Sky

“Doctor, how long will it take? Hope everything is fine ?" Arun asked the doctor getting up from the bench.

"Your wife and baby are both safe". Dr. Anjali, gave consoling words to Arun and moved to the next patient." Mr Arun, we try our best to have a normal delivery. So we have given Oxytocin to Aruna for delivery. We have to wait for 8 hours at least. Baby's heart beat is also normal, so there is no question of panic. Have patience."

Hearing the consoling words of Dr Anjali, Arun got relief and he went to the room of Aruna carrying the five year old child Ananya.After entering the room he sat on a chair placed near the bed of Aruna and placing his hands on her head he said with great love, "Everything is normal.Just have courage for some more time.”

Aruna smiled lightly and keeping her eyes closed kept lying in her bed. On the other side of the bed Aruna’s mother chanted Hanuman Chalisa constantly.Arun left Ananya with Aruna and sat outside on a bench waiting for the 8 hour period to end.

“Mr Arun you are called by Dr Anjali” from the talk of the nurses it looked that Dr Anjali was interested to talk on some important matter. The nurse and Arun moved hastily towards Dr Anjali’s cabin.

"Mr Arun we have administered Oxytocin to your wife two hours before. But the problem is that your wife’s water bag is leaking. As long as the bag leaks the life of the baby is in danger. We have almost 2 hours more.Under this condition a surgery is essential .Please consult your family members and let us know your decision".

Arun immediately came out of the cabin of Dr. Anjali and went to the waiting room where his parents and Aruna's parents were sitting. Arun told everyone the talk which he had with Dr Anjali and her proposal of a surgery to save the life of the child. There was a clear sign of anxiety on their faces.

“ Doctor, we are ready for the operation.” Arun told Dr Anjali in a hushed voice. Aruna’s first female child was through normal delivery.Arun was getting panicky due to the operation.

Everyone was waiting outside the operation theater looking for the doctor to come out after the operation. Aruna's mother was still chanting Hanuman Chalisa. Arun kept gazing the red light placed on the door of operation theater. Probably he was waiting for the green light. A nurse came out after about half an hour.Before anything could be asked by Arun to the nurse she moved away without telling anything.

After an interval of 10 minutes the same nurse came along with a doctor and entered the operation theater.Arun’s heart beat kept increased as the time passed.A nurse comes out of the operation theater and tells Arun, “ Mr Arun , doctor calls you inside the operation theater.”Arun sweated hearing the nurse.Arun entered the operation theater slowly. His eyes fell on Aruna who was lying totally unconscious. There was a small child kept on a small bed by the side of her bed whose eyes were open. The child’s pink colored hands pointed towards Arun. Feeling happy to see the child Arun asked the doctor ,” Dr Anjali , Is everything fine?”

“Mr Arun , both your wife and child are fine. But there is a small problem with the child. It looked as though Arun’s heart beat had almost stopped hearing Dr Anjali.

“Your child is Ambiguous Genitalia Positive?” said Dr Anjali.

“Doctor, please tell me clearly what it means “ asked Arun

“ Mr Arun , your child is neither a male nor a female fully.The reproductive organ of the child is not well developed. The possibility of correcting the defect is almost bleak.

Hearing the words of Dr Anjali ,the world of Arun became desolate. Arun was not able to stop the tears flowing through his eyes. "Mr. Arun, please don’t get disheartened." Cases of this kind is one in thousands" .

“Arun asked,”Doctor, could this not be detected earlier?”

Dr Anjali said ,’ It is very difficult to find the development of the reproductive organ through ultrasound. Even if it is found doctors do not discuss about it as the situation is considered as a social emergency in medical science than a medical emergency. In such situations there is no danger to the life of the child.

Slowly and slowly the delivery became an event of gloom than happiness. Arun never thought that he had to take such difficult decisions in his life.The whispering of the people could be heard still.Some people opined,”The child could be left outside an orphanage”. Others felt “ The child could be handed over to the eunuchs.” And Aruna to be told that the child had died. Without knowing anything about such proposals Aruna was still lying in an unconscious stage.

“Ambar, you will not go anywhere. The deficiency does not lie in you, but in the our thoughts. You are my Ambar and your life will also be like a vast sky. No mean thoughts will ever touch you.”Arun said this taking the child in his arms and kissing its tiny hands.

Original Story:- https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/6mzerh5f/ambr by Rajeet Pandya