16 chapter 16

Days were passing by. The time for Basanti's delivery has come. She was living in fear and fear that this time too a girl might not be born. This fear used to haunt him day and night. She tries to concentrate on her work, but the restless mind is unable to settle in one place.

It was month of rains. It was raining. In the morning everyone was busy with their work. Basanti's father was extracting milk from cows and buffaloes. Basanti's mother was feeding the cows and buffaloes. Basanti's sister Achuki was making tea.

Basanti was not feeling well today. A glass of hot milk was kept near him. But she was unable to drink it because of the pain. The pain was increasing but she did not speak anything to anyone out of hesitation, she kept on suffering. But now the pain was increasing. Suddenly mother's eyes fell on Basanti. She saw that tears were flowing from her eyes, holding her stomach and pressing her lips. mother voice,

"Basanti Oh Basanti! Are you okay daughter?"

Basanti shook her head and said,

"No mom, it's hurting a lot"

Mother immediately sent Surya to call the midwife. The midwife also came with her immediately. There was silence in the house. Seeing the condition of Basanti, everyone in the house was doing their respective work in fear. Dai mother ordered to have hot water, took Basanti to Kotri. Basanti's mother and midwife were both in Kotri. Then hearing the voice of the child, everyone gathered around the kotdi. They started asking each other,

"What happened? What happened?"

"Both mother and child are healthy."

Then Basanti's youngest sister chirped and asked

"daai mother, is it a son or a daughter?"

midwife said,

"Goddess Lakshmi has come."

Tears welled up in Basanti's mother's eyes

"I don't know what God has thought"

Then Gudiya was eager to go inside dancing, but her aunt took her away. No one was allowing the two-year-old girl to go to her mother. Auntie started walking him in the hallway and was going to think about something. But it is said that the thoughts of everyone can neither be read nor known. Thoughts were going on in everyone's mind according to different thinking. Inside the kotdi, Basanti was lovingly looking at her innocent child. He was falling in love with her a lot. Like a frightened deer, she would sometimes love him, sometimes she would walk away in fear. Then the midwife took the child in her lap to bathe. The girl smiled slightly.