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Three Little Angels

By Manasa A

It was a sunny afternoon on a Sunday where most of the people were taking an afternoon nap after a busy and hectic week. Megha was in an ambulance with labour pains heading towards the nearest hospital.   Megha, a doctor by profession, had a pretty satisfying life with a caring husband.  Caring husband in the sense, he was not one of the present day fancy husbands, surprising her by giving gifts, taking her for walks and so on.  He had a deep sense of love, responsibility and affection towards his wife.

Megha was married to Rakesh and waited for a longtime to conceive.  Rakesh was very fond of children.  For whatsoever reasons it took almost 3 years for them to get a fruit from their marriage..  It was not very easy to both of them to get along after their marriage.  It was an arranged marriage.  Rakesh was a shy natured person who was never close to any other woman than his sister and mother.  Megha had 4 sisters, and was really never very close to any other man other than her father and cousins.  They loved each other a lot, but not very compatible with each other. In the meanwhile, Rakesh’s brother Sadak got married to a very affectionate girl called Sharvani.  Sadak and Sharvani  were a very happy go couple.  Though it was an arranged marriage, they had a very happy life. 

Megha had a very loving Mother in law and Father in law.  They never troubled her for not conceiving. But Megha herself was sad, as she was aware of the fact that Rakesh deeply loved kids and was longing for the same, he never showed that disappointment in front of his wife. 

Rakesh and his brother Sadak had only one and a half years of age difference, but they had a lot of love towards each other.  However,they never had anything in common and were always fighting with each other for any topic.  It looked more like Megha and Sharvani were sisters and Sadak and Rakesh were relatives.

Sharvani conceived, but Megha was not able to conceive in spite of going through several tests, and social pressures increased on Megha. When she disclosed the news to her best friend, sister or mom, all of them were kind of shocked and started sympathizing with her fate, which obviously troubled her more. “Oh I understand your plight, Sharvani conceived and you didn't.  How is Rakesh taking this?  How are your in laws reacting?  I am really sorry for you.”  These were the reactions.  Though she wanted to be happy with the fact that Sharvani had conceived, world around her was not allowing her to accept this news happily.

Days passed by,  it was Sharvani’s 7th month and time for Baby shower ceremony for her.  Megha internally didn't want to attend this function, but being a member of this house, she could’nt be away from the function, it was a very difficult situation for her. Nobody could understand her feelings. Here in her case all the people around were good, no body commented or taunted her for not having a baby, she was not able to show her sadness to anyone.  If disclosed, people would mistake her for  jealous of Sharvani.

Megha and the lovely family lived in a duplex house. During the Baby Shower ceremony function of Sharvani, Megha had to run up and down many a times . The function was conducted successfully, Sharvani was showered with blessings from all the visitors.

After the ceremony, Megha was very tired and weak. Her mother in law and others in the family attributed it to her running around restlessly for the function.  But when the pregnancy test was confirmed as positive, the family found no bounds to their happiness. It was celebration time for them.  There were some complications in between and hence they consulted a Gynaecologist. When consulted it was told she has conceived twins and the kids can be saved.  Her family was highly excited at the news. In the same year they were to welcome three guests-  one from Sharvani and two from Megha. 

Though Megha was also very happy she had her own fears; doctor by profession, she knew the complications in Twins deliveries, She didn't disclose her fears to anyone. 

It was an eclipse day and both Sharvani and Megha were put in a dark room.  Both of them chatted the whole day, they were so happy.”We never thought, we would share our pregnancy days together”. They said to each other.

                                                               ***

Sharvani was blessed with a girl baby and the family rejoiced. When her baby was three months old  Megha was in her 7th month.  It was time for Megha’s baby shower ceremony.  She was short and had an intuition that she will have a premature delivery. Besides,  most of the old ladies predicted the same.

Today was the third day after the baby shower ceremony.  Early morning Megha found symptoms, of prematured delivery, but didn't disclose it to her mother. Finally  she mustered the courage to inform her mom, and she was subsequently  taken to a hospital nearby.  There they gave her injections to subside her pains, but it was of no use.  Kids were only 1kg and 1.1kg and that hospital did not have the facility to deliver such small babies.

By then her husband had arrived, Sharvani, having a small baby in hand,  was not able to go out for helping her.  Megha was suffering from pains in the ambulance now.  Sharvani was calling to different hospitals checking if there is a possiblity to deliver in such a condition. By the time the ambulance reached a hospital, the doctor had just left, then they had to rush  to another hospital which was 10 kms away.  The doctor looked at the condition of Megha and was baffled.   He was very angry, “ Why was it misdiagnosed and she was given  pain stopping injections?”

 Continued here.......