Right Choice

Right Choice

“When does he arrive?” the man at the platform, enquired to a woman who in her mid-fourties, was as anxious as the questioner. The train was to arrive at the appointed time, but suburban trains are never to be trusted and by each passing minute the man was getting more anxious. The man was Baburam Parekh, almost touching his fifties he looked younger. He owned a local Jewelry store at Laxmi road Pune and the woman besides him was his wife Nathibai Parekh, rather slim figure standing by a man who seemed agitatedly looking at other passengers on the platform.

The person in the question was their only son, the Parekhs had their late blooms the child being the only one, made Baburam more attached to the boy and Nathibai was as distant and absent minded as she could be. She was visualizing the year of before the birth of Naresh.  They were at the dispensary located at Kasba Peth, the doctor dismissed their last hope that won’t be able to conceive. The Parekhs were shattered but even after this Baburam never questioned his manhood and was hopeful that “Thakur” will make everything right and after a year Naresh came into the world. Baburam was so Proud that he would never leave Naresh out of sight. He was even heard saying that, Naresh was “Thakur’s” blessing. Back at home it was Nathibai, who would churn away at the sight of the boy and was never to attached but she cared for him, the boy was conceived from her womb and attachment no too close was thus formed.

The sound of trains horn, and image of train approaching the final stretch to Shivajinagar station brought a little relief to Baburam and got the attention of Nathibai who just moved a little to adjust herself and turned to the direction her husband was looking.

The train halted at the brief screech and there was rustle of crowd. All at once everybody wanted to get aboard the train and arrivals wanting to alight the same time. Baburam and Nathibai move little further back on the platform as to have clear view of the alighting passengers.

“There he is” it was Baburam who first saw Naresh, Naresh now in his twenties looked child, unlike his friends at st. Xaviers Mumbai, he did not have had any hair style and the air about him was just as you would have around a typical Marwari Boy. So Baburam and Nathibai reached to the spot where Naresh alighted. Naresh smiled and then picked up his only bag which he brought with him and walked with his parents to their Maruti Alto, parked outside station. In the car Nathibai sat at backseat and Baburam taking the wheel was driving the vehicle and Naresh sat with his overexcited father who could not hide his happiness and was asking about everything Naresh did or experienced in Mumbai.

But Nathibai was silent at backseat, her thought drifted back, twenty-one years, one solitary evening when Ghanshyam, one of Baburam’s friend and confidant came to their house and just as they were discussing the report that doctor at Kasba gave,

“Baburam, it’s not late yet, you can still conceive but it’s just scientific, artificial insemination has brought happiness into the life of countless families.”

“I know Ghanshyam, but she is not listening, all she cares about is her dignity but what about me, after sometime people in community will openly call me a spoof, I did not go to her house and beg her to marry me, her father came to me”

“Bhabhi, it’s perfectly natural, just that it is happening at the hospital” 

Nathibai was silent, her silence was their answer, she was not ready to do it. It was not good, not right and then she did not care what will people say.

“No, we have to do it, I don’t care if its right or wrong, now that the medical science is advanced we must avail this opportunity and even Thakurji wants this to happen.”

“No, I won’t listen to you, now that we have time”

Ghanshyam knew the Parekh wanted the child, now the desperation was creeping in since the community was talking about the ability of Baburam. It was Nathibai she did not approve the counsel of Ghanshyam but Baburam insistence and trust made her keep her mouth shut and then one fine Sunday, the procedure was done away with at a hospital in lonavla away from Pune. Nathibai later conceived Naresh exactly nine months later.

The car passed the Shivaji Bridge, by this time Baburam was calling her name

“Nathi”

“Nathi”

Nathibai was disturbed, she came back to present and was for a moment lost, when she collected, her husband was asking her if they were to go to the shop first as Naresh wanted to see it first. She just nodded and drifted away in her thoughts.

Twenty one years ago a man and his wife alighted local with a another man who seemed to explain them, more like their guide to this city, Lonavla was new to them, the couple never ventured beyond Aundh, which was at the periphery of Pune. The trio then took a local rickshaw, a tricycle which creaked and crackled at every turn. The rickshaw stopped at a dilapidated building, which bore the name “Anand Nursing Home and Research” it had a reputation though situated inside an old building many a people of power and money visited the clinic and after four hours the trio were back at the platform on Lonavla Station, waiting to aboard the Pune bound Local. There was a look of assured content on the faces two men but the woman with them was in stress and was remorseful and disgusted.

Nathibai’s Thought were stopped as the car came to a halt near a small, jewelry shop, and seeing Ghanshyam in the waiting area as she was alighting from the car, she smiled distantly and looked away. Naresh was happy to see the shop, and Ghyansham looked over excited to meet Naresh. They stayed at the Shop for an hour, during that time they had tea. It was time to head home and Naresh wanted to get fresh too. So, the party left the shop and Ghanshyam, who was smiling at the back of car till it disappeared at the turn.

Nathibai as usaual drifted at the hum of engine and the father son talk only mattered to her little. At the dispensary at Kasba Peth twenty-one years ago. The doctor mentioned severe ovarian anomaly.  Nathibai’s eggs could not just get fertilized although her womb was in excellent condition but the hormones had made their damage. That created a strange situation. Where you are so close to what you really desire yet could not have it. The Idea of Ghanshyam was to artificial insemination and fertilization of eggs from some donor. And for this very reason she could not feel too attached to Naresh. But then it was she who nurtured Naresh in her womb till the next nine months and if Naresh was to be somebody’s it was to be her and hers only. The action which she chose some twenty-one years ago proved to be right choice and with that the car arrived in front of an old building. She suddenly overcame by the motherly love and as soon as alighted the car she took Naresh’s hand there were tears in her eyes.

Glossary

1.       Laxmi Road           -    A road in Pune City

2.       Shivajinager          -  A locality in Pune City

3.       Kasba Peth             -  A Locality in Pune City

4.       Pune                       -      A city in India, In the State of Maharashtra

5.       Thakur/Thakurji   -     A deity named Lord Krishna often called by this in northwestern India.

        Bhabhi,                   - A respectful call word, to your friend or brother's wife in India

6.       Spoof                      - A local slang for the infertile married males.

7.       Lonavla                  - A city in India, In the State of Maharashtra