3 Chapter 3

At the hospital :

"It's the first trimester, Ava. Congrats!" Dr Min continued looking at the reports. "You are pregnant, and you need to take care of yourself now, and the same goes for you also, Ash." She looked at me, and I could only nod, being nervous and excited. She tried to explain to us in detail What changes Ava was about to experience in herself. "You'll experience a lot of symptoms during your first trimester as your body will adjust to the hormonal changes. In the early days, it will not be showing how much on the outside of the body, but inside, many changes will be taking place."

I was listening very carefully as the both lived alone, and I needed to take care of her during this period.

"You me have nausea and vomiting, which a woman typically feels during her first month of pregnancy. You may feel tired, and your digestion system may not work properly for a few days, causing a decreased interest in eating. Apart from these, you may experience emotional swings, which may range from weepiness and forgetfulness to fear, anxiety and excitement. And for that, Ash, you need to handle her and keep her happy all the time."

I nodded again and showed my comfort with the idea. I could feel the anxiety on Ava's face. But I knew her very well and knew how to get her to overcome that feeling.

The doctor prescribed a few medicines and exercises before we left the hospital. As we started driving back home, Ava placed her hand softly on mine, which was on the gear.

"Ash, are you not worried?" She looked at me, brooding. And looking at her I replied, "Let me explain to you in detail, but not here. Let's drive to the greater Subway."

She looked confused. Greater Subway is an 8 Lane Expressway connecting Seoul and the middle Seoul, covered with lush green plants and trees on both sides. The often empty Highway executes a romantic feeling.

I knew she loved nature and I wanted to provide her with the most romantic atmosphere at that moment. I turned my car towards the highway. On the way, she kept asking me what I was doing but I kept smiling and asked her to wait for the surprise.

Within no time, we reached a point which had maximum greenery all around, and was quite far from traffic. I parked my car on the side and asked her to step out. I rushed to the other side to open her door. I took her hand and helped her to step out of the car. She smiled, and I replied, "welcome to the stars, princess."

"And now, what are we going to do here?" She asked me with a beautiful smile on her face. I took her hand and helped her to sit on the bonnet of the car.

"Are you mad or what, Ash?"

I could see her smile. This is what I wanted– just a smile on her face. Once she sat there, I lay my back on the windshield, propped up on my forearm.

"Hey princess, put your head on my shoulder," I said. "Are you mad Ash? The passing cars will notice us."

"So what? I am enjoying the weather with my wife. Who cares about the passing cars? And do you not want the answer to your question?" I replied with a smile on my face. This made her comfortable.

It was almost nine in the night ; the sky was dark. The stars lit up the sky like snowflakes, yet frozen still, like in an old photograph. Ava was smiling, feeling the soft Wind blowing her hair.

"You asked me if I am worried. But you know this is not the first time this is happening to me." Before Ava throw a question, I continued softly moving my fingers in her hair, "You know, I read today on Google that during the first trimester, the heart and lungs begin to develop, and the arms, legs, brain, spinal cord and nerves begin to form."

"My first trimester started when I met you 9 years back. I never told you what hormonal changes I felt after meeting you for the first time in school, but today, when Dr Min was talking to us, I felt that everything had happened the same way to me when I had first met you."

I could feel Ava's hand on my chest, and it patted me to continue. I softly kissed her on her forehead and proceeded to tell her about the day I had met her for the first time 9 years ago.

I remember, when I returned from school after the first day, I could only remember you. I remembered your smile, I remembered your dimples, I remembered your moves.

I finished my dinner and rushed to the terrace to watch the night sky, which I always missed in Seoul. But that day, the night sky was going to be different for me. I climbed up on the overhead water tank on my terrace and lay down on it.

The sky was filled with stars playing hide-and-seek between the grey clouds. I wanted to count them but my mind was on a different tangent. My eyes were looking at the stars, but only saw you and them. Soon I realised that my heart had started beating faster; I was breathing heavily. For me, that night was different. I could feel the effects of love at first sight, which I had never felt before. My hormones were changing my moods.

Again and again, I record the morning interaction with you and all I wanted was to be with you. I was nervous, but happy. I was excited, but fearful. I wanted that night to get over soon so that I could meet you again the next morning. I kept looking at the night sky searching for you, but now I realised I was searching for myself, for you.

I took a pause and looked into her eyes to continue.

Next morning, I was ready for school before time. I wanted to reach earlier so that I could find out where you live and how you come to school. I had my breakfast and cycled fast, so I could reach the school Gates before even a single student reached.

It was a different feeling ; I didn't know why and what was making me do so, but my mind was not listening to my heart. Everything within me changed.

I could see Ava smiling at my words, and I continued to narrate a story to her.

I parked my cycle outside the main gate and remained standing there, observing every student who was entering. Some came in the school bus, some in their cars and some on their cycles, but I was worried as I could not see you anywhere. I did not want to miss your entry to school in that Rush. I knew if I could find the way by which you come to school, I could also find your address. And that motivation kept me rooted to my position. Finally, I saw you on your pink cycle.

I turned my face away so that you wouldn't see me, but I was happy. You came to school on your cycle – that meant you lived nearby. Suddenly, my mind started making plans to grab your attention.

You know that day when we entered our classroom after assembly, my heart was telling me to sit next to you or behind you, but my mind, my fearful mind took me to the back seat. One after another, the classes were getting over, but I was busy thinking about how to talk to you and how to get your attention. I was so attentive in observing you, that I remember you were wearing a navy blue hair band.

"Really, you remember that?" Ava interrupted, but I smiled and continued.

The whole day, I kept smiling because you were laughing. You entered my life suddenly, and everything changed in one night. You didn't notice, but I adjusted my hair many times that day.

I was not sure what was making me do all that, but after school, I followed you. You were with Mina, and I cycled behind you. I wanted to know your address. I wanted to know everything about you. You were chatting, laughing and talking with Mina, but I was smiling, watching you from behind. And when you entered the railway colony society, I was happy to know you lived so close by.

Every evening since then, I used to cycle from my home to your society, just in case I could find you and at least get a glimpse of you, but in vain. And then, one evening, I was cycling outside your society as usual. Every time I crossed to your society Gate, I moved my head up to look for you but Found You nowhere and during my third day, a car from behind hit me. I ended up with a fractured hand and bruises all over.

Ava pulled herself a little away in astonishment and questioned, "Oh my god, and you are telling me this today? You met with that accident because of this reason?"

I nodded politely.

It was the second day when my mum came to my room and asked me to go to the drawing room as some of my friends had come to see me. I was not sure who they could be, as I hardly knew anyone. My father had dropped a message in school that I met with an accident and would not be able to attend school for a few days. I was interested in meeting them, perhaps I could make new friends this way. Adjusted my plastered hand and walked to the drawing room, but stopped at the door, finding you sitting there with Mina.

I was nervous, and could not understand what to say or do. I never expected you to come. My mum was asking me to come out but I was feeling shy. This was the first time any of my female classmates had visited my home, and that too you, my crush.

It was a different feeling, which I never had before. I love that feeling but nervousness was overtaking my mind.

My heart was telling me to smile but the mind was making me conscious of my body language. I could still feel shivers remembering how my mom was looking at you.

I stopped and kissed Ava's forehead.

"Then what?" She asked me softly.

"Then you know what happened. What is the answer to your question of whether I am worried? I asked. " I was worried that day, feeling that something new was coming in my life, just as you are worried today. I felt multiple changes in me after meeting you, but smiled, considering those changes would bring a smile to the face later too. I was ready to face any challenge in life when I saw you. I no longer felt the pain of the fracture and was prepared to drive my cycle back outside your Colony within a month because I loved you."

She smiled and that's all that mattered. "Today, I am facing the same change in me, and yes, you are experiencing the same in your body. But I am sure you, this change is for good. If we smile today, we three will smile in the future. I could get you in my life because I accepted those changes. And we will get our baby into this world by accepting changes. Because change is something which can bring a smile and tears as well, but it's we who decide what we want and how we want to see it."

Ava, with a Radiant smile, hugged me, "I love you, Ash."

"I've been with us since we were children and I will be with you when our children have their children, because your Ash loves you a lot."

I then got off the car bonnet and opened the car dash to bring out something wrapped in red gift paper.

"What is this? A gift for me?" She shouted with a big smile on her face. I handed it over to her, and she immediately started unwrapping it, with questions back to back.

"What is in this?"

"You bought this for me?"

"I love you a lot, Ash."

"Wow, this is so cute," Ava mild at the book mom & baby. She could not wait to hug me.

"This book will help you know what's going on in your body every week, and what care you must take for our baby," I replied, still hugging her.

That day, while driving back, we both discussed the changes we would be facing, and how we would as a team handle our baby. Who will be making him or her sleep? Who will wash his or her clothes? These were the things we talked about all the way back home.