Everyday had been the same for Gitanjali, just with different visitors. Sometimes it was family, sometimes it was friends. These days, she started to hate the smell of medicines and the hospital walls she stared at. She wanted to go out and roam around, she missed the freedom.

There was definitely a view from her hospital room window but her restricted movements couldn't take her to that side of the room without the help of a wheelchair and a person.

Once every two days, she asked Anand to sit near her and just hold her hand. This helped her sleep better. Whenever she had bad thoughts, she would just squeeze his hands and he would caress it to calm her down.

The good news was that Gita could hold the baby now. Her hands didn't shake anymore and the nurses had shown her the correct way to hold him. She still couldn't hold him on her own. Anand or the nurse had to pick the baby first and give him to her as she couldn't bend to pick him up directly.

She only saw Anand smile when he was around the baby. The other times, he was quiet and in his work. He looked after her and helped her, without speaking much.

There was a tradition for the first delivery to be at maternal home. The new mother was to stay with her parents during the third trimester and post pregnancy for few months. When her parents visited her, they told her to get well soon and come home with the baby. But Gita remembered her promise to Anand and refused her mother, "Maa, you don't have to worry about me. There is an entire staff to look at me. Plus, we have a nursery prepared for the baby, all his stuff is already there." Her real reason was to keep her words to Anand.

Her mother tried to explain her but Gita didn't budge. That's when her mother asked Anand his opinion and to convince Gita.

"Your mom is insisting so much, you should think about it." He answered. Gita looked shock at his answer and didn't move her eyes from him, trying to comprehend what he just said. This was the same person who had requested her to not go, leaving him alone.

She felt too exhausted to hold a conversation and ask the reason. The sleep consumed her. It was a daily cycle - eating and sleeping.

They both got used to having silly conversations with the baby. She never thought she would get to see Anand so soft, gentle and lovable.

"Papa ki jaan, how many days do you want to be here? Your home is much more beautiful. Hmm...? What are you saying? Accha, a few days more? Okay. Papa is not happy with your answer." He expressed his displeasure. It seemed like his son really replies back to him.

"Phone. Give your phone to her." Gita asked. Anand gave it to her. She requested the nurse to click a picture of Anand and the baby.  To her, this picture will always be a beautiful memory of Anand doing the unthinkable - having cute conversations with the baby.

**

Her face scrunched in pain when the nurse was trying to help her shift from the wheelchair to the bed. Gita's whole body shook from the pain, she shook her head telling the nurse to give her some time.

Seeing her in pain, Anand walked hurriedly towards and soothed her back lightly. A few moments later he encouraged her, "Gitanjali, let's try again. Okay?"

As per the nurse's instruction, he picked her up and placed her on the bed. As the nurse the left the room, Gita held onto him. She didn't let him move. She hugged him closer to her.

"Don't move. Please stay." She pleaded in a silent whimper. He didn't move as she clutched his shirt tightly with her fingers.

By this time, she had understood there was no point in telling him to talk to her or ask him what is wrong as he would just tell her to take rest.

Later in the day, the doctor had called Anand to show him the baby's report and discuss the child's health. Since Gita was recovering, she never accompanied him but today, Gita wanted to go with him and Anand didn't deny. He was always eager to hear about the baby's growth and positive results from the doctor.

The middle aged doctor started with the positives in baby's health. The way he spoke and made them understand everything, made Gita believe why he worked in the best hospital. Then, he followed it up with the negatives but he termed it as areas they need to focus and work on.

Anand's hands clenched in a fist as the doctor spoke. Anand was trying not to lose his calm, "Isn't this the best hospital? It's been weeks! When will my baby be out of that room?"

The doctor was quite experienced and had witnessed the new parents getting irritated and in tears due to the baby. This was not a new thing. He asked Anand to have faith. "He is getting better. We are doing all that we can. And trust me, he will be fine in sometime. Maybe it can take 1 week or months but he will be alright and healthy." Gita placed her hand on Anand's to calm him down. She thanked the doctor for his words of hope. Sometimes, words are all we have.

*

Gita was the happiest today as they were about to reach home. The baby was healthy and doing good. They would need to check on him weekly to ensure his good health and growth. Gita had to still use a wheelchair but she was doing better. Today, her parents, Isha, Ami, aunts, Daddu and Anand's father were there to welcome them at home.

They had to be a lot careful with the baby and all the members did treat him like a prince, especially his father.

Their house help had decorated the bedroom for Gita especially. Shanti, their house help was in happy tears to see Gita and the baby alright. They all complained that she should have come earlier at home as they would have taken better care of Gita.

Gita could already see how spoil her son was going to be because of all these family members who would only know to pamper him.

"Hi! Hi! Hi!" The way Gita said it made the baby smile slightly and this continued for another three minutes. "What?" Her eyebrows raised, "You like it when mumma says hi!" She smiled and tried to make him laugh more. She realised how she always tried to make him laugh, then be it with her stupid antics, silly talks or voices but his smile brought so much happiness to her.

"Baby, Mumma is so sorry. Because of me, you had to be in the NICU. Mumma is sorry, beta (son)." She whispered to him whereas her little son was busy shoving his fingers in his mouth and staring at his mother with big doe eyes.

"I missed your first few days, na? Are you upset with me? But Mumma promises you from now on, she will be with you." She didn't say it aloud but there was immense pain in her heart for not being with her child the first few days after his birth. Due to her treatment and medicine, she was barely conscious for few minutes of the day. The only thing she knew was that she gave birth and the cries of her baby.

The door creaked and Anand entered the room. He saw them both and left to freshen up. Today was tiring with all the family members coming home. The moment he came back from his closet, he went straight to his son and forwarded his hands to take him from Gita. But Gita shook her head.

"Baby, till the time Papa doesn't talk to Mumma, you tell him you also won't talk to him." This was the only way Gita could think of to make him talk like usual. The only thing Anand would speak to her was about her own health, her medicines or the baby's health.

"Gitanjali, stop this and give him to me." Good, she thought. Atleast he talked beyond few words. She shook her head in denial. "If Papa is upset, mumma will say sorry. But he has to talk to me."

"I am sitting here," he sat on the couch in front of the bed, "You tell me when this," he pointed towards her talks with the baby and continued, "gets over." He was back to being rude, like before.

"I am saying sorry, Anand. I am sorry...is this what you want?" She cradled her baby, feeling better with him in her arms, in this situation.

He smirked,"That's what you think?! A sorry and I forget everything?" He put his hand on head and paused for a few minutes, "A sorry and I would forget and forgive you for putting my child's life in danger?"

"Your child? He is my child too." She replied calmly.

"Yes, he is. But you didn't think twice before putting his life in danger." All his anger and complaints were on the verge of spilling. He had contained it within himself for a very long time. His concern for her health never made him open his mouth but she had been pushing him for a long time.

His forehead had creases and pain flashed on his face. "You know...how difficult was it for me to see him when he was born? He came to this world poked with needles, fighting for his life and not able to breathe. You and I are meant to protect him and what did you do? He should have felt his parents touch and be welcomed when he was born but what he got? Me, who was scared to even pick him up, hug him for days and you, who were lying injured and unconscious. He was alone suffering and fighting for life, Gitanjali." His voice wavered talking about the initial days at the hospital. It pained him to not have his baby against his chest, holding onto him. The cute face that was supposed to smile and throw tantrums was covered with oxygen masks and tubes.

"Anand," she had tears in her eyes, "I would never hurt him." She knew she missed the early moments with her baby but when Anand spelled it out, it sounded worse.

"Yet you did, Gitanjali." He looked her in the eye and stated it.

"Try to understand, I didn't do it intentionally. I saw the car speeding and the girl could have died. I had to help her." The image of the speeding car and the girl running on the road was stuck in her head. She ran to help without thinking about herself or the baby. Because she knew, if she had not helped her, it would forever haunt her, she would have regretted not helping her.

"Very well then. I should have known. For you, outsiders are above yourself, me and now our child too. Everyone else is more important." He was disappointed more than angry.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed patience to explain him. "How can you say this? Don't you know how important you are to me? You both are my world."

"These are just words! If I was important to you, if our baby was important to you, you wouldn't put him and yourself in this situation. Anyway, we wouldn't agree on this and this is my son's first night here, I want to spend some time with him rather than debating with you." Anand smiled as he took the baby in his arms. The baby babbled words as if talking and responding to Anand.

"Sorry then, I was not able to see a child in danger and wanted to save her. I am sorry for not being selfish." How can he not understand? She had been teaching for some time now and the school kids are an integral part of her life. If it was her child or anyone's child, she would have done the same. How can she see the girl in the danger and not do anything about it?
"If I can, I will do it again. I have no regrets." She made it clear to him.

He was busy playing with their baby but he heard her clearly. He stopped playing and looked at her, "Yes, I am selfish but at least I am not the one putting my child in danger. And the next time, you want to do this brave act, make sure you don't drag my baby along." He warned her.

They both had no wish to talk to each other. He rocked the baby to sleep and very quietly kept him in his crib. He had never imagined being a hands-on father but the complications of the baby's birth made him softer towards him. He walked towards Gita, who had pillows supporting her back that was near the headboard. Anand removed some pillows from her back and kept them aside. He leaned near her and supported her back, so she could lie down and sleep. They had hired a nurse for the daytime but Gita refused to have a nurse at night, since she would only require help in two tasks - lying down and getting up.

"You can hire that nurse at night as well, if you have a problem doing this for me." She said it lowly in an upset tone.

He walked back to his place and asked, "Did I say that?"

"No, but you are clearly upset with me so why would you want to do this for me?"

He switched off the lights of the room and said, "Shh. Just go to sleep."

_____

Hey guys!

Hope you are doing good :)

Please VOTE and Comment!

So, here are some names I liked for the baby (i may forget few)

- Avyukt

- Advay/ Advik

- Veer

- Shaurya (i like what it means, but not sure how the full name would sound)

Bye take care ❤️