"Myra Breathe Sweetheart" Sidharth spoke Rubbing her back vigorously and Shehnaaz stood there in shock just like the previous time when she was diagnosed as a proper case of bronchial Asthma.
" Pa....pa....... P.....aa....n...iii" Aayat breathed while speaking a word that was hardly coming out of her mouth and she struggled to Breathe.
" Shehnaaz paani Kahatam hai Baba , please kitchen se paani laa de " Sidharth spoke looking at the water spilled everywhere on the floor but she stood there in a gaze , the flashes of a year old Struggling for Breathe in her arms , And Then That 6 year old Aayat almost loosing her breathes , the flashes were clear, the words even that incoherent Mumma that she hardly even cried that time because of how deprived she was of oxygen.
" Shehnaaz yaar Kahan khoi hai paani laa de or else tell me I will go on my own " Sidharth shouted at the top of his voice to gain her attention and she was snapped out nodding instantly, And he next moment felt bad for snapping at her like this, he could very well tell out that she was zoned out but It wasn't the time for that , Aayat was important for him at that moment.
" Pa....Pa ....."
" Shshshsh yahin hoon main Mera bacha, Kuch nhi hua you are alright , Inhaler Kahan rakha hai , the bedside is not having one " he spoke rubbing her back from one hand and the other searching the drawers of the bed side only to found a empty inhaler..
" Leta ......nhi h.....hoon na.......reg.....regu....larly isliye ......yaa..yaad nhi .... raha ....ki last .... month......khatam ho Gaya tha " She spoke and Sidharth sighed, she was quite ignorant to her own health he knew.
" Acha Okay relax karke Deep Breath le " He spoke now Checking her forehead for any kind of warmth.
" ..IN ....haler......chaiye " she breathed deeply as instructed by him , she was known to this deep breathing from heart know because she practiced it daily, the health freek she was .
" Paani " Shehnaaz spoke coming With a glass of water in one hand and A bottle in other and Made her drink it .
" Thank you " she whispered better than before.
" Shehnaaz iska Inhaler rakha hai spare main " Sidharth spoke getting up and Searching his pockets for the key as he never has the habit of keeping them in the keyhole.
" Nhi that blue one is there I guess , not the other she uses" Shehnaaz mumbled and Sat helped Myra sit on the bed and Made her lay down in her lap pressing her head slowly ruffling her hairs so that she could sleep .
" That would work for now then I would get the steroid one , Kahan rakha hai " he asked .
" Humare room main jahan Saari medications rakhi hai na vahan hi hai , box main nhi hai bahar hi mil jayega " She mumbled pressing a kiss to Myra's forehead.
" Shehnaaz kya hua hai " Maa asked hearing the chaos Outside at this time in the night, Raju Bhaiya was asleep and Kiyaan was a heavy sleeper so there was no chance he would get up .
" Maa aap Kyun uth Gaye , Kuch nhi bus iski tabiyat theek nhi hai " Shehnaaz spoke and Maa came inside Seeing Aayat Still breathing heavily and not speaking anything .
" Mera bacha theek hai tu " Maa asked Caressing her hairs and she nodded .
" Myra get up and have this " Sidharth spoke bringing her inhaler and she got up holding the small device in her mouth and pressing onto it .
" Breathe Myra " Sidharth spoke worried and she nodded taking out the puff and exhaling out , she was better with a puff and Sidharth sighed.
" Better " He asked and she nodded giving him a weak smile.
" Shehnaaz her tablets Kahan hai " He asked and Shehnaaz thought for a second before answering.
" Emergency nhi Hui na kabhi aise achanak , khatam hai shayad "
" What the hell yaar Shehnaaz, steroid nhi hai , tablet nhi hai do you have anything that could give her relief for now " he shouted pressing his forehead now, exertion was taking a toll on him .
" Sidharth ...."
" I don't need an explanation Yaar Shehnaaz, sirf meri beti hai kya , dhyaan nhi rakh sakti thoda , pta hai na She is weak and aisa hi sakta hai " He shouted
" Papa...." Aayat spoke not liking a bit how her parents were fighting because of her.
" Sidharth enough alright,sirf meri bachi hai kya , dhyaan hai na tereko itna hi kyun nhi dekha if she has her medications and inhalers with her or not, bachi nhi hai voh 17 ki ho gayi hai agar kuch khatam ho gaya then she could come foreword and ask, aur agar itna hi hai then you yourself take care of her medications, nhi hai because for God sakes , after The last asthma attack zaroorat nhi padhi unn tablets ki " She shouted back and then both of them sighed When they heard Myra sob in her Dadi's lap, Sidharth and Shehnaaz was ideal for her , they never fought in front of their kids but today seeing them fighting like this made Aayat cry because it was she who they were fighting over.
" Bahar niklo dono aur jaakar apne kamre main Lado Maro yahan se jaao rula rahe ho bechari ko " Maa scolded them and They both stood lowering their heads as if punished for something.
" Sidharth instead of fighting go get her medicines, Tujhe mil jaayengi iss time par " She spoke and he had to nod what else was an option because He knew Maa was right always.
" Aayat pata hai Cartoon hai tere maa baap " Maa spoke making both of them pout and Aayat she gave a weak laugh making Sidharth smile and he went from there.
" maa aap so jaiye jaakar I will stay here till the time Sidharth comes back " Shehnaaz spoke and Maa shook her head
" Mere saamne ye formalities karne ki zarurat nhi hai samjhi family hai hum and I know you were busy the whole day , Baith jao yahan aur go and rest" Maa spoke sternly and Shehnaaz sighed.
" Main iska Steamer laati hoon " Shehnaaz spoke.
" Maa please nhi , It irritates the hell out of me , bahut ajeeb hai steam Lena " Aayat whined and Shehnaaz glared her.
" Say this to your Father when he comes back Tab ke liye you have no other way out sweetheart" Shehnaaz spoke going out.
Your Father , it sounded odd , it was Always Sidharth or the extended one Sidddhaarrtthhh for her , the close he was to her the part of her soul yet she was hurt, the way he shouted she was okay with that, why because frustrations apno par nikalti hai is what she believed but the way he shouted in front of Maa and Aayat she wasn't, There was this boundary that she always intended to keep between their personal space and the children, there wasn't something wrong in this but she believed there was a line between the relation of husband and wife and between children.
" Get up and have this c'mon Aayat " she spoke sternly with a steamer in her hand And Myra Sighed her mother was in a no budge tone for now But what she failed to notice was She was talking about The Soup she made for her and not the steam as she knew it was difficult to above covering your head with a towel taking steam but yet the mother in her was protective of giving her what's best for health.
" Maa Aap room main chale jao Please Steamer on Karungi room main abhi then you will go and sleep with Kiyu , AC chal rahaa hai vahan right bimaar ho jaoge " She spoke tensed for Maa , Maa anyways wasn't keeping well these days just something age does to the body
" It's fine Shehnaaz, Kiyu is a sweetheart he would understand and Aayat needs us more today " Maa spoke pecking Aayat's forehead.
" Dadi what do you mean I'm not a sweetheart " Aayat spoke a full sentence much better after having the inhaler and Maa laughed , Just Like Sidharth and Shehnaaz their children were too possessive for people around her too.
" Aisa kab Bola maine acha chal ab steam lele phataphat , Then you will have a Dadi Special story to hear "
" Aap best Dadi ho pta bhi hai aapko " Aayat spoke smacking her wet lips on her cheeks and Maa didn't grimaced she loved Aayat too much and She was weak right now , Maa loved her children Equally but it was just Kiyu took over her heart a little too much that she herself feels after Kiyu was around 3 her attention deviated from Aayat a bit
" Maa Lao towel do " She spoke in a sullen mode and Shehnaaz smiled at her natunki her children were.
" Chup chap soup piyo , Steamer for now I am turning on around you don't put your face above the steam but just sit near it alright " Shehnaaz spoke and she nodded forwarding her hand to take the bowl of soup from her but she shook her head sitting beside her and forward the spoon of soup after Blowing it off for a few times.
" Garam hai " Aayat whined and Shehnaaz made sure she had it lukewarm.
" Maa break 5 min "Myra whispered taking a deep breathe and she nodded Threwing her head in Maa's Lap and closed her eyes.
" Shehnaaz theek hai tu " Maa asked tensed seeing her.
" Thank gyi hoon main Maa , with everything around, And Sidharth ke saath jhagda it's an add on " She mumbled such that Aayat doesn't hear anything and sighed closing her eyes.
" Done " they heard Myra speak and She got up in a second, she was a mother and just like some robots they are not allowed to get tired.
" Le " Shehnaaz spoke once she was done with the soup, some green elaichi and Aayat smiled seeing them.
" Thank you " she spoke picking up one and just keeping it in her mouth.
" Aayat but how did it triggered, shaam ko theek thi na tu , Sidharth ne bola you were happy while having dinner too phir achanak" Shehnaaz asked skeptical .
" Voh Naina Di aur Yagya Jeeju ke Saath Bahar Gaya tha , Golgappe kha liye and Neither of us realised Imli wala paani hota hai taste taste main " She spoke.
" Aayat yaar bachi nhi ho tum , 17 ki ho itna toh jaanti ho na you have lot of restrictions when it comes to your food habits , khud ka dhyaan rakh liya Karo thoda" Shehnaaz spoke her voice not shouting but a pitch higher than her usual tone.
" Maa nhi Raha na Yaad, Teen hi khaye the because the last one I realised the taste and Yagya Jeeju has been apologizing ever since, insaan hi hoon Na Nhi raha yaad mujhko " She shouted back
" Aayat awaz dheere samjhi Maa hoon Naukrani nhi "
" Exactly Maa Beti hoon Robot nhi , Aisa karte hai kal na we will write ki Aayat you can Go out But not eat anything, Phone main photo khinch kar rakhungi taaki I realise every other Moment that I am not normal " She spoke and Breathed heavily due to the shouting she just did
" Myra " Sidharth came the same moment and seeing her like that he looked at Shehnaaz again and he heard both of their voices in the living room
" I'm fine Dad " She spoke puffing in the inhaler he brought for her
" Thanks " she mumbled.
" Kyun chilati hai when you know it's not good for your own health Mera bacha " He spoke caressing her hairs and she just looked down at the floor not knowing how to deal with the sick Aayat , she tended to be clingy to him or Shehnaaz whenever she felt sick but today neither was she clingy and nor was she demanding that attention, strange but he shook his head on his overthinking.
"I'm irritated Papa, why Does no one let's me live normally I mean is it my fault that I have my lungs not developed properly , I can't eat Everything, I really have to Wear masks three months of a year why because every damn thing is irritant to my lungs including the pollens , I can't go Bunjee Jumping with my friends because the consent form asks if you are having ashtma or not what should I Do batao , I am fed of being tagged as an asthmatic " Her heart Cried yet the silent one she was she remained quiet keeping it all in herself again, maybe the only fault she had was to keep it all in herself but then this was what she learnt from the very start of her life, She wasn't an introvert for her family she knew only if they knew She was an introvert for everyone around maybe herself too.
" Sorry " instead of that she whispered making Sidharth sigh .
" Dadi I want to sleep Voh bedside lamp band Kardo " She whispered and covered herself in the ac comfort and covered herself till the neck because again she can't cover her head she knew because of Oxygen deficiency she would face .
" Shehnaaz jaakar sojaa you might be busy tomorrow I need to Be alone for sometime " Sidharth whispered without turning back once they were in the room and Shehnaaz let out a loud sigh letting him know she was angry
It was around 40 minutes later Shehnaaz felt the bed dip beside her , she wasn't asleep she has lost the habit of sleeping alone in his presence and neither did they went to sleep without solving their fight she knew but then what changed today.
" Shehnaaz" he spoke when he found she still didn't turned towards him to which she didn't responded , his voice was heavy he was tipsy she knew , Sidharth with Alcohol was the cutest Sidharth she ever saw although very rare but it was what she loved , the way he became clingy after alcohol she was in love with that , the childlike innocence and what not but more than that she was hurt , for a second she could let it go but then how can she be sure it won't be repeated because Sidharth was a whole different person when it came to Aayat and Shehnaaz has seen it alot of times.
" So jaiye Sidharth" She whispered instead.
" Sweetheart" He called her out again and she couldn't just control from turning towards him, hearing sweetheart from was her love and so she just turned , not uttering anything.
" Nhi bolegi " he asked looking into her eyes and she patted his head for making him sleep , she could feel he was tired and she didn't wanted to have an argument right now , he hugged her tightly throwing his head in her neck and she cradled him, the clingy he was when drunk she was so right , she sighed but not an ounce of his weight has disturbed her , she loved this .... being so close to him.
*
" Aayat kuch bolna hai " Maa asked once she saw Aayat twisting and turning in her bed , sleep was far away from her eyes and Maa sighed switching on the bedside and Aayat Looked at her shocked not expecting this .
" Dadi so jao main....."
" Aayat bacha dekh, I have spent my maximum time with you , pta hai From your frown on this forehead to you bitting your thumb when nervous we have seen it all Sweetheart, bata kya hua hai "
" I ....." She breathed.
" Kuch nhi " she spoke after a few seconds.
" Aayat Okay ek kahani sunegi " Maa asked and she nodded her head, Maa opened her hands gesturing her to come in her lap to which she obliged.
" Who is an Ideal Mother for You Aayat " Maa asked and she gasped not expecting this as well.
" Umm Meri Mom " She whispered.
" Okay let's assume this, Who is Your best friend Aayat "
" Yagya Jeeju " she was loud this time.
" See this difference Aayat, You were confident on taking Yagyaniket's name but ye confidence Shehnaaz ke naam ko lete waqt kyun nhi tha , I guess mujhe pata hai and I won't be forcing you to tell me but Just realise it yourself haina sweetheart, Maa Ka rishta is special pata hai , Jaise Sidharth aur Mera hai , ....jaise "
" Jaise Sita Maa aur Luv-Kush ka tha " Aayat continued and Maa nodded but then looked at her intently for a second and whispered
" Shehnaaz bahut pyaar karti hai Aayat tujhse and I know you do to, Your Disease .....y koi Bimaari Kahan hai bacha , it's just a few minutes of breathless you feel pata hai bahut bimariyaan aisi hai where's there's no cure , You know Why is your Name Myra aur rakha kisne hai " She asked and She shook her head.
" Okay do you know Why Your Dad Only calls you Myra when he has kept your Name Aayat " She asked again and this time too she shook her head.
" Sidharth ki Jaan thi Myra , Shalini's Sister but she just left him and Sidharth voh toh jeena bhool Gaya tha jaise , She suffered from Glioblastoma Aayat, something you can't even imagine, kuch yaad nhi rehta tha bacha use , apne khud ke maa baap bhi nhi, and we lost her , one day because she ate something she wasn't supposed too , Aaj Shehnaaz ka voh reaction isliye tha because Aayat Ashtma and your allergy it can turn serious if you be this careless sweetheart and Shehnaaz hai na joh Voh tere papa se itna Pyaar karti hai na that she couldn't let him go in that void again " Maa spoke and Aayat she feel silent.
" Tujhe lagta hai The way you shouted on her and the reason you suffered this attack voh Shehnaaz usse bata nhi sakti thi, and you have no idea Aayat He would have harmed himself agar pta chalta toh , Uss Myra ki tarah na Tu bhi uski Jaan hai , voh toh sirf Dost ki behn thi tu beti hai Aayat , You love Sidharth na " She spoke.
" Khud se Zyada shayad Sabse Zyada " Aayat spoke without waiting even for a second.
" Then for him Aayat thoda sa Bas thoda sa precaution le bacha , No one is stopping you from living right, imli se allergy hai and you wanna have paani Puri eat the zeere wali Pani wali Aayat , koi mana nhi karega " Maa spoke and she nodded understanding.
" Sorry " she spoke and Maa smiled .
" Sorry mujhe nhi Maa ko bolna apni , she wouldn't sleep the whole night worrying about you " Maa spoke knowing how both her children were with overthinking.
" Abhi bolne jao " She asked and Maa stopped her .
" Nhi Subah exam hai abhi so jao " Maa spoke to which she nodded but spoke.
" Kahani reh gayi " She pouted and Maa laughed , She was a combo of both Shehnaaz and Sidharth And she loved her enough to get angry .
" Ok So Mahabharat nhi Suni hai Tune Aaj Unhi ki ek Kahani sunte hai " Maa spoke and she nodded listening very carefully about what her Dadi had to say about the birth of Beeshma Pitama .
" Matlab Ganga Ji ne khud apne bacho ko maar Diya " Aayat gasped.
" Judge kar liya na dekh, Same Shantanu ji ne bhi kiya tha But Aayat think if she wouldn't have done that there would be more Beeshma Pitama in the world mera bacha , Shantanu Ji saved Beeshma Right but Unki life ki Kahani toh pata hai na tumko think was it a life worth living , Last main Apne pure Khandaan ko marte hue dekha hai unhone Apni aakhon ke saamne, And Ganga ji unpar kya biti hogi while doing that you thought nhi right , Sab Kuch kisi reason se hota hai Sweetheart " Maa spoke and Aayat was left in deep thoughts .
*
" Naina You aren't going to wear this to the party " Yagya spoke irritated on her Choice of the dress she brought .
" You Kidding right Yagya Raat ke 3 baje aa rahe ho and what am I listening is a rant about this " She spoke irritated on something.
" But isme .....it has more visible cleavage than I like " He spoke eyeing the black dress that was kept on the chair, a short one piece ending on her thighs most probably but the issue was the front of her dress which was hardly hiding anything he knew.
" Fuck off yaar Yagya that's not the dress you watching, voh pehn rahi hoon kutte" , she pointed towards the dress that hung on the hanger in her dressing table , a black formal jacket with a white shirt with papaloon jeans .
" Umm Ohakay....." He spoke sighing but still eyeing the dress, he had seen it in Aayat's phone he was sure and Imagining her too in the dress was something he wasn't able to , it wasn't as if Naina aur Aayat didn't wore short dresses but something about only this was off with him .
Naina would look exotic he knew in this but that would be only for his eyes but if she wasn't wearing it tomorrow then what was this dress doing here and why was it their in Aayat's basket a couple of days back .
" Parso Are we going to go Somewhere" Naina asked sighing to which he nodded.
" Kahan " She asked getting him his food reheated.
" Office colleague ke Ghar party hai , has invited all of us , I will ask Sidharth Mama and Others if they are fine with coming, Aayat Ko pata hai already and she was willing to come uska exam kal last hai I guess , so most probably hum teeno jayenge" He spoke and then widened his eyes in realisation.
" Fuck Naina don't tell me she is going to wear that dress in between my friends there "
" Yaar Yagya Atak gayi hai kya sui uss dress par saala koi Surprise rehne de sakta hai ya nhi , parso birthday hai buddhu Tera uske liye maine mangwai thi And Aayat just helped me in ordering kyunki delivery aani thi aur Mera phone Aaj band rehne wala tha so she ordered it from her own account" Naina Shouted frustrated with him and Well Yagya couldn't help but admire both these women in his life .....
Naina the one he loved and Aayat She was somone He Was protective about not like a father thought but .....
He had no idea but she was special to him
I hope this was worth a read.
Do let me know how was it
Love
Aaradhya
❤️