Gojiri - Humma

“Hummma..Humma,” she cried loudly, pushing them away by vigorously shaking her back, jerking her neck, and kicking violently with her hind legs. Nitin fell off the stool from the impact and landed on his back in a puddle just outside the dingy, dark shed lit by a small yellow flickering bulb due to low voltage in the area. His T-shirt and shorts were muddy and wet from the puddle. He turned sideways and placed his hands on the ground to get up. He slowly reached out to Gojiri, this time towards her face.

“Chuck chuck Goriji. Majhi gunachi bay (my sweet girl). Hold on for a few more minutes, my girl. We are almost there.” He coaxed her by running his palms over her sweaty head and holding her ears and whispered, “please, my girl, hold on and push.” As if Gojiri understood his words, she relaxed a bit and stopped jerking her back. She rotated her head vigorously and gave a final push with all her might groaning in pain and misery. It was unbearable for Nitin to watch his Gojiri in so much pain. He was trying his best to take her out of her misery.

“Khech Jitya khech (pull Jitya pull),” he instructed over the top of his lungs to Jitya, his fellow mate, to pull the rope that he had tied to the baby's legs. They both pulled the rope gently with all their might to get the calf out. But Gojiri’s movements were hampering the smooth exit. Nitin gave the ropes to Jitya and once again moved towards Gojiri’s head.

“Aik na majhi bay (listen oh my dear one). Nako halus majhi bay (don't move my sweetheart). Let me help you.” saying so, Nitin came face to face with Gojiri and looked into her eyes. She was crying and tears of pain rolled down her clenched jaws. He rubbed his cheeks to hers and embraced her neck . She relied on his shoulders and assured him that she would bear the pain and let him help her. They both stayed in this position for a long time unmoved and still.

Meanwhile Jitya was pulling the rope and had his hands inside Gojiri, making way for the calf. She was now much calmer and listening to Nitin’s kind words. It was as if she was following all his instructions and letting them have her safe delivery. 

“The baby is stuck.” Jitya screamed, holding the hind legs of the calf in his hands, while the rest of the body was still inside and struggling to come out. It was a breach. The calf had rotated inside the womb and was upside down. Gojiri was in a lot of pain and her legs could no longer take the pressure of pushing and standing through the ordeal. She collapsed on the ground. The raindrops hitting the tin roof made loud noise in an otherwise silent dark night. The river was flooded and there was no way that Nitin or Jitya could have brought the veterinary doctor for Gojiri. She trembled as she rolled her eyes over, her tongue dangling from her frothing mouth as she fell with a thud on the wet ground.

“Nahi Gojiri Nahi (no Gojiri no) . Don't give up. He bagh mi ahe ithe tujya barobar (look I am there with you). Don't give up, baby. Please we will come out of it together. Get up baby, get up. Just one more time.” Nitin said with tears rolling down his blood shot eyes as he hugged Gojiri tightly and cried. He had not slept a wink for the past 24 hours and was with her in the shed since last night helping her to freedom and having a safe delivery for the calf.

“Hummma” she cried slightly, lifting her neck to lick Nitin’s head. To his surprise, she jerked her back and with all the leftover strength in her body she pushed her hind legs first and then her front legs and pulled her body to stand up again. She fell down in the first two three attempts, but each time Nitin supported her legs and the abdomen to help her stand up. Finally, she stood up and Jitya could again push his hands inside her to pull the calf out. He managed to move the baby’s position inside and it slowly came into the right position to be let out.

Nitin’s hands moved over Gojiri non-stop all the while talking to her, giving her the required love and compassion and the strength to not quit now. For her quitting in the mid way meant, hers and her baby’s inevitable death. She has to get up and push. He told himself. He kept assuring her that she was not alone “ Gojiri majhi bay, mi ahe (Gojiri my baby I am there with you.)”.

After what seemed like an eternity to Nitin, he heard Jitya’s hysterical voice, “Bhau Bhau ala baher. He bagh. (Brother look, he is out)”. Nitin raised his neck to look at Jitya behind, he could see him holding a blood soaked calf in his hands. The calf was wet with bodily fluids all over it as it sucked the air into its lungs and breathed the damp air. Jitya gently put the calf on the ground. It tumbled and struggled on its tiny feet shaking his body and ears to find the balance and grip on the shed’s cement floor. But finally it got onto its four feet and moved towards its mother. It reached Gojiri’s breast and rubbed its head against it.

Gojiri turned her head and looked down at her newly born calf now trying to suckle her sore swollen breast. Instinctively she brought all her strength into her neck and reached the calf to lick her clean and help her suck the first drops of life force from her breast. Nitin bent down and touched the calf. He rubbed its head and helped him find Gojiri’s breast. Tears of joy rolled down as he felt Gojiri’s warm rough tongue against his neck. She was licking him and expressing her gratitude as if she was saying “Thank you for not allowing me to give up. Thank you for holding me and not letting me quit in my life threatening moments. Thank you for letting my calf see the light of the day and keeping it alive. Thank you” 

Gojiri and Nitin stayed in each other's embrace for a long time as the night passed away and the first golden rays of sunlight peeped through the holes in the shed’s roof. The calf was lying on the dry hay sleeping peacefully after filling its tiny belly with her sweet nectar. Gojiri was resting too with Nitin by her side. They all had just come out of a dark dangerous tunnel, safely. The three of them stayed together silently yet speaking a thousand words of love! 

Love is a language understood by loving hearts; often without saying a word. And yes, it is universal !!

#lovelanguage