"Aaaahhh!," Another high-pitched scream came from the room. This wasn't anything new for me. Almost every day, we heard these high-pitched screams for at least 16-20 times, all from different people. And every day, I felt like covering my ears with something.
I had just discussed this with Gauri, she tried to explain to me why it happened or why people did that but none of the words she said got through my skull because the pain was evident in their screams.
"Saili, what are you doing here? You know this isn't your break-time. Come in and help us," my senior spoke with her signature scowl on her face as I reached the door to the room. She gave me a look which meant clear business. Instead of beating around the bush, like I was planning to, I came out straight with all I had to say.
"Ma'am, I just contacted the family of this lady with the help of the guy who brought her here. I was on my way to help you but the guy left and I was made to wait for her family," I responded, telling her the complete truth.
Her scowl disappeared for a brief second before it was back again as she called out to few more nurses. I never understood the reason for the signature scowl on her face but didn't dare to ask her. She was a strict person and known for her anger. Once you rile her up, it is like you are signing your own death warrant.
Meanwhile, the screams went on increasing. It really made me wonder why people wanted kids. Every time a child is given birth to, the mother has to go through so much of pain that she is hardly able to breathe. She struggled a lot to get the kid out of her body. I had made it a pact to never become a mother because I had witnessed the pain the mothers went through during labor, first hand.
Their faces covered with sweat and eyes shedding tears accompanied by the screams which clearly told the others that she was in deep pain, never failed to make me curious all over again.
As the doctor told the lady to breathe and push, I was waiting for her husband or parents to arrive. In almost all the cases I'd seen, the family is always there with the pregnant lady. I wondered why they weren't with this particular lady.
As I had no other work, I decided to sit and form a backstory for the lady's story. It was my favourite pastime because it was a part of my dream, a dream to become a writer. As usual, I began with my imagination.
The lady's husband doesn't work and she is the only person earning in the house. That could only be the possible reason to explain the absence of her family and her husband; also that she was brought to the Maternity hospital by her colleague.
The husband may be busy somewhere without the knowledge of her wife's health and would be surprised when he got a call from me. In the surprise, his car may have broken down due to high speed or something which delayed his presence while his wife was in labor.
Her parents and parents-in-law may be busy at home praying to God that they get a baby boy.
It was something very common in our hospital, I don't know about the others. Every parent wants their child to be a boy. I never understood their hatred towards girl-child. Many people feel like the girl is a burden to their family.
The sound of a male brought me out of my thoughts, "Are you Nurse Saili?"
"Yes, Sir. Mr. Kumar?" The man was in a three-piece suit and looked like he had run out of a meeting. It could only mean that my assumption about her husband was wrong.
"Yes. Where's my wife?"
"She's in the labor room, Sir. You can go inside." He was a little late because I noticed the screaming had stopped. This could only mean that the baby was out already.
As he headed towards the labor room, I could see his family arriving. Two couples arrived which I guessed to be the lady's and her husband's parents. At first, they were discussing something about the husband, about how he should've stayed back and also that the wife didn't let him.
They spoke for a while after which they clasped their hands together as if praying to God. I felt like this was one of those families again, the ones which pray for a baby boy. Instantly, I lost all the interest I had in talking to them. At least one of my assumptions was right, I thought.
After a while, the new-born's father came out of the room with his baby with a full-blown smile on his face. The smile meant that it was a boy. "It's a baby girl!" His statement shocked as well as surprised me. Immediately, I turned to look at the two couples waiting there.
All four of them released a breath they were holding and the same amount of happiness was seen on their faces. My jaw dropped at the sight. The smile and the glint, twinkle in their eye spoke a lot. Before someone could notice, I composed myself back.
I couldn't help but think that it was the first family I had seen which was genuinely happy because they had a baby girl. Suddenly, every type of anger I had towards them, was gone. It all vanished into thin air and some amount of happiness took its place.
The smiles which I saw made me smile, not a fake one which I was used to but, the genuine one from the bottom of my heart. For that moment, I forgot everything about the world around me. All I could see was their happy faces and glint in their eyes.
Never in my career had I seen such a scene unfolding in front of my eyes, even though my career consisted of barely 3 years. Forget career, never till that day had I seen a family being happy for a baby girl. All other families which didn't go for either abortion or adoption, learned to accept the fact that the kid was a girl. It was either that or the smile on their face because they had a kid, boy or girl didn't matter.
The father handed the baby to one of the ladies and started dancing, a crazy and happy dance. All the working staff was shocked for a while because the father was dancing happily on the birth of his baby girl. I was not the only one there with a surprised look on her face. Even the doctor couldn't control her happy tears.
He dialed a few numbers, kept the phone on speaker and told them the news. Unexpectedly, each and every person he called was happy.
One of them made a statement which made me lose all the control I had on my happy tears. He said, "Thank God! I was afraid it would be a baby boy!"
When the father took the baby girl back in his arms, his eyes twinkled and glistened due to tears that were formed in them. He planted a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead, smiled at her sleeping figure and muttered to her in a soft and caring voice, "My princess."
The happiness in the baby's mother's eyes and the love she held for her baby girl clearly told me why people go through the pain of giving birth to a child. It was mainly because the child was a part of them which gave them immense happiness.
It was one of the most beautiful smiles I had seen throughout my life. That couple and their family taught me that there were people in this world who wanted a girl-child. It wasn't always the boy who was needed. The family opened my eyes to the positivity in the world.
It was a moment I would never forget. It was a moment that showed me the Positive Side of Life...
***
(08/04)
Another wonderful story from our guest writer AshRiDha
She has started to make a mark in this book with such strong stories.
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365 DAYS 365 TALES
Random"Every day has its own story" Yes, every day of the year 2016 is going to have a story. We will bring smile on your lips, We will bring tears in your eyes, We will make you sequel in joy, We will make you mourn and cry. You will travel to the...
