FATHERHOOD

The stranger caught his eye during the train travel. Actually he was staring at him for a long time. The stranger had a  familiar face, but he could not place him. It was the stranger who solved his dilemma.

“You are Mohan, no?” He asked.
“Yes…but………….”
“I don’t blame you for not identifying me. I have changed much. Imagine me minus the thick moustache and the beard. I am back from your college days. And the name is Balu.”

“Balu……………………”
And they embraced.

He was a government clerk and Balu was working in a private business house. Balu told he was still struggling. And what about him?

He was well living a happy life with his wife and kid.

“What is it? Boy or girl?”
“It is a girl. Geethu.”
Balu’s face darkened.
“Idiotic. You should have known the gender beforehand.”
Balu mutterd under his breath.
“Why and what is the use? And these days the doctors are against it.”
“Blah! Wave the Mahatmas and there goes the rules. You made a mistake man.”
“What mistake.”
“You could have aborted the pregnancy if you had known it was a baby girl.”
He was shocked at Balu’s words.
“What the hell are you talking Balu? Aborting? We yearned for a girl. Had the name ready before she was born. How can you be so merciless?”
“Merciless!!! I am still struggling and could not get married before of my elder spinster sisters. You have to raise so much to marry them off.”
Balu kept on talking about the dowry, cost of living and all. He did not lend his ears to him. Anyhow they exchanged their addresses and tel nos before they parted.
When he reached home his sweet one was sleeping soundly in the cradle.
He looked affectionately at her lovely face.
How can Balu say such a thing.
Destroying my sweet love.
He lowered and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Oh God do not wake her up. She was wailing non-stop for two hours. It was so difficult to put her to sleep.” His wife entered the scene.
But he took his love from the cradle and started kissing all over her.
“What happened to you. You are very much indifferent.”
He told his wife about his encounter with his college friend.
Hearing the narration she snatched the baby from his arms kissed her forehead. Her eyes flooded.
“What a cruel person!Eventually he will get married. God will only give him baby girls. We’ll see.”
Her words broke when she spoke.
“It will not happen. He will know the gender and destroy them beforehand.”
“Which women would allow such a thing? We’ll wait and see.”

Days passed by. After some months he received the wedding invitaion of Balu. But he could not make it to the marriage.

And they met after some time.

He profusely apologised for not turning up for Balu’s marriage. Balu had changed a lot. His beard was gone. He had become fat and had a tummy. 

“Life is good my friend. My problems are over. Sisters are happily married off. I have a business of my own. All these happened because of my marriage. Got a fat dowry and here I am.”

He puffed at the cigaretted and blew the blue smoke lazily.

“Last monday I experienced the thrill of fatherhood. It is not one. They are twins. Happy my friend. Really happy.”

Twins! Two girls, one girl one boy or both…………….
 
“What a cruel person!Eventually he will get married. God will only give him baby girls. We’ll see.”
His wife’s voice echoed in his mind.

But how to ask Balu. He took a short cut.
“You may be knowing the gender beforehand, no?”
“Hell, no. My wife was dead against that. But the doctor had scanned it due to the abnormality. But my wife do not wanted to know the gender. She was stubborn about that. I had that old plan with me. But my wife. She is the lucky star of my life. I am what I am because of her. So I left it to God.”
He took a last puff and flicked the cigarette butt before saying.
“Both were boys.”