37. Labour Pain #3
"You don't have to look anywhere else. Just look at me."
She slowly shifted her tear-filled eyes towards him.
The monitor suddenly began showing another contraction building.
The doctor immediately became alert.
"Contraction coming."
She moved closer.
"Okay, Shivika... Take a deep breath. Deep breath..."
"Now..."
"PUSH!"
The pain exploded through Shivika's body.
She cried loudly before trying to push.
Every muscle in her body strained.
Her fingers crushed Rakshit's hand.
Within seconds, her strength gave out.
She fell back against the bed, breathing heavily.
"I..." she cried between breaths.
"I can't..."
Her voice cracked.
"I can't do this..."
The doctor immediately remained calm.
"No, Shivika."
"You can. You need to try again."
Shivika shook her head repeatedly.
"No... It hurts... It hurts so much... I can't..."
Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
She wasn't refusing because she lacked courage.
She was simply exhausted.
Her body had reached a point where it no longer believed it had anything left to give.
The doctor gently held her shoulder.
"Listen to me carefully. I know you're tired. I know this is painful. But your baby is depending on you. If you don't push properly, labour may not progress."
She paused to make sure Shivika understood every word.
"And if labour doesn't progress... It can become risky for both you and your baby."
The room became silent.
Those words echoed inside Rakshit's mind.
Risk...
For both of them.
He felt his heartbeat stop for a second.
His grip around Shivika's hand tightened instinctively.
The doctor continued gently,
"I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying this because I know you can do it. You've already come this far. Just trust your body."
Another contraction started building.
Shivika immediately began crying again.
"I can't... I really can't..."
Rakshit quickly leaned closer until she could see only him.
He carefully cupped her face despite wearing sterile gloves.
"Baccha..."
His voice was soft.
Painfully soft.
"Look at me."
She somehow opened her eyes.
"You CAN."
His eyes had become red again.
"Because I've seen you fight battles much harder than this. You remember the first day you felt scared after knowing about the baby? You thought your whole world had ended."
"But look where you are today."
He gently placed her trembling hand over her own stomach.
"Our baby has heard your heartbeat every single day. Our baby knows only one home..."
"You."
"So now..."
"Our little one needs mumma to help just one more time."
Shivika burst into tears.
"It hurts..."
"I know."
"It feels like I'm breaking..."
"I know."
"I'm scared..."
"I know, baccha."
His own voice cracked.
"But you are not breaking. You are bringing our baby into this world. And I couldn't be more proud of you."
A tear escaped from Rakshit's own eyes.
"I wish I could take even one contraction from you. I wish I could lie here instead. But I can't. So let me do the only thing I can."
He kissed her forehead.
Outside this room, many people often questioned why husbands should even be present during childbirth.
"What can he possibly do?"
"He isn't the one giving birth."
"He'll only stand there."
But moments like these answered every question.
A husband could not push for his wife.
He could not lessen her contractions.
He could not replace her pain.
He could not bring the baby into the world for her.
But he could remind her she wasn't facing that pain alone.
Sometimes, emotional support became as important as medical treatment.
The monitor suddenly rose sharply again.
The doctor immediately looked at Shivika.
"Sir."
She addressed Rakshit without taking her eyes off the monitor.
"Please help her focus on her breathing."
Rakshit nodded instantly.
He moved even closer.
Their foreheads almost touched.
"Breathe with me, baccha."
"In..."
He took a slow breath.
She copied him.
"Out..."
Again.
"Very good."
The doctor looked at Shivika.
"Alright."
"Big breath."
"Hold it..."
"And..."
"PUSH!"
Shivika cried out, but this time, instead of pulling away from the pain...
She pushed through it.
Her entire body strained.
Every muscle worked together.
Rakshit held her hand firmly.
"That's it!"
"You're doing it!"
"I'm so proud of you, baccha!"
"Don't stop!"
"Our baby is coming!"
"You can do this!"
"You are doing this!"
The room filled once again with Shivika's cries...
But this time...
Hidden beneath every scream...
Was determination.
Because every time she felt like giving up...
The hand wrapped around hers reminded her...
She wasn't fighting alone.
The labour room grew heavier with every passing second. The earlier encouragement had now turned into urgency.
Shivika lay completely exhausted, her entire body trembling uncontrollably. Sweat soaked her hair, her breathing had become shallow, and every contraction seemed to steal whatever little strength she had left.
The doctor checked her quickly before her expression turned serious.
"Shivika, listen to me carefully. I can already see the baby's head. You have come this far, but if you stop pushing now, it can become dangerous for both you and the baby. I need one last strong push."
Shivika weakly shook her head, tears slipping silently from the corners of her eyes. "I... can't... I don't have any strength left, Aksh... I can't..."
Rakshit's heart clenched painfully as he saw her eyelids slowly closing. Panic immediately took over him.
"Ika... no." He gently cupped her face, patting her cheek softly. "Look at me, baccha... look at me."
Her eyes fluttered open for barely a second before closing again.
"Sir, don't let her lose consciousness," the doctor instructed while preparing for the delivery. "Keep talking to her."
Rakshit felt fear unlike anything he had ever known. For the first time since entering the labour room, his hands shook visibly.
"Baccha..." His voice cracked as he rested his forehead against hers. "I know it hurts. I know you're tired... but don't leave me like this. Please. Just look at me once."
Shivika managed to open her eyes slightly.
He smiled through his tears.
Another contraction hit with full force.
The doctor immediately said, "Contraction is here! Deep breath... and push, Shivika! This is the last one."
Shivika cried out loudly but still hesitated.
Rakshit tightened his grip around her hand. "Come on, Ika... just this once. Give me one last push. After this, I'll never ask anything this difficult from you again. Please, baccha..."
With tears streaming down her face, Shivika gathered the last bit of strength left inside her.
She pushed.
"Again!" the doctor encouraged. "You're doing it! I can see the head... just one more... don't stop now!"
Rakshit kept looking into her eyes.
"That's it... that's my Ika... just a little more. Our baby is almost here."
Summoning everything she had left, Shivika gave one final push before collapsing back against the bed, completely drained.
For one terrifying second...
The entire labour room fell silent.
Rakshit forgot how to breathe.
His heart silently begged for just one sound...
One tiny sound.
And then-
A sharp, powerful cry echoed through the labour room.
For a moment, time itself stood still.
The doctor's tense face finally softened into a smile as the newborn cried once again, louder than before.
Rakshit's eyes filled instantly.
His knees almost gave way.
A broken laugh escaped through his tears as he lowered his forehead against Shivika's hand, pressing countless grateful kisses over it.