I woke up by the calling bell sound... I strictly instructed our "trash-wala" not to ring the bell to collect the trash... habits die hard... I dint get much sleep... I woke up...
I was traveling last two weekends.... I thought ... vow ! This weekend I am free. I checked google calender for my pending tasks... usual stuff... groceries, clean home and other organizing chores...
I went to "Yummy-tummy" nearest fast food restaurant had some breakfast... Because of this swine flu in our city nobody is venturing out to eat... I went to nearest supermarket.. bought groceries I bought mushrooms... I wanted to cook something special for the day... I came home and laid on couch... then came a call... I guess will change my life... forever...
The call was from my wife and she said I need to start immediately... her doctors says, we can expect our baby in few hours... I did not know how to react... and hung-up. I decided flight will be faster and strain-free. I booked a ticket online and called Sashi, my colleague, to drop me at airport. I took ticket print out at my Office and Sashi dropped me at airport... all this in less than one hour from time I hung-up... surprisingly... airport was not open... I was said to wait 15 min... all of a sudden heavens opened up... Was it a sign of something...?!
I was thinking all they way to the airport about my wife... how we met... how we spent time with each other... Rome, Zurich,Paris,Prague, Kerala, New york, Niagara, Dallas... marriage, honeymoon... phone calls... time is flying fast... I realized ... now I will be a dad... that feeling is still not getting registered in my brain... I took flight to Mumbai first I changed the terminal to board Kingfisher flight to Hyderabad and I was in a transit shuttle... then news came... my father-in-law said my wife delivered a healthy baby... All smiles... I asked is everybody healthy... he said yes... I was so very happy... I desperately wanted to look at her... flight was on time.. landed in Hyderabad... Airport is was superb... I took a 120 rupees bus to City college... then I shared auto rickshaw with one guy... and we split the cost... then had dinner at Imlibun bus station... still long way to go... Luckily I found a bus which goes to the place I want to go.. at 11 PM ... I boarded it and slept... all the way... I reached destination at 4 AM, Aug 16th ... I ran to my in-laws place and washed my hands legs and face to avoid any "swine-flu" contamination... then quickly took a 15 min walk to the hospital where my wife delivered...
I looked at my wife... she smiled but she looked exhausted... then I looked at my daughter... My emotion was blank... I kept staring at her... she was fair, thick black hair, long eyes, chubby cheeks... pink lips... she was sleeping... I was very happy to look at her... I was sure she will bring more joys to me as time passes...
I am into next stage of cycle of life... Parenthood.
