Sandhya reached her house. It was a good change for her. She spent time with her parents and her sisters also came to meet her. She happily spent time with her nieces and nephews. One evening she went for shopping.
“Sandhya… How are you?” Suddenly she heard someone calling her from behind. She turned to see.
“Abha… what a surprise?? How are you?” Her school time friend was smiling at her.
They hugged each other and went to a coffee shop and the never-ending talk between two childhood friends started .
“Wow, I never thought I would meet you here like this after so many years.” Abha said happily.
“Yes… I heard that you got settled out of the country.” Sandhya asked.
“Ya my husband was working abroad, so after marriage, I also moved. But 3 years ago we came back.” Abha told her.
“So it must be a change for you after living abroad for so many years and now coming back here.” Sandhya asked Abha.
“Yes the change seemed challenging earlier but when I thought about the gift which we got after coming here, it looks very trivial change.” Abha said.
“The gift?” Sandhya looked puzzled.
“My baby… my daughter.” She said happily.
“Ohh wow… Congratulations. You are really blessed.” Sandhya felt happy but the next moment she started feeling uncomfortable with the thought of what if Abha asked her about the baby.
“That’s true Sandhya… I am really blessed. In fact, I had lost all hope that I would never be able to enjoy motherhood. But then one of my husband’s colleagues abroad, suggested adopting. We never thought about it. So when my husband told me about it, we were not sure but then we had decided to come back. Gradually we got answers to all our questions. She was just 3 months old then and now she has become our life. I can’t even imagine my life without her.” Abha’s eyes turned moist but she was smiling thinking about her baby.
Sandhya listened to everything stunned. She never thought about Adoption. Listening to Abha’s words, her heart lit a ray of hope. She hugged Abha.
Sandhya came back from her parent’s house. Amrita and Sumit were blessed with a baby girl and they named her Nikita. Everyone calls her Nikki with love. Everyone got more busy with a new member of the family. Sandhya kept on thinking about Abha’s words but she was not sure what Alok would think about it. She is hesitant to talk to him.
One day Alok came back from the shop. He went to the living area where Sushila was also sitting. Alok sat on the sofa and his hands touched some wet clothes.
“Ohho… What is this?
“Nikki started crying so Amrita went in a hurry. She might have forgotten.” Sushila said.
“Okay but still she can keep it down or somewhere else.” Alok said still irritated.
“Ohho Alok it's just… You don’t know but this all happens when a baby is around. Give it to me, I will keep it away.” Sushila took it from his hands.
“Of course.. how would I know?” Alok face turned red and it pinched him deeply.
“Alok I didn’t mean that. It just came out. Listen to me, please. I could not even think to say anything like that.” She didn't say anything intentionally.
But Alok couldn’t sit there for another second and go to his room.
“Alok… Mummy didn’t say anything to hurt you. You know it was not intentional. It just came out.” Sandhya tried to calm Alok.
Alok didn’t say anything.
“Sandhya… I was thinking for a few days… We should…” After a long pause, he suddenly said but stopped in the middle.
“What happened Alok?
“We should adopt a baby.” Alok said in a single breath.
Sandhya looked at him with wide open eyes and couldn’t believe her ears. What she was trying to say for days, Alok said it at once.
“I know Sandhya… we never talked about it. Do you think we will be able to take this responsibility? Do you…”
“I am ready Alok. I am ready to hold our baby.” Sandhya gestured with her hands smilingly.
“Really?” Alok asked in surprise.
Sandhya told him about her meeting with Abha and shared her thoughts and feelings.
Alok and Sandhya knew it would be very difficult to convince everyone. Being a conservative family, thinking about adopting a baby from an unknown place will be totally out of question. Sushila would not easily accept this. Also, the reaction from other family members also matters as they are living in a joint family and when the baby will come home, they don’t want any negativity or resentment in the house for the baby. They know it is not going to be easy and they have to make some strong decisions.
Next day Alok informed everyone of their decision about adoption.
Everyone looked at him stunned.
“What are you saying Alok? Suddenly from where this Adoption idea came to your mind?” Sushila asked, still confused.
“Mummy this is not sudden. I have thoroughly thought about it and me and Sandhya both want to have our own baby.” Alok replied.
“How will it be your baby? How will we know who the real parents are? How would we know what a baby's social and religious background is? No no… I don’t think you have thought about it properly.” Sushila said, panicking.
“How does it all matter? Whatever values and ethics we will teach the kid from the beginning, that’s what he will become.” Alok said firmly.
“But few things come with birth and that can’t be changed.” Sushila argued.
“Why are you thinking this way? It will be up to us how we will raise him. Anyways I don’t want to argue more on this. We will adopt a baby and that’s our final decision.” Alok said looking at Sandhya.
He looked at everyone and the reaction was as expected. No one seemed happy.
“I knew it would be difficult for you all to accept this and I don’t want any negativity in the house. So we have decided that we will shift to another house nearby. That’s how everyone can live happily and peacefully.” Alok announced the toughest decision of his life. He knew it would be a shock for everyone but he could not think of any better solution.
Sushila started crying. She feels as if her family was falling apart but she was still not convinced with the idea of adoption.
Alok came near to his mother and sat on his knees, “Ma… please, don’t cry. I know you must be thinking I am not a good son and I am thinking only about my happiness. But we spent so many years in hope of becoming parents and when nothing worked out, eventually we had accepted it as our destiny but now when we finally found out the way, I don’t want to let it go. We badly want to be parents and raise our child.”
Alok and Sandhya moved out and started all the procedures related to Adoption. They wanted to adopt a baby as young as possible. They want to see the baby grow up with their eyes and don’t want to miss any moments of the childhood. All this took around a year and finally, they got a call that a 2 months old baby has come for adoption.
As soon Sandhya took the baby in her hands, she felt the warmth and touch and couldn’t control her emotions. It is such a soulful and blissful experience, which they haven’t felt in life. They did all the formalities and brought their bundle of joy to home and named him Roshan.
As soon as Roshan stepped into the life of Sandhya and Alok, everything changed. Sadness, loneliness, hopelessness all vanished and the wave of happiness and zeal started running through their life. First few weeks were very tough for both baby as well as for the new parents. To feed him, to put him to sleep and to make him comfortable with new surroundings were not easy but with lots of love, care and patience, Sandhya and Alok made Roshan feel at ease. Gradually Roshan started recognizing their touch and started feeling comfortable with them.
Sandhya was all in tears when Roshan first spoke the word “Mumma.” She hugged him tightly and kept asking him to say it again and again.
Alok smiled looking at Sandhya’s excitement and thanked God for giving them Roshan.
Sandhya and Alok started taking him to their mother. Earlier Sushila felt a little awkward but eventually, a kid’s innocence and cheerfulness melted her heart out. She started spending time with Roshan and slowly all the awkwardness, doubts and hesitation started fading away. Sushila got busy with her both grandchildren.
Amrita was not very comfortable with Roshan playing with Nikki. She tried to make some excuse and take her away whenever Roshan was around.
It was Roshan’s 12th birthday and Alok and Sandhya organized a party for his friends. When everyone left and Roshan was also asleep, Alok was looking at his innocent face.
“Sandhya, I think we should tell him now.” Alok said softly.
Sandhya looked at him hesitatingly. She is worried about how Roshan will react when he finds out that he was adopted. She couldn’t say anything.
“I know Sandhya, you are worried about him but we have to tell him one day. Even the adoption authorities also suggested to us that before he enters into his teens we should tell him. More he grows up, the more it will be difficult for him to accept it.” Alok explained to her.
“I know Alok, you are right. But I am afraid. Look how happy he is. I don’t know if he gets hurt after knowing the truth, what will we do?” A mother’s heart is always fearful when it comes to something, which can hurt her kid.
“But we have to start preparing him. We should start making him understand gradually and then once we find the perfect opportunity, we will tell him.” Alok said.
“I think you are right. Maybe we can plan a trip on his vacation.” Sandhya handled herself strongly.
But before they could have told Roshan about it, today Roshan has asked them a question, which turned their world upside down.
Present
Roshan looked at his parents with watery eyes and asked sobbingly, “Mumma Papa… Am I not your son? Is it true that you both got me from somewhere?”
Alok and Sandhya instantly hugged Roshan tightly. Tears started flowing from their eyes.
“Please tell me, Mumma… Why did Nikki say this?” Roshan asked, looking at Sandhya. Sandhya couldn’t utter a word. She is thinking how Amrita told all this to Nikki. After all, she is also a kid.
But now they know it is time to explain everything to Roshan.
“You are our son, our life. So never ever think that we are not your parents. You are the one who called us Mumma and Papa. You have given us the happiness for which we craved for years. We even lost all hopes but then you came to our life.” Sandhya said with tears in her eyes.
Roshan was looking at them confused. He knows that his parents love him a lot. But he is not able to comprehend. Alok made his heart strong and said,
“Roshan my son… we have not given you birth but you gave birth to a mother and father which are in front of you. You made us parents. We adopted you 12 years back but from that day you are always our son.”
Roshan couldn’t believe his ears. He knew what the word adoption means but he is still young to understand the actual meaning of it. Alok and Sandhya wanted him to explain everything in such a way, that he never feels any inferiority or insecurity. His confidence should be intact like before.
“Roshan, Mumma and Papa love you the most and will always be. Please don’t ever think that you are not our son. I couldn’t become your mother by giving you birth but God gifted you us in a different manner and the ultimate truth is that we are your parents and you are our son. And no one can change it by saying anything.” Sandhya hugged him tightly.
Roshan kept silent for a long time. For him, his parents are everything. He never felt anything odd while all these years. He also knows that he is their life and they love him most. He only had one question in his mind and he looked at them, “Mumma, Papa I want to ask only one thing.”
Alok and Sandhya got worried about thinking what he would ask but they were ready to give all the assurance to their beloved son so they replied together, “Tell us Roshan… you can ask us anything.”
“If any of my brother or sister would have come after you adopted me, would you still love me the same way?” Roshan asked.
Sandhya and Alok looked at each other and smiled. They both took his hands in theirs and replied, “Our love for you is eternal and it is never going to get change. You are the one who gave us a boon of parenthood. You are and will always be our most precious bundle of joy.”
Roshan's eyes twinkled with happiness and he hugged his parents.
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Someone said, “Adopting one child wouldn’t change the world, but for that child, the world will change.”
I want to add, “Adopting a child surely changes the parent's world too.”
