Bring Back the Touch

The rain drops were fresh on the grass and the cold air was blowing gently as the leaves rustled. The continuous downpour through the night had kept me awake. The military barrack where the Command Hospital is located in Pune is almost forty kilometers from where I was residing. The salubrious surroundings, sight of rising hills and silhouetted Singhgarh Fort with undulating green valleys, made each day a special one! Most of the day was spent in studying as pursuing a full time post graduate engineering course was a daunting task after a long break!

My wife was in a family way and so the little time I got, was spent in taking care of her, visiting the doctor and assisting in the household chores! It was a Sunday morning, and one of my wife’s cousins who were undergoing the military training at the NDA had come to visit us. Soon, an emergency like situation arose that required shifting my wife to the hospital, and as luck would have it the doctor at nearby hospital was on leave. Having no option, we had to rush to the Command Hospital. After reaching there, she was wheeled into the labor room and the interminable wait started! Some more pregnant ladies came in and within hours most of them delivered and nurse kept breaking the news of new arrivals! Every time a nurse appeared, I would jump out of the seat only to be disappointed and told that I would have to wait! The time wore on till evening and the doctors told me to go back but the mental turmoil did not allow me to leave the place. Late at night I was informed that a senior doctor has been called in leaving me more anxious than ever. It kept pouring through the night and the sleep was elusive! Around 8.30AM in the morning, I went out for a cup of tea and the moment I returned, the nurse informed me that we had been blessed with a girl! My joy knew no bounds and after another two hours of wait, saw my wife being wheeled out with my tiny daughter who had her eyes open! Holding hands of my wife and seeing the spark return in her tired eyes was like reliving the moment when we had met the first time! This time it was even more rewarding as she had given me the best gift of my life whom I touched for the first time with a swelling pride!

PS: This post has been written for the Indiblogger and Parachute Advanced Body Lotion (http://www.pblskin.com/),  #BringBackTheTouch. Contest.