Shefali knelt down on the bathroom floor and prayed as she tested her urine sample on the pregnancy kit. She closed her eyes while the sample ran through the kit. Two pink lines were her dream since the day of her marriage. Pregnancy kits had become a regular purchase along with the groceries since then. However, each time she tested there was only a single line. Doctor's had a name for her single line, PCOS-Polycystic ovarian syndrome.

She opened her eyes and saw two pink lines- it should have been the happiest day in her life. But it wasn't. She was perplexed whether to bring a new life into a world which she didn't wish for herself. Whom could she seek an opinion? Her parents were too far away in skies in a place which the world had named heaven. They could only hear her but never spoke to her. She always pondered if they were still furious because she wed Mathew without their consent.

"Was there a difference in religion in heaven too?", she wondered. If it wasn't so then would they all live together once she , Mathew and the two pink lines joined them. Mathew would have laughed at her for thinking so. But he wasn't there anymore to console her or give her an opinion or laugh at her silly thoughts. He had gone on a business trip and had never returned. Nobody knew where he was. What most of the people spoke caused her more grief. Only a few consoled her.

"He's an orphan. He has no good upbringing. He must have ran away with a richer and more beautiful girl."

"He used to gamble. He had borrowed money. He could not return it. So he ran away."

"She always forced him to spend more. She was very demanding. That's how they suffered such huge losses in their business."

"He never planned. He always overspent on unnecessary things."

She was fed up of hearing these comments every time she walked across the street to fetch some groceries. She had to feed her two pink lines now.

She repeatedly dialed his number. His number was switched off. The money which her friends had offered was almost over. She didn't know the passwords of his online banking facility. She didn't have a bank account of her own. Mathew had advised her to leave her job and close her salary account after marriage. She followed his instructions. She was too much in love then,to reject his advise. She regretted her decision now. In fact, she regretted all her decisions. Her decision to stop her studies. Her decision to marry against her parents will. Her decision to leave her job. Her decision of accepting all the decisions Mathew made for her. Decision-now she had to make a big one, for herself and her two pink lines.

"I want you my two pink lines",she smiled.

She opened her wardrobe. Her jewelry box was lying open and empty. Her jewelry were in the bank lockers and she didn't know where the keys were. There was a gold plated wrist watch which Mathew had gifted her on their first anniversary. There were few files of Mathew's company. She opened it and found his cheque book. All the pages were blank.

She had only heard about poverty. Now, she was poverty stricken. She and their common friends were desperately searching for Mathew with the help of police. However, it was all in vain. Meanwhile, Shefali had determined to find a job with the help of their friends for the sake of her two lines. Her two pink lines were now her biggest strength in her battle.

Days passed.Her two pink lines were now a bump on her belly. It made her earn money.It made her eat. It made her sleep.It made her breathe. It made her live. She dreamed of the moment she would see her two pink lines. Each day was an effort to make her dream come true.

"Mathew...shall I ask you something? Please don't be angry when I say this to you. Shall I ask my parents if they can help?"asked Shefali .

"It will only prove their point my dear,that you chose the wrong person & the wrong life for yourself. I have worked hard day & night. Whatever I did was carefully planned.Still things went haywire. I didn't expect that the market would crash like this. All my hard work and investments have gone in drain",Mathew sobbed lying on her lap.

Shefali took his head in her hands and pressed his face against her chest. She caressed his face,rubbed her fingers through his hair,kissed his forehead and said. "No matter what dear, I love you and we will face the consequences together.I know you haven't done anything wrong. I know how much you have worked hard to earn a name for yourself and your company. God will not ignore your efforts. He will surely bless you. There is a reason why everything happens. God has planned something better for us darling. Have patience. Nothing will go wrong."

Mathew fell asleep on her lap. She leapt across carefully without disturbing Mathew and got hold of her phone. She was about to turn it off when she received a call from an unknown number.

Something pulled the strings of her heart while she connected the call," Hello...."

" Hello...Is this Shefali?", an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Yes. Who's this?",she enquired.

"We are calling from Jivdaya Hospital.Your father gave me your number.Please come immediately.Your parents met with an accident today morning and are now in a critical condition",said the unfamiliar voice.

Shefali was numb. Her thoughts had frozen, her eyes stared at the walls, her mouth was open indicating shock and her hands still held the phone.

"Shefali...Shefali...Shefali",her parents voices began to ring in her ears.She screamed in fear.

Mathew woke up hearing her screams and saw her body tremble in fear.

"Shefali...what happened.Tell me..Tell me first...Please stop crying...tell me my dear...what happened...why are you crying?",he asked worriedly.

"Appaa...amaaa....accident..call..jivdaya..hospital"

Mathew could only figure out these words from whatever Shefali had blurted. He assumed that her parents are in Jivdaya hospital and they both rushed to the hospital.

"Both of them were in critical condition when they arrived. Your father was conscious for 10 -15 minutes in the evening. That's when he gave your number to the nurse. He insisted that he wanted to speak to you on the phone. But his condition was very weak. We couldn't allow him to do so. Your mother passed away first then your father. I'm sorry", said the unfamiliar voice who now had an unfamiliar face.

Shefali passed out and fell on Mathew's shoulders. Mathew held her tightly against his body and took her in his arms.

She opened her eyes and saw Mathew's bright face looking at her with compassion.She felt sorry for him.

"He is under so much stress. My loss, my grief will only cause him more distress. I should behave normal for his sake", she thought to herself.

"Shefali..I got a call from a client in New Delhi. It seems they are ready to invest in our company. I know it's been just a week since your parents death but I will have to go for this meeting. It's our last hope. I hope you understand",Mathew insisted.

Shefali smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Congratulations Shefali..your baby is healthy and all ready to come out and embrace you", said her gynecologist.

Shefali opened her eyes and realized she was lying in the consulting room of her gynecologist.

"Please bring all the materials mentioned in this list and get yourself admitted tomorrow evening. Take care dear",her doctor instructed.

"Can you come tomorrow with me to the hospital? I called all my friends. Some people are avoiding my calls thinking I might ask for more money. Some people have their own excuses.I have arranged all the money needed for the operation. Doctor had told me that there are some complications, so I had prepared myself. Tomorrow somebody has to sign on the informed consent form. Will you do that? After all you are my only relative", she sobbed while talking to Mathew's picture.

She and her two lines turned baby bump entered the hospital. The nurse changed her clothes and took her for final scanning.

"When is your family coming?",asked the nurse while taking her to the scanning room.

"Soon",she said looking at the bulge on her abdomen.

"Shefali, hasn't anyone come with you. I know that you don't have relatives but at least you should have brought your friends. Please call and tell someone to come soon my dear",the gynecologist insisted.

"Doctor...I have no one. I have tried all means.No one was ready to come. I don't have anyone else to help.Please help me doctor. I do not know what to do",Shefali pleaded.

"Okay..let me speak to the dean and see what can be done",the doctor replied.

The gynecologist somehow convinced the dean for the operation.

"I had told you that this is huge risk. Now, who will take the responsibility", the dean yelled at the gynecologist.

"Sir.. whatever happened was totally natural and was unforeseen. You can take any action against me for what I did today",the gynecologist replied politely.

"I do not want to hear any excuses. Just give me a solution and you can leave my room and my hospital forever ",the dean said arrogantly.

"Please listen to me carefully sir. There is no point in shouting at me like this. We arrived at this decision together. It wasn't my own decision. Moreover, all the reports were normal. There was no risk in the operation.You knew that and so you agreed. I have never seen such an incident in my entire career.I never expected it to happen", the gynecologist replied.

Shefali opened her eyes and saw Mathew's bright face looking at her with compassion.

She was thrilled to see Mathew. Her happiness knew no bounds.

"I'm sorry dear. We just lost our baby",cried Mathew.

"What? How? Where are we?",Shefali panicked.

"Shefali, my child..",she heard a familiar voice.

"Amma...appa",she was shocked.

"Oh my God...my baby",cried Shefali looking down from the skies in a place which the world had named heaven.

Shefali couldn't embrace her two lines.She couldn't even see how her two lines looked like.

Her baby cried in the cradle for her mother's warmth and milk.

"BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY.OTHERS MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN THAT MUCH. "