Two weeks later - 16 July 2016. 7.45 am
Ruhi's bedroom - Bhalla House

"Ruhi, sit still, and be a good girl."

"Aap ko baal banana nahi aata papa."
(You don't know how to plait hair papa)

"Well, I think I've done a pretty good job."

Raman wound the barrette around Ruhi's plait and then turned her around, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. He grinned at the exasperated look his daughter was giving to him, wondering again at just how many of Ishita's mannerisms she was taking on.

He gave her a critical once over, and then, satisfied with what he saw, kissed her forehead and pushed her gently towards the door.

"Now go. Dadi breakfast ke liye bula rahi hai. Aur phir dadaji will drop you and Adi bhaiya to school."
(Now go. Dadi is calling you for breakfast and then dadaji will drop you Nd Adi bhaiya to school)

"Rinki bua ko kyun nahi?"
(Why not Rinki bua?)

"Because Rinki bua is working now beta. You know that Ruhi. She has already left for her office with Romi chachu and now papa has to go as well. Be a good girl at school, ok."

But instead of heading out into the kitchen as she was supposed to, Ruhi threw herself into her fathers arms.

"Papa, mumma ghar kab aayegi? I miss her."
(When will mumma come home? I miss her)

Raman scooped Ruhi into his arms and stood up, realizing as he did just how big his Ruhi was getting to be, and giving his not so little daughter another quick kiss.

"I miss her too beta, but you see her everyday, don't you?"

"Haan, lekin sirf thodi der ke liye. I want her to come home. Woh best tarhah se baal banati hai."
(Yes, but only for a little while, I want her to come home. She does my hair the best)

"She will, soon, I promise. Aur Mihika chitti ne bhi offer kiya tha na, aap ko ready karne ko. Woh bhi toh aachi tarah se baal banati hai."
(She will, soon, I promise. And Mihika chitthi offered to do your hair ever morning, and to get you ready. She knows how to make plaits nicely too)

"Haan, But not like mumma."

Raman sighed. Ishita had become such a huge part of their lives in these past two years. From being someone he couldn't stand, from being an absolute stranger to his daughter, she was now his greatest need, his reason for being, and for his daughter, the most loved person in her life.

The past two weeks, when she had been away in hospital, had reinforced like never before her place in their hearts and their home.

Raman had been walking towards the kitchen as he spoke with Ruhi, and he now dropped her into an empty chair at the dining table, where Adi was already having his breakfast of parathas lashed in ghee. His mother was certainly taking advantage of Ishita's absence to spoil the children, he reflected wryly, noting the absence of healthy cereals and fruits.

"Ma, zara ghee kam please" (Mum, a little less clarified butter please) he said by way of greeting, giving a mock frown to his mother and grinning at his son. He mussed up Adi's hair affectionately, before picking up his briefcase and heading for the door.

"Puttar, nashta toh karte ja."
(Son, have some breakfast before you go)

"Sorry ma, I'm running late already. Joseph neeche intezaar kar raha hai. Mein office mein hi kuch kha loonga."
(Sorry ma, I'm running late already. Joseph is waiting downstairs. I'll have breakfast in the office)

"Do hafte se nashta nahi kiya puttar. Puttar, sun toh"
(You haven't had breakfast at home for two weeks son. Son, listen....)

But Raman was gone.

He rushed down to where his driver and car awaited, a strong longing to see his madrassan welling up in him. He hated leaving her in the hospital, by herself, in this state, even though he knew it was the best thing for her.

But his love and need for her was greater than logic or common sense dictated, and unbeknown to his family, he had been going to see her every morning before he started his workday.

They knew about his evening visits of course - he stayed by her side for hours, always making sure she was asleep before he would leave, and his parents and in-laws,their alternate- day visits much shorter, would smile indulgently at him as they left with the children.

But what they didn't know was that he also went to see her every morning, sharing her bland but healthy breakfast, making sure she was feeling fine, before he would tackle the myriad issues at his workplace.

For some reason, the desire to see her was greater this morning.

"Good morning Sir" Joseph smiled as Raman took his seat. "To the hospital sir?"

"Good morning Joseph. Yes please."

And then he sat back in his seat, wondering just what the reason was for the growing knot in his stomach, the anxiety which said he needed to be with her now.

She had seemed listless and tired last night, but no more than usual for the past week. Yes, her face was puffier, her ankles more swollen, but surely that was just because the due date was getting closer.

So why this irrational fear in his heart? He gave himself a mental shake and tried to think of positive things - happy thoughts, and that inevitably meant he again thought of her.

******************************************************************************************
Apollo Hospital
Outside Ishita Bhalla's suite - 8 am

Dr Asha looked intently at the reports that the Registrar had just handed to her.

"You're right, Dr Asgar" she flicked through the pages, not liking what she saw, the signs of feotal distress only too evident to her experienced eyes. "It doesn't look good. We should take her into theatre straightaway."

"Theatre is being prepped Doctor. And the nurses are prepping Mrs Bhalla. She is worried but calm."

"I'll go in and see her in a moment. But has anyone called her husband?"

"No ma'am. We just wanted to confirm with you first."

"Fine, I will call him now". As Dr Asha took out her phone, the thought ran through her mind - Mrs Bhalla might be calm, but how would Mr Bhalla react?

***************************************************
Raman Bhalla's Car - somewhere on the flyover
8.05 am

The insistent ringing of the telephone snapped Raman out of his thoughts about his madrassan.

He had been remembering their first kiss in the wintery chill of New Zealand, the way his heart had lurched as she had lain beneath him in the snow, the feel of her flushed cheeks beneath his frozen fingers, the red of her luscious lips driving him insane until he had forgotten every sense and every logic and had captured those lips with his.

A smile lingered on his lips as he looked at his phone, disappearing the instant he saw the caller ID on the display. Dr Asha.

Why was she calling him now? She didn't usually make her rounds until 10 or 11, and his daily conversation with her would be after she had seen Ishita. So why now?

His fingers trembling, he swiped left to accept the call.

"Doc, what's wrong?"

"Raman, calm down, hear me out."

"I'm listening Doc."

It was all he could do to hear her voice above the thundering of his heart, and he took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down.

"Raman, there is no need to panic okay. We have a situation, but we can fix this."

"What is it Doctor."

His voice was very calm, but something in his demeanor had made itself known to Joseph, who took one look at his Sir's face through the rear vision mirror and stepped on the gas, weaving into the next lane, rushing to get to the hospital which was still a good 10 minutes away in normal circumstances.

"Raman, Ishita's vitals are not good. Her BP is very high and the babies heartbeats are slowing. We have to do an emergency caesarean now. We are prepping her, we should have her in theatre in 20 minutes."

"I'm on my way, I'll be there. Please tell her that ...that ... I'm on my way and I love her and everything will be fine. Please." His voice broke and he took another deep breath.

"I'm going in to see her now Raman. I will tell her, and hopefully you can get here in time to tell her yourself too - just come straight to level 5 - the theatre is next to the neonatal ICU. I will let the nurses know to expect you. And Raman, don't panic. You came to me because I am the best and your wife is in the best possible hands."

She clicked her phone off as Raman sat clutching his - his face ashen, his hands trembling again.

"Joseph" His voice was a croak. He hadn't noticed the car pick up speed, but realized it now, realized that his driver was accelerating in and out of the lanes as he rushed them to the hospital.

"Seven - eight minutes Sir " Joseph responded. "Don't worry sir. I am praying for madam."

They were the longest seven minutes of Raman's life and he took several deep breaths, trying not to let his anxiety overwhelm him, knowing that he needed to be calm when he saw her, needed to reassure her - and he could not do that if he himself was falling apart.

**********************************************
2 Minutes later
Apollo Hospital - Ishita Bhalla's Suite

"Ishita, I know it's not easy, but I need you to try and remain calm and to listen, okay."

Ishita looked at Dr Asha, and nodded, her throat dry and her heart hammering. She had not had anything to eat or drink since dinner the night before - She had woken up late and feeling listless,and the Registrar on his morning round shortly thereafter had told the nurse to hold off her breakfast, and had left grim faced after checking her out.

Soon after that, she had been told she needed to be prepared for some further tests. A canula had been inserted into her arm, her nightgown replaced by a surgical one, and now Dr Asha was here, hours before her daily visit.

"There's something wrong Doctor, I know that. My babies , are my babies ok?"

"The foetal heart rate is dropping Ishita. We need to deliver the babies straight away. You knew this was a possibility. Premature deliveries are always a risk with multiple births and you have other risk factors as well. We managed to take this almost to term, and your bed rest for the past two weeks has helped. But it's time now - we have to deliver. I'm taking you in for an emergency caesarean."

Ishita swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry, her heart racing. Her babies. She couldn't lose them. Not now. Oh God, not her babies.

"Will they...my babies... " her voice faltered and she swallowed again. "Will my babies be Ok?"

Dr Asha bent down and patted the younger woman reassuringly on her shoulder. "Its 37 weeks, so they are almost full term. They will be slightly underweight, and we won't know for sure until the birth, but I am very positive about the babies. I'm more concerned about you Ishita - your BP is very high, and I need you to try and relax and stay calm. You are in the very best hands - in the very best hospital."

Ishita nodded but she couldn't shake off the fear that engulfed her, that threatened to overwhelm. She needed help. She needed her Raman. "Raman" she whispered. "Does he know?"

"Yes, I've spoken to him, he is on his way, and he wanted me to tell you that he loves you and everything will be fine. Meri nahi toh apni pati ke baat pe aitbaar karogi na?"
(If not me, then will you believe your husband?)

"Can I see him before the surgery? " Ishita whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"As long as he gets here within the next fifteen to twenty minutes yes - then we must start. Sister will bring you into the theatre now, I'm just waiting for the anesthetist to finish his preparations, and I'll get some paperwork filled out. Ishita, trust me, okay. Your babies are in the best of hands."

Ishita nodded her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, as the nurses pulled up the side bars on her trolley bed, then started to push the bed out of the room.

She gave a last lingering look at the photo on her bedside table - her children and her husband, smiling, joyous.

She didn't want to lose them, didn't want to lose the new lives she was nurturing inside her. These two were just as precious as the first two. These two were the embodiment of her love for her husband. Their improbable love. Their impossible dream.

She touched her swollen stomach and spoke reassuringly. "It's okay my darlings, papa is coming. You will be just fine. We will be just fine."

************************************************
5 Minutes later
Apollo Hospital

He was out of the car almost before Joseph had stopped at the entrance to the 7 story maternity block , rushing to the lifts, pressing frantically on the up button, bile rising in his throat at the thought of his Ishita, his babies, in trouble.

"Dammit" he cried out as the lift's descent towards him seemed interminably slow. Then the doors finally opening, he had rushed in, almost holding his breath until they were at the 5th floor and he was frantically demanding the directions to the theatre next to the neonatal ICU.

The CSO at reception had been briefed.

"Come with me, sir " she had briskly led the way to the doors of the theatre, where Dr Asha, gowned and with her hair in a blue cap, stood waiting.

"She is still in the ante room, Raman, we were just about to take her in. You can see her for a minute, and then we need to start. There is no time to lose."

Raman stopped her as she beckoned him in, his hands on her arm, his eyes looking beseechingly at her.

"Doc, please, please tell me Ishita will be alright. My babies .. my babies... please dont let my Ishita die."

Dr Asha patted Raman's hands reassuringly, much as she had done minutes ago for his wife.

"I will do my best to save them all Raman. This is the best place possible for them. There is a team of doctors waiting to receive the babies. Everything that is medically possible will be done. Now you need to calm down - dont transfer your anxieties to her. Come in, reassure her and then you need to wait out here. Are you ok? Can you do this?"

Raman took a deep breath.

"Yes" he said, as he followed the doctor inside.

*******************************************
He saw his Ishita lying on a theatre trolley, both hands exposed, cannulas in both, one hooked up to an IV, her hair in a cap, her body covered with a thin sheet, her swollen belly dominating her small frame.

"Jaan" he walked up to her, mustering a smile that masked all his fears, determined to be her courage. "Meri betiyoon ko jaldi hi papa se milna hai, hmm."
(My love. Looks like my daughters are in a rush to meet their papa, hmm?)

He grasped her hands firmly, wanting to reassure, to transfer all the strength he could muster into his wife.

"Raman" Tears of relief at the sight of her husband flowed down her face. "Aap ne kaha tha, everything will be fine, phir yeh... our babies."
(Raman, you said everything will be fine. Then this...our babies..)

"Hey hey, meri Jhansi Ki Rani ho na? Everything will be fine, mein abhi bhi keh raha hoon. Bas in dono ko jaldi hai humse milne ki. No tears Ishita. You can do this. I'm right here, yanhi hoon mein, aur mein tum teeno ko le kar hi ab ghar jaonga. I love you baby."
(Hey, Hey, you're my warrior queen aren't you? I still say everything will be fine. Just that these two are in a rush to meet us. No tears Ishita. You can do this. I'm right here, and I won't go home now without you three. I love you baby)

He reached over and gently wiped her tears and then bent his head and kissed her, first on her forehead and then fleetingly on her dry trembling lips.

She closed her eyes, and then at a signal from Dr Asha, the surgical nurse started to wheel the bed away. He grasped her hand one last time, their fingers slowly detaching as the bed was wheeled away. Then she was inside the operating theatre, and with a final reassuring glance at Raman, Dr Asha had followed her in.

He remained where he was, his eyes blinded by tears, until the CSO who had escorted him there touched him on his arm.

"Please come into the waiting room sir " she said softly. "They will ring in there from the theatre as soon as there is any news."

He followed her into the designated room, empty save for the ubiquitous sofas, coffee tables and TV, and a telephone. And then, all alone, he sat next to the telephone, and began the most frightening wait of his life.

Rishtay bharosay chaahat yakeen
Un sab ka daaman ab chaak hai
Samjhey theh hathoon mein hain zameen
Muthi jo kholi bas khaak hai
Dil mein yeh shor hai kyun
Eeman kamzor hai kyun
Nazuk yeh dor hai kyun

Yeh honsla kaise jhuke
Yeh arzoo kaise ruke
Yeh honsla kaise jhuke
Yeh arzoo kaise ruke

Manzil mushkil toh kya
Dhundla sahil toh kya
Tanha yeh dil toh kya
Ho hooo

Raah pe kaante bikhre agar
Uspe toh phir bhi chalna hi hai
Shaam chupaale suraj magar
Raat ko ek din dhalna hi hai

Rut yeh tal jaayegi
Himmat rang layegi
Subah phir aayegi
Ho hooo

Yeh honsla kaise jhuke
Yeh arzoo kaise ruke

Hogi humme jo rehmat adaa
Dhup kategi saaye talle
Apne khuda se hai yeh dua
Manzil lagale humko gale

Jurrat sau baar rahe
Uncha ikraar rahe
Zinda yeh pyar rahe
Ho hooo

Yeh honsla kaise jhuke
Yeh arzoo kaise ruke