Gubbi's first day
A few days before the due day, Oct 8, we drove to Hyderabad from Bidar.
Both Preeti and I were nervous. I did not want to show my nervous energy, so I tried to behave as I usually could. Preeti was understandably more nervous. She had never been admitted to a hospital before. So this was a psychological barrier she had to overcome. Although medical science has made tremendous progress and success rates of C-Section pregnancies have been higher than it has ever been in the past, we had this fear that things might go wrong. So much so that Preeti just wanted to come back alive. I know it's an extreme reaction, but everything is understated under the influence of raging hormones. On Saturday, Oct 8, 2022, we drove to the hospital. It was a 35-minute ride from the house. Preeti slept in the car. We were prepared for the day. We had brought a couple of bags of clothes and packed food to carry us through the day. The hospital lobby wore a deserted look. Both Preeti and my mom sat in the lobby on the ground floor. I finished the admission formalities and took Preeti to the pre-surgery ward. I was the only one allowed with her.
We wanted to get the delivery done earlier in the morning so that the burden of waiting is manageable. A couple of doctors came and spoke to Preeti, did some routine checkups and got her ready for the surgery. Both Preeti and I were cracking stupid jokes to neutralise the extreme nervous energy we both were feeling. Humour is a powerful tool in situations like these.
We stayed in the pre-surgery ward for 40 minutes, and then it was time. Preeti was made to sit on a chair outside the OT. I was standing next to her. The OT Doctor explained what would happen and told me I would be called after fifteen minutes.
I did not want to leave Preeti alone, but there was no way I could go inside while they prepped her for the delivery. I held Preeti's hands, told her it would be fine (having no clue what would happen) and told her I would be inside in no time.
I sat outside the waiting room while they took Preeti inside and prepped her for surgery. I've not been as nervous as I was while sitting alone on that sofa waiting to hear my name called. Fifteen minutes passed by, and I was not called. I went in and checked why they were not calling me; they confirmed they would let me know when the time was right. Another 15 minutes passed, and I heard "Preeti's attender". I rushed inside, wore the OT clothes, put all my stuff in a locker, and was ready to go inside the OT.
I rush inside, and I see a massive room with blue-painted walls. There are 5-6 people in the room, and Preeti is on the OT bed. I sat on a stool right next to Preeti's face. I meet her and immediately hold her hands and ask her if she is alright. She calmly said yes. She was under the influence of anaesthesia, so she wasn't feeling anything below her waist. She told me what they had done during prep. A vast cloth was put up above her chest, so we couldn't see what precisely the doctors were doing. I did not muster the courage to stand up and see. I did ask if I could get up and see, and I was told; they would show the baby in the next 5 mins.
I then realised that the speaker on the side of the room was playing Hindi songs. It felt good to listen to some random Bollywood music during a stressful time.
And then, we heard murmurs from the doctors performing the surgery. I could see from the side the nurse waiting to handle the baby. I could see her reaction when the doctors cut open Preeti's stomach. So I knew they had made the incision based on the nurse's response. After maybe two minutes, we heard the doctor say, "Congratulations, it's a baby girl". Before we could react, they held the baby above the cloth and showed it to us for a brief second. It felt like the Lion King scene, where Simba is held high on the mountain. We did not hear Gubbi cry. She was immediately taken outside by the nurse. Both Preeti and I experienced the most joy we have ever experienced in life. I burst into tears and cried profusely, and seeing me cry, Preeti cried as well.
They brought the baby back into the room after 10 minutes. Gubbi was all wrapped up and placed next to Preeti, and then they asked me to hold her. I hesitated, but then I held her, and it was surreal.
Gubbi is the nickname we gave our daughter. It means a small bird in Kannada.