Neelima was outside the Radiologist’s chamber and was crying her heart out. She was not sad, she was happy, but she was emotional. Vimal stood by her side and held her. She was blessed to have a husband like him by her side. She was six weeks pregnant and both had heard their baby’s heartbeats when the doctor was performing the first ultrasound scan of their unborn child thirty minutes ago.
Three years ago, it was a different story. She had seen the two red lines on the pregnancy kit. Neelima and Vimal had visited a doctor same evening. The doctor confirmed her pregnancy of four weeks and mentioned it is very early. She was asked to go for an ultrasound scan in next two days. The scan report mentioned her conception and recommended another scan in two weeks because it was too early to detect baby’s heartbeats.
Neelima had a nightmare that night. She saw two of her favourite persons were leaving her and she was feeling helpless, she tried with her wails to stop them, but they did not stay. She had not seen these people anytime in her life, she did not know them, but she felt as if these two were her lifeline. She woke up with a spine chilling sweat. Vimal was sleeping beside her. She did not wake him up, drank some water and went back to sleep. But she could not forget this strange dream. Two days later, she went for her second scan. The doctor said the foetus’ heartbeat was very feeble, he could not detect it fully. He said it was because Neelima was overweight, so he recommended another scan in another two weeks. But before she could go for the third scan, she got the news of her father passing away.
Her father left behind her mother, her younger sister and herself. When she reached her parent’s place, she saw the lifeless body of her father. She had always believed her father will always be there, but he was gone. Her father was a paediatrician and was fond of children. Whole her life she had seen him treating children, her friends, children of neighbours, relatives, grandchildren of others. Why could not he wait for his own grandchild? She saw her mother lit the funeral pyre of her father. That day she felt cheated by her father somehow.
Few days later, Vimal and Neelima were coming home from office on their two-wheeler. It was raining cats and dogs. The streets were slippery due to the wet earth, the bike skidded, and both fell. Neelima felt an excruciating pain in her stomach and felt the wetness. She met her gynae immediately and reported about her spotting. She was whisked away for an immediate scan when the radiologist did not say anything to her. She was given an injection and was asked to go home for the night and come the next morning. She woke up in the middle of the night and went to the toilet. Big clots of blood were oozing out of her. Neelima would never forget that night her whole life.
Next morning, she reached her gynae’s clinic, where she underwent a procedure. After that she was asked to go home and take rest for two days. An emptiness surrounded her which remained for a long time with her. Her mother-in-law and her husband’s aunts asked her to check with doctors if she would conceive again. Also, asked her to check whether she can carry a pregnancy. They told her stories of some old ladies who were near their menopausal age had tried to get pregnant several times but could not carry the whole term of nine months and lost their babies. Neelima was scared to death with their tales and went to depression for a long time. But with therapy she could gain back her composure again. That was a long battle with her own self. This was then and this is now.
Neelima was in the middle of 12th week of her pregnancy. She was talking with her office colleagues near the coffee vending machine. Suddenly she felt a warm feeling inside and when she looked down, she could see blood droplets on the floor. She rushed to the toilet and was appalled to see herself bleeding. She screamed and called her mother, “Maa”. Her mother started crying on the other side of the phone, “Be strong and brave, my child. Please be strong”.
Soon after, she was surrounded by her female colleagues. She went on saying holding her stomach, “My baby, my baby, please save my baby”. Her colleague, Sangeetha said, “Please do not cry and do not stress yourself out. It may not be what you are thinking. You have seen my 6-year-old daughter, I also had a difficult pregnancy”. But Neelima could not understand what her colleague wanted to say, her mind was already blank, and she was trying very hard to numb her feelings and emotions. Her husband was informed and her gynae was consulted and she was wheeled away to the waiting ambulance.
While the ambulance was carrying her towards the radiologist’s chamber, Neelima was trying to hold her emotions. It was the longest 30 minutes ever of her lifetime. She was secretly saying her prayers to keep her child safe. How would she live if anything happens to this unborn child inside her? She was taken out in a wheelchair after reaching the diagnostic centre. She could not control herself when she saw Vimal waiting there and started weeping. Her sobs were uncontrollable. Hearing her sobs an unknown lady approached her. She asked, “Why are you crying, my child?” Neelima could just say, “My baby, my baby…”. The old lady then said something which Neelima would not forget for her lifetime, “Your child will conquer all odds, if you are brave. Be strong and give the will to your baby”. Neelima was wheeled inside the Sonography room. The nurse put the gel on her tummy and the doctor started the sonography. “Can you hear the baby’s heart beats?” Lubb-dubb, lubb-dubb. “It’s steady, the baby is fine”.
Neelima heard the radiologist say, “Why are you stressed, Madame? Your baby is alright and doing fine. This is a case of Placenta Previa and it leads to bleeding during pregnancy. I will talk to your gynae for some medications and if you take good rest and limit your physical activities, you will do just fine”. Neelima’s tears started falling down her cheeks and Vimal held her. After some time, she came outside to the waiting area and met the old lady again. The old lady asked her, “How are you, my child?” Neelima replied with a beaming smile through her teary eyes, “I am fine, Aunty. Baby is also doing fine”. The kind lady said, “Everything will be alright, keep smiling always. You will have a brave baby girl like you”.
Two days after the start of 37th week, Neelima was taken inside the operation theatre. Her gynae performed a C-section on her. Neelima was overjoyed to hear the cry of her doctor that a pink healthy girl has arrived, Nyra.
PS:
This is a heartfelt gratitude for the kind words of a colleague, Sangeetha and
a stranger, an old lady who appeared out of nowhere and gave me the courage and will.
