Read Online A House for Happy Mothers: A Novel by Amulya Malladi - Free Book Online
Authors: Amulya Malladi
Tags: Literary, Literature & Fiction, Family Life, Genre Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction, Domestic Life
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what else is going to be different about this pregnancy,” Asha muttered as she walked out of the bathroom.
They had moved in with Kaveri, Raman, their boys, and Puttamma. Pratap’s brother’s big flat with its two bedrooms, one TV room, and small kitchen was filled to the brim.
Doctor Swati had warned her that every pregnancy was different. So far, this one was sucking the energy out of her.
Asha took her weary body to a chair in the TV room and sank into its cushions.
The others had gone for a wedding in Hyderabad and would not come back for another two days. Kaveri had cooked enough food and put it all in the fridge. All Asha had to do was heat it up. Asha had had to get used to the fridge. She’d never had one before, but Kaveri had assured her that it was really very easy to use.
“Once you drink cold water from the fridge, you’ll not want to drink any other water,” Kaveri had promised her.
Manoj was doing his homework at the dining table. Pratap sat next to him, watching over his work. He couldn’t understand the English words but felt it was his duty to sit with his son.
“Are you going to have a baby, Amma?” Manoj asked. His maturity was beyond his five years—they’d discovered that early on—so it wasn’t a surprise that he understood Asha was pregnant.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Asha said, and then sighed. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“It’s a secret?” Manoj asked.
“Yes,” Asha said.
“Why?” Manoj persisted.
“It’s just the way it is. So don’t tell anyone anything in school, OK?” Asha said.
Manoj thought about it and shook his head. “I don’t understand. If I’m going to have a brother or a sister, why shouldn’t I tell anyone?”
“Because we say so,” Pratap interrupted. The problem with Manoj’s extraordinary intelligence and maturity meant that he questioned more than his parents could answer.
Mohini woke up at that moment, and Pratap hurried to the children’s room to pick her up. All four children were to sleep in one bedroom. Kaveri’s boys were six and eight years old and had always been good to Manoj and Mohini. But Asha worried about the sleeping arrangement. For a few days anything could be tolerated, but for nine months?
Asha, Kaveri, and Puttamma slept in the other bedroom, while the men slept in the TV room. Kaveri and Raman had been very generous with their space and had even declined Asha and Pratap’s offer to pay some form of rent while they stayed there.
“We’re family; that won’t be necessary,” Kaveri had said. “You took care of my family when I was away having a baby, and now it’s my turn to take care of you and your family.”
Asha touched her jittery stomach; there was no bulge yet. Nothing indicated the change she was going through. She stroked her belly and then stopped; it was a futile gesture. This wasn’t hers. She couldn’t fall in love with this baby as she had with her own. She just had to let it grow. She wouldn’t be picking names or thinking of what she would do once it was born, if it would be a boy or a girl.
It didn’t matter this time.
As soon as the baby came out, it wouldn’t be hers. She wouldn’t even have to see it. Surrogates could if they wanted to, she’d been told, and she wanted to, just one glance before she sent it to its rightful parents. But after even a single glance, would she be able to give the baby away? Of course she would. She shook the silly thought from her head.
Pratap brought a sleepy Mohini to Asha. “Hold her; I’ll get her milk ready.”
Asha hugged Mohini, smelled her special smell, and kissed a plump cheek. “Did you sleep well?”
Mohini nodded. “Sleep,” she said, and then laughed as Asha tickled her soft feet.
“Kiss,” Asha said, and held out her cheek, and Mohini half licked it and half kissed it, a real kiss still not part of her repertoire.
Asha kissed her daughter on the nose. “You’re such a pretty girl. Such a pretty
They had moved in with Kaveri, Raman, their boys, and Puttamma. Pratap’s brother’s big flat with its two bedrooms, one TV room, and small kitchen was filled to the brim.
Doctor Swati had warned her that every pregnancy was different. So far, this one was sucking the energy out of her.
Asha took her weary body to a chair in the TV room and sank into its cushions.
The others had gone for a wedding in Hyderabad and would not come back for another two days. Kaveri had cooked enough food and put it all in the fridge. All Asha had to do was heat it up. Asha had had to get used to the fridge. She’d never had one before, but Kaveri had assured her that it was really very easy to use.
“Once you drink cold water from the fridge, you’ll not want to drink any other water,” Kaveri had promised her.
Manoj was doing his homework at the dining table. Pratap sat next to him, watching over his work. He couldn’t understand the English words but felt it was his duty to sit with his son.
“Are you going to have a baby, Amma?” Manoj asked. His maturity was beyond his five years—they’d discovered that early on—so it wasn’t a surprise that he understood Asha was pregnant.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Asha said, and then sighed. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“It’s a secret?” Manoj asked.
“Yes,” Asha said.
“Why?” Manoj persisted.
“It’s just the way it is. So don’t tell anyone anything in school, OK?” Asha said.
Manoj thought about it and shook his head. “I don’t understand. If I’m going to have a brother or a sister, why shouldn’t I tell anyone?”
“Because we say so,” Pratap interrupted. The problem with Manoj’s extraordinary intelligence and maturity meant that he questioned more than his parents could answer.
Mohini woke up at that moment, and Pratap hurried to the children’s room to pick her up. All four children were to sleep in one bedroom. Kaveri’s boys were six and eight years old and had always been good to Manoj and Mohini. But Asha worried about the sleeping arrangement. For a few days anything could be tolerated, but for nine months?
Asha, Kaveri, and Puttamma slept in the other bedroom, while the men slept in the TV room. Kaveri and Raman had been very generous with their space and had even declined Asha and Pratap’s offer to pay some form of rent while they stayed there.
“We’re family; that won’t be necessary,” Kaveri had said. “You took care of my family when I was away having a baby, and now it’s my turn to take care of you and your family.”
Asha touched her jittery stomach; there was no bulge yet. Nothing indicated the change she was going through. She stroked her belly and then stopped; it was a futile gesture. This wasn’t hers. She couldn’t fall in love with this baby as she had with her own. She just had to let it grow. She wouldn’t be picking names or thinking of what she would do once it was born, if it would be a boy or a girl.
It didn’t matter this time.
As soon as the baby came out, it wouldn’t be hers. She wouldn’t even have to see it. Surrogates could if they wanted to, she’d been told, and she wanted to, just one glance before she sent it to its rightful parents. But after even a single glance, would she be able to give the baby away? Of course she would. She shook the silly thought from her head.
Pratap brought a sleepy Mohini to Asha. “Hold her; I’ll get her milk ready.”
Asha hugged Mohini, smelled her special smell, and kissed a plump cheek. “Did you sleep well?”
Mohini nodded. “Sleep,” she said, and then laughed as Asha tickled her soft feet.
“Kiss,” Asha said, and held out her cheek, and Mohini half licked it and half kissed it, a real kiss still not part of her repertoire.
Asha kissed her daughter on the nose. “You’re such a pretty girl. Such a pretty
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