Paradise ~ A Devdutt Padikkal Story

12.

A/N : A chapter based on Disha because she is an important part of this drama.

"Betu, did you call Vishnu Uncle and tell him about the time of your flight landing?" Disha's mother asked her.
"Amma, remember I told you that I'm going to stay at Vinita's place in Mumbai for two weeks and then go to Bangalore?" Disha answered.

Disha looked at her mother with a worrisome face. For the past six months, her mother had started showing slight symptoms of Dementia.
Disha had talked to her father regarding this but he assured her that it wasn't anything serious until she shows a prominent symptom.
Yesterday night when her mother failed to recognize their late dog Jimmy while watching the photo album, Disha decided to take matters in her own hands. Without further delay, she took an appointment with the neurologist at Jehangir Hospital.

"Amma hurry up! We have to go to the doctor!" Disha urged her mother.
"Why are we going to the doctor?" Her mother asked cluelessly.
Disha smiled and went to her, "Amma, we're going for some regular testing, ECG, sugar, thyroid and more."
"Come on now, don't you wanna visit the great Jehangir Hospital?" Disha attempted to make her mother laugh.
Her mother laughed in return and they left the house.

Two hours later, Disha and her father were seated in Dr. Taylor's clinic with crossed fingers. Disha had seen her mother throwing a fit when they took her for an MRI scan. She complained that she was fine and didn't need any of the scans.
Dr. Taylor's cabin was air conditioned but Disha could feel sweat on her back and neck. Playing with the hem of her sweater, Disha tried to distract herself from the painstaking possibility of anything extreme.
"I've analyzed the scans Dr. Rajan." A British accent startled Disha and she looked up.
"As per the reports and the findings you told me about, Dr. Rajan your wife shows Mild Cognitive Decline." Dr. Taylor informed.
"Is it Alzheimer's?" Dr. Rajan questioned apprehensively. Disha grabbed her father's hand after listening to the word Alzheimer's.
"It's the first stage, it is usually during this stage that people start to notice a problem like your daughter did." Dr. Taylor explained.
"Like you know Dr. Rajan, it's inevitable. She can have a good life if you take proper care. We will try to prolong her life with our treatment as much as we can." Dr. Taylor tried to encourage them.

"Can I take her to India with me? She will be happy if she stays at her house in the city she loves. I'll be shifting to Bangalore in India in two weeks." Disha's voice quivered as she held back her tears.
"You can think about it surely. Being with loved ones certainly helps patients get better." Dr. Taylor approved Disha's suggestion.

"Achan, I'm taking Amma to India. It's final!" Disha authoratively told her father.
Approaching her mother who was seated in the hospital lounge, Disha told her that they needed to get home.

It was eight in the night when Disha and her father told her mother about the real anomaly.
"Amma, you're coming to India with me." Disha stated.
"What? When was this decided?" Her mother questioned frantically.
"Amma, actually there's just a little problem with you that we need to fix. Thus I'm taking you to India with me." Disha justified.
"What problem?" Her mother asked worriedly.
Disha could see fear deep in her mother's eyes. But who was she putting a brave face for when she was completely terrified from within?
"Prerna, it's just a memory therapy. You've started to forget things right? It's going to be a brain exercise program with some medications." Dr. Rajan intervened to pacify his wife.

"Also, you'll be back at our Kalpana Society! All of your friends, your singing class, your embroidery work, everything will resume once again!" Disha used the home card and it worked.
"And not to forget, we'll be visiting the great Jehangir Hospital where you can taunt Dr. Nilima right?" Disha joked and all three of them laughed at the inside joke of the Rajan family.

Around one in the night, Disha checked on her parents to see if they're fine. A sad smile made its way to her lips on seeing her mother and father sleeping soundly, with the table lamp emitting soft golden glow on their faces.
She walked inside on her toes, sitting down on the floor besides her mother.
Disha observed carefully before stroking her mother's hair with her fingers.
The silky straight texture of her hair was the same, only the colour was now a mix of grey and black. Few wrinkles on her forehead told people that the women was about to enter her sixties.
The black bindi was sitting there like always.
Disha's eyes moved to her mother's ear. She smiled as her eyes stung with tears at the memory of her father gifting her mother a pair of diamond earrings.
The Mangalsutra in her mother's neck reminded Disha of the times when she would walk with her mother to the bazaar and they would return with her mother buying an imitation Mangalsutra and Disha with cute clips.

Disha's eyes next moved to her mother's hand that was not covered with the blanket. She touched the bracelet on her mother's wrist while her lips trembled. Unable to continue the tears anymore, Disha swiftly exited the room and went to the balcony.
An image of her mother wearing the bracelet Disha brought as a birthday gift surfaced over her eyes.
With her sweater sleeve stuffed in her mouth to suppress the sobs, Disha wailed.

There's a possibility of every close one refusing to stand by you except a mother. The whole wide world can go against you but your Amma would never. Disha's mother had always been a good singer with keen interest in classical music. She also taught music while in Bangalore. As expected, Disha had a great voice and beautiful understanding of rhythm and raga.
The thought of her mother forgetting the art she worships was devastating.

The possibility of her mother forgetting Disha's existence frightened Disha to the core. She could not imagine what people tending to Alzheimer's patients had to go through.
Why was God torturing her? Dev had most probably moved on from her and now her mother was diagnosed with a degenerative disease.

Sniffling slightly, Disha opened her voice recorder. The starred voice note at the top was where Disha's finger lingered a while before pressing the play button.
Sighing in content, she listened to Piya Tose Naina Lage Re in her mother's voice while the stars sparkled and the night drowned in darkness.