Not today!

Short Story - Drama
 

It was a tiresome to wake up with the morning sickness. But she had a reason today, the pregnancy test strip that she used yesterday, lay in the corner of the room it was positive.. she was excited... within 3 hours her husband would be home. She wanted to see how he reacted... she remembered his captivating smile.. like a lightning in the sky.. appearing within a fraction of time and flickering away soon, but the brightness and the impact it created on her was incomparable, and mystifying that she would keep staring at him, unable to help but fall in love with him again and again..

Courtesy Google

However a small pain lingered.. she remembered the last time, they were excited.. happy, he sat down, got up walked around the room, then smiled, and when the truth sink ed in, he kissed her and her soft tummy.. by the time they reached the hospital, they had named their first born.. be it a girl or a boy.. then the doctor said that the blood and the urine tests were negative. That was not possible, she checked at home, the strips are not always 100% true, was the doctor's sympathetic reply.. The child never existed in her womb even before they visited the hospital... but the moment they left, some thing died in them, with lots of pain they came back to life..



She didn't want that this time.. its funny how life tricks people.. with the make believe happiness that perishes soon.. she wanted to get to the bottom of it this time.. before breaking the news to him..she decided and within half hour was in the hospital, and after one hour, the doctor smiled at her and prescribed the tablets, tonics and food habits that she should follow.. for she was pregnant. She was on top of the world.. she glanced at the watch, he would be home in an hour.. and walked as fast as possible, yet taking extra care of the life inside her. She stepped outside the hospital, their was no auto or taxi in the vicinity, and in her excitement she panicked.. looked around and saw the bus.. yes the bus passes right in front of the house.. she went in and comfortably seated herself in the front. She held on to the iron bar in front of her with great strength, every time the bus jumped.. she didn't know if she was being crazy or not taking the required care of the kid.


Her mind drifted hastily and played a lot of actions and sequences in front of her.. her husbands reaction, the flickering smile and passion, her parents.. her mother would visit guruvayur the next day to pay tribute to the lord.. after all she was married in the temple and all important aspects of her life had a close connection with the temple.., the in laws who always found fault in her and indirectly taunted her for the past 5 years.. what would be their reaction? each and every face flashed in front of her.. then she imagined her still soft and flat belly swelling up.. the tan drums the sickness nausea.. and with in few months she would feel life waiting in her womb all ready to explore the bright world in front of it.. and then after 9 months the pink baby curled in her lap.. some how her heart felt heavy with love and affection the moment she imagined a baby in her bosom.


At last there she was, the bus halted in front of the stop and all she had to do was to walk for ten minutes unlock the door and wait for her husband to return and every of her dream would become true, it is as simple as that.. she walked on a bit slowly touching her tummy for every single step she took.. just as she was getting down she felt a hand around her neck and a chillness near her temple.. the hand in the neck seem to increase pressure.. and she found herself staring at a pair of coldblooded eyes.. and a pistol was visible too near her temple waiting for his command to explode..


The guy was shouting at every one in the bus and motioned the driver to take the bus.. but no one seem to notice.. they were running around the bus in panic.. He did not seem like a terrorist to her, rather he looked like a guy just depressed and lonely.. she could talk and sort things out with him.. she could give him all her jewels and money they saved till now and they would start over again.. she wanted to tell him all these and plead for her life.. life of her child.. the hope of her life.. but no words came.. why not some one else? with no hope and no expectation in life. Why me? why today? No words escaped her lips, might be because of the hand digging more and more into her throat or because of fear.. she never spoke.. the guy ran his pistol holding hands through his hair like a mad man.. again and again. then with a hysteric giggle.. just like that.. he shot her..


The noise of the pistol was unbearable.. every one in the bus were scared.. except her.. she crumbled down like a little yellow flower chopped down in its prime.. she fell holding her hand tightly to her belly.. protecting her child.. the happy face of her husband.. the smile flickered away in front of her..


She was careful not to fall on her tummy and hurt her child..