Pin drop silence in the room with just the clock ticking. He looks at his phone and then at the door. That was the slowest time has ever been in his life. To distract himself Sagar then picked up the television remote and pressed the power button. A minister accused of offensive comments, the latest song of Sunny Leone, a loud reality show and he kept pressing the next button. Didn’t quite comprehend what he was looking for, if at all he was. He finally stopped when he spotted snow Leopards on the Discovery Channel. Fifteen minutes into the white snow excursion and the door bell rang.
Sagar pressed the power button as if it was a reflex action to the door bell. He rushed to the door and opened it in a jiffy. There she was searching something in her bag.
“I thought I will use my key since you were taking time”, she said.
Sagar stepped aside gesturing her to get in, he closed the door and followed Ankita to the living room.
“Did you open it yet ?“ she asked anxiously.
“I couldn’t do it alone, I was waiting for you”, replied Sagar.
Ankita kept her bag on the floor by the side of the center table and landed at the sofa. She tried to act calm and composed but Sagar understood the hurricane inside her to bits.
“Its going to be alright, hun”, he said.
“Yes, it is going to be perfectly alright”, she said while she pulled her hair up and tied a messy bun.
It was now the time to open the peacefully lying envelope on the center table. Sagar lifted the envelope and took out a bunch of paper which were folded appropriately to fit in the envelope. He took a deep breath and started reading the report. Inside his heart he wanted to go straight to the bottom and read the final results but was too scared to do that. He read the report line by line explaining the test and various blood cell counts and all of a sudden he stopped.
Ankita looked at him, grabs his wrist and asks “what is it?”
Sagar looked at her with teary eyes and that literally answered all her questions. she grabs the report from Sagar’s hand and goes straight to the bottom which says “NEGATIVE”.
Tears rolled down her cheeks while she crushed the report and threw it away. She cried harder with her face buried in her palms. Sagar hugged her from the side and they both cried like bereaved parents. Ankita, despite being healthy couldn’t conceive in the past seven years. Years of consultation and medication has given them nothing but negative results. Artificial insemination was their last hope and this was their first attempt. Sagar and Ankita were spending money like water. They went for the best hospital and best doctors without thinking twice about the bills. Not that they were stinking rich but yet the bills did made a huge dent on their lifestyle. Ankita was ready to try anything, irrespective of the money if there was even a slightest chance of procreating a baby.
“We have more chances hun, don’t lose hope just yet” said Sagar and hugged her even harder.
Ankita just sobbed burying her face into Sagar’s chest. It has been seven years into the marriage and they have always been the quoted couple for relationship goals. Life seemed perfect until they realized the complexity around Ankita’s pregnancy. Since then every doctor consultation, every internet search and every temple visit has just been about the baby.
The sobbing gradually went mild and Sagar held Ankita’s both hands and said
“You will be an amazing mother and I definitely know you will not even look at me once the baby arrives. Maybe God wants you to love just me for some more time. Hope that’s not a problem.”
She smiled at Sagar’s candor and knew what he was exactly trying to do. Wiping off her tears she pulled his cheeks and said
“Yeah I guess your quota is still not over and I would probably have to make do by just cuddling with you, you are no less than a few months old anyways”.
Laughter and smiles lighten the environment and their hearts. They both were deeply sadden but something kept both of them from expressing their sadness to each other. Ankita got up with a calm and casual demeanor and asked Sagar what he would like to have for dinner. Sagar very well knew Ankita has no interest in cooking, she is just trying to divert the attention.
“Lets order, I am not very hungry anyways” he said.
“Same here”, she said and picked up the phone and speed dialed their favorite joint for home delivery.
“One Chicken Chilly fried rice, one Veg Noodles and a bottle of coke” Sagar gave the order. Ankita gestured him to ask for extra chilly sauce and paper towels. Sagar added that to the order as well. By this time the tense vibe was almost gone.
“Lets freshen up before the food comes, you know I hate cold noodles” Ankita said as she got up from the sofa and picked up her bag. Sagar held her hand and pulled her in his lap “Just ten more minutes, please” he said.
She dropped her bag, sat on his lap which her legs wrapped around his body and arms around his neck.
“What happened”, she said
“Nothing, just stay with me for some more time”, he said.
She hugged him tight and her hands kept traversing through his head. The bodies were interlocked and glued as if it was their last hug together.
“I love you” she whispered in his ears and loosen the grip. Sagar didn’t say anything, he just held her face with both his hands and kissed on Ankita’s forehead.
“I am not paying for the food if it gets cold because of your romance and also you will have to pay for next two home deliveries”, Ankita said and they both giggled.
Just as they got freshen up the door bell rang. Sagar went to open the door and was ready with the exact bill amount to avoid any change issues. While Sagar collected the food Ankita turned on the television and stopped the moment she saw the legendary Amitabh Bacchan.
“We are watching Satte Pe Satta, and you have no choice but to watch it with me. And if you try to change it I will reinstate my misery state again”
“Looks like I have no option but to do whatever you command”, Sagar yelled while closing the door. He smiled at her naiveness. The dinner went well with the laughter riots from the movie. While Ankita wanted to watch the movie for some more time, Sagar had an early day tomorrow. He kissed her good night and retired for the night. Ankita was still to have her green tea and she was enjoying the movie so she decided to continue alone.
Its 4:30 in the morning and Sagar’s phone was ringing for the fourth time. He finally managed to lift the phone and in his sleepy eyes he saw that it was Ankita’s elder sister calling. He swiped up the call and a strange voice came from the other side
“Is this Sagar?” That strange voice got him into senses and he just got up and sat upright on his bed.
“Yes this is Sagar, may I know who is speaking”.
“Sir there has been an accident and the couple is heavily injured, this was the last dialed number on this phone, can you please come to Lakshmi Vihar, Sector 34 as soon as possible”
Sagar screamed while asking for other whereabouts. Ankita got up with all the screaming and before she could say anything Sagar told her “get dressed Nita dee and Vishal have met with an accident,we have to go now”. Ankita started asking questions and Sagar once again screamed out loud “we don’t have time for your questions Ankita we have to go now”.
Ankita kept saying how she had talked to Nita dee just a day before and everything was okay. Sagar oblivious to whatever she was saying just locked the house and headed straight to the parking zone. The roads were empty and Sagar drove very fast which very unlike him. In just fifteen minutes they reached the location.
Ankita howled and screamed when she saw Nita on the front seat covered with blood, Vishal was at the driving seat and looked pretty clean with just a cut on his head. There were quite a handful of people surrounding the scene and Sagar just yelled on the top of his voice why they weren’t taken to the hospital yet. In all this haste Ankita suddenly remembered about Alvira,
she screamed “Sagar, where is Alvira?”
Someone from the crowd called the ambulance, Ankita and Sagar then found Alvira at the back seat. Nicely tucked in her car seat, the eight months old Alvira was blinking her eyes in amazement. She was safe, thanks to the tight grip of the car seat. Ankita immediately unfasten the seat belt and got her out of the car. She hugged the little human and kissed her all over face thanking God that she was alright.
The ambulance arrived and the assistant in the ambulance declare both of them dead at the spot. Ankita screamed in denial and asked the assistant to check again. Pointing at Vishal she hollered “He just has a cut please check him again, he is fine”
The assistant informed we are taking them to hospital for further formalities but I am really sorry to tell you again that they both are no more. Clueless of what happened in the span of just few hours Ankita and Sagar stood there crying their eyes out. The little girl wiggled her toes and smiled every now and then, she had absolutely no idea what just happened.
Sagar consoled Ankita and then he called the rest of the family members. Vishal had no siblings and his father died two years back of heart attack and her mother left him when he was just eight years old, Nita on the other had was the only sibling of Ankita and she was no less than a mother figure to her. Ankita’s parents arrived as soon as they got the information. Ankita’s mother was holding Alvira and sobbing continuously. She blamed God for doing this to the little girl. She couldn’t come to terms with the fact that a complete and happy family is now devastated and the little girl will always be deprived of her parent’s love.
In that moment Ankita took Alvira from her mother’s hand and looked at Sagar for assurance. What kind of assurance it was never said but Sagar just nodded his head in agreement. Ankita hugged Alvira and Sagar held them both like a protective shield.
“Maybe all our attempts failed for some reason”, Ankita muttered.