When Shrividhya held the little baby boy delicately in her arms, that very moment when the baby caught her eyes and held her gaze, she knew it deep within her that she made the right decision. Shrividhya (36), a BPO professional, who had a full life, both professionally and personally, was missing one important aspect of life.
Speaking to City Express she said, “We have been happily married for the past 11 years. Though we were living a busy and contented life, we were childless. Since both of us love kids, we missed having one around in the home.”
About four years ago, this couple decided to go for adoption. Shrividhya said, “After many hours of conversation, we decided to go for adoption.”
Unlike many Indian families, who look for children within their own families to adopt for reasons best known to them, Shrividhya was clear from the beginning. She said, “When we decided to adopt, I was sure that I didn’t want to get a baby from within the family. I feel a child should stay with his or her own family. Besides, I felt that asking someone to give their child for adoption was not fair and it made me feel guilty. So we decided to go through the adoption agencies.”
But the decision had its share of setbacks. According to Shrividhya, four years ago, when the couple made their first visit to an adoption center, they were confused. She shared, “Maybe because we were not mentally prepared for it. But when we met the person in charge of adoption, she told us that we have to get letters of merit from our neighbours and also from our work place. And there were endless documentation.” The experience really scared the couple for an year and they almost gave up the idea of adoption, going back to fertility treatment.
A year ago, they again decided and were mentally more prepared for adoption. “Once we made the decision, we identified few places. We zeroed in on one and went in and filled in all the forms necessary for registration and set in the process of documentation. After few months, the adoption agency paid us a visit. Once they were satisfied with our credentials, we were put on the waiting list,” said Shrividhya.
On February 13, this year, the couple got a call from the agency and they headed for a visit. “When I first looked at the baby, I had mixed feelings. Will the baby like me? It is too small, will I be able to manage it?” said Shrividhya. According to her, the moment she took the baby in her arms, all doubts disappeared. “I wanted to take the baby home,” said Shrividhya. The adoption center asked the couple to wait for a week before they could complete all final formalities. Shrividhya said, “That was the longest week of my life. With every passing day, our excitement grew.” Finally on February 20, they bought little Vedanth home. “We were overjoyed. Though I always wanted a baby, I never realised that a baby can bring in such happiness and peace,” she said.