The Unborn

Pragya walked slowly with the help of walking stick in the corridor, she looked irritated as the white marble floor was still wet & her walking stick was slipping, making her stumble on every step she took. She yelled at the security guard standing just beside the door 'Don't You Have The WET FLOOR Sign'. The security guard didn't reply. She reached the entrance of the room. There were people sitting on chairs, they all seemed to be in their late sixties. They all were sitting in the semicircle around a whiteboard, next to the board was sitting Dr. Pahwa. On his shirt, there was a tag which read as 'We Care for Everyone'. Pragya sat on the only vacant chair left for her, it seemed like everyone was waiting for her. She rolled eyes to see the audience around 10 members were available, something was written on the whiteboard with a black marker that caught her attention 'Social Meeting', next to that in the bottom line it was written as 'Speak for a Cause'.

She knew it she was turn to speak. 'I know it is my turn, first of all, I am very sorry for being late, but my driver dashed the car, because of it a lot of chaos happened, never mind'. She took a deep breath & then started 'I know all of us who are sitting here are grieving for someone we lost, I lost my 23 years old twins in a car accident, after that incident, there was nothing left for me to look forward to, but I didn't give up because I knew that I have to live for my husband to support him & now most our time we spend giving speeches in these type of social meetings to give hope to other parents who have lost their children'.

A voice interrupted Pragya, it was Prithvi 'Pragya we have to attend one more meeting today, so let's start for that, already it's getting late'. Pragya said 'Oh Damn! I almost forgot, OK everyone will see you soon, stay safe & stay strong'. Pragya got up & slowly went out of the room, Prithvi was still sitting, with a shivering voice he started 'When she was pregnant we were so happy, we saw the ultrasound images, they were twins but they were never born'. Prithvi stopped for a moment, took a water bottle which was kept next to his chair & took a sip from it. He resumed 'One day while we were going for the routine check-up & second ultrasound, our driver dashed our car on a standing bus. Pragya was on the front seat & her head hit the mirror, by the time we were taken to hospital it was too late, we lost our kids even before they were born, Pragya had severe brain damage. As she recovered she started showing sign of schizophrenia, she raised our twins for 23 years in her brain, I also supported her with her hallucinations & did not cry for 23 years. Last year when she realized that we have lost our children...'. A moment of silence, Prithvi was unable to speak, tears trickled down his cheek, He took a sip of water again & started 'Last year when she realized that we have lost our children, that was the first time in 23 years that we both cried together holding each other, but she still thinks that she has raised her unborn sons for 23 years'. There was a knock on the door, it was Pragya, everyone in the room including Prithvi was dumbstruck whether Pragya has heard the conversation. There was pin-drop silence in the room, after looking for a moment Pragya spoke 'Come fast Prithvi, otherwise, we will be late for our next meeting'.