The first time I saw her...

The first time I saw her, I just wanted to hug her and tell her how much I loved her. I had waited for this moment for a long time, to get the first glimpse of her had been too hard to resist. I did not let my parents know how happy I was to get her (after all, I am a man!), even though I knew how happy they were. It was as if they had waited their entire life for this day! The day when my wife delivered a baby, our daughter. (I am proud to have a daughter, I secretly wished for one!)

As I entered the room my wife was in, (though the room was air conditioned I was sweating profusely) she smiled at me and directed her eyes towards the baby that was sleeping peacefully in the cradle. I went to my wife and hugged her. My life had got a different meaning after she came into my life two years ago, this same day! She hugged me back with all her love and her eyes overflowed with tears (as I had expected) .To the extent I knew her, tears showed up in her eyes only when she was happy, she is a strong woman.

After the brief hug, I went to see my daughter. That little one which is going to share the love that belonged only to me and my wife. As I neared her, I could see the fragile outline of her.

She was very small than what I’d expected. Her eyes, as small as pea, were closed in deep slumber. Her hands were the length of my palm and her fingers were folded to a fist, not so tight. I tried to open the fist but thought it would hurt her, just touched her fingers and pulled my hand back. Thoughts of how my parents would have felt the day I was born, how this little one did not know how grand her welcome to the family would be, how my wife was feeling right now, though unspoken, were creating a cacophony in my mind.

For the last 9 months, I was just wondering, how the little one would look like. How my wife would feel the baby inside her every single day throughout the entire period. How would it be to feel a living thing inside you!! The one thing that made me envious of my wife. I would constantly ask her how she felt and she would tell me, being pregnant does not show just physically, but mentally too. Yes, true! I had seen it. From the day the doc confirmed the news, she was altogether a different lady. Each day my love as well as respect for her has grown over these years.

As I sat near the cradle recollecting my thoughts, tears blurred my vision. My love for my daughter overflowed; I had no intention to control. “With arms wide open” (The Band –Creed’s song) made its way to my mind…