THE CLOUD'S CHARM

CHAPTER 2 - part 2 - PRAYERS ANSWERED

PRAYERS ANSWERED

Mohan didn't know how he managed to calm down his weeping mother and frustrated and anxious father. Somehow, they had calmed down and now, sat side by side on the bus to Trichy. Mohan was on the nearest seat on the next aisle, observing the two.

He was also worried about his brother; but right now, he was more troubled about his parents. They could not be described as fit, despite their good financial condition. Both had passed their mid 50's and had the usual lifestyle diseases that ensnare the modern man. He dreaded the after-effect of all this recent happenings on their physical and mental well-being.

Mohan was never a willing participant in temple visits - unless the place had some scenic beauty- and never did any chanting in front of each form of the deity. According to him, these different forms originated from the common man's fear and the wicked one's ideas to amass money from them. This was another thing that always created friction between himself and his family.

But he did believe in the power of the God, who he refused to call by any other name. He believed that the Supreme power who gives and takes life, is present not in idols, but among men and reveal Himself as a helping hand, a soothing word, a comforting hug... an omnipresent figure, who reveals Himself through the goodness of mankind.

And hence, Mohan closed his eyes, and prayed to his Almighty to keep his brother and family safe, to protect them... to reveal Himself to them through the kindness and goodness of people around them...

Little did he know that his God had heard his prayer even before it escaped his lips, already revealing Himself through the actions of Megha...

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Megha woke up feeling a piercing pain on her right wrist. She sat up quickly on the bed and saw that her arm was in a cast with a sling around her neck.

"Must have broken my wrist or something.", she thought.

On looking around, she realized someone had brought her to a hospital. The sight out of a window by her bedside revealed ambulances going to and fro, flashing their blue and red lights in the night. The hall she was in was overflowing with patients. 

She scanned the nearby beds for the baby, but couldn't find her. Dread began filling her insides and she sprang to her feet, wincing slightly as her whole body hurt here and there.

She began moving unsteadily among the crowd and hissed in pain as the needle attached to her right hand upper palm pulled her back. She wrenched it away and disregarding her bloody hands, began searching for a hospital employee.

"Where's the baby? And where are others - Prerna, Nidhi, her husband.." she asked the first nurse she found.

"You did a great job in there, protecting your daughter, Ma'am. She is unconscious right now, under observation. But don't worry ma'am, she's in good hands, we won't let anything bad happen..."

Megha didn't register the fact that the nurse mistook the baby to be her daughter, she only heard the words "Nanhi unconscious" and they resonated in her ears, making her lose all the remaining strength.

The nurse caught hold of Megha before she could collapse and guided her back to her bed.

"She was in my hands... I should've taken better care of her..."  Megha began mumbling in a daze. She could feel sickness gripping her insides. The nurse, noticing her condition, quickly assisted her into the bathroom, where she vomited profusely.

The nurse seated her on the bed, squeezed her shoulders in a comforting gesture and asked,

"Can you give me your dear ones' contact numbers? Let them come and take care of you two."

Megha mumbled out the phone number and address of her parents. The nurse noted them down, re-attached her glucose needle, helped her lie down and then, walked away to attend another ailing patient.

Megha didn't want to succumb to unconsciousness again, but her whole body was protesting. The lack of physical and mental pain, which the pervading sleep in her eyes promised, seemed alluring. Finally, after a few minutes of troubled thoughts, she accepted the bliss.

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As darkness started spreading and the streetlights blinked to life, Mohan thought how different yesterday's night was. He was celebrating yesterday, the same time. Today, he is going to search his beloved ones among the victims of an accident.

Mohan's phone rang and he earned glares from almost everyone on the bus - including his parents - for the ridiculous ringtone. Deciding to change it the moment he completed the call, Mohan attended it.

It was from the Govt. Hospital at Trichy. His brother had given them the number. The nurse who called assured him that his brother and family were in no mortal danger. They would be discharged as soon as the parents arrived to pick them up. Mohan informed the nurse that they were on their way and would reach in a few hours and thanked her for calling.

The looks on his parents' face on knowing the fact were priceless. He saw a true, relaxed smile light up his father's face.  His mother's relief was louder, with a dozen offerings to various deities. She didn't stop there, but started chanting every mantra she knew to show her gratitude.

His lips curved in a tiny smile as he shook his head slightly. Despite his apparent disapproval of his mother's actions, he closed his eyes and thanked his God for being there for his brother and then, succumbed to blissful sleep.

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