Shaarav with his first friend Adi in the hospital nursery

The day my life changed forever

I have been intending to write since a long time but didn't get the right opportunity. And then came the day when I came to know that a new life is being nurtured inside me. The morning of November 26, 2006, was one of the happiest moments of my life. What more opportune a moment than motherhood to pour out your heart's content.

Suraj was leaving for Kashmir in a couple of days and I was sad as I would not be able to share with him the numerous joyful moments throughout the journey of pre-motherhood. But the feeling of completeness on being a mother surpassed all mundane thoughts.

Days became weeks and weeks became months, in no time I was heading towards the hospital to unveil the most exciting gift of my life. My heart was beating fast when they took me inside the labour room. Soon, my doctor, got a life out of my womb, hunging him upside down, finally broke the news....'a lovely young man.' I took a deep sigh and searched for the cell while the nurses cleaned the baby and got him to me. Should I cry or smile, can i touch him or should i just stare at him....I was too shocked and spellbound to vent any kind of emotion. It was my baby...built out of my flesh and blood, he was inside my womb for 36 weeks, eating and drinking at my discretion...and now my threads of imagination were sewed to a shape and had a face to connect to. All I could think of was to inform Suraj, my parents and relatives waiting outside the operation theater. I called up Suraj, all I could utter feebly was "Shaarav," yes, we had thought of his name long before he was born. At the other end was a voice, equally ecstatic and surprised ...there was a silence, a silence so comforting, so reveling that words were too puny to express our feelings at that frozen moment of our lives. And from that moment, our lives changed forever and I am so glad the change took place because it was so wholesome, so satisfying, so gratifying.