Our Gynacologist had asked us to come for a scan on Monday the 29th of December. Me, my wife and my mum had gone along. It had taken us pretty much the whole day at the hospital. Alhumdulillah, everything was normal and by evening my wife and mum were home. Hardly a few hours passed and I got, “the phone-call”. All you daddies know “the phone-call”. It’s the phone-call where for a moment your heart comes to a standstill, your mind goes numb, you know from this moment forward your life’s going to be completely different and have no idea what to expect. Our dear Dr. had deliveries and operations all day long. She had just reached home when my mum called her and informed her that it could be time. Nonetheless, she asked us to go to the hospital and said she would join us soon.
Well off we went. Mum and wife went started from home me and dad began from office. A ga-zillion thoughts rushing through my head. The duty Dr. At Sankrambal asked my wife to stay back for the night. Early morning close to Fajr prayers, the labor pains began. And by 7:00 Am or so they were excruciating. Oh the pain! You begin to ask yourself again and again, oh Allah, why so much pain, why? But then only when there is pain that you are challenged to search for answers. I am extremely fortunate that I could be there with my wife during her labour pains and also very lucky that Dr. had permitted me in the delivery room itself. I got to be witness to a miracle.
My sweetheart opened her eyes for the first time at 9:21 AM on the 30 December 2008/1st Muharram 1430. The end of the year as per the Gregorian Calendar and beginning as per the Islamic. It was as if God telling me, “Arif, today a chapter of your life ends, while a new one begins”.
No book, no lecture, no blogpost can every dream of putting across what is it like to become a dad. Infact Hollywood has tried time and again (Nine-months, Look who’s talking, Junior, Father of the Bride 2) but not a single movie has captured nor expressed the emotional adventure of the process of becoming a father.
I’m happy, I’m really really happy, yet it’s a very different happy. It’s not the ‘fist punching in the air’ type happy, yet I have this goofy smile in my face. Oh how do I put it? It feels as if I’ve been called in front of all humanity and publicly bestowed with a tremendous title and honour. I feel as if I’m slowly falling in love all over again. I feel peace. I feel content.
After the first time in years, I’m experiencing a drastic change in my thoughts. I actually see myself looking at the world with a new pair of eyes. Even when I look at myself in the mirror I feel I’m looking at a different person. It’s me, yet I’m different. When I meet a fellow father, I feel a connection now. When I meet the father of a daughter it’s an ever deeper connection.
Well enough words…here are some pictures…enjoy ☺
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