Abort me not!

April 16th 1982
Friday
9.00 am
Maternity Hospital, Shuwaikh, Kuwait.
(Mushtashva Al Walada Al Kuwait)

I don’t know what mom was more bothered about, the day I was born.

Was she happy to have her third child? A baby girl?

Was she thankful to have survived a complicated and fatal pregnancy, due to placenta previa?

Was she worried about her elder daughter, a 2 year old, who was alone at home?

Was she concerned about her 1 year old son, who was away in India with her in-laws, not realising he just had a baby sister?

Or was she wondering where her husband was? (A husband who she would always have to keep longing for...)

I still dont know!

Little did she know, her days of worries where yet to come.

It took me years to realise how much of struggle she had to go through to have me.

From the moment she conceived me...

Through the times when she was forced to down medicines to abort me...

To the day she decided to go ahead and have me, even though I ran a chance to be born deformed from the side-effects of the medicines...

To putting up with a husband who gave her a one night deadline to deliver me... (as if this were some courier service!)

To praying through the night of April 15th 1982, to a GOD she called Father, to give her pangs of pain and help her bring a new life to earth! (Which miraculously happened, because her EDD was atleast a week ahead)

Anyways...

I was born.

I was a fairly large baby, weighing 3.650 kgs when born. I must have put her through lot of pain.

I know for a fact that she expected a boy. Intuitions had gone wrong for the first time, for the third child.

(I never complained. I have always loved to dress up as a boy.)

The name was pre-decided.

Geetha Raj Chettiyanthodi

Geetha, because mom loved that name and the Bhagavad Gita (The song of God). Raj, from my dad. And the rest was the 'House name'. (Agreed that is a stupid way of naming a child!)

But, I never had a reason to complain about that either. I love my name. (Which is not a great coincidence, considering the great narcissist I am!)

I turn 28 in another 4 months. I am not married yet. I dont know if I would ever have a kid.

But...

I know for a fact that...

Everyone talks about their mother being the best mom. Being their role model. Being their motivator.

But to me...

She is the only reason why I am.

If she'd chosen to do away with me...

If she had chosen to have it the way her husband wanted it... (which I would have, had I been in her shoes)

Then, I wouldn't have been...! This blog wouldn't have been...!

I am not against abortion. I strongly support the cause. It is a woman's body. She decides what to do with it.

But...

It takes immense courage and self-esteem for a woman - to bring in a life, especially a life, which is hated much before its birth, which is termed an unnecessary burden even before it's as big as a tennis ball... and if that's a girl child, too bad! Dowry and more money to spend!

A Salute to all those mothers who still pursue their urge to have a kid and go against all odds to bring out a life...

Mommy, please know I wouldn't have complained, had you chosen not to... But I am happy you didn't!

Thanks for having me mom... You really don't realize what I would have missed...!