Postpone delivery!!!!

The incident below took place on November 22, 2008
Gosh! That was a sixer of a statement my mother made when she said...Postpone the deliver till November 25...even if the doctor advises for a cesarean on any grounds before that date!!!

I was idling on the bed on a Sunday mid-morning....cradling my head with the arms behind it and watching the fan swirl in a hurry....this statement woke me up with a jerk...I looked around...preened around the door and saw my mom talking on the phone to her daughter-in-law's mother.....I sat up with interest and heard the rest of the conversation with great interest...before I could get to hear her more, she put the phone down, turned back and saw I was sitting up and watching her. With a worried look, she walked to me and sat on the edge of the bed...sighed...I was waiting to hear her new concern...my mother is an expert in picking a concern from air and worrying about the same...So what is it this time, amma..I asked her.

She said, "Meenu is admitted to the hospital. When I looked at the calender there are good stars after November 24, 2008. Hope she can hold on till then". I was speechless and was at a loss of words to react to this statement....she saw the look on my face and continued...there is a bad star - Chitira-falling on November 24...it is bad for the baby and the father of the baby. They wont live long! I asked but what if the doctor says the baby's life is in danger and have to deliver the baby on November 24, 2008? Can we ask the doctor to keep the baby in till 25? All these questions fell on deaf ears...

Mother called up Dad and asked for the astrologer's number to whom she has not spoken for around 25 years! Dad gave her the number as she said this is the astrologer who has written my brother's and my horoscope and he never went wrong..........I sat near to her and watched silently as she dialled the astrologer....dusted his memory and was so happy to know he remembered her!

And then started her narration of my brother's wedding, his wife about to deliver...concern on the star falling on November 24 and what are the other good dates for birth! She had a look of triumph on her face as she put down the phone! Said, what she thought of Chitira-star was true and the delivery cannot happen before or on November 24, 2008! I tried to rationalise with her...asked here what about all those Britons, Germans and others who had no idea about the ill-effects of star Chitira and were born....does she believe all those who die early in life is born under this star? But of no use...nothing fell on her ears...her expression changed from triumph to concern and later fear...

She rushed to the phone, again, dialled my brother's number as he was in the hospital with his wife and asked for his mother-in-law.

"Postpone the delivery till November25, 2008, as i advised you before. Let the baby be born on any day after November 25, 2008 and if on November 25, 2008 should not take the baby out till 05:00 AM. But not on or before November 24, 2008." Again, a sixer of a sentence!

I dreaded the fate of the baby if it were to be born on November 24, 2008...I could not even imagine the number of temple offerings and visits my brother and the baby would have to make...But it amazed me to see my mother who was up early to watch the launch of mission Chandrayaan, getting worried about the effect of a silly star having on her son...and on what grounds is she asking the in-laws to tell the doctor to keep the baby in the womb for another 48 hours....even if the doctor advises on medical grounds!!

Fate has its own designs......the baby was born on November 25, 2008 around 11:00 AM....under the star - Chothi (Happens to be my mother's son-in-law's birth star too. And how are things between the mother-in-law and son-in-law...probably I should tell you on another day! :) )