Simply Complicated

CHOSEN FAMILY

Izhaan's point of view

"Today was an eye-opener, I had no idea I have a coward staying with me." Naani shouted at me. "look at this mansion, you have no one left other than me, what would you do when I die? I am 78 for god sake! More than Aahana, you need her. what do you think, was it me whom she wanted to speak to when she decided to leave her house? She called us as she expected you, to help her. you know what! she is a fool. A fool who should have known, that the guy who had abandoned her decades back. would never be there for her. Aahana is a fool to believe in you."

Her shouts were echoing in my head. A few minutes back Aahana left the house, unlike last time, Naani did not ask her to stay back. and the minute the main door closed, Naani started her shouts. Was she wrong in her words? Not exactly, each word she spoke were true. Laying on bed I stared at my laptop screen. the photographs that we took in our childhood were popping one after the other. me, maa and Aahana a happy family. Although our houses were different our Kothi was always a home for Aahana. despite other members being present, we three were always known and looked like a family. maa took care of Aahana since her birth. Her birth mother Maisha, died a few days after Aahana was born. Ever since then, she is part of my family. I never wanted to leave her alone when maa passed away, but what could I have done. She had called me many times but eventually gave up. I never got the courage to speak with her, Naani is right, I am a coward. I have no idea what should I say to someone who is grieving, can any of my words carry a possibility of taking someone's pain away? the only thing I could do for her is to make sure she does not face difficulties in her life. I thought to do the same when I started earning my own money, 2 years after shifting to Mumbai, nana gave me the first internship salary I earned through working part-time in his office. The first thing I did after receiving the cash was to call uncle Sahil, I needed his permission to bring Aahana to Mumbai, she was soon going to enter her junior college years. And it was the best time to bring her here. Uncle Sahil had his own reasons to deny me. although his reasoning never seemed justified to me. he would say, people would talk ill about her, as I and her share no blood ties, "beta, I understand that your intentions are pure, but in the end, fingers get raised on girls only, and my daughter is too young to understand or to deal with it"

"I thought you had a thing with Naani today?" Mahira asked as I slept in beside her. her voice was throaty as she was deep in sleep, might have gotten disturbed with the sound of the door opening. She turned towards me. "what was it about, is she still hunting a wife for you?" "nothing like that you sleep, I was just here for a file I kept here." "hmm ok," she was too much asleep to get heed of my words. or else she would have asked about the file that I just made up. putting the alarm for 6am I tried to catch some sleep. Which I believe is impossible to come today.

Aahana's point of view

She went back after a few words of assurance. And I started doing my dishes like I do every time Reshma takes a day off. Tears were not ready to stop. They flowed like a river. After dishes, I dusted off the floor. With the help of a makeshift mattress made my bed and lay down

More than 2 months had passed since I left my house in Lucknow, and in a few days, it would be 4 months of papa's passing away, and today is the day I finally came to know what it feels like to leave like a complete orphan, I have no one in my life with whom I can feel home, no one whom I could call as my family. Izhaan has moved on in his life. He doesn't need me anymore. I should have known 12 years is a very long time. Time changes people. If Ananya and Areem even after staying with me for 24 years of their life could not feel any sort of affection, then how could I have expected Izhaan to do that. family, I don't even know what that term means anymore. why did you leave me, papa? look at your Aahana. she has no one in her life. you were the wrong one papa, you were wrong Izhaan is not my family, when he left me alone, you asked me to give him time. and I did papa. but he never came back never even gave a thought to call. but you always said he is my family time and again you did that. it is because of you papa that I had maintained all the hopes. you were the wrong one papa; he is not my family. he is not.