The Angel That Set Them Free

TATSTF-4

A warm and comforting gush of breeze flew on her face, squinting her eyes as a reflex, she kept walking briskly.

She felt a lot calmer than a few minutes ago and could see her mood lifting up now that she had decided to come out for a walk.

Today, she had been a little late in returning from her shift but she definitely had not anticipated the turn of events that had occurred merely a few seconds later she had stepped into their apartment and had locked the door behind.

Upon hearing the doorbell go off, Khushi's mind had immediately gone off into red-alert that it might be her husband.

But.

Wait.

Why would he go for the doorbell then?

She went to the peep hole and saw a hospital worker standing outside in his blue uniform.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened the door to find a huge pink colored travel baby cot covered with a net, in that worker's hands. Inside was a little newborn tucked neatly.

She kept staring at the new-ness of the baby's features although it wasn't something very unfamiliar to her, given her profession, and yet she had been caught off-guard by it.

The worker called out to Khushi and handed her the cot and a paper bag along with it. Her husband's name initials shining through the golden streaks it was carved through, into it.

Although, Khushi knew it had to be his child. After-all, she wasn't immune to the fact that Arnav had been mourning the death of a really long and serious relationship for ~what seemed to be like~ six months now.

And yet, when she asked about the father's name.

"Arnav Singh Raizada" Came the reply.

And her heart stuttered upon hearing the confirmation. She nodded at him in answer and he left.

Carefully, balancing the cot to not disturb the sleeping form, she closed and locked the door behind her.

She smiled at the beautiful form inside the cot. Warmth already filling up her insides.

A sudden jolt of realization of her husband's soon to be arrival, hit her and she ran inside their bedroom to finish freshening up, after carefully placing the cot on the bed.

She was sure she wasn't thinking when she hoped that he shouldn't find the cot soon enough. After-all who was she kidding with. He was her father.

And she also knew that Arnav still was not in a mental state where he would be able to look after a newborn.

For all she knew, he had himself turned into a five year old throwing tantrum as if his favorite lollipop had been taken away from him.

Anyways who was she to comment about him, when her own life had long become an endless loop of monotonicity of waking up going to the hospital, working there for about eight to ten hours of her duty and coming back only to sleep away for the remainder of the day.

The couch had somehow become her solace for the last six months after her marriage to the man himself, Arnav Singh Raizada. It weirdly represented her current condition: small, timid and cooped up inside her own shell of loneliness.

Having lost all hope of a blissful married life, Khushi had finally come to terms with the fact that maybe she would never be able to enjoy even a speck of happiness or peace in this life, for that matter.

Over the past six months, she had seen Arnav at his worst. She didn't know how long to wait for him until he decided to accept her.

Or perhaps that is just wishful thinking.

The rage, that had overtaken her from a few moments ago, was not the one from his rude or absolute cold behavior but more of a by-product of the situation lying in that cot in their bedroom.

As Arnav had gone completely dysfunctional after 'The Heart-Break' she knew that eventually she alone would have to take up the responsibility of the child. It was only a matter of time.

She wouldn't be able to prevent the inevitable. And she also knew that it wasn't in her nature to be wholly detached from everything going on around her. She won't be able to ignore that beautiful girl for much longer.

And then who knows. Suddenly one day that girl Myra will come back into his life and acquire her position of a doting wife and a mother.

However, that wasn't the painful part. The most heart-breaking reality that she knew would be

Her husband would happily embrace it without a second thought.

She jerked away from that chain of thoughts and registered the sight of her favorite park of the area. She sat down at one of the benches.

A woman with a baby, probably a newborn, came and sat next to her. The cry of the new-born was not unfamiliar to Khushi.

She looked at them through the corner of her eyes. The baby won't stop crying. The woman got tensed by each passing second. She looked around frantically.

"Please help me out. I can't seem to know what's wrong with her."

Khushi, on being asked for help, looked up at her gratefully and smiled. She reached over to take the little form in her arms.

Khushi looked down at her face, the new-ness in her features somewhat fascinating her. She slowly started rocking the little one and after several minutes the baby was completely quiet. Perhaps enjoying the feel of being in a different pair of arms.

The woman was amazed to say the least. "How did you do it so easily? Surely, you must be used to handling them everyday.", smiling she took the baby from her arms and walked away.

Khushi pondered over that statement for several minutes.

Was she used to handling newborns everyday?

Yes. Kind of.

Given her profession.

She started to head back towards her home.

Do I really look like I am a doctor to anyone at random?