The one with the mother's look

"Hey, any patient for me or I can leave for the day?"

"Just one patient doc, waiting for you at examination room 710."

Being an on call doctor at Ambani Hospital sure is very exhausting. For one, you have go to all sorts of different floors for all patients and only specific elevators take you to that specific floors.

I go in to the room 710 and the patient is waiting there with her baby. We formally greet each other. Apparently she is having trouble in feeding her baby and some doctor recommended her to me, a lactation consultant. I helped her with the positions and explained all sorts of techniques in local dialect so she can easily understand. At the end of the session, she asks me whether she can go to work from next week.

"But, you have just had your baby 2 months ago. Every company gives maternity leave for atleast 6 months I am sure."

She was bit hesitant but later smiled and said," Doctor, I work in Red Light Area. I won't be allowed leave for such long time."

I have visited Red Light area before and given lecture to the people over there. Took seminar over there but a patient coming in Ambani for this was bit of a surprise. I just gave a wry understanding smile resumed my professional behavior and gave my opinion. While I was explaining few concepts, I spoke a couple of terms in English and was trying to figure how to make her understand the same in Hindi or Marathi. She sweetly replied that she knew English very well and understood everything I said. She was a B.com in English Literature. This was shocking ...

Now I know I was being nosy but we women often tend to have supplementary questions ready. Before I knew the question came out of my mouth," Then why are you working in Red Light Area? You can have a proper job. Why choose this profession?"

She smiled sweetly and said,"Who wants to be in this profession ma'am. I was from a well to do family in Bangalore. Right after I graduated, my parents died in a car crash. My maternal uncle(mom's brother) took me to his place. After few days, he said, he is taking me to Bombay so that I can get a job. Right after we arrived Bombay, he burned all my documents right in front of me so that I cannot go back and sold me to someone and ever since I have been living in Red Light area. And without any documents or degree or anything who will believe my story? I had to live and work there for a living. Once you are there, you cannot escape. These people will track you down and kill you. Rules over there are very strict. Last year I got pregnant. I had no idea who might be the father of this kid. Its very tough to keep track when you have so many clients. And so I thought if it was a boy I would raise him."

"Why only a boy?"

"If this baby was a girl and I brought her back with me there, once she reached the age of 12-13, she would have been forced to work and sucked into this dark world. Who would wish for such a life for an unborn child? In fact, I had planned that if this baby would have been a girl, I would have sneaked out of the hospital and left the baby there. Maybe she would receive a better home. Now that this is a boy, I can keep him with me and educate him. He will change the luck of both of our lives."

Cartoon Mother And Baby Clipart

She just looked at her baby with all the admiration only a mother can have for a kid. How often have I seen such look. So many mothers look at their babies with such unconditional love and hope. It is the best feeling in the world.

Dedicated to,
all the mothers,
Thank you for reading,
From,
Hetansh Shah a.k.a Hetu

Special thanks to Dipti Shah. This is her story. Love you mom!

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