Meherbaan Hua...

6.

Aarav and Shehnaaz firstly met their mother's doctor, Mr. Khanna, who mentioned that their mother often talked about her boyfriend. He deduced that the person she is talking about might be their father - Suneil.

Shehnaaz felt utterly disappointed hearing him. How could that scumbag deserve so much love from her mother. How could that man be the only thing on her mother's mind? It was so unfair when her mother didn't even know her!

"Mumma...", Shehnaaz said softly, afraid of scaring Aradhya. Aradhya turned around to look towards the direction of the voice and upon seeing Shehnaaz, she smiled ear to ear.

Shehnaaz's eyes welled up as she looked at Aarav as if to confirm that her mother was actually, on her own accord, smiling at her. Even Aarav was surprised as he nodded at Shehnaaz, dissipating her doubts.

Shehnaaz went close to Aradhya while Aarav dragged a chair towards the bed. She sat on the same bed her mother was sitting on and Aarav sat near them.

Shehnaaz was just about to address her again when she was let down, "Nishu, he is coming to meet me today! Didn't you say that even though you are my best friend, I haven't taken you to meet my boyfriend? Well, you will get to meet him today. He is the sweetest person, I swear. Pehle pehle, I declined him so many times but he still persisted and chased me. Now, I have finally fallen in love with him. His background is great too. Dad will definitely not interfere if we decide to get married. Zee, is a great great guy!", her mother said happily.

It seemed like she had mistaken Shehnaaz for one of her best friends. But before Shehnaaz had any time to get upset over it, her mind stuck over this one word "Zee". Her father's name was Suneil, wasn't it?

'Zee', even as a nickname didn't come close to Suneil. Shehnaaz looked at Aarav and noticed that his brows were furrowed too. "Bhai, Zee...", before Shehnaaz could continue, Dr. Khanna entered the ward with another 3 doctors.

"Mr. and Miss  Kulkarni, we are ready for her therapy. But we have to tell you that this is the last time we are doing it on her. If this doesn't work...I hope you understand what it means for your mother", Dr. Khanna spoke solemnly.

To say the truth, he had seen so many cases, yet this one case was the one he sympathised the most with. He had seen these kids since they were children, coming over to keep their mother company.

Although, she rarely recognised them, Shehnaaz was the one who was never given any attention. Aaradhya still managed to recognise Aarav, but there was simply no Shehnaaz on the tip of her tongue or in her memories.

Dr. Khanna would always notice how enthusiastically Shehnaaz would come in and then leave with dispirited look. He wondered what might have happened in their family that a mother had no memories of her own daughter.

Aarav gravely nodded and pulled up Shehnaaz, embracing her from the side and supporting her out of the room, before saying, "We understand!".

When they both came out, Shehnaaz softly asked, "Bhai, did mumma ever call that jerk, Zee?", Aarav naturally knew about what and whom was she talking about.

He shook his head after pondering on it for a few seconds. "I have never heard her addressing that man like this. But this, 'Zee', who is he?", Aarav asked out loud.

"Maybe grandpa knows something, let's talk to him when we go home...or we can simply find that friend of mumma's, can't we?", Shehnaaz asked.

"But it has been so many years. If they both were still in touch, wouldn't she come to meet mumma or maybe us?", Aarav asked.

They both were in serious thoughts and didn't even know when they reached outside. "Are you guys done?", Varun asked as he came out of the car. Others followed after him.