Disappointment

Kripa felt queasy breathing in the hospital smell with every breath that she took in. It somehow seemed ominous bringing flashes of an operation theater, bright focus lights, doctors clad in green gowns and sharp knives. She took in a deep breath to clear her head of all those thoughts. It wasn't going to be bad news she kept telling herself. "Kripa Sethuraman, your report is ready", called out the nurse on duty. She heard a distant cry of a baby, saw visuals of its teething ring, johnson and johnson powder, its nappies, its little play room, its 5th birthday party, a high school graduation party, a tiff about the child's choice of life partner, its profession..."Kripa Sethuraman" She walked in a trance towards the desk and picked up her folder and opened it. She relived the same experience that she had had a couple of times earlier and wondered whether she would go through a different phase atleast this time. "Recommended: Abortion" read her report and tears rolled down her cheeks. The visuals that she had had just a minute earlier rolled back and flashes of a surgery, depressed family, arasa maram (Peepul tree) and trips to temples were all that came to her mind.