One More Time

50

"What is the time now?",asked a very worried Ria.

"You are asking it for the tenth time now. We've just been out for 20 minutes. There is plenty of time.",Koustav replied while lighting a smoke.

" Still.....you won't understand!",answered Ria choosing a bench to sit on.

Koustav and Ria made a habit of morning walk after Idhyant's birth. Koustav believed,it was necessary for her to lose excessive pregnancy fat which Ria had put on.

" He is not going to walk around. He is only three months old. Plus my mother is looking after her now. He is not alone. 'Doi' does have plenty of fans!",chuckled Koustav.

"Was it needed to name our son before your pregnancy craving?",he added more.

Ria was doing her regular pranayams. She just looked at him and rolled her eyes. " You took the opportunity of his formal naming as you wanted. I only got to choose his nick name. Plus everyone specially Titli liked the name too. You've problem with that too?",she said. Then they started to their brisk walking.

"I had informed you about this name.",Koustav gingerly replied walking towards the tea stall. Ria had started to make Green tea for everyone in their house. The aroma and traces of both Milky brown tea got vanished automatically. Sumit had initially tried to protest,but Mita's pressure finally had subdued his efforts too.

" To where are you going?",came her voice from behind.

"It has been 15 days since I got a cup of normal tea. Please one day!",Koustav said and almost ran to the stall and ordered for a cup for his own.

"Dada make it two! "came her voice again. After the tea was delivered,they sat on the nearby stools and started sipping." No Barista,tea store,ccds can beat the taste of this tea.",looking proudly at the earthen tea cup, Ria said.Koustav just nodded and continued drinking that.

" What were you saying then? What was it? You informed me about his name? It was me,who called you the night before my delivery. You never in those 9 months tried deciding his name!",her voice a little high. Koustav looked at her direction."Aren't you getting a bit more short tempered day by day?",Koustav now laughed looking at her expression.

"Lets go home. 'Doi' might be awake.",Koustav had to follow her to their home now.

Reaching home, they washed and changed their clothes first. Ria found their bed empty on reaching her room. She was relieved knowing her son was with her Granny. So she arranged Koustav's shirt and trousers for Office. From her room her ears heard his cries. He had waken up.

She was in a hurry while Koustav got out of the washroom after showering.
" You wait here. I'm bringing him up.",he said trying to stop her.

" Not needed. You just come after getting ready. You need to hold him while Ma and I cook.",her voice came from outside as she was already near the stairs.

Koustav just huffed and sat on the bed. These three months had passed like a blink of an eye. Putting on the vest he started to think about the day when Idhyant was born. It was not that he had not seen pain or someone in physical pain. Anyone would call it cliche how he reacted after the surgery. He had literally pushed others out after twenty minutes of the transfer of both Mother & the newborn to normal cabin and himself had sat near her the entire visiting hours. He could not see her in the pain as the Anesthesia started to worn off . He started to soothe her hair and ask the nurse every 15 minutes about the painkillers, the old lady had enough experienced to humbly smile and answer. The next day she had exchanged her duties.

" Koustav? Where are you?",with her yell, his trance broke. He was thinking all this and smiling like a fool. Hurriedly he went downstairs, and saw his son on Ria's hold.