Wide Angle

It was a bright Monday morning, and Riya's alarm rang aloud as the clock ticked 7. Her toddler was the first to wake up to the sound and started murmuring, 'Mamma, I need to sleep for some more time'. Riya replied, 'Ok, dear, you can sleep until Mamma gets everything ready for your school'. She slowly turned to her side and woke up from the bed.

Before beginning her morning routines, she quickly glanced at her phone for the latest news updates. One particular headline caught her immediate attention, and she opened it up to read it fully. The news was about a popular heroine giving birth to her baby via surrogacy. Her first thought upon reading it was, "Wow! Now a days, people want to experience the fruit of hard work without working hard." She then put down her phone and proceeded with her chores. In a little time, she prepared breakfast and lunch and packed them for her kid and her husband, Rahul. 

While she drove her kid to school, the thoughts of her motherhood phase kept lingering in her mind. Her brain recollected every incident: testing positive for pregnancy, the immense vomiting phase, getting bigger month by month, emotional turmoil, physical restrictions, c-section delivery, recovery phase, weight gain, breastfeeding, hormonal swings, and finally weight loss. Every phase was a new experience—in fact, a new challenge. She thought to herself, "Does being a public star give someone the privilege to skip the pregnancy hardships?". 

She headed home after dropping off her kid and began her office work for the day. She recently switched to a work-from-home part-time job as she wanted to spend more time with her toddler. 

She tried her best to divert herself from the news, but deep down, it kept disturbing her. She was not convinced by two main things: the heroine's preference to enjoy motherhood without undergoing its challenges and her prioritization of her bodily appearance over the capability to conceive and deliver a baby. 

Battling with these thoughts throughout, Riya's day almost came to an end. At dinner time, she discussed this with Rahul, expecting him to resonate with her feelings. To her surprise, Rahul supported the actress's choice of surrogacy. 

Startled Riya questioned, "How come you support the actress's

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choice? Has motherhood become so easy that a woman can become a mother without actually carrying the baby in her womb for 9 months?"

Rahul answered, "Come on, Riya; it's just a matter of choice. Also, we do not know what's going on in her life. Maybe she had a medical issue, or maybe she prioritised her career at the moment."

Riya asked, "Why would people need a baby who wishes to stay in perfect shape for the sake of the market and the public?".

Rahul asked back. "So you mean to say that women who join work post-maternity break don't deserve to have a baby as they readily depend on external support to raise them?".

Riya immediately reacted, "These two aren't the same, Rahul.". 

Rahul replied, "It is indeed. I iterate; it's just a matter of choice. Think through it; you will figure out the answer."

Riya nodded her head hesitantly and left to finish her pending office work. Rahul and his kid went to bed to sleep. After completing her work, Riya sat down on her favorite couch to sort out the dispute in her head. She began to think afresh without having any prejudgments about the matter.

She recalled the moments when she decided to hire a babysitter and return to her job after her maternity break. A few of them in her family appreciated her decision, while many others commented, "How does she have the heart to leave behind her one-year-old to an unknown babysitter for the sake of her career?". It was hard for her to face and handle such comments back then. She used to cry to Rahul, saying, "Does being a mother deprive me of fulfilling my dreams about my career?". 

These memories made her realize that the actress's choice of surrogacy wasn't a big sin. Long ago, she had also sailed in the same boat when she chose to carry her career along with her motherly responsibilities. The only difference was that she preferred to take help with the baby's responsibilities after birth, while the actress took help with the birthing process itself.

This realization widened her narrow mindset, and she felt relieved. She emphasized to herself that she has to think beyond the visible and appreciate people's personal choices. She then went to bed with a crystal clear mind and had a good night's sleep.