The Day and The Night

“Arghhhhh!!!" She screamed in pain.

“You can do it Sumi!" Her husband held her hand tightly and urged her "just one more push dear!"

“You can do it Mrs. Mehra! Breathe in!” the lady doctor encouraged her while checking the crowning. Nurses were busy checking the vital signs of the lady and holding cloth as curtain around her legs covering her lower body.

“Maaaa!!! She screamed again unable to take the pain anymore.

“It is almost over sumi. You are a brave wife of mine!” her husband Mr. Pratap Mehra moped her eyebrows “push harder dear!”

“Come On! Mrs. Mehra! Just one hard push. We are almost there!” the Doctor in charge of the operation urged her pushing her belly downwards.

Sumitra Mehra tried all her might, screamed and collapsed back on the bed with her husband supporting her head.

The lady doctor came out of the cloth holding a tiny bundle of humanity with a black mop of hair, tiny fists and feet and a scrunched up angelic face.

She smiled. “It’s a boy!”

The mother and the father of the baby gazed at him in wonder, pride and love.
The doctor passed the baby to the waiting hands of nurse for cleaning him up.

Suddenly the mother jerked up again and screamed in pain.
“Arggghhhh!!”

“Ok! Time for another one!” the head doctor ordered the rest to get to work. The lady doctor dived back in to her position near the mother’s legs. Nurses held the cloth up again.

Sumitra was writhing in pain. Her husband held her hand tightly and pushed her hair away from her eyes encouraging her again.

“One last time Sumi! Just one last time! You can do it!”

“Come On! Mrs. Mehra Go ahead. One more time. Breathe in and breathe out. And PUSH!” the doctor almost shouted.

She gave a loud scream and collapsed again on the bed with her husband supporting her and the doctor came out of the cloth this time holding another bundle identical to the first born.

She gave a broad smile.
“Congralutations! It’s a Boy again!”

And on cue he yelled. It was a gusty cry of a baby announcing his arrival on the earth. He started kicking his hands and feet.

Mr. Pratap Mehra helped his wife to sit upright and kissed her head. They both then gazed at their younger child in adoration.

There were smiles and victorious feeling around till the voice of the nurse cut in the magic.
“Why isn’t HE crying?” she was looking with a worried expression at the baby in her hands. The First Born.

Suddenly there was total silence in the room punctuated by the cries of the younger child. The lady doctor almost lunged at the baby and grabbed him in her hands and shook his chest.
“Hey! Hey!!” she spoke urgently to the baby.

The head Doctor almost ran to her and took the baby from her hands.
“Hey young one! Come on!” he patted him on his back.
No response.

All the nurses and the doctor were watching him and the baby without out breathing. A sinking sensation in their hearts. The mother held her husband arm in deathly grip. She was watching her child in horror and despair. The father was in state of shock unable to blink his eyes. He was watching the scene with almost surreal feeling.

The doctor tried CPR on the baby. Mouth to mouth resuscitations.
No response.

The mother gripped the arm of her husband so tightly that her nails dug into his skin and drew blood. But he didn’t notice. He was staring in shock at his son.

“What are you waiting for? Start the emergency procedures!” The doctor yelled at his staff and everyone jumped into action from earlier paralyzed state. He then stared at the child in his hands as if willing to bring in any movements in the baby with sheer force of his gaze. The child was unresponsive.
He finally as a last try before the emergency procedures turned the baby upside down and then he hit the baby’s buttocks with his palm. Hard.

And then the child cried.

There was a moment of suspended disbelief and then pandemonium broke in. Everyone started laughing, cheering and crying at the same time.
The mother broke into tears. So did the father.

The doctor exhaled loudly through mouth relieved totally. He shook his head and announced to the wailing and screaming baby in his arms.
“YOU are going to be a big trouble for us all!”
He had no idea how prophethetic his words would be in the future. He then smiled and looked at the parents who were now openly crying out of happiness looking as if they have just woken up from a nightmare.

He went to them and handed their baby to them. The mother reached for the child and with utmost care she held the baby close to her body gazing at the child without blinking afraid to miss him even for a millisecond. The other nurse cleaned up the younger child and wrapped him in clean towel and brought him to his parents. The father reached out and held the baby in his arms with reverence. He took the baby close to his mother and his brother. The mother smiled at her younger child. The parents then exchanged the babies smiling through their tears. The mother coddled her younger one. The father held his first born up staring at his little angelic face. The baby kicked his hands and feet and yawned. The father smiled.
“You really scared us young man!” he spoke to his son. “the good doctor is right. You will be a trouble eh?”

The parents were so engrossed in their babies that they did not notice that all the medical personnel left and that they are alone in the room. They will be back for checkups and more but this time is the time for the family to be left alone. To bond.

“So what do you think we should call them?” the father asked the mother.

She cradled the baby in her arms and gazed adoringly at him. She looked at her husband then back to the child and then spoke

“How about Vihaan! The morning. Or say day? Look at his face and that smile. I think he smiled at me. Reminds me of sunshine.” She looked up at her husband.

And he gave her an indulgent smile.
“Vihaan sounds beautiful!”

“How about that one?” the mother asked pointing to the baby in the father’s arms.

The father then stared at the child for a long moment then looked at his wife.
“I was thinking of some unique name for this one. Special. He really is a special child. His name has to be unique. Something deep. Mysterious. Like.. Night!! How about Nishith! The night!”

His wife almost laughed.
“Day and night?”

He grinned.
“Sounds good! Now you see day and night do complete each other. On their own they are incomplete. Right!”

She smiled in acknowledgement and agreement.

The father then brought the baby he was holding close to the mother and she held the younger child with her palms and moved him near his brother. Both the babies where held at the same level, their heads almost touching. One child in the safe hands of father and other one in the hands of mother. Identical babies. Twins. Brothers!!!

Vihaan and Nishith!

The Day and the Night!