His Peace ; Her Sunshine ; Their Love.

Father's Call

Ｓｈｒｅｙａｓ

As I was engrossed in our conversation, I noticed Rakshit approaching. Realizing that I would now have to leave despite my reluctance, I glanced at her and she returned my gaze.

"I have to go," I said. "I'll see you later," I added.

"I know I will," I thought to myself. This was the second chance I had been given—I couldn't let it slip away. I was determined to give it my best shot, even if I faced rejection.

She smiled at me and nodded in understanding. Reluctantly, I walked away towards Rakshit.

"I've seen her somewhere," Rakshit said to me, referring to the girl I was talking to.

"She was an intern here a few months back; you would have seen her then," I told him.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, nodding his head.

"Also, she is Amrit's cousin," I added.

"Really? How do you know her?" he asked.

"I met her in Delhi three years ago when we went there for Lohri," I replied.

"When did you meet her?" he asked.

"That was when you went to see your other friends," I responded.

"Okay," he said.

"So, what's the plan for dinner?" he asked.

"As far as I remember, it's your turn to make dinner. So, you better decide," I said to him.

"Stop being a jerk," he said, teasingly.

We got into the car and drove to our apartment. Yes, we are flatmates. It's better to have some friends around than to be alone. While I'm used to being alone, it's sometimes good to have someone to talk to. Akhil is the person I always talk to and am most open with, but since living with Amrit during my MBBS and now with Rakshit, I've become comfortable with them too. They are truly good and trustworthy friends. There has always been a language barrier between us—I'm Telugu from Hyderabad, Rakshit is Maharashtrian raised in UP due to his father's job, and Amrit is Punjabi. Although I studied Hindi in school, I wasn't very fluent in it, but it never hindered our connection. Over the years here, I've improved my Hindi and communication skills.

We had dinner while watching a cricket match, which India won. It was already late at night, around 11 pm. I went to my bedroom, my thoughts completely occupied by her. I was feeling happy because of everything that happened today. I was in a different world today. When I saw her on the last day of her internship, I knew it would be the final time, that I would never meet her again, although deep down, I wished for another chance to see her. Just encountering her today felt like a dream—I could hardly believe my eyes. I was overjoyed until I heard my phone ringing. It was my father calling. At this hour, I wondered what could be the reason. Reluctantly, I answered the call.

"Hello," I said.

"Hmm," came the reply from the other side.

"Still awake at this time," he remarked.

"Well, you called me, so you must have wanted me to be awake," I replied.

"Yes, I wanted to. I didn't want to disturb you while you were working. I thought you wouldn't have time to talk," he explained.

"No, Nanna, I will never be as busy as you are. I will always have time for you," I assured him.

(Nanna means dad or father in Telugu)

"You think I always want to be busy? It's not easy leaving my family behind just to save someone else's," he said.

"You would never be grateful for the life you have that we gave you," I responded, feeling frustrated.

"By always being unavailable physically and emotionally," I added.

"Please, I'm hanging up if that's the only thing you want to talk about," I asserted.

"Okay. So, what were you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing much. I watched a cricket match and was about to go to sleep. What about you?" I inquired.

"I came out to the lawn for a bit after having dinner," he replied.

"Where is Amma?" I asked.

"She's asleep," he replied.

"And Nivi?" I asked again.

"She's also asleep," he confirmed.

"You should sleep too. Don't worry about me; I'm fine," I reassured him.

A hum came from his side.

"At least call your Amma every day, if not every day then at least once every two or three days. She gets worried," he advised.

"I will. I promise," I assured him.

Silence filled the air between us. Eventually, he hung up.

My relationship with my father is quite strained. Due to his physical unavailability, we have drifted apart. We rarely talk about anything other than my studies and profession. He's not a bad man; in fact, he's the best son to his mother and the best husband to my mother. But perhaps not a good father. He has an abundance of everything except time and affection. It's not that he doesn't love me, but he never knew how to express it. If he were just a person and not my father, I would admire him and want to be like him. However, as his son, I couldn't help but feel bitterness towards him. 

My mother, on the other hand, was also busy like my father, but at least she would try to make time for us and not constantly make excuses about work and how hard her life was. She never explicitly told me that she loved me, but her actions provided enough evidence of how much she valued and cared for me. Unlike my father, my mother rarely made promises she couldn't keep. Although her presence was not always prominent in my life, she never gave false hopes. Whenever she had time, it always belonged to me and my sister. She may not be the perfect mother, but she is the best I deserve. 

As the call ended, I felt remorseful for speaking to Nanna rudely. He rarely calls, and whenever he does, I can't help but show my resentment towards him. Reflecting on my actions, I gradually drifted into a slumber.

I woke up the next morning, completed my workout, prepared and had breakfast, and then headed to the hospital for work. My days are typically hectic due to my packed schedule. The outpatient department (OPD) is usually crowded with patients, leaving us little time to focus on anything else. As my workday came to an end, I was hopeful of seeing her while leaving, but unfortunately, I couldn't. Disappointed, I headed to the parking lot and sat in my car, waiting for Rakshit. I took out my phone upon hearing a notification sound.

🌸🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 

VOTE AND SHARE  TO SUPPORT ME.

FOLLOW FOR MORE UPDATES.