The Waiting....

Nitasha is very upset with Swayam. She is not at all looking at him; however, much he is trying to catch her attention. Swayam did not tell her about the blood transfusion planned for today again. He never tells her before, so she never comes prepared for these schedules.

            Little Mimi, was in oblivion. She was unaware of the whole situation. Swayam was making funny faces at her and she was smiling at him. The nurse came and inserted those tubes and needles to little Mimi’s tiny young hands. Mimi winced painfully; Nitasha avoided her child’s distorted face. The nurse told something in her ears and tickled her, she smiled between her tears. Nitasha avoided everything. She was watching all those kids playing from that hospital window at the nearby garden.

            Swayam came near Nitasha and touches her shoulder. Nitasha simply asks, “Why?” Swayam answers “I didn’t want to upset you”. Nitasha turns to look at her daughter. Mimi was asleep due to her sedatives and anesthesia, or whatever it was. “When is it going to end?” she asks her husband. Swayam says, “I don’t know”.

            That nurse comes back again and says, “Mr. Swayam, doctor wants to see you”. Nitasha feels her stomach is churning again. Swayam looks at Nitasha’s horrified face and says, “I will go meet the doctor, you stay here”. Swayam leaves with the nurse. Nitasha looks at her sleeping child. Mimi is sleeping so peacefully, she doesn’t even know about the emotional turmoil Nitasha is going through. Nitasha sheds some silent tears. Mimi was diagnosed with some genetical disorder disease when she was just 20 months old. She was going to be 3 years old next week. Nitasha could not come to terms with which genes became fatal for her little child. So, naturally, Nitasha blamed herself all these days.

            Swayam comes back and tries to smile at Nitasha, but Nitasha understands. She is afraid of asking. So, they just glance at each other and look at their beautiful sleeping daughter. Mimi chooses that moment to wake up. She looks at her parents and asks, “When are we going home?” Swayam says, “Very soon, dear”. Mimi looks at all those needles and tubes in her body and Mimi asks, “Daddy, will I have to carry these things also with me?” Swayam answers her, “No sweetheart, you will not need them from now”. Mimi gets excited and says “Wow, then mommy will not cry from now”. Nitasha runs away from the room.

            At 9:30 PM, that nurse comes back again, and gives some papers to Swayam. Swayam had read them in earlier occasions also. He signs those papers without even looking at them. Nurse removes the tubes and needles from Mimi’s body. When she was about to leave, Mimi calls her “Aunty, I will not come here again, Bye. Please come to my birthday party next week”. That nurse looks back at the child and says with a sad smile, “Bye Sweetheart”.

            They finish all the paperwork and formalities and leave the hospital by 10PM. Mother, father and the little girl leave the hospital, never to come back again. Nurse Daisy, was watching them getting into the car and leaving the premises.