“The house looks ready for Christmas, does it?”
“Yeah, looks like.” Vikram presses a hand at the small of her back while she cradles Kabeer in her arms.
“Who lives here that has done all this decoration?” Natasha darts her eyes to the done-up porch. The clean pebbled-stone walkway through which they have reached the porch and the cushioned rattan chairs without a speck of dust on it. The entire farmhouse glows like a beacon in the early morning light.
“Perhaps, the housekeeper. Aunt Leena never married. This is her property. Her most favorite possession that she handed over to me before bidding adieu to this world.” Vikram guides Natasha inside the house.
“Oh, I’m sorry. She lived here all alone, by herself?”
“Yes. I used to visit her during summers. But then I went to Italy along with Mom and never got to see her again in real life. When she died, I got a call from her attorney that she had left a legacy for me. A few years later, I got one more call, again from an attorney. This time it was Dad’s attorney informing me about his death and his will.” Vikram adjusts a cushion behind Natasha’s back as she sits on the silk upholstered couch. He then perches next to her. “I often feel guilty for not being with her in her last moments.”
“Your mom needed you too, Vicky. It’s hard to overcome the bitterness of a failed relationship. No matter how strong you portray yourself from outside. Inside, it shakes you to the core. Did you keep in touch with your aunt while being away from her?”
“Oh, yeah. We’d been always in touch with each other.”
“You did the right thing, Vicky. Don’t blame yourself.” Natasha places a hand on the top of Vikram’s.
“Thank you, Natz. Thank you for everything. Thank you for moving in with me. You are not going to have an army of servants here, but I think the old housemaid would help you with anything. She’s old and wise and can even help you with handling Kabeer.”
“Oh, you’re right. He’s getting naughtier day by day. I would certainly need help handling him.” Natasha caresses Kabeer’s soft forehead with a finger and just as she does that, the baby squirms in her arms.
“Waking time. Yay!” Natasha smiles. The baby opens his shiny eyes and gazes his mom. A soft gasp escapes from his tiny little mouth followed by a faint cough.
“He’s fine?” Vikram leans over and glances at the baby.
“Yeah. Some common cold, I guess. He’ll be fine.” Natasha wipes the baby’s nose with a soft hankie off any mucus and phlegm.
“You guys should take some rest. I’ll go and check if Venkatamma has arranged the bedroom or not. Wait here. I'll be back in a few.”
“Yeah.”
Vikram rises from the couch and goes to the lobby. Natasha hears the door opening.
Natasha admires the comeliness of the house. Though she’s never been to this house before, it feels like her own home. It’s warm and cozy. The living room boasts a big fireplace with newly formed fire, some antique pieces of art hanging above the mantle.
She feels tired. Night’s fatigue feels heavy on her eyelids and her head begs for a pillow. She fantasizes the idea of having an hour-long power nap. Natasha smiles as she gazes Kabeer.
Kabeer again coughs and this time his cough worries Natasha. She lifts the baby on her shoulder, covers him up with his blanket and rises from the couch.
“Come. The bedroom is this way.” Natasha sees Vikram coming into the living room. He then reaches out to her and places a hand at the small of her back.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Natasha wakes up to a soft gasp. She hears the baby cough as she slithers closer to the cradle. Pushing herself to a sitting position, she bends down and picks the baby up in her arms. The sun has risen and the whole room is basking in the glory of the morning sun. The room is silent, warm and comfortable. Yet, the baby in Natasha’s arm squirms with discomfort.
Her baby is not well. Natasha wipes his nose again before lifting him on her shoulder and dropping her feet on the carpet. She covers the infant with his baby wrap and trudges out of the room. Sleep is yet not ready to leave her.
She scrambles to the lobby and then to the living room. A woman with her head full of salt-and-pepper hair looks busy with a steaming pot on the cooktop.
She must be Venkatamma. Natasha thought.
The baby coughs again and the lady turns around at once. “Baby not well, Amma.”
“Yeah, some cold. Do you have something for him?”
“Wait up there. We’ll give the baby some steam. And will massage his chest with warm mustard oil. All cough and cold would go like it was never there before.”
“Thank you.” Natasha smiles.
Natasha is in her thoughts when the maid brings a basin of hot boiling water and places it near Natasha’s feet. “Sit down with a blanket over your head.” The old lady covers Natasha and the baby with a woolen blanket. Soon the steam begins to rise and starts reaching Natasha and the sick infant. The baby appears relatively less fussy.
A few minutes pass by.
“Take the baby to the room. Feed him and make him sleep. I’ll get some warm oil. Will massage his chest. Don’t worry, Amma, he’ll be fine by the evening.” The old woman takes the blanket away, folds it and places it on the couch.
“Thank you.” Natasha smiles rising on her feet.
“Take care of the baby. He looks very weak. Aren’t you feeding him with your own milk, are you?” The old lady asks, suspiciously.
“Of course, I’m giving him my milk.”
“Good that you are,” the old woman says and then she scrambles past Natasha, muttering something in a local dialect that Natasha couldn’t understand.
A little strange personality but she’s helpful. Her steam therapy worked, and the infant was soon fast asleep.
The moment Natasha reaches the bedroom, she hears her phone vibrate. Tucking the baby in his cradle, she grabs her mobile phone vibrating vigorously on the side table.
“Hello.”
“Hey beautiful. Awake?”
“You already on the site, are you?”
“Yeah, I had to take care of certain things. I’m on the way back home. Get ready and we’ll go out for some shopping, followed by a dinner at Moonlight Cafe. What do you say?”
“Umm… sounds like a great idea. Can we stop by at Cosmos? I want to surprise Sam.”
“Sure. How’s the little one doing?”
“He’s caught some cold, Vicky. But Venkatamma's steam treatment worked wonders. He’s better and sleeping now.”
“Oh.” He sounds worried. “Do you want me to fix an appointment with the doctor?”
“Don't you worry. He’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“Great! I’ll see you in a few, darling.”
“I’m waiting for you.”
His soft chuckle strums the chords of Natasha’s heart and fills it up with divine feelings of love and togetherness. How much she has started missing Vikram. How much she has become addicted to him. It’s only been a few hours since he’s away, and she is missing him like she has not seen him for centuries.
What a crazy little thing love is?
Natasha feels her lips curving into a smile. She gazes at sleeping Kabeer and feels her heart swell with happiness. God has given her everything, and she should be thankful for all the love and happiness He has bestowed upon her. Last Christmas she was like a wilted winter leaf when this year she feels like the happiest woman alive.
Indeed, if love brings pain, it brings happiness too.
***
Soft morning sunlight streams in through the glass windows. The room is warm and cozy. Cuddled in Vikram’s arm, Natasha doesn’t feel like getting up at all. But she has been hearing pots and pans banging in the kitchen for the past few minutes. Maybe, the housemaid is awake and is busy preparing breakfast for them. She wants to go and help the old lady with cooking. Thinking that, Natasha slowly frees herself from Vikram’s arms. Next, she forces herself out of the bed and reaches Kabeer’
s cradle. He’s asleep but Natasha notices a film of dried up mucus sticking around his tiny nose. Natasha tries to wipe it away with wet wipes and just as she touches Kabeer, a wave of dread lances through her. She touches his forehead. His skin is hot. He’s running a fever. She looks at the luggage. Most of the stuff is still packed in suitcases. Natasha quickly reaches the duffel bag which contains all the important things of the infant. His clothes, diapers, wet wipes, and of course thermometer. Natasha pulls out a small plastic pouch, unzips it and picks out the digital thermometer. She scrambles to the cradle and presses the device's tip on Kabeer’s forehead.
Hundred and four.
A bead of cold sweat runs down her spine. She gazes at the sleeping infant and then her gaze wanders to Vikram.
She gasps. Tears sting her eyes. She picks the sleeping infant out of his bed and presses him close to her chest. Natasha could notice that Kabeer’s breathing is shallow and his nostrils are flared up.
“What happened?” Vikram’s sleepy voice enters Natasha ears and she spins around. She notices him rubbing his eyes and yawning.
“He’s having high fever, Vicky. We need to take him to the doctor.” Natasha feels her voice choking in her throat as she tries to wake the baby up. For a split second, the infant opens his eyes and then shuts them again.
“Need not worry. I’ll fix an appointment with the doctor. You get ready.” Vikram drops his feet on the carpet. Next moment, he rushes to the en-suite. Within minutes, he’s ready.
“Let’s get going,” Vikram hollers rushing out of the room.
Chapter Forty
“The baby is in respiratory distress. We need to do some investigations," the doctor with a head full of dark curly hair speaks. She adjusts her glasses on her button nose before puckering her lips and writing something down on her notepad.
“What investigations, doctor?” Vikram asks.
“Chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia. We also need to do a blood test to look out for any signs of infection and a complete blood count to make sure that he's fighting well against infection.”
“What?” A shudder rakes through Natasha’s body.
“Easy, Natz,” Vikram whispers, stroking Natasha’s back.
“We have to admit the baby to the NICU to look out for any signs of trouble breathing. I’m putting him on oxygen for now. If his condition stabilizes, we will wean him off oxygen.” The doctor hands the prescription to Vikram. “Sister take them to Neonatal Unit and make all arrangements for the inpatient admission," the doctor orders the pink uniformed nurse.
“NICU. Oxygen. I don’t get it. It started with a common cold, cough and runny nose. How can you say he’s suffering from pneumonia and is in respiratory…?”
“We have to do a chest x-ray to find out if it’s pneumonia. He’s having some wheezing also. He needs bronchodilator treatment and that’s why we must keep him in the hospital and since he’s an infant, I recommend NICU. I hope you’re convinced, now. This is in your baby’s best interest,” the doctor speaks and then gestures the nurse.
“He’ll be fine, Natz.” Vikram strokes Natasha’s back holding her hand. Pushing back the chair, she stands on wobbly feet. The nurse takes the baby from her and requests them to follow her.
Soon, they are walking in a corridor that ends into a glass-paneled room.
“Only one person at a time,” the nurse speaks at the glass door of what looks like a sterile chamber. From the glass, Natasha peers inside and see a few babies lying on tiny baby beds.
“You go,” Vikram says, pressing a hand at her back. The nurse opens the door and the next moment Natasha finds herself standing inside the NICU.
Natasha follows the nurse to a baby bed. The nurse lays the baby down on the bed and attaches a few equipment to the sleeping infant’s body with wires. She then puts an oxygen mask on him, covering his nose and mouth. With that, the ordeal deemed to be complete and Natasha is asked to leave the NICU.
While walking backwards, Natasha turns around. Her teary eyes capture her baby’s image and then she closes them and lets the tears fall.
***
Vikram presses the cell phone against his ear and speaks, “Yes, Keshav.”
“Hey, dude. How are you?”
“I’m okay. Tell me what’s the progress.”
“As expected, everything is set up for the evening auction. You’re coming to the auction, Vikram, are you?”
“No. I can’t make it. My son is not well.”
“Oh. My thoughts are with you, Vicky. He’ll be great. Don’t worry about anything.”
“Keep me informed. I want to know who buys the enterprise.” A low grunt escapes Vikram’s lips
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything and keep on texting you about the bids. But there isn’t much of a guesswork as to who raises the highest bid and grabs the deal.”
“What do you mean?” Vikram narrows his eyes and speaks just when he feels a body sliding in the chair next to his. He turns only to find Natasha sinking in the adjacent leather chair. Her face is ashen, and eyes are teary. Vikram wants to finish the call and focus all his attention on Natasha but he must know what the hell Keshav is talking about.
“Purohits are fighting tooth and nail to grab the deal. There’s no doubt that they are going to be the highest bidder.”
“Hmm. Mister Purohit is not a new player in this game. The reason he’s ready to bet anything and everything for the crumbling empire might be his daughter’s keenness on acquiring the company. Let the father-daughter duo play any card they might want to play. We only want the money so that we can repay the debts, give it back to the customers, and distribute it among the staff members.”
“Got it, boss. Will keep in touch.”
“Take care, Keshav and… Thank you.”
“Oh, come on Vicky. You need not thank me. You never did.”
“I know.” Vikram let out a faint chuckle and after a quick goodbye, he disconnects the call, shoves the mobile phone back in his pocket and drifts his eyes to Natasha.
“You okay?” Vikram places a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah.” She nods.
Chapter Forty-One
Vikram glares the screen of his mobile phone. It’s been twelve hours since he talked to Keshav. The fool told him that he’ll keep him informed about the recent developments. The auction must have finished, and someone must have already acquired the company, yet no text or call from Keshav.
How could he forget to call me?
Vikram texted him many times. He even called him but every time he called the call went straight to the voice machine.
Fuck! Who the hell has bought Jaysingh Enterprises?
Vikram slams a foot in the marble floor while sitting on the leather couch of the hospital lobby. His eyes wander to Natasha who is lying on the front sofa. Eyes half-closed, teary, an arm resting on her forehead. She’s constantly gazing the false roofing and the hanging chandelier.
They haven’t even heard anything from the NICU staff, or the nurses or the doctors. At least, Keshav would have called him and told him that everything went smooth.
I hope Purohit and his daughter must not have created an odd situation that could interfere with the auction thingy.
Vikram is in his thoughts when he hears footsteps approaching penetrating the sullen silence of the hospital lobby.
“Mister and Missus Jaysingh, Doctor Chinmaya wants to talk to you.”
“How’s the baby?”
“Meet the doctor in her room.” Instead of answering Vikram’s question, the nurse motions her index to the corridor that leads to the doctor’s room and to the NICU.
Next moment, she’s gone. Vikram sees Natasha rising on her feet. Her lips quiver but nothing comes out of her mouth. Her eyes grow narrow and then a solitary tear escapes her left eye and rolls down her cheek.
He holds her cold trembling hand and rushes to the doctor’s room.
***
“Your son is not responding to exter
nal stimuli. We’ve to put him on the ventilator.”
“Ventilator you mean life support system.” Natasha feels panic rising in her throat.
“Kind of. We must try everything to normalize his breathing. Please sign the consent form so that we can put him on the device.” The doctor passes a sheet of white paper printed with black letters secured on the writing pad with hooks.
Vikram grabs the writing pad and begins filling the form.
“Wait a sec,” Natasha cries, “I want to see my child. It could be he responds to my touch.”
“I’m sorry, Missus Jaysingh but the baby’s condition is unstable and unless and until it stabilizes, we can’t let you touch or even see him.”
“What the hell. I’m his mother. You can’t stop me from seeing him. I’m going to him,” Natasha blurts. She pushes the chair so hard it would have almost fallen.
“Calm down, Natz. We're here for our baby’s sake. Please. Relax.”
“How can I relax Vikram when my baby is struggling for life? Damn. Why the hell it all happens to me? Can’t God see me happy? Whenever it feels that everything is perfect, something happens and then it’s all sad and dark. I’m sick of this charade. I hate myself. I hate everyone.” Natasha covers her face with hands.
“I’m sorry, doctor. I’ve signed the form, please go ahead.”
Natasha hears Vikram speak and then he wraps an arm around her. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go. Let them do their work. Everything will be fine.”
Natasha burrows her face in Vikram’s chest. Her feet give away. She feels weakness creeping around her.
The moment they reach the hospital lobby, she drops herself down on the couch and sags into it like a heap of slag.
An hour passes by.
Perhaps two.
Possibly three.
Sun seeps in through the windowpane. The dark night is over. Natasha gazes at the morning sun and Kabeer’s cute face flashes in her mind’s eyes. She can’t wait anymore. She’s going to see her son. No matter what. She turns to Vikram who’s sprawled on the sofa in a half-lying position. His head is thrown back and his long legs are stretched on the marble floor.
Accidentally Ever After Page 16
