Arul

8 years old

"Ow, the baby kicks," I blink at my sister's pregnant belly in shock. This is her ninth month and she says that the baby will come out soon.

"Does it hurt, akka?" She shakes her head but her brows are furrowed in pain.

"Manthagini...don't hurt my sister," heeding my stern tone, Akka ruffles my hair with a soft expression. "What If it's a boy?" She quirks her eyebrows at me.

"My dream has always come true, akka! The baby is definitely a girl..." I trail off and watch her belly.

"It's Manthagini..." Akka shrieks suddenly and clutches her stomach. I panic as I regard her and quickly call out my mother.

"Amma!!" Mother slips out of the kitchen swiftly and her eyes go wide while she watches sister. "Arul! Inform Muththamma Thaayi and bring her here! Hurry!" Before another second passes by, I run out of my home and pedal the cycle to the said grandma's home.

[In some regions of Tamil Nadu, the term "Thaayi" (தாயி) is used to refer to an experienced midwife or elderly woman who assists in childbirth]

Her house is one kilometre away from ours and due to my speedy cycling, I attained her house within a very few minutes. "Paati! (Grandma)" I yell, waking the older woman who was slumbering on the veranda.

"Akka is crying in pain! Amma asked me to bring you home, please come soon!" She raises to her feet and in barefoot-she walks alongside my cycle.

Within another few minutes, we attain our home and I heed my sister's screams exploding from her room. My heart thuds beneath my chest in fear of her well-being. I was frightened and stood still as women from our neighbourhood flooded our home.

Later, my sister's husband also came by and entered the room, seeming worried...

An hour later, the cries of my sister still didn't deteriorate and it had me shed tears as well. I couldn't stand her being in agony...

As another scream came through, I found myself sauntering towards the pooja room. With teary eyes I prayed to the God to lessen my sister's pain and sat there until I heard the baby's loud cry-several hours later.

My legs pulled me through the crowd of ladies and once the door to my sister's room unlocked, I run inside and regard my sister with worry and dread swirling deep within me.

"Akka," she smiles at me, tiredly. And that makes my heart feel a little better.

"Just as you guessed, it's a girl, Arul," as my sister's husband spoke, my eyes drift towards the baby thats cocooned in his arms.

"May I hold her?" I ask and he gives the baby to me without hesitating. I, with utmost care held her in my hands and stared at her cute face.

"Manthagini...."

Her eyes keeps staring at me and getting me off-guard, a small smile paints her lips.

"Akka, she's smiling!!" Everybody around me laughs at my excitement.

Meanwhile, I felt immense happiness rose from the pit of my heart as I gazed at this little human...

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