Shantu woke with a start. He had kicked her again. This time she screamed. “Stop this pain now,” she yelled at sister Mary. “Just a few more hours,” Mary said.
Shantu must have passed out because when she woke up she had an unbearable pain in her stomach and was back in her hospital bed. “Looks like it’s out” she mumbled.
Shalini walked into her room, handing over a blue envelope, “Here’s the balance payment. We had to do a c-section to get the baby out. You can go home tomorrow.”
Shantu took the envelope, “It was a boy wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” said Shalini “Your hunch was right as always.”
“Just simple probability actually – 2 girls and 2 boys. Nature knows its balance.” retorted Shantu as Shalini waved goodbye.
“Dr Prasad, I have the 50 lakhs now” Shantu spoke into her phone “When can we plan my mother’s kidney transplant?”
#FridayFotoFiction
Word Count: 150
This piece is part of #FridayFotoFiction with Tina & Mayuri. Every Friday Tina & Mayuri share a photo prompt and we write a 150-word short story based on how we interpret the prompt. This week’s prompt was a crib (pictured above.)
Surrogacy is a Godsend for couples who can’t have children due to fertility or health issues. For the couple, receiving a child is a blessing indeed. But for the surrogate mother, surrogacy is much-needed income, most often to meet severe financial crises. It is not easy giving up a child you’ve harboured and nurtured for 9 months. But the good wishes & blessings that you receive in return go a long way in valuing the efforts the surrogate mother puts in.
Very powerful and touching story
Touching indeed. Surrogacy it is. For the needy a survival instinct. Yet a mother’s feelings can’t be measured when it is time to give away her baby.
Omg. This gave me goosebumps. Surrogacy is a courageous and benevolent act. Respect to such mothers.
i have great respect for surrogate mothers and cant even imagine how can they give away their child, even if they’ve known all along the baby isn’t theirs. A mother is a mother. But, I guess we all are helpless at circumstances life throws at us. M happy people are openly accepting surrogacy. Sadly, there is a dark side of this too. 🙁
True. I could only attempt to understand both sides of this after having a baby myself. Must be tough
Surrogacy is tough to imagine and certainly not an easy act. But your title image puts it well – room for rent! Hard facts
Powerful piece of writing. One can only begin to imagine the pain of surrogate mothers.
This sacrifice is multifaceted…What a tale!
Anagha recently posted Orphaned
The twist, in the end, was powerful in the story. A nice take on the prompt, bringing out the two sides of surrogacy very well.
Surrogacy has been a boon for many. Very few pause to think what the surrogate must be going through, or what made her take the decision to be one.
Such a compassionate take on the prompt.
Thank you for writing for #FridayFotoFiction
ohhh how beautifully told. Surrogacy is a gift to some sorrow to some. Thanks for linking up with #FridayFotoFiction.