Despite knowing that I was infertile, the groom’s family still proposed marriage to me. On the night of the wedding, as soon as I picked up the blanket, I was stunned to find out why…
My name is Ananya Sharma, I am 30 years old. I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life. Three years ago, after a surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi, the doctor told me that I could not be a mother.

That news moved me from the sky to the sky. My boyfriend of five years, Rohan, was silent the whole evening, then the next day he sent me only one message:

“I’m sorry. Come on, let’s stop now. ”

From then on, I stopped thinking about wedding dresses. Until I met Kabir.

Kabir Malhotra was seven years older than me, the new branch manager, who had just taken charge of my office in Gurugram. He was gracious, calm and had smiling eyes. I used to praise him, but I kept a distance from him. How can an ideal man like her choose a woman like me who can’t bear children?

However, they took the initiative to contact me. On nights when they worked overtime, they would bring me hot lunch boxes or hot khichdi. On cold days, they would quietly place a packet of ginger tea on my desk.

When he proposed, I cried. I accepted the whole truth about my illness. But they just smiled and patted me on the head:

“I know. Don’t worry. ”

His family also did not object. His mother—Savita Malhotra—came to my house in south Delhi to ask for my hand at the wedding, everything ready. I thought I was dreaming, thinking that God must have loved me so much that he blessed me late.

On the day of the wedding, I wore a red lehenga and sat holding Kabir’s hand to the tune of Shehnai in the yellow light of a small hall in Hauz Khas. I cried when I saw his soft eyes.

On the night of the wedding, I sat in front of the mirror and took off all the hairpins. Kabir came from outside, took off his sherwani and placed it on the chair. He came up to me, took me in his arms from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Are you tired?” he asked quietly.

I nodded, my heart pounding.

He grabbed my hand and led me to bed. Then he picked up the blanket. I was stunned…

It wasn’t just the two of us in bed. There, a little boy of about four years old was fast asleep, his chubby cheeks and long, crooked eyelashes. He was fast asleep hugging an old teddy bear.

I stammered and turned to him:
“This… Is…”

Kabir sighed softly as he stroked my hair:
“This is my son. ”

I was speechless. He sat down beside his son, his eyes soft and full of love:
“His mother… I had an ex-girlfriend—Mira. At that time, her family was poor, Nani (grandmother) was seriously ill, Meera had left school to do various kinds of work. When she was pregnant, she didn’t tell me. When the child was two years old, he died in an accident. That’s when I found out I had a child. For the past few years, the baby has been with the nanny in Jaipur. Now that she has passed away, I have brought the baby back. ”

She looked deeply into my eyes, her voice choked:
“Sorry for not telling you earlier. But I need you. I need a mother for my son. And I want a whole family, too. You may not be able to give birth to a child, but for me, as long as you love him, that’s enough. I can’t lose you. ”

My tears flowed, hot. I sat on the bed, stretched out my hand to stroke the baby’s hair. He moved slightly, his lips moved, and he called out in his sleep:
“Mother…”

I burst into tears. My heart was breaking. I looked at Kabir, his eyes full of fear, I was afraid that I would leave.

But I couldn’t go. I nodded slightly:
“Yes… I’ll have a mother from now on. ”

Kabir hugged me tightly. Outside the window, the moon shone in the Delhi sky, illuminating the small room in Saket’s apartment. I knew, from now on, that my life would enter a new chapter.

I may not be able to become a mother biologically, but I can become a mother with love. And for me, that’s enough happiness.