May be Baby

Abstract

The Radiologist Peered into his ultrasound scanner and beamed. "Congratulations, "he announced. "It's a girl." Rajendra Jain could feel his heart sink. Two daughters already and now another on the way. He glanced furtively
at the tiny human form on the monitor. Nineteen weeks old. Far too late to... Jain checked himself guiltily. Educated people didn't think about female foeticide, did they? The Jains had tried everything for a son: quacks, foul formulations, bizarre diets, even put up with relatives who coyly suggested they "do it" only on auspicious days. But nothing worked recalls this 39-year-old Marwari businessman from Calcutta.