Despite knowing I was infertile, the groom’s family still agreed to the marriage. But on the wedding night, when Kevin lifted the blanket, I froze at what I saw…
My name is Anna, 30 years old. Three years ago, after surgery at AIIMS, the doctors told me I could never conceive. The news shattered me. My boyfriend of five years, John, stayed silent that night, and the next morning, sent a single message:
“I’m sorry. Let’s end this.”
Since then, I buried every dream of marriage. Until Kevin appeared.
Kevin, seven years older, had just become branch manager at my office. He was composed, kind, with eyes that seemed to smile. Though I admired him, I kept my distance. How could someone like him choose a woman like me?
But he was the one who reached out. On late nights, he brought me home-cooked meals. On chilly mornings, he left ginger tea on my desk. Slowly, my walls crumbled.
When he proposed, I confessed my condition through tears. He only smiled, patted my head and whispered:
“I know. Don’t worry.”
Even his family welcomed me. His mother, Sarah, personally came to ask for my hand.
For the first time in years, I felt blessed.
On our wedding day, dressed in a red lehenga, I held Kevin’s hand beneath the soft glow of the shehnai. Tears blurred my vision as his gentle eyes locked with mine.
That night, as I removed the pins from my hair, Kevin slipped off his sherwani and came to stand behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Are you tired?” he asked softly.
I nodded, my pulse racing.
He led me to the bed. Then, as he pulled back the blanket, I froze.
A little boy, no older than four, lay asleep, hugging a worn teddy bear. His cheeks were round, his lashes long, his breathing deep.
I stammered, “This… who—?”
Kevin gently stroked my hair.
“This is my son.”
Shocked, I turned to him. He sat beside the child, eyes filled with tenderness.
“Years ago, I was with Meera. Her family struggled, her grandmother was ill, and she dropped out of school to work. When she became pregnant, she never told me. She died in an accident when our son was two. That’s when I learned the truth. He’s been with a nanny in Jaipur, but she recently passed away. So I brought him home.”
His voice trembled as he met my gaze.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. But I need you. I need a mother for my son… and I want a complete family. You may not be able to bear a child, but if you can love him, that is enough. I can’t lose you.”
Tears burned my eyes. I reached out and stroked the boy’s soft hair. He stirred, murmuring in his sleep:
“Mother…”
I broke down. My heart ached yet swelled. Kevin’s eyes held fear—fear I would walk away. But how could I?
Through my tears, I nodded.
“Yes… from now on, I’ll be his mother.”
Kevin pulled me into a fierce embrace. Outside, the Delhi moonlight poured into our small Saket apartment, blessing our fragile new beginning.
I may never carry a child of my own, but love can make me a mother. And in that moment, I realized—I already was one.