The Silent Whisper of the pink shoes.
Rinku spent two years in the US after her marriage. She missed her family when she got the good news of her pregnancy. She wanted to share with her Ma and sisters and see the joy on their faces. There were no relatives in the US and only a few friends.
As the months rolled by, a Baby shower was arranged for Rinku. She was excited and waited eagerly for that special day of her life.
She has seen this custom in her family in
India and how the elders celebrate this special function.
She was dressed beautifully and the room was decorated. The friends wished her and began giving her gifts for the baby girl, who was expected to arrive in a few months.
Yes, you heard it right, it is allowed to know the sex of the baby and the would – be – mother was asked for the necessary things for the baby before the baby shower day.
She was amused as she had heard from her granny, “ Nothing should be bought before the baby arrives.
Rinku could not say anything as that was the system followed.
She enjoyed the functions and thanked everyone for coming and
for their gifts.
The couple were tired and decided to look at the gifts later, at ease.
The next day being Sunday, they could open each packet carefully. They saw soft blankets, socks, and warm sweaters, a feeding bottle and many other things Rinku had wished for in her list.
Under the bundle was a small box. When she opened that box, her motherly feeling was wavering, when she saw those cute pink-laced shoes. She shouted, “ Look Rahul, how cute this is, and our baby doll will look adorable.”
Rahul calmed her down as the doctor had told her to take care of herself and not to exert herself too much.
Her Mother reached before the due date to stay with her and help her with the delivery and baby care for the initial six months. She took full care of her daughter, her food and rest to be taken. They went for her regular check-ups.
The doctor asked her to go for a walk.
All precautions were taken and Rinku was anxiously waiting for the day when she would hold her baby in her arms.
When she was anxious, her mother narrated the experiences of herself and her eldest sister. How did they cope with those hard but sweet months of carrying a baby in their womb?
Her mother tried to keep Rinku happy and cheerful as much as she could.
During weekends, her friends came to cheer her on and comfort her.
She showed those cute pink shoes to her mother. Her mother appreciated the cute shoes but inside she was worried that all should be good. She was an old timer and all these previous purchases for an unborn baby were not acceptable to her but what could she say?
The video calls from her sister back home in India, cheered her.
The doctor towards the end of her pregnancy, advised her to rest in bed as they found the
The movement of the baby is slow.
Rinku started to worry and kept asking, “ Rahul, will all be good ?”
He assured her to relax and said, “ Dear, all will be good.”
Her mother too comforted her and said, “ Do not think so much and keep chanting Krishna’s name.”
When everything goes smoothly, the mind is at peace and happy and the time moves on well.
Every week, they went for the checkup and the doctor sounded ok.
“ Nothing to worry dear, cheer up.”
It was getting difficult to pass the time as Rinku was not comfortable and felt that something might go wrong. She woke up from sleep and looked for those shoes, as she had always imagined his baby walking one day wearing those shoes.
His mother asked her to relax and do deep breaths, to calm her nerves.
In her anxiety, Rinku refused to eat properly and Rahul and her mother and her friends made her understand, “ How important it is for her to take care of her diet to give birth to a healthy child.”
They watched good comedy movies to cheer her up. It was a difficult phase of her life to experience all sorts of things during those months.
The doctor towards the end of her pregnancy, advised her to rest in bed as they found the movement of the baby was slow.
The day arrived when she felt her labour pain and she was hospitalized. The doctor decided to go for surgery. .
After nearly two hours, they could hear the baby’s cry and were relieved. Thank God.
The doctor came out and took Rahul separately and told him,”
All is well but the baby’s feet are a bit twisted and may need surgery later for her to walk.”
Rahul was devastated and worried about how Rinku would take it.
Somehow he consoled and controlled his emotions and told the news to his mother- in- law. She was shocked and worried about how they would manage Rinku.
Rinku insisted on seeing her baby and the nurse showed her the baby,
covered fully.
When Rinku heard the news, she was shocked and cried, “ How will she wear those shoes.?”
She kept it inside a box and locked it. The shoes were never worn.
Not for sale- She wanted to take a second chance later.
@ Poornima Sivaraman
4.6.2026
