The Binding String

N I N T Y - T W O

"Raman where we are going?"

"Where you were eager to go " Raman replied holding Ishita hands. They stepped in wing D, the elevator dinged at the fourth floor and they were standing in front of flat number 401, Ishita steps refused to move forward the last two incidents started to resurface in front of her eyes and the love she had for her mother and sister lost.

"Ishita aao."

"No." She continued to step backwards, Raman who was about to ring the bell stopped after finding a lock on the door. He held her hand eagerly and showed her lock leaving them worried.

"Where could they be?" They exchanged a worrisome look with each other, they're not at home, neither answering their calls. What if they fell in some problem?

"Let me try Bala number again." Raman pressed Ishita's shoulder, seeing her restlessly tapping her foot. The number came unreachable another time, they ran their gaze here and there and found their neighbours door open. Ishita hastily rang the doorbell to inquire about her family until the neighbours opened the door. She gasped finding her nephew standing at the other side, the ten years old boy had mixed expression of worry and surprise after seeing his aunt on their doorstep.

"Shravan! What are you doing here?" Ishita held her nephew's hand.

"Chitti! Aap yahan?"

"Shravan see I have prepared the tiffin, let's go."

The bewildered couple saw their neighbours prepared to leave somewhere along tiffin bags and Shravan. "Shravan what is going on? Where is everyone?"

"Jee aap log koun hai?" The couple Mr. and Mrs. Mehta questioned back.

"I am Ishita, Shravan mother sister. We came here to meet everyone but why door is locked?"

"Wo Chitappa...." Shravan hesitated further, he found his aunt rubbing his shoulder, encouraging him to speak further. The boy pressed his lips and left a deep breath before continuing further, "Amma Appa took Paati to hospital. They have been at the hospital since the day before yesterday." The couple gasped on the new information, Ishita almost lost her balance after discovering about her mother health.

"Yes, Madhavi jee had heart attack day before yesterday. It happened at late night, my husband took her to hospital along Bala Ji and Vandita. Shravan was quiet scared so we kept him here. Don't worry Madhavi Ji is doing fine now." Ishita held her head, the information was too much for her to digest. Her eyes welled up thinking about her mother, she clamped her hands over her mouth to suppress her cries but she failed miserably.

"Hey! Calm down Ishita. Amma will be fine."

"Kon....konse hospital mein hai Amma?"

"Vedanta."

"If you don't mind can we take this tiffin to hospital?" The couple nodded their heads and handed them the tiffin, and Ishita Raman went to hospital taking Shravan along.

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FEW HOURS LATER
VEDANTA HEART CARE HOSPITAL
NEW DELHI

Ishita wiped off her tears looking at her mother through glass panels, it's been two hours since she is at hospital but her tears were not ready to stop. All her anger and resentment towards her mother is not bigger than her love, yes she didn't learnt to profess her love but she loves her, alot. She felt warmth of her husband arms around her shoulders and she leaned against him. It was a shocker for Bala and Vandita after they found her presence at hospital but they didn't exchanged any words, neither complaints nor concerns but her eyes were stuck on her mother who was resting. Thankfully she is out of danger, it was a minor heart attack and she saved after receiving medication but what it something major happened? There were series of what ifs running in her mind and she had no answers of any of those.