36. Its Time #4
Her breathing had become uneven.
"It's not just..."
She swallowed hard before whispering,
"My... my water... broke."
Another painful contraction made her squeeze her eyes shut.
For a brief second...
Rakshit froze.
His heart skipped a beat.
His eyes instinctively dropped to the floor again before returning to Shivika.
Their baby...
The baby was coming.
Fear.
Excitement.
Nervousness.
Every emotion hit him at once.
But the moment he saw Shivika crying, he pushed every one of those feelings aside.
Right now...
She needed him.
Not his panic.
His strength.
He gently cupped her face with both hands.
"Hey..."
His thumbs carefully wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Look at me."
She slowly opened her eyes.
"There is nothing to be embarrassed about."
His voice was calm, steady, and full of reassurance.
"I know."
Rakshit's own eyes had become moist, but he refused to let his voice shake.
"I know, Ika. I wish I could take this pain away from you. If I could, I would bear every bit of it myself."
He carefully kissed her forehead.
He slipped one hand into hers, letting her hold it as tightly as she wanted.
His thumbs softly rubbed the back of her palms as he looked into her tear-filled eyes.
"Ika..."
His voice was steady despite the storm inside him.
"Let's go. We have to leave for the hospital."
Shivika immediately shook her head.
"No..."
Rakshit frowned.
"Ika, it's time. We have to go."
Another tear rolled down Shivika's cheek.
"Aksh..."
She looked down at her wet clothes before looking back at him with helpless eyes.
"I... I can't go like this."
Her voice broke.
"Please..."
Rakshit's heart clenched.
"Ika..."
"You need to change my clothes first."
She clutched his T-shirt tightly as another contraction suddenly gripped her body.
"Aah..."
She cried out, bending forward slightly.
"Please, Aksh... I can't go like this... I... I feel so dirty."
The desperation in her voice shattered him.
A lone tear escaped Rakshit's eye.
Not because of the mess.
Not because they were getting late.
But because his brave wife, who was about to bring their child into the world, was apologizing and pleading in the middle of her pain.
He immediately cupped her face.
"Hey... baccha please don't cry. I will help you. Don't say please."
His thumb wiped away her tears.
Rakshit took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed.
"Come. I'll clean you."
Without wasting another second, he carefully wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting almost all of her weight.
With slow, careful steps, he helped her inside the washroom.
Every movement was gentle, as though she were the most fragile person in the world.
"You don't have to worry about anything," he whispered.
"I'm here. I'll take care of the rest."
Rakshit carefully helped Shivika stand with the support of the washbasin.
"Hold this for just a minute, okay?" he said gently.
Shivika nodded weakly.
Making sure she was balanced, Rakshit hurried to the wardrobe and quickly took out the comfortable clothes.
Within seconds, he was back beside her.
With slow, careful movements, he helped her change into the fresh clothes, making sure every movement was gentle so she wouldn't feel any more discomfort than she already did.
Once she was changed, he took out a packet of wet wipes and soaked a soft towel with warm water.
He looked at her for a brief moment, silently asking for permission to help her get cleaned up.
Shivika gave a small nod.
Without making her feel awkward or embarrassed, Rakshit respectfully helped her clean up as much as possible after her water had broken, keeping his attention entirely on her comfort and dignity.
"Am I hurting you anywhere?" he asked quietly.
She slowly shook her head.
"No..."
"Tell me immediately if anything feels uncomfortable."
"Hmm..."
After helping her clean up, Rakshit respectfully helped her into a fresh pair of underwear from beneath her dress, taking utmost care not to make her feel uncomfortable. He then adjusted her dress neatly before stepping back, making sure she was comfortable and ready to leave.
Only when he was satisfied that she was comfortable did he straighten up.
Another contraction made Shivika grip the edge of the basin tightly.
Rakshit was beside her instantly.
"I've got you."
He gently slipped one arm around her waist while holding her hand firmly with the other.
"Lean on me. You don't have to walk alone."
The doctor told him not to pick her up as it can cause risk to her and the baby.
Taking slow, careful steps, he guided her out of the washroom.
Every few steps, he paused to ask, "Are you okay?"
Shivika simply nodded, putting all her trust in him.
Together, they slowly walked out of the bedroom, through the living room, and towards the main door.
Rakshit locked the house with one hand, never once letting go of Shivika with the other.
His entire focus remained on the woman beside him...
And the little life they were about to welcome into the world.