Chapter 5 #3
I quickly touched my neck with shaking fingers and took a few hurried steps back from him.
Tears welled in my eyes. He stood half-naked, and I shook my head, mentally screaming at myself to indulge his foolish adventures.
“Ranaji asked me to tell you to write a letter to Mahableshgarh,” I repeated, stepping away from him before scurrying off.
It couldn’t happen. No.
I couldn’t feel that way about him. I shouldn’t have gone there.
I hurried back to Nandani’s chamber and found her lying on the bed, the curtains drawn, her loud, agonising screams echoing in the chamber.
I glanced at the physicians beside her.
“When will she be able to deliver?” Ranaji asked, worry evident in his eyes.
I turned to the physicians for their response. “The baby’s feet are on the left, while the head is on the right. We need to wait until his head moves down.”
Ranaji inhaled deeply and gently stroked Nandani’s head. “Until then, will she endure the pain?” he asked, and the physicians nodded.
“Yes, we must wait until the child turns around.”
Her screams grew louder, and I walked toward her with wobbly legs. I held her hand.
She looked at me. “Suman…” she burst into painful cries, and I caressed her hand with my shaky fingers.
“It’s alright, it’s alright, just calm down,” I said, and she breathed in deeply, her chest rising and falling.
“We should have her clothes changed first,” the physician said, and I quickly responded.
“I’ll find something for her to wear.”
Getting out of bed, I rushed to her dressing room. As I searched through her trunks, I found the gown she needed and returned to the bedroom.
“Jiji,” Princess Aishwarya called out, dashing into the bedroom. She adjusted the dupatta on her head, noticing Ranaji, and settled onto the bed beside me.
Ranaji left Nandani’s hand, saying, “I’ll be back.”
She nodded to him.
Princess Aishwarya and I helped her sit. She groaned in pain as we removed all her jewellery. Princess Aishwarya untied the strings of Nandani’s blouse while I pulled her skirt off.
I assisted her in putting on the gown before she lay back on the bed.
Her screams persisted until midnight. We tried to feed her, but she was too weak to eat. However, Ranaji insisted she eat something while the physicians worked to reposition the baby in her womb.
“Get warm water,” the physician instructed. I immediately stepped out of bed and hurried to the kitchen. It was late at night, and no one was around.
“Suno,”
“Listen.” Kunwar-sa’s voice caught my attention. I turned to look at him.
“Ji,” I asked.
The fire had gone out in the stove, so I rushed to gather some wood. Kneeling before the small stove, I added the wood and looked around for the fire torch.
“How is Bhabhi-sa now?” he asked, squatting beside me. He seemed upset.
“She’s in pain,” I said, trembling, rushing toward the torch to bring it to the stove.
Kneeling again, I tried to light the fire, but my nervous, sweaty hands made it hard to focus. Memories of that day flooded my mind.
I attempted to ignore them, but the screams and heat of that day surged through my nerves, and tears flowed down my cheeks.
“Give me that.” He took the fire torch from my hand, and I stepped back.
I looked at my shaking fingers, drawing my knees tightly to my chest. Confusion overwhelmed me as my heart raced and my breath turned shallow. In an instant, I felt a desperate struggle to breathe. I closed my eyes, attempting to soothe my chest with gentle rubs.
I heard the distant sound of his placing the water-filled vessel on the stove. Suddenly, he wrapped his arm around me, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears.
“It’s alright, take a deep breath, she’ll be fine,” he said, caressing my arm.
I tightened my fist around his wrist, turned slightly, and pressed my face against his chest. Then I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his hand resting on my head.
“Calm down; you need to give her strength. It’s okay; everything is fine,” he said, and I tried not to look at the fire.
He shifted in front of me, obstructing the view of the fire, and I attempted to calm my pounding heartbeat.
“Focus on your breathing,” he said, rubbing my back. “Calm down.”
I didn’t know what was happening to me, but his words kept me grounded. He kept caressing my head until my heartbeat and breathing returned to a normal rhythm. The water had warmed up, and I tried to stand.
“I have to go,” my voice wavered.
He looked at me and suggested, “I’ll take it.”
I immediately shook my head and pushed his hand away. “You can’t,” I said, standing up, grabbing the edges of the vessels with the cloth.
I hastened back to Nandani’s chamber. Her screams had only grown louder. I placed the vessel near the physicians.
The sight of blood flowing down her legs frightened me. Princess Aishwarya offered strength, muttering encouraging words, and gently caressed her head.
Ranaji entered and sat beside her, taking her hand. “Come on, Nandani,” he said, prompting her to cry out loudly.
Her anguished screams made my knees weak. But I couldn’t just leave like that. The memories of lying on that pyre clouded my vision.
I blinked, attempting to clear my thoughts, but it felt impossible.
“Come on, Nandani, push!” Ranaji urged, as she threw her legs and stretched her body in pain.
“I can’t, Rudra! I can’t!” Her screams grew louder, and I did my best to assist the physicians with whatever they needed, trying not to focus on those painful thoughts.
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