Lia was fast asleep when she began to feel suffocatingly sandwiched between something warm and extremely soft on both sides. Her mind woke up from its slumber because of the discomfort and she tried to peel herself free from the constraints. But, due to lack of flexibility and strength paired with the fact that her exhausted body was still asleep she couldn't work out her way.
In the silence of the night she heard people breathing softly and evenly on both sides of her face. Something soft yet heavy was weighing down her arm and snaked around her neck, buring itself into her body on one side. On the other side, something was tightly clinching to her chest as well as her upper belly and was practically glued to her back.
Lia began to feel hot and dizzy. Her chest felt extremely tight due to the lack of oxygen. She tried to take deep breaths but the constraints restricted her air intake. She tossed and turned like a fish out of the water. But in reality, her feeble movements made little to no difference on the constraints.
She was almost completely out of breath when slowly the constraints peeled themselves off her and she could breath again. Also she didn't feel sandwiched anymore making it easy for her to quickly regain composure. Once she felt she was stable again she drifted back to sleep.
The next morning.....
Lia woke up to the beautiful melody of the koel, singing somewhere out in the garden. She opened her eyes with an uneasy feeling. Last night's weird experience still lingered in her mind. She saw the oxygen mask which Surbhi removed yesterday somehow made its way back on her face.
' So it wasn't just a dream, I really did run out of breath last night. ' she thought looking out of the window where the morning sun was brightly shining above them.
" Good Morning..." Surbhi greeted her in a whispering tone and helped her sit up. She then turned off the oxygen supply and removed the mask just like yesterday.
" Dr. Surbhi.." Lia started hesistantly. " What happened to me last night? Why was the oxygen mask back? "
Surbhi didn't respond to her directly, simply gestured her toward the opposite wall with a secret smile playing on her lips.
Lia felt slightly dubious of Surbhi, especially after seeing her eyes glimmer so radiantly with a mischievous excitement. She had no idea what was going on therefore, she obediently did as asked, hoping to find some grip of what Surbhi was up to.
Looking at the wall Surbhi indicated, Lia found the entire wall beautifully decorated with balloons, streamers and other stuff. In the centre of the wall handmade cut-outs of various English lettters were stuck. Together they read ' YOUR BUNDLES OF JOY '.
' Bundles of joy? What's that suppose to mean? ' Failing to grasp the hint, Lia turned to Surbhi when it just clicked to her!
" ..... " ' Bundles of joy!! ' she thought.' Her!! Bundles of joy..Her baby!! '
As realisation sunk into her, an array of emotions played on her mythical face. From realisation to joy, followed by excitment and finally at a loss.
Her deep violet eyes were overflowing with tears drench her face.
She now looked at Surbhi with her heart full of doubts and uncertainties, bursting into tears. She didn't dare to believe what her thoughts were telling her.
Even though she spent the whole night, anxiously waiting for this very moment, when the moment finally present itself to her she was too scared to believe its reality.
Sitting beside Lia, Surbhi quietly observed her changing expressions.
She had an acute understanding of Lia's uncertainties and fears. Having once faced similar ordeals in her life and the effect it had on her motherhood was exactly same as that of Lia. Thus, she knew where she was coming from.
When broke down to tears, she embraced her compassionately and encouraged patiently.
" Its okay, Lia... Its absolutely okay. " She said soothingly while gently stroking her soft hair as Lia cried in arms.
She was like a scared little girl who was too afraid to meet someone whom she had lost a long time ago.
Crying for about a minute or so, Lia managed to pull herself out of her emotional breakdown.
" Wh..What if they hate me?? What.. if they don't want me?? I have never been around them and now suddenly..." Still choked in her cries Lia slowly began to speak up. Unfortunately, before she could finish Surbhi placed a single finger on her lips, forbidding her to continue any further.
" Listen to me, Lia!! And listen very carefully. No matter what happens, your children will never hate you. Because the bond you all share comes from here. " Surbhi said placing a hand on Lia's womb.
" You think so?? " Lia was still not convinced as she clueless to what motherhood actually meant. For all this time, her circumstances had deprived her from the whole process of motherhood. And now, it was suddenly thrusted on to her face.
So obviously, she felt self conscious and doubtful.
"I know so!! " Surbhi promptly replied wiping away Lia's tears. Saying that she immediately turned Lia's face to the other side of her bed without giving her any chance to react.
With her face turned so abruptly, bone cracking sounds escaped from her neck thanks to her body stiffness.
Despite of that, Lia didn't complain. Her focus was now on the swollen quilt beside her that was rising and falling
Lia was totally flabbergasted.
She quickly turned to Surbhi, who nodded to her in acknowledgement with a fond smile and whispered.
" Happy Birthday!!! Today you are born as a mother..."
She looked at the quilt which was rising and falling in a uniform rhythm indicating that the person underneath was still asleep.
Lia was overwhelmed with anxiety as she gently removed the quilt to see her baby. To her surprise, there were two tiny human beings snuggling close to each other with their eyes tightly shut ; a boy and a girl.
" They are fraternal twins. " Surbhi whispered as she watched the beautiful moment unfold itself. " Last night they snuck into your room and hugged you to sleep. But because of your weak body, you couldn't handle their weight. That's why you felt suffocated. " Surbhi explained.
Lia looked at the pair of sleeping children in daze. They were her...children!
The feeling was surreal and nothing compared to what she anticipated. In fact, it was much more than that.
They made all her sufferings, hardships, torture and all the dark hopeless times when she was struggling in the abyss of darkness worth it.
Actually no... Even all those combined together was not worth counting compared to the joy and happiness she was feeling now.
Lia timidly extended her hand towards the children but retracted herself midway. She was too afraid. She feltit was just a dream and the children would disappear if she touched, leaving her all alone once again.
Surbhi keenly understood Lia's hesitation and encouraged her patiently. She knew that Lia was none better than a mother who had just given birth, even though she had given birth six years ago. " This is not a dream Miss Lia. They are not a dream. They are very much real. As real as your hardships. They stood unwaveringly beside you in your darkest hour, now it's your turn to bring light into their lives. " Tears glistened in her eyes. She was the eye witness of the children's struggles, hope and endless patience. " They want you more than anything in the world and its the best way you can make it upto them for the lost time. "
Surbhi sat on the other side of the bed and was gently stroke their tiny round heads.
With Surbhi's encouragement, Lia stroke the little boy's tiny head beyond carefully. She was a little loss herself , unsure of where to to touch him. It was as if her touch might end up hurt him.
Feeling the warm and gentle touch on his forehead, the little boy's lips curled up to a mesmerising smile. Because he was sleeping right next to Lia he snuggled even closer and glued himself to her.
At the little boy's innocent actions, Lia's heart brusted with an indescribable sense joy ; something she never knew even existed.
It's just as Surbhi said, today Lia was born as a mother. There was a whole new world before her, where she would learn new things, make new achievements, experience new emotions and most of all she would walk through this new world with her two little companions.
After feeling somewhat confident in her actions, Lia began to closely observe the little boy.
With his smooth, silky, jet-black hair, tiny blush pink lips, milky white-jade like skin, a youthful, exquisitely angelic face with a tint of rose in his cheeks, upturned pairs of jet black lashes, a small frame that still contained some baby fat , the boy was absolutely ethereal even when compared to the cupids.
' Lord Icarus really went all out for me. ' she thought as she continued to stroke his hair.
She then reach out to the little girl who was sleeping with her back toward Lia. She was equally careful with her as well. The girl snuggled under the covers at her touch. Although Lia couldn't see her face, she could easily gauge that her daughter was at par with her son when it came to looks with her equally smooth, silky, jet-black hair and milky white jade-like skin.
Her heart was filled with love and compassion to which she never knew she could even possess. She thanked Carlos and Lutfa for insisting her to come back otherwise, these innocent ones would have been forced to live a dead life.
But soon after, an unbearable weight of guilt weighed down upon her heart and soul. She recalled everything Father Abraham told her last night. Tears began to weld up in eyes as she swallowed her cry.
" No Miss Lia, don't. " Surbhi said placing a hand on Lia's shoulder. " They never once blamed you for anything. Instead, they've willing expected their destiny and have been actively praying for your recovery. Trust me when I say I understand why you feel the way you do. But from today onwards your priorities must change. From now on what you feel isn't of importance but, what they think is. Therefore, you must let go of your guilt, Miss Lia otherwise soon or later they will catch on with it and if that happens then their self-confidence would be ruined for ever. "
Lia gave Surbhi a nod but said nothing. Her gaze was fixed on her children who were still stead fast asleep completely oblivious of the heavy conversation that was going on between the two adults.
Just then something like a current ran through her entire body. Her hand that was stroking her daughter's head also stopped and she mumbled with a frown. " Women are weak but mothers are strong ; women will die but, mothers will kill. "
Surbhi saw Lia's sudden change but asked nothing. Given her experience, Lia must have remembered something from her past.
And she was right!
Those words were indeed something that Lia had once heard but right now she couldn't recall as to when and where.
Lost in her thoughts Lia continued to gently stroke the little girl when suddenly, she turned flat on her back and stretched out her tiny hands. Then slowly opened her sleepy eyes to the glistening sunlight.