Prithvi... [Vol 3]

Chapter 60

Nandini woke up with a start, and for a few seconds, sleepily stared into the utter darkness, wondering what had woken her up.

Then she heard it…..a baby's loud wail

She sat up at once and the lit outline of the door told her that someone had put the light on in the corridor outside her room. She swung her legs to the floor and quickly opened the door of the bedroom.

There was no one outside but another sob came floating up from downstairs, causing her to hurry towards the flight of steps that descended into the living room of the house.

Halfway down the stairs, she saw Manju Sharma walking up and down the length of the lit up drawing room with a crying Arjun in her arms. She looked extremely tired but was murmuring soothingly and patting the infant's back, trying to pacify him. There was an empty feeding bottle and a small bowl on the table, giving testimony to the attempts that had been made to soothe Arjun.

When she was turning after a round, her bleary eyes fell on the girl walking up to her.

"Nandini! Oh I'm so sorry he woke you up."

"Please don't worry about it. What's – what's wrong with him," Nandini asked, concern etching tiny lines on her forehead.

"He just won't stop crying….I've tried everything," Manju said worriedly. "His mother has a headache and is also running a fever. She's in no condition to deal with him."

Nandini walked up to the elderly lady and held out her arms to the baby, "Can I try?"

With tired apprehension battling hope, Manju handed over the bawling infant, and then wearily sat down on a nearby chair.

Nandini kissed a tear-soaked plump cheek and cradled the baby against her warm body. She didn't know what she could do that his grandmother hadn't already tried but she had to give it a shot.

She swung around gently from side to side, walking with him and softly humming a absurd but cute lullaby that her father had invented for her benefit when she herself had been just a couple of months old.

Three minutes later Manju watched in wonder as the loud cries subsided into hiccupping sobs. Five minutes after that, Arjun was fast asleep in Nandini's arms, cuddled into the supple curve of her neck. Only after they had managed to settle him into the cradle did both breathe easily again.

Nandini smiled down tenderly at the sleeping baby, and then looked up to see the older woman watching her affectionately.

"You'll be a very good mother some day," Manju told her with a wise smile.

She turned beet red.

                       

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Suvek grinned to himself as he walked along the corridor, feeling unable to stop smiling despite the curious glances he was attracting from other students.