The labour lasted twenty hours.
Twenty hours of pain.
Twenty hours of exhaustion.
Twenty hours of courage.
Sara never left.
Not once.
Her friends rotated in shifts.
Sam.
Mei Lin.
Chloe.
Elara.
Oliver.
Porter.
Always someone remained beside her.
Dr Sumitra joined through video calls from India.
"You can do this, kanna."
"I can't."
"You can."
"It hurts."
"I know."
"I want Amma."
The room became quiet.
Dr Sumitra smiled softly through the screen.
"I know."
Alankrita cried harder after that.
Outside the hospital room...
Cambridge waited.
The university group remained unusually silent.
Only Porter's updates appeared.
3:15 PM — Labour started. Little Pumpkin is fighting like a warrior.
10:30 PM — Still going. Send strength to Team Pumpkin.
2:00 AM — Twenty cups of tea consumed by waiting party. Baby Pumpkin remains stubborn.
8:15 AM — We think today is the day.
The entire university watched.
Waited.
Hoped.