The day we are blessed with....

The Big Day was dawn as usual but with most cheerfulness and more chillness. We are all prepared for the next day event (I remember at my best that I only imagined it as an event). We cooly left our home at 07.30am (my father's advice to exit before raaghu enters). Walked down the Road, waited for 10 minutes before we took a cab to KK Hospital.

My wife was all thrilled as she was unwinding in her final countdown. I could only follow with my own usual blunt-imaginations and started thinking if my Mother would have had shown similar accomplishment in her face when she was in the final countdown when I was rioting in her womb. Were she happy? or Were my father around (or struck with Raman Roadways as usual) and had they been sailed through similar imaginations about How it evolved from a Liquid form and when will it go in School Uniform.

The admission formality was so simple as it was explained to us much earlier that we, sorry, my Wife will have a scheduled Cesaerian at 10.30am. My wife was in all smiles trying to hide the excitement and ponophobia as well. Atlast she was drovn away to the Operation Theatre at 10.30am. We followed with the Indian Nurse until the Operation Theatre in the 2nd Level. Not sure how long more or less it will take to bring out the baby from the usual time of 30-40minutes. In the mean time, we went to our ward and quickly ate brought-from-home breakfast (Idli, Pudhina Thuvayal, Sambar) and found no patience to wash my fingers. Rushed to the Operation Theatre and waited outside (thinking how during our Raja School Days, we used to chant the name of Om Sakthi, Sithi Vinayaga, Muruga in no Rhythm when the teacher pull out our Monthly Test papers for distribution)

After sometime, Parents also joined me in the impatient waiting trail. I could not imagine a small baby, All I could Imagine is a min 3 years old boy calling me Appa. I knew now how stupid and silly it was... hehe

I got a call in my O2, from the Mid-Wife stating that my wife delivered a baby boy and she guided me to the Mid-Wife's nursery. Upon entering which, I was Wonder-Struck to look at the tiny creature, with red skin, wrapped in a light blue towel, kicking its limbs with button nose and shivering jaws. For a moment, I badly wanted to become a kid to cry, howl, roll over the floor to express my experience or rather experience the joy. Or atleast the whole world becomes dark and dumb for a fraction of second giving me some space to fill whatever urge I had.

I was also dumb for a while, when I found that I needed to be introduced by someone as father to my new born. But even someone did, would it understand, but somehow I thought it is needed as I wanted my new infant to identify me and call me Appa. Again Silly ah..

The Mid-wife was explaining me that he was born at 11.50am weighing 3055 grams and measuring 48cm. I gave my ears but I could not grasp her pattern of speech.

I finished signing the Baby Announcment form with the Mid-wife and came out of the room earlier than the usual time given to any father for Maiden - Look at the infant. I walked slowly and very slowly towards my parents enjoying the feel. I went cooly with all smiles and satisfaction in my face and sat down next to my mother. As soon as I said that I saw the baby, All my mother wanted to do is run towards the door through which i came looking for them. The mid-wife was kind enough and still was doing something with the Patcha Mannu (Uncultivated or Unploughed Soil). She was so excited to look at her second grandson. She could not wait to carry the Patcha Mannu in her arms.

We are back to the Operation Theatre waiting for my wife to be driven to the ward. She was half unconsoncious and shown a glowingly completeness in her face. The days rolled down in the ward with Parents, Uncle, Aunty, Dorothy, vairam, Vanitha, Iniyan and all our relatives visiting for the next few days.

Before I finish, I wanted to tell another incident that relates to me being a father. Third day of my son's birth, I had to attend an Interview with an american Fortune 500 Company. Before they kick off brain-digging session, there was Mallu (Asia Pacific Group Manager) who asked me to list out my Achievements and accomplishments. Even I did expect this usual question, I was not in a mood to narrate any action packed stories. But managed to cut short them, by simplifying my roles in the stories. He quipped asking me "I expected you to include(!) you becoming a father as an achievement ". I looked at his face straight thinking myself "kashtam da" and managed to grab something instantly to throw at him. I said "This can't be an achievement, as courting, involving, carrying, delivering are natural phenomena. I will feel achieved only when I make my Son a Responsible human being in the Society". He said me now "I did't expect this"