1 Prologue

(11 years ago)

Latika was in pain.

Too much in pain.

She felt like she was going to lose her senses. The pain was unbearable. Compression after compression, her spine felt like it would break any moment. She thought she would be used to it by now, but even after three childbirths, the fourth one hurt just as bad.

Not like she resented it. She knew she had to endure it. This could be the one. Maybe this time the new one might actually live...

Dr. Radhika Raman was on the edge.

This had been the most stressful case she had encountered in her time practicing as a gynaecologist. Latika had never yet delivered a live baby. Even a practicing professional like Radhika, who has seen miracles happening in the blink of the eye in this very place, was losing hope after the third failure.

But Latika's hope had been infectious. This woman had some solid substance, she would give her that. She seemed impossible to break. The kind of girl that used to scare guys in school. The thought brought a slight curve to Radhika's lips.

The thing was, her case was not normal in any sense. Every pregnancy includes some foetal haemorrhage into the maternal blood system, but in Latika's case, the bleeding had always had been intensive, almost like draining a whole baby every month starting the fifth. This much loss of blood only had one meaning in the end - stillbirth. And all of Latika's cases has been the same. All stillborn.

This one was also the same. Part of Radhika started suspecting there is some cause of this happening that is not related to the foetus at all, but the vessel, or the mother. But she could not voice out her concerns as of yet. She needed some confirmation before she could point it out, because Latika was one of the healthiest patients she had ever encountered.

The next compression seemed to be making its way. Latika was losing her stamina, Radhika could feel it, but she was not letting it show. She still had that determined expression Radhika was familiar with. She checked, the head was now visible.

This is it, it was happening.

"That's it Latika, just a little more, it won't be long now," she said in a calm and professional voice.

"It should have been my husband saying this," said Latika, panting heavily, " but he too seems to have lost hopes of becoming a father."

"I would too after so long." said Radhika, "Seriously Latika, if I didn't know you better, I would say you were just too horny for unprotected intercourse!"

Latika managed a weak chuckle which turned into a wail and then into a scream as she expelled the new one out.

And suddenly it happened...

There was a sound so familiar and yet so unfamiliar to Radhika that was heard.... the cry of a new-born.

Familiar because she had heard this sound all her life as a gynaecologist. Unfamiliar, because this sound was heard for the first time from a child delivered by Latika Raheja.

Dr. Radhika was numb for a second, and Latika had already passed out, smiling blissfully, but not before she let a few ecstatic tears escape.

The door of the operation theatre flung open and an incredulous Raman entered.

"Is that...," he couldn't say any further, words had totally failed him.

"Yes Raman," said Radhika, smiling, "You are a father now."

Disbelief and bliss were written all over Raman's face.

It has happened, he thought, destiny has spoken, we are saved. And with that, tears started running down his eyes.