A 2020 delivery

The baby is arriving on 31^st, that’s the due date. The hospital is a one hour drive in this hilly terrain.

What if there is an emergency ? You need plans from A to Z. Its covid time, rains are on and off, landslides, road blocks and many other unknown obstacles.

The nearest health centre, its for colds and coughs and fever, anything more you have to go to Mandi town. You are in a beautiful place called Kamand. Talk about the beauty, enjoyable in normal times, it will not solve emergency problems.

What if the call happens at night? It is raining. We can take an ambulance, there is one nearby. Imagine it is 11 O’clock at night’, you call the ambulance. You get a reply, we are searching where is the driver, after half an hour there is the driver, it is not starting, battery down.

It is time we have a car, the love for your mountain bikes, kept the disinterest for a car going. After a debate a choice was made between Baleno and Amaze, it was Baleno. Paid a token advance with a hope from the dealer that it will arrive around 29^th.

Coming back to plans, check any nearby clinics to handle a delivery, ya there is one around 10 kms to the right another one to the left. These directions are important to know, you do not know which side a landslide can happen and block the road.

The maid was consulted, how do you people have your deliveries done ? We had it at home, the midwife helped. Ah, one more option if nothing works, we can try that.

Another good suggestion, get admitted in the hospital two days prior to the date  of D.

With all options, whatever came to mind, the project is on its way with  daily exercises and walks.

On 17^th a message from the car dealer, it has arrived and you can take delivery of the vehicle. We shall take it on 19^th, since it is not next door, interestingly it is close to the hospital.

On 19^th we go for the car and spend the whole day, filling up forms, making payment and a 1000 formalities. We leave the showroom, drive the new car reach home by 5.30 in the evening.

A small celebration and some uneasiness. Calls the doctor, tells her there is a scheduled check up the next day, however she advises come tonight for the checkup and be prepared to spend the night in the hospital, you can return by next morning.

We decide to drive at night after dinner and reaches the hospital by 10.30. Grateful, no rains, no blocks, smooth drive, new vehicle.

The sister takes her to the delivery room in the second floor and we , my spouse and me, stay back at the reception arranging for a room to stay. Its in the second floor, we reach there when they tell us , please sit here on the bench, we are getting your room ready.

On the bench, outside the labour room, we deposit our….., when we see a nurse come out of the labour room with a small bundle and to our surprise, is it yours, it is a girl and we jump, she walks off to the nursery and tells us wait I will bring her back. We are dazed, prema runs into the labour room to make sure and comes back , there is only Sandhya there, it must be ours.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t easy messaging my son-in-law at home with the elder son and my cousins and family members, with a running commentary, that Sandhya is inside for a check up and we parents are sitting on the bench waiting for a room, it is a girl, she has delivered. It read like 2020 cricket, a twenty twenty deliver, in the year 2020. Within half an hour Sandhya walks in with the new born to our room and that’s it,  as simple as that, the doctor says you can go back home tomorrow in the morning if things are OK. The doctor cannot recall an event as simple as this. Last  month we were discussing what all can happen, today, what all could have happened, an addition like the delivery could have been in the car on our way, it was that close. We were home, the next day.

She was waiting for the new car and a suggestion, shall we name her Baleno? Better not, otherwise when we call Baleno, the car may come running.

Finally she is named, it is Anvita.