The second child

A married young couple found to their shock that they could not become parents. They were compelled to adopt a girl as their daughter. But things don't remain the same. Read more...

 

Srinivas and Sarala was a resourceful couple residing in Hyderabad. Both were handsome, tall with brilliant academics, and worked in big MNC organizations in India. They met in the US while attending a business conference on behalf of their organizations. The spark ignited there continued to glow brighter and brighter and eventually made them life partners.

 

They had a great honeymoon and settled down happily in a luxurious apartment in the heart of Hyderabad. Their offices did not warrant them to stay beyond the office hours, except for occasional one-two hours overstay. Both were reporting to a well-mannered boss. 

 

Days and years passed. They enjoyed a good matrimonial relationship. The weekends were charming and exciting.  Sometimes they went to outstations and enjoyed the places and food. They visited every shopping mall in the city wasting money on buying things not really needed and tasted a variety of food that caused more harm than charm to their stomachs. They watched English, Hindi, and Telugu movies in different ambiances of many I-Max theaters.

After spending terrific five years of togetherness, they started feeling a bit odd and discontented. They knew the reason. The couple could not promote themselves as parents, although there was no dearth of sexual satisfaction between the two. They consulted various doctors, who after making elaborate investigations opined that due to certain deficiencies in the health of Srinivas, the chances of Sarala conceiving were remote. The couple pondered, discussed, and reflected on this issue often. Both of them felt heavy and disappointed about their ill luck in becoming parents.

 

Of the two, Sarala was crazy and craving to have a child. When she saw the neighbors walking and playing with their small children, Sarala wondered “Of all, why God has chosen me as the lady of ill luck?". At times she wept silently when Srinivas was asleep. Srinivas too had his mental bouts on this issue. He badly wanted to become a father. The only thing, he did not show his anxiety explicitly.  As days passed, Sarala felt the pinch more and more. She was distracted and disturbed mentally that she did not feel like going to the office. She took a day's leave every week and then increased it to two, then three. Her boss asked her one-day “Sarlara, you seem to be disturbed a lot. I could notice that. Why don't you think of going on a long leave?"  The next day she quit her job. Fortunately, she had a decent financial position due to her parents who were making good money in their business and were ready to support Sarala whenever needed.

 

She took up a few online assignments and was executing them from home. But somehow she could not focus on those assignments.  She started feeling aloof, and restless and was almost pushed to a depressed state in spite of Srinivas giving her his best company.  Srinivas used to tell her " Sarala, I think it will do a world of difference if you go back to employment".  Saral replied “No chance. I feel awkward working in the office when one or the other office staff enquires me like ' Mam, how many children you have, how about switching over to a family life?". Such a situation embarrasses and kills me."

The parents of both came and stayed with Sarala for a few months which provided Sarala with a diversion. But these kinds of environmental changes did not make her happy. Once, the couple went to a famous psychiatrist for consultation. After a few sittings, the psychiatrist suggested the couple should adopt a child. The couple was not really inclined toward child adoption, but due to the distress and deteriorating mental health devoid of charm, Sarala agreed to the suggestion and convinced Srinivas that having a child at home would bring about positive change in her as well as in Srinivas.

 

It took almost a year for the couple to search, identify, complete necessary legal formalities and bring home ‘Savitri’ a 3-year-old girl child, picked up from a child orphanage in the city. Within six months, they developed bondage with Savitri. Savitri loved her new parents. The two felt that Savitri was their small world. They spent a long time caring for her, feeding her, playing with her, and taking her out. The child could not express her joy in being with a father and mother.  This atmosphere of love and care continued. 

 

After one year, one day, Sarala felt certain uneasiness in her stomach. She thought it could be due to some slight discomfort and soon would be over. But when the symptoms continued beyond three days, she went for a medical health check-up. To her disbelief and amazement, of course, joy too in abundance, the doctor congratulated told her she was conceived and was on the family way.  Sarala, feeling a pleasant shock called Srinivas and informed him about this. Srinivas was speechless with joy, hearing the unexpected yet pleasantly surprising development. The couple had a romantic night that day.

 

Although the couple liked Savitri and spent good times with her, there was a subtle change in their attitude towards her after Sarala got conceived. Savitri was already put in a kindergarten. When Sarala left for her parent’s place two months prior to the scheduled delivery, she left Savitri back at home, in spite of Savitri insisting her mother take her too. Srinivas’s parents were called to take care of Savitri.

 

Sarala took great care for the safe and healthy growth of the baby inside her. She became a beaming mother in the due course. The couple was blessed with a boy child and was christened with the name ‘Sravan’. Their adopted daughter Savitri was six years old by that time. When Sarala came back home with little Sravan, Savitri was delighted to see them. Her face beamed in joy and delight. She hopped and danced seeing the arrival of a new person in her family. Soon she started developing love and affection for her cute little brother. In the initial days, the couple cared for both the children alike. But after some time, things started happening contrary to this. While Srinivas and Sarala took meticulous care of Sravan the care and love for Savitri began dwindling, marginally. They paid more attention to Sravan at any point in time. In less than six months, Savitri started feeling less cared for, less loved, and more sidelined. The tender heart of seven years could not share the disappointment and sadness over the apparent discrimination. All Savitri could understand was her brother Sravan was her parent's top priority.

Savitri noticed the deterioration in her treatment by her foster parents. Her mindset began to change day after day. The first birthday of Sravan was celebrated with pomp and gaiety. Savitri was treated well by Srinivas and Sarala at the event but when it came to caring and pouring love and affection, she was always at the receiving end. The couple somehow failed to notice the lopsided behavior in them over the treatment of Sravan and Savitri.

 

Savitri completed her first standard and it was the summer holidays. The discrimination started to grow and magnify in size glaringly with the couple resorting to differential treatment for Savitri. Right from buying toys, and dresses, and spending time, the couple discriminated between Savitri and Sravan. Whenever the couple went out, most of the time they took Sravan with them, leaving behind Savitri at home. Though she moved and played with Sravan, she felt inside her innocent heart the attitudinal difference in the behavior of her parents. She felt pinched by this. Often, she wept alone in silence. She had a sense of maturity even at her tender age. But she was a child after all. What else she could do?

 

One day, a couple of senior members from her earlier orphanage dropped by their house to enquire about Savitri's welfare. The couple informed them Savitri was doing well and that they cared for her as much as they cared for Sravan. Savitri did not speak anything about her welfare and told them she wanted to visit the orphanage once. The members told Srinivas that if he permitted, they would take Savitri to the orphanage and bring her back on the same evening. The couple agreed to the proposal. Savitri went inside and kissed Sravan. When Sarala and Srinivas kissed her, she reciprocated.

 

Savitri did not turn up in the evening. Instead, a telephone call from the orphanage informed Srinivas that Savitri wanted to spend a couple of days with the inmates of the orphanage and would be dropped back after that. Three more days passed by. Sarala rang up to the orphanage and enquired about Savitri’s return. With anxiety in her voice, she told “You told us you would drop her back the same evening. Now even after three days, Savitri is held up there. She was sent without even a spare set of dresses. What is wrong with you?” The staff at the orphanage called Savitri and handed over the phone.  Savitri spoke to Sarala “Mummy, thanks for giving me your love and affection for two years. I am thankful to both of you. But at the moment I am happy to stay here. I am treated well; I play with my friends here. They assured me I could go to school after the vacation."

Sarala, feeling terribly upset replied “Savitri darling, you are our first child. Little ‘Sravan’ keeps gazing here and there to see you, smile and cheer at him. Please don't keep anything at your heart. If you feel, we have treated you otherwise, it was not intentional, honey. We are coming right now to pick you up. “Savitri spoke with such confidence and maturity “Mummy, please do not come here with the idea of taking me back. I will not come now. I am happy now being with my fellow orphans. ”   

 

Srinivas and Sarala along with Sravan rushed to the orphanage, met Savitri, and expressed sorry for whatever they did to her. They cajoled her to join Sravan and close-knit the family. Savitri, the seven years old girl of self-respect and emotions stood firm in her stand.

 

That was like a never experienced rude, deep, and hurting prick on Sarala. Srinivas felt disheartened. The two made a couple of more attempts to bring back Savitri but in vain. They wept and cried to her and asked her to forgive them. But the determined child Savitri stuck to her decision and expressed her keen desire to be left in the orphanage. The authorities at the orphanage wondered how come she could leave back the cozy comforts of her home and return to the orphanage. But after understanding the little girl's heart, they decided to retain Sarala in the orphanage.

 

Srinivas and Sarala felt morally guilty, probably for the first time in their lives. They felt ashamed, disgraced, and dejected for treating Savitri as a stepdaughter after Sravan was born. The two could not imagine how a girl of seven could take things seriously and sensitively and kick them out of her life. Not only do the numbers in Srinivas’s family shrink the happiness and delight as well.