is of my own free will, I assure you. It was me who persuaded Mr. Sinha to attempt for the third time."
The young man's jaw clenched at the answer as Dr. Singh turned her gaze to him. She nodded, unable to respond to the resolute woman.
"Ms. Pathak, it was surprising to see your body fall back into the rhythm so quickly. Your cycles have been almost perfect even though it's been less than five months since your miscarriage. That makes it easy to predict the date for our next meet. 13th of August would be the date," she stated, looking into Mitali's eyes for an inkling of emotion - any emotion - but she just found darkness instead, momentarily dispelled by a ray of hope upon her conclusions.
"As you say, doctor. We will be back on 13th. Thank you so much!"
Mitali stood up and shook hands with the doctor before leaving the cabin, accompanied by Adhrit.
Adhrit had never been so speechless before than in that room. Mitali's words left him without a response, unable to agree or disagree. He had a lot to say in front of the doctor, but Mitali's conviction and determination had made him unable to speak up and stop her from taking the step.
He was able to catch up with her by stopping her with his grip on her arm.
"Why are you doing this to yourself? You're making yourself suffer. If you want to penalize me, your brother, my sister, or my grandmother, it's understandable. But why are punishing yourself in the course?" he asked, gently turning her to face him.
"Why shouldn't I?" Her question whipped his fingers away from her arm. "My inhibitions and your concern for the same lead to the death of my baby."
"Why are you blaming yourself for it? Mitali, you are not the one responsible. There was no way to predict that a miscarriage would happen because of blood group incompatibility. Stop yourself from falling into a bottomless pit of guilt." He held her face in his rough and warm hands and made her look at him, saying, "It was never your fault."
The usual source of burning is fire, but it was the frigid coldness of her body and demeanor that burned Adhrit more than anything else. Her sarcasm had returned with a vengeance and so had the spark in her eyes, but she was not herself. She was lost somewhere far away; in a place Adhrit had never ventured nor thought of.
"It does not matter whose fault it was, end of the day. What difference does my opinion make? Anyway, Mr. Sinha, it's not relevant to you. After all, who am I to you?" she asked. Adhrit found himself drawn into the darkness of her shrouded eyes, which raised the same question he had been pondering for weeks.
And that was an answer he did not dare to seek. Not yet.
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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...
