The crying of an infant accompanied with the whistle of the cooker echoed in the house. Nandini bounced Aarav in her arms, trying to shush him as she hurriedly walked to the kitchen, turning off the gas knob and extinguishing the fire.

"Aarav bas mere bache," Nandini cooed, gently rubbing his back as Aarav continued to cry, irritated due to the pain he was suffering from because of teething. When a few minutes later, he continued crying, Nandini carried him to the room to feed him. The moment she raised her kurti, Aarav latched on her breast and she held back her wince as he practically chewed on the nipple to relieve his gums while gulping the milk.

(Aarav, it's enough, baby.)

While she was busy feeding him, her phone rang. Turning around slightly, she grabbed it from the bedside table and noticing Manik's call, she swiped the green button, picking it up. Pressing the phone to her ear, she asked, "Hanji?"

(Yeah?)

"Main das minute main aa raha hu. Taiyaar rehna. Doctor paas chalna hain," Manik said while walking towards his car in the parking lot to go home since it was a half day at office due to a golden jubliee celebration tonight.

(I'm coming in ten minutes. Be ready. We have to visit the doctor.)

"Abhi nahi possible, Manik. Lunch banana hai aur Aarav bhi subah se bohot tang kar raha hai. Iski tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi. Ye maa paas nahi tikega," Nandini replied.

(It's not possible right now. I have to prepare lunch. Even Aarav has been fussy since morning. Maa can't handle him.)

"Iske baad doctor mahina bahar jaa ri hai. Uske baad hi appointment milegi varna," Manik said and suggested, "Sulane ka try kar usse kyoki thodi der toh chalna hi padega. Mujhe bhi ab office se off hai. Blood tests vagera hi hai."

(The doctor is going out of country for a month tomorrow. **Try sleeping him off. Even I have an off from office today. It won't take long. Just some blood tests.)

Sighing, Nandini hummed in agreement before declining the call. Throwing the phone on bed, she kissed Aarav's head as he fed, her mind drowning in worry. Five minutes later, as she gently tried to pry herself away, he whimpered, holding onto her to latch back.

Cooing, she freed herself, making him follow her movements innocently as she lowered the kurti before she diverted her attention by giving him some toys to play with. Getting up, she changed into a yellow kurti with blue jeans and applied a lip shade along with a thin coat of kohl. While she was brushing her hair, Manik entered the room. While he walked to the washroom, Nandini tied her hair in a loose bun.

"Chale?" Manik asked and Nandini nodded while grabbing her phone from the bed, holding it out for Manik to keep it with him while picking up Aarav from bed. As they walked downstairs, Nandini went to her in-laws' room where Neyonika was busy reading some magazines. She looked up as Nandini came in and said, "Maa. Thodi der Aarav ko sambhal lo. Woh kal raat se meri thodi tabiyat nahi theek lag ri thi. Toh Manik saath doctor paas jaa rahi thi."

(maa, please take care of Aarav. I was going out with Manik to hospital. I hadn't been feeling well since last night.)

"Haan koi baat nahi. Kya hua vaise tujhe?" Neyonika enquired, holding out her hands for Aarav.

(Yeah, it's okay. What happened?)

"Shayd bp low hai," Nandini lied. As she lowered him in Neyonika's arms, his hold on her tightened. But she gently unwrapped Aarav's arms from her shoulders, making his bottom lip wobble before his loud cries filled the room as she walked out with a heavy heart.

(Low bp maybe.)

*****

The couple looked at the doctor as she was reading through Nandini's blood test reports. Manik placed his hand on Nandini leg, stopping her anxious bouncing of leg, in assurance. The doctor took off the glasses, placed it on the desk and looked at the couple, tilting their entire world as she, knowing their situation, didn't even congratulate and said, "Mrs. Nandini, you are two months pregnant."

Nandini felt her heart beat stop for a moment at hearing this unexpected news, her shaking hands fisting in her lap as Manik monotonously enquired, "Are you sure? We had been using birth control pills as well as condoms."

"The pills don't work effectively in initial months due to other medications post pregnancy months and condoms are not always hundred percent safe," the doctor said. When the couple didn't speak up, she told them, "Since you recently gave birth, your body is still too fragile to carry another baby. There can be complications, both for the mother and the baby. However, we can still proceed with it but it will require you to be cautious. However, if you're not ready, since you're nine weeks pregnant, we can go for abortion. You can take up to a week or two but don't take too long to make up your mind because after you complete three months, the abortion won't be possible."

"What precautions are needed?" Nandini enquired.

"Early pregnancy like this always leads to the problem of premature birth. You may also require complete bed rest for a few months. We will observe your pregnancy symptoms for a few more weeks to conclude about that. Avoid picking up your baby unnecessarily since you can't pick anything heavy. Also, if you're breastfeeding, you need to stop that especially after completing the first trimester. It can be harmful for you as well as the unborn," the doctor informed them and smiled at Nandini sympathetically, who looked ready to cry.

Thanking the doctor, Manik got up, holding his wife's hand and helping her get up. They silently moved towards the car in the parking and Manik opened the door for her, assisting her inside. Silence filled in as he sat in. When he was starting the car, Nandini, who had her eyes welled up, whispered angrily, "I told you to be careful. To control–

Manik snapped his head towards her and raised his hand, stopping her mid sentence as he looked at her with anger and gritted out, "Don't you fucking dare to put this all on me. I didn't force you for anything! You were as much involved as I was. So own it up."

No words were exchanged between them after that, except for her occasional sniffles, as they drove home. When he parked the car, he said, "Clean yourself up. Don't say anything about it at home for the time being."

Nandini nodded in understanding, wiping her tears with the wet wipes until she looked presentable. Stepping out, both of them walked towards the lift of their apartment. As they reached their apartment, the moment they entered, both of them were greeted with loud cries of Aarav from the living room.

Nandini moved towards the source of noise while Manik walked to their room upstairs. Neyonika handed over Aarav to Nandini and the latter excused herself, saying she wasn't feeling well. Carrying her baby upstairs, he quieted down a few minutes later as she roamed with him before she felt her suit drench as he peed on her. Sighing, she changed his clothes, foregoing her own since it was a usual occurrence the whole day.

Soon, he started whining hungrily and she laid down beside him, feeding him. While patting him to sleep, she didn't even realise when her own eyes closed in tiredness and she fell asleep.

*****

By the time Nandini woke up the sun was ready to set. She looked beside her where Aarav was peacefully sleeping, cuddled in her warmth with his small hand resting on her while Manik was working on his laptop. Pressing a kiss on his cheek, she pried herself from Aarav's arms, got up and walked to the bathroom to pee.

"Chai bana lu?" Nandini asked as she stepped out from the bathroom after freshening up. Manik nodded before she walked downstairs. She prepared the tea for both of them and carried it upstairs with some snacks. As she kept the tray on the bed, Manik closed his laptop, keeping it aside. They had it in silence, both of them not acknowledging the topic looming over their heads for the time being.

After they had it, when Nandini finished collecting the used utensils, Manik called her out. She looked at him and he sighed before softly saying, "Nandini. Aarav is really small and even we both are not ready for another baby at this moment. Then there are the complications too. I think–" Manik stopped for a second, staring at her shaking hands before he completed, "I think we should go for an abortion."

Nandini's heart beat stopped for a moment as she heard his words, her eyes quick to fill up as she shook her head. She refused to look at him as he held her face in his hands, stopping her movements and calling her out while she continued to murmur a series of refusals. After persistent attempts, she finally raised her eyes to his and he said, "Nandini, Aarav ka soch. Tujhe apna aur iss bache ke khyal rakhte rakhte, uska saara bachpan khatam ho jayega, meri jaan. Don't do this. Don't take a decision which is not fair. Not to Aarav. Not to this unborn child. And not to both of us."

Her body racked with her sobs in pain as her head lowered to his chest. Because what was truly unfair and heartbreaking was as a mother, choosing one child over the other. Whatever the decision, she will be declared as a failure of a mother.

The solace of his arms wrapped around her were the only thing that kept her afloat instead of falling apart as she nodded her head and the pain she felt at that moment overwhelmed every physical pain known in the world.

Thank you for reading!

I know abortion is an extremely controversial topic till date. So, do share your views. Do you think Manan took the right decision?

Lastly, please vote.