TRUTH

FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE ROYS

"He is getting worse day by day." Said Ketan staring helplessly at his brother. I was always trying my best but there was no scope of improvement in him. I really wish that Sameer was taken to a psychologist at the early days of his illness. I cannot ever forget the day when two years ago Mrs. Roy had called me. Her voice trembled as she said, "Hello, its Mrs. Sadhana Roy speaking, my son is trying to kill himself, please come to help. Please!"

These were my early days in Vishakhapatnam. After studying psychology at the Pune Medical College, dad opened this clinic for me. I had very less patients at that time and I really felt privileged that day on being called by someone. That time I just tranquilized Sameer but his state showed me that there was little scope for advancement for him, however his mother said that even if there was slightest hope, she wanted her son to be treated. I agreed.

"Please, tell me since when he is getting these fits."

"Since he was twenty-four."

"No, I mean the time period like six months or so, like that, you know."

"Since last four years, small attacks of aggression he had, but today, it was the most severe."

"Four years!", I was nearly in a state of shock. "Didn't you consult a doctor since then? And why didn't you?"

"We wanted to, but had no money, this house is all we have, we are living on Ketan's small salary, we knew you might not charge much, so we consulted you."

"You should have sold this big mansion and bought a small one, when you don't have enough money to maintain it."

"Sameer will die if we sell this mansion, he cannot survive another blow."

"I want to know the reason behind this condition of his, so that I can decide as to the course of events." Obviously, I knew that the story had to be sad which led to all this and every word of Mrs. Roy still resonates in my mind.

She started "Ketan's grandfather Mr. Charan Das Roy had a very established business here since his ancestor's time. The 'Jan Das Textiles' was his establishment. However now someone else owns it.

"Who?"

"The Gurung Textiles do, maa doesn't remember." Said Ketan.

"Yes, father was once considered a business tycoon, but he was murdered by one of his competitors whom the police are still searching for. Ketan's father Mr. Keshav Roy was only twenty-seven and Ketan was only one year old. I had never connected to Ketan's father as he was not a gentleman but a spoilt child of a rich family with the worse company of friends. It was his father's death and Ketan that made him realise his responsibility. It was then that he started paying heed to me otherwise I was just another thing to him. He loved Ketan very much and wanted him to keep the way his father had kept him. But......." there was a completely awkward silence. I felt that all people in the room were frozen but then suddenly the always irritated Madhu came in and asked, "Do you want something?" her entry broke this silence and Mrs. Roy set a questioning glance upon me "No" said I.

Without any further delay Mrs. Roy restarted, "The company was facing constant losses, still Keshav was trying his best. One year had passed, Sameer was born, till now Keshav also understood business, so loses decreased and there were no further losses. Another eight years passed; then one day during receiving his first prize in his annual sports day Sameer fell unconscious on the stage. We took him to the City Hospital where we came to know that he was suffering from diabetes. We loved our children and this news was unbearable. We were ready to spend all money to treat Sameer. Keshav's was losing his patience now, he would take sleeping pills to sleep peacefully, I was worried.

Another year passed Keshav was paler than ever and there was no sign of improvement in Sameer. Our company again started facing losses as Keshav's attention was again weakening from his work."

Then sudden joy spread over her face I could not interpret it but I thought it was better to be quiet. At times this family looked so peculiar that I felt uncomfortable. Nonetheless when she started again these thoughts wiped off from my mind.....

"It was spring season, on 25th March Sameer and Ketan returned home with a small girl in their hands. They had picked her up from a dustbin near her school. He said her cries echoed throughout the street but no one took pains to rescue her. I bathed her and covered her in a neat blanket. She might only have been one or two days and was brutally thrown away by someone.

That evening was exceptional; it was years since I had seen a child, when Keshav returned home, I feared he would not like the idea of adoption of a child when we were suffering so many losses but Keshav said nothing. In fact, the next day he called upon the advocate and we adopted the girl. You know.... we could see hope in her eyes and her beautiful innocent smile filled some optimism within us, so we named her Aasha.

Sameer and Ketan loved Aasha exceptionally. Her presence filled this house with positivity. Both Sameer and Keshav started improving because they had no time to go in sad thoughts as their free time was now reserved for our little angel. On her first birthday Keshav bought this mansion for 2.5 crores."

"Only 2.5 crores, this looks quite more expensive."

"Yes" her joy started fading away again. "This is because people believed that this house was cursed. We didn't listen to any one, the only thing we thought was of a perfect gift for Aasha. But the curse worked its part. On her 5th birthday, she went with Keshav to the market, from there she returned screaming and crying with some stranger whom we didn't know he just handed over her to me and was giving me no time to ask anything and vanished. Keshav never returned since then." Her condition was getting worse as her story was proceeding. I really wish God gave these people a normal life why was their life filled with so many sorrows.

"My life for all these years had been like a see-saw, for some years happiness prevailed while for the other years utter pain.

One year after Keshav went missing, I decided to sell our company away, losses were beyond recovery and I had no sense of business. We got a good amount but another shock waited or me, we had a huge loan of 15 crores over our head and had to pay it from the 20 crores we got for the company. Thus, I took up a job in my sister's office. Our home service was however, always loyal and never made any demands. Life was too painful, yet all my pains flew away as soon as I saw my three kids' face. Then......"

Again, there was utter and awkward silence which I wanted to break as in this house silence seemed haunting to me and more haunting were the faces of this family members when they were silent there seemed no life within them. Moreover, Mrs. Roy's wrinkled face had pain hidden in it but even if I wanted to console her, I don't know why my conscience stopped me as if it was something dangerous. When she started speaking her, I was already preoccupied in my thoughts and it was her voice that broke this preoccupied air of mine.

"I don't know why all special days of our family brought tragedies with them, it was Sameer's birthday 9th August when for the first time we saw him and Aasha fight. Yes, they had meagre brother sister fights but that day Aasha was wild and Sameer was unable to interpret this wildness of hers. That night she went angrily into her room only for us to wake up the next morning and see this note from her." She went to the drawer and took out an old, crumbled paper and handed it over to me.

The paper read, "You don't love me, only dad loved me. I am leaving. I hate all of you and this house."

There was no more time or space for further explanation. Mrs. Roy's sobs filled the house. I couldn't speak a word. I took another half an hour examining Mr. Sameer and she came to see me off. As I was about to go, she clenched my fist with an utterly cold hand next to ice, as if lifeless and said, "Please don't tell anyone that you came here, Sameer's treatment should be kept a secret, don't worry your fees will reach your account every month on time."

I assured her and turned to go when she asked, "Sorry, I forgot asking, what is your name?"

"Aasha"