The stuffs that were happening throughout the week one after the other, exhausted everyone. The whole family slept in exhaustion with a very little hope that the next day would bring nothing but happiness in their lives. The Sens and entire family had gathered for the celebration of happiness. But the fateful events turned everything upside down. The elders prayed for the togetherness and happiness of their family.
As the clock continued to tick, seconds passed into minutes and minutes into hours and slowly the day began to dawn. The sun started to rise and as it did, the rays of the sunlight enters through the open window, blowing up the curtains with soft breeze. Because of which, Aditya stirred while stretching his arm in his sleep to only feel cold and empty beside him. He woke up with sudden feeling of intense fear on finding his wife, Naina missing while the numerous thoughts ran across his mind for the reasons of her being not there right beside him when it was only the time of sunrise.
At this moment, all he wanted was to see Naina. He feared with thoughts that she might have left him once again. He wanted all those scary thoughts to be false and just started searching for his wife with the terror of losing her again. He ran like a madman who looked as if he had lost his senses. But the ones who would know him, would understand that all he wanted was to see his wife. He searched in the room they both had slept in and then ran out crying out her name as loud as he could which woke up the entire family members in worry of the thought of what could have happened.
As everyone came out of their rooms, saw Aditya running from here to there like a madman and crying the only name of the person who is his life. His parents, the elders questioned him in worry to know the reason for such a behaviour of his.
"M-om , dad....N-Naina.... She's not there"
"Where did she go?"
"Why did she have to leave?"
"I-i promised her to not let her go"
"She's-she's not there"
Aditya breathed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hairs which looked messier than before as if he had ran his fingers through his hairs for many times.
"Adi, beta.... Yahi Kahi hogi. There se dekhte hai aao"
"No, no! She's not there! I searched everywhere"
"She's not here"
"She left once again"
"She left"
Aditya fell down on his knees as he cried.
Rajesh came forward to him and placed his hand on Aditya's shoulder and asked slowly.
"Adi, don't say like that! Did you check outside?"
"Outside?"
"Yes, outside... What if s-"
Even before Rajesh could complete his question, every body heard a soft giggling sounds from behind. Everybody turned to see that the giggling sounds belonged to none other than Nia and Naina. The entire family saw both the mother and the daughter entering from the main door with holding eachother's hands and giggling, carefree and completely unaware of the entire families' gaze fixed on them. When Naina and Nia reached the centre of the hall, sensed the crowd and it was then that Naina and Nia saw the entire family gathered there with Aditya kneeled down on the floor with tears in his eyes along with Rajesh standing beside him.
Everybody had a look of worrisome on their faces. It made Naina even more worry to not know what had happened that the entire family was gathered at this early hour of the morning. She looked at everyone and whispered.
"Adi?"
On the other hand, it looked like Aditya had seen a ghost as he had turned pale. Hearing the soft whispering from his wife, he stood up on his feet and strode towards Naina and just hugged her tightly as if she would vanish into thin air if he would even leave her now.
"Adi? Wha-t happened?"
Naina stuttered in tense while questioning him as everyone's gaze was fixed on the couple.
"Arey yeh pucho ki kya Nahi hua?"
Kinjal's mother said irritatedly with yawning.
Suhasini glared at her while Kinjal's mother got even more irritated and spoke.
"Aur Nahi toh kya? Kal der Raat tak toh inke tamashe khatam huye the ki subah subah fir se shuru ho gaye. Jab se yaha Aaye hai, tab se chain ki neend tak Puri Nahi huyi aur toh khushiya manane ke bahane yaha par toh ek se ek tamashe kiye jaa rahe hai!"
"Ab bas bhi korogi?"
Rajeshwari shushed her to keep keep her mouth shut as everyone were already in worrisome.
"Naina, beta? Kaha gayi thi? Woh bhi itni subah?"
Archana came forward and questioned but even before she could answer, Aditya broke the hug and pushed himself back from her making a little distance between them with his hands on her arms and questioned, gaining her attention back to him.
"How can just leave? Do you even how worried I was? I had so many thoughts running in my mind and all I was praying for you to be safe! How can you do this to me?"
"But Adi, I-I -"
"You know, I thought that you left me once again!
In this past few moments, all I could see myself dying without you."
"Adi! Stop! Just stop saying about....
I-I I was just outside. I hadn't gone anywhere"
"But how can you just leave-"
"Papa...."
Nia jumped between them and hugged Aditya's leg and mumbled softly with her face lifted up to look at him.
"Papa... I only wake mumma.
I not able to sleep. So, mumma and I went out to walk.
I asked mumma to come out.
Please don't scold mumma"
Aditya sighed and kneeled down to reach Nia's height and ran his hands down the length of her hairs.
"Nia, bachcha.... I am not scolding mumma. I , I was just..."
Aditya looked up at Naina to meet her gaze.
"Concerned and worried that your mumma might get in trouble"
"Don't worry Papa. Mumma is strong! Nothing will happen"
"Yes, Nia I know your mumma is a strong woman and moreover you won't let anything to happen to your mumma, right?"
"Yes! After all, I will be a big sister!"
Nia cheered in sheer happiness.
"Now that we know everything is alright, we should get ready for breakfast. Naina beta? If you want you can rest for a while. I hope Nia has not tired you"
Naina looked at Pratap as he spoke and said,
"No, no. Papa. It's alright. I am not tired."
"Are you really alright?"
Narayani neared to Naina and questioned with concern evident in her voice.
Naina smiled and nodded her head.
"Common then, let us get ready and then gather for breakfast"
Agreeing, everybody left for their respective rooms whole Archana took Nia along with her while Naina and Aditya marched towards their room.
Once the couple entered their room, Aditya locked the door and faced Naina who was standing facing her back to him. Stepping closer, he placed his hand on her shoulder while she turned to face him.
"Naina?"
Their both gazes were fixed on either m eachother's. Naina could see the fear of losing her in his eyes.
"Adi, I..."
Aditya just hugged her tightly. Even more than he did downstairs. His fears looked no less than a child getting lost amidst the crowd. It took a while for his breathing to get normal. Breaking the hug, Aditya looked at Naina and questioned.
"Naina? You really weren't leaving right?"
Naina stayed silent.
"Naina, I really am sorry for what I did. I do realise that I have hurt you very badly this time. But, please. Please, do not ever leave me"
"I-I wasn't going anywhere, Aditya.
I was just outside with Nia.
She woke up very early and came to me and she wasn't sleeping, so I just took her out"
Aditya held her cheeks in his palms, with moist in his eyes.
"You had no idea how I felt the moment I couldn't find you beside me. I never want to feel that ever again, nor do I want you to...."
"Aditya? There's something I want to say"
"....."
"Today, when I woke up? I had a dream...where our family was together, complete.
And I never want that dream to be broken, Aditya.
I really had forgiven you long before.
Yesterday, when I had been for check up?
All I could have were the visions of past!
What had happened with my mother, I don't wanted that to....
I know, we had been to therapist and I had recovered from that anxiety..... But yesterday's check up, it just brought back everything like a storm tha-that I was afraid of. That it would destroy everything.
I-"
Aditya cut her off, completing her.
"Didn't wanted me, Nia, our family to suffer?
That is why you were ready to leave everything and go?
You wanted to leave your love, your daughter, your family because of your fears which might not even come to happen?"
Naina lowered her head and nodded.
"Why? Don't you know that we all are with you? Everyone.
Naina? Being a mother is something which I can't even imagine of the struggles you will have to go through. I can't. But all I do know is, with each and every passing moment, I am with you. I will be with you, no matter what happens.
There's no such power stronger than a love which can do wonders and mother's love is something which is incomparable. Then how can you think that you will harm our baby and daughter?
If there's anything, you strengthen us Naina.
Never even in your wildest dreams think that you will harm anyone."
Naina nodded her head as she wiped her tears. Aditya placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I love you.
Go and get ready, let us go for breakfast together"
Naina nodded her head.
_______
Dated : 18 April 2022