XXIX

 Sunita was traumatized. All those moments of her want and failure revolved in front of her eyes now. She felt as if she was the one on the ICU bed right now. She clutched the rim of the steel bench by both her palms tightly on which she was sitting and leaned forward with her head bent. Rakesh was running from pillar to post with his neighbor. 

Sunita looked up and saw herself begging the doctors to not take away her child. She crept on her knees and folded her hands. Suddenly Rakesh came and she almost shrieked with terror. Rakesh was taken aback, what happened to Sunita, he thought?! Sunita's eyes were all red and strained and she was continuously staring at Shiela and her monitor. Rakesh immediately realized she had got reminded of her past. Rakesh hugged her tightly and asked her to hold herself. He couldn't  sit beside her as his neighbor needed him at the moment. Tarun was all pale. 

They are stayed at the hospital that night. In the morning, the doctor called upon Tarun and took him into his cabin. Rakesh and Sunita sat on the bench. Sunita had fallen asleep on Rakesh's shoulder. Rakesh saw the doctor walking away from his cabin, but Tarun didn't come out. He nugged Sunita to wake up, and went to the doctor's cabin to check on Tarun. He was sitting with one hand kept on the other. He shook Tarun by his shoulder. He looked up towards Rakesh and hugged him by his waist and started crying. Sunita covered her face with her hands, she couldn't bear to look at Tarun.

XXIV

Sunita revived gradually with her
mother's care and company. Rakesh was happy that Sunita looked much better now. He was also happy that his mother-in-law did not mention about any ghosts or spirits or shadow creatures or Babas.

Days passed, Sunita had now made peace with her IVF results. She was reliving her childhood with her mother taking due care of her. She resumed her school soon, the kids were really happy to have her back, and she was elated too. She started working enthusiastically and soon it was time for Mrs Devi to go back. Both Mother and daughter were not happy but Mrs Devi was sure that now her daughter had recovered, and will take care of herself. Also, her bond with her son-in-law had now strengthen and she knew he was there to keep her daughter happy.

Sunita and Rakesh bid farewell to Mrs Devi as her train left the station. Sunita was a bit sad, Rakesh hugged her and took her back home. They sat in the garden, laughing about the time Mrs Devi had invited that Baba. Suddenly they heard a friendly voice, "Hello!" Sunita turned back to find a young couple standing at the gate of their garden, "can we come in?" the
woman asked. Sunita got up and welcomed them. "Hi, I'm Shiela and this is my husband, Tarun. We have shifted in the house next to yours." "Oh you must be the new occupants, to whom Mrs Durani sold her house?" asked Sunita. "Yes, she shifted with her brother's family after her husband's death and they had no children" Shiela said. "Please have a seat" Rakesh offered Tarun a seat, and Sunita and Shiela sat next to each other.

"This neighbourhood is so unusually quiet!" exclaimed Tarun, "I appreciate the peace but its too dull" Rakesh nodded. "Have lunch with us, you must have not been able to unpack things yet" said Sunita. "Oh no thanks, but we shifted here a week ago, and now we are almost settled" Shiela said. Sunita remarked, "strange, we didn't come to know!" to which Tarun replied, "exactly what I me

ant, this society is quite lifeless, nobody came to welcome us or offer us help or even tea!" "I'm sorry for that, actually, my mother...." reasoned Sunita, but Shiela stopped her midway, "its okay, please excuse my husband, he has a habit of speaking up his mind, he didn't mean in a bad way". Soon the four of them started chatting and Rakesh and Sunita seemed happy to have found company.

XXIII

"What are you doing to yourself??" Sunita stared open- mouthed towards Rakesh as he blurted out, "you used to be such a strong woman!!......what happened to you.....we are so happy together......and you are loosing over just one shortcoming in our lives?!" Rakesh paused for a moment. Sunita was still gasping at him.







Rakesh turned around, "I'm sorry i lost my cool.....I know you are going through a rough....very rough patch.....but it just.....it just feels like..." he paused, Sunita was still staring at him point blank, " it feels like I'm not doing enough.....we are together, happy, even after so much we went through....." he turned around and pulled Sunita into a hug, "I love you.....I hate seeing you this way". For 10 minutes both of them didn't say a word, they could just hear each other's heavy breathing

Sunita broke the silence, "I love you too Rakesh............thanks for being there f....""Shhhh...."Rakesh interrupted her,"no thanks and please" as he pulled her more tightly towards him. Sunita pushed him away, "hey, mumma must be waiting for us inside!! We forgot about her!" Rakesh sighed, "Yeah...I wish" Sunita nudged him in his stomach, by her elbow, "Hey!!" as they laughed and went inside.

"Oh ..there you are....I was getting worried" Mrs Devi said with a sigh of relief." Its okay mumma, we are good now...lets eat....I like this choupsey.....we should come her often!" All three of them laughed and finished their meal.