Pebble

 An year back, on this very day, my wife woke me up from sleep around 2 am, citing the symptoms of labor. It was almost a fortnight before the expected date. “But then It can happen any time after 32 weeks” – words of the gynecologist ringed in mind. I had to look calm and composed.  Placed a pillow on the head rest of the bed and asked her to lean against it. Woke up my mother, mother in law and father in law. Some discussions went on. We decided to pack and go to hospital. In no time we all got ready, locked the house. Walked to the lift lobby. Automatic doors slid apart and they entered the lift. I ran downstairs and woke up the security to open the apartment gate. I heard the lift open and I started the car. I was unusually cool. Got into the car and I cracked some jokes to ease the tension. My silly jokes found good market as all of us acted the part well. Half a kilometer traffic-less drive took more than half an hour. Woke up the attender who was sleeping to glory .He woke up the duty doctor. The duty doctor looked inexperienced partly due to my tension and partly due to my ignorance.

He summoned two lady duty nurses. My wife was asked to lay in the bed. The curtain were pulled over. I waited anxiously outside. One of them came out running, took something from a table nearby..  My “ah..what is..” went unheard as she ran past me and entered the curtained zone.

They came out after sometime. Parted the curtains back. My Wife lay in the bed looking confused, a little more than me. Doctor made phone calls to the senior doctors. He was noting down something in some cryptic language which he later read out to the nurses. He handed over me a piece of paper and asked to buy few medicines. I ran. Got them back. Both mothers were talking, possibly to each other. Father in law looked very serious.

My restlessness, nervousness, anxiety all put together made me call the doctor. It was 3 by then. She picked the call. And I asked her to come to hospital immediately. She said the delivery would take another 6-7 hours. And that she would be there in the hospital in another 2 hours. By then they would start the procedure. “But the doctor here looks inexperienced”. I argued. She replied calmly “How do you know?” I cut the call to be on the safe side.

They shifted us to the first floor. Soon one more doctor came in and gave her some drips. Time flew. I was made to wait outside.  When I looked down, I noticed my father in law had two different shoes. I couldn’t help laughing at his sophisticated facial expression and differently colored shoes. Before I could, I heard a small cry from the room. I barged, opened it. Saw both my mothers holding her hand. As soon as I entered I could see tears in her eyes. Her fist was closed and firm. Doctor attached some equipment which loud spoke the foetus heartbeat. For the first time, I felt even heart beats can be cute. She banged on the side wall twice. Her cries became louder. Every time I entered the room, I see tears. Mothers asked me to wait outside. Wait continued and I was not allowed to enter any more.  The wait continued and somewhere in between in I fell asleep(I am still paying the cost for it).

Senior doctor came. Checked and went back. And said it can be either a normal one or a c-section. She was soon shifted to labor room. I heard some sound and expected it to be that of the baby. But  the wait continued and then finally the nurse handed over a 6.5 pound baby boy- tightly closed eyes, pink foot, cute nails and absolutely no hair in the head wrapped in a soft thick cloth to my mother in law’s hand. Soon my mother grabbed him. I kissed him on his forehead, this time without any thing separating us.

As a pebble he fell into the ocean of our lives, setting the ripples on forever. One year moved brisk. From then on, the little one has been the reason for almost any change happening at home – be it me reaching home on time from office or the tv remote control of the not working J