Feeling involved yet not in the loop.
Life is fragile- so birth is an event.
Everything was in a state of flux.
Both scientists, they always lived on a timebound, preplanned roadmap.
Today, no contact, no reply to frantic messages.
The Hindu in her urged the diya to be lit- even though the sunlight was bright.
Calling in every favor she was owed, promising to always be a giving person, even pledging her life away for a safe, painless birth, she watched her better half listening to random music, walking around restlessly - both awaiting any scrap of news.
Now the couple were on the way to the facility that would bring out their fifth grandson into this world.
The sense of heartdropping, gut wrenching, fear lingered.
Of course, keep busy mantra that grandmas do- she walked to the wet grinder, slowly adding a spoonful of water to get the batter just right.
Grandpa juilaned ginger, stirring the semolina before judging if it was time to add water to cook up the dish that neither really could stomach.
Breathing in deep, she decided to add bananas, coconut, incense sticks as offerings, the fragrant rose blooms added to the ambiance.
The silver lamp lit just right, the flame glowed steadily.
A good sign, she signalled to nervous grandpa.
Time stood still, the grinder stopped, the wick wavered.
Both of them held hands, every breath labored, slowly dispersed.
