Rishma's POV :
"And. With one more important thing. You'd better call Chris's parents to come here from Manhattan. Things can get out of hand sometimes."
"What's that mean?" I sat on the chair as if someone had forced me to sit. Its none other than her words forced me to sat on the chair again.
"That means... Rishma you are a student. After three months your class will start again. At that time you won't be able to manage Chris and your things. Better, you leave Chris in the care of his parents."
"But that--" I didn't know what I was about to say but Dr. Rachel cut me off.
"What if they're divorced? He is their only child. Either mom or dad will still love Chris. Main point is you don't need to suffer all the pressure."
I didn't say anything. Just nodded and agreed. Then walked out from the room.
I closed the door from behind. The doctor's words overwhelmed me. My legs slowly took steps forward.
Oh Rishma….
What are you going to do next?
I don't know what unexpected things are coming to me.
I had to tell a lie when the nurse said that the operation can be done only if the relatives sign the form. That day I had to tell the doctor that Chris' parents were divorced. I was filled with tension whether Chris would come alive or not. So I didn't have time to think of any big lie.
I made his parents divorced , Chris hasn't even met them yet.
Where should I go to bring his parents?
By the time I walked a short distance, my legs were tired. I saw a bench on my right side. I sat on it and thought of a way out.
What do I do now?
How about going to Chris's academy and getting someone to play as his dad?
Master David?
No no, my brain immediately rejected that name.
I had to lie so much because of that one man. I also lied to Chris a lot after the party that day.
Mr. Mathew?
Mr. Mathew is old enough to be Chris' father. At Mrs. Masson's birthday party, I realized that he really liked Chris.
Bull shit.
What blunters am I thinking of?
If I want to cast Mr. Mathew as his father, I should tell him everything about Chris first.
But what if Mr. Mathew sees Chris like everyone else? What if he lost his love for Chris?
No, If somehow Mrs. Masson finds out about this, things will change.
Mrs. Masson will bury me inside the quarters.
What will I doooo????????
Agnes !
Wow... super idea.
Let's bring Agnes saying she's Chris's mother. After going to the doctor's cabin and listening to everything, I'll take Agnes to Chris's room. He will be asleep due to the dose of medicine. So he was not going to know that Agnes had seen him.
But.. Many times knowingly or unknowingly we acted out the drama in front of Agnes. I can't use an innocent heart for my selfish purposes.
Again and again obstacles coming.
Infront of Agnes I'm Chris's wife.
"Oh god."
I looked up and helplessly called the god.
All ways are closed.
What if I came to play the role of mother?
Eeshwaraa, will I have to play Avvai Shanmukhi inside this hospital until Chris is discharged from this place?
One second.
How did I forget this !
During the first day of living together at home, Chris told me that he would tell me everything when the time came.
This is that time.
Chris himself has to tell the doctor that he doesn't have a guardian. If he says that, it will be as if he has revealed the truth to me, and I will not have to bother him by asking him that question.
That's all there is to it. I'll go and tell Chris now itself.
I went back to the room. When I walked in, I saw Mrs. Masson taking a selfie with Chris.
I cleared my throat to get their attention.
"Rishma. You too come"
Mrs. Masson called me to join in to their selfie too.
"No Mrs. Masson. I have something important to say."
Glow on both their faces faded.
"What's up Rishma? Is there any problem? What did the doctor say?" Chris asked.
I moved towards him slowly, sat on the chair.
"Nothing. Nothing to be afraid of."
At first I tried to comfort him.
They both waited without uttering a single word to hear the words to come out of my mouth.
"The doctor said to tell Chris' parents to come soon."
I said nervously.
I looked at his face.
His face is covered with a mask of calmness, but I know that his mind is troubled.
"Yes. It would be better if they stayed with Chris at this point. Rishma would not have to take all the pressure."
Mrs. Masson supported the same statement Doctor Rachel said.
"Where are they Chris? Will they be here to see you?" I used every single word carefully.
Chris remained silent.
"Chris" Mrs. Masson called him.
He was still staring at my face.
"Are they in Manhattan? Isn't your house in Manhattan?"
I asked like I don't know anything properly.
Somebody give me an Oscar Award for the best actress of this decade.
What if I join Silver Star Academy with Chris?
I'm acting better than him.
"My parents are divorced."
What?
"What?" I screamed.
"What?" repeated Mrs. Masson with sadness.
"Yes, they separated because of some crucial problems," Chris clarified, sorrow filled in his words.
When?
I screamed inside my mind.
His parents, whom he has never even met, are divorced?
"Oh, its okay. Don't be sad." Mrs. Masson comforted Chris with some appropriate words.
"Yeah" I said in a low voice like I'm supporting Mrs. Masson's words.
I looked straight right into his eyes.
Chris looked at me and smiled.
He lied.
For the first time a lie came out of his mouth.
Even if the world turns upside down, not a lie will come out from tip of his tongue.
No matter what happens, he will say some apt reason and hide it, but he will never lie.
"I'll tell Dr. Rachel this when she comes." Chris said.
"Okay." Mrs. Masson looked at her watch and said, "Well then. I have a few things to do at the office. Shall I go?"
"Yes. You can go. I'm here. I will take care of him." I took over all of Chris's affairs myself.
Mrs. Masson came up to me and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. After taking her handbag from the side table and hanging it on her shoulder, she gave a kiss on Chris's forehead. She bid a bye and left the room.
It is her motherly love that binds us both to her like iron and magnet.
She is a teacher, so I often kept a little distance from her. But now with the gentle kiss she gave, that distance is faded.
I will not hide anything from Mrs. Masson from now on. There is no secret.
Everything will be transparent.
Until my eyelashes fluttered open that I realized I'd been staring at the stitch on Chris's right wrist all this time.
He was staring at my face too.
"Are you back?" he asked.
"Huh?" I asked not understanding.
"I asked if you came back from the dream world." He made fun of me for staring at his stitch for so long.
"Yes." I accepted what he said with a tight smile.
Once Chris said that when the time comes, he'll tell me everything, so it's better to ask about it now.
Now that he said his parents are divorced, but the truth is I know the truth.
If I don't ask this now, there is no guarantee that I will be able to ask it later.
With lot of hesitation, I finally made up my mind and asked.
“Do you remember the first few days when we started living together at home? You told me that night that you would tell me about your parents when the time came."
He looked at my face with a blank expression.
"Urgh... I think this is the time. Tell me the truth though. We've been living together for at least eight months."
I am now realizing that I can ask for things with such patience.
"Oh right. I thought I'd tell you that sometime. But I was enjoying every moment spent with you. So I haven't missed anyone in the last eight months. That must be why I didn't say it because I thought it was a very small thing."
Chris said each and every word very calmly. I didn't get the feeling that he was hiding something in any word.
"You don't miss anyone, does that mean you were happy even after your parents divorced?"
When I put my tongue inside my mouth, I just realized that what was asked is a stupid question that has no meaning.
"Uhm..." Chris hummed and closed his eyes to understand the meaning of my question. "Yes. Like that too."
"Okay." I nodded.
God gave me a sack full of doubting wisdom. But forgot to give the wisdom of how to ask that doubt.
"But there is a slight correction." Chris said that and my heart skipped a bit.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes.
"What the correction is..." His eyes moved to the doorside, to see if anyone is coming.
I also looked back and made sure there was no one at the door.
"No one. You go on." I assured.
"As for the correction… first you promise you'll never tell Mrs. Masson this." He held his hand two millimeters away from his chest and asked me to promise.
Should it be kept secret? And that too from Mrs. Masson?
My Krishnaaa...
Four minutes ago I decided that I would no longer hide anything from Mrs. Masson. Now here he says that I have to hide this from her, extending his hand for me to promise.
Won't you allow me to be a good girl?
Okay. I'll keep it as a secret.
I scanned his palm with my eyes and saw small cuts on it. I looked at the area where there were no cuts and touched his palm and swore.
"Truth is, I am an orphan."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence again.
He waited for my reaction.
"Say something Rishma" looked deep into my eyes.
"To say what?"
"Why are you sitting without any reaction?" He doubted.
Am I sitting without any reaction?
Oh yeah.
How can I react now to what I knew four months ago?
I still remember how my eyes popped after seeing his profile paper. I couldn't even take a breathe that moment.
"Rishma?" He called me.
"Chris I'm so sorry. The reason why I didn't react is what if you got hurt by my reaction?"
I gave him a innocent look.
Liar, liar, liar. Such a liar I am !
"Seriously?" He frowned. "What more is left to hurt?" He pointed out his miserable condition.
Stitches, bloodstains and bruises in many parts of his body.
I looked him over from head to toe.
"Chris it's no fault of yours that you're an orphan." I said seriously.
"A wrong decision made by someone at some point. They did what they thought was right, but now, wherever they are in the world, they regret what they did then. They lost a good son."
"D-do you thi-think they m-miss me?" He stammered.
I noticed his eyes welling up. My heart skipped a bit harder this time.
"They don't even deserve to miss you."
I wiped his tears before they fell.
Silence filled the room with the fragrance of white roses that I bought for him.
I couldn't get a better chance to say that I went to Manhattan.
"Chris I have something to tell you."
He nodded his head slowly.
"I went to Manhattan. To-- to know about you. To know about your past. After I went to Manhattan and found out everything, I was hurt that I left without telling you. I thought I would tell you everything when I got home, but..."
I searched for letters to complete my words.
"I thought I'd tell you when we got home together." I corrected what I said earlier by adding we.
I am the one now stammering.
"B-but. By that time, the w-whole situation has changed as if someome planned everything before. Instead of going to our home I had to bring you to this hospital."
After said all this, I felt relieved of the burden I have been carrying for the past four months.
My heart was empty like a deflated balloon.
"Should I believe everything you just said?"
What? I was stunned by Chris's question.
He knew what I was going to ask just by looking at my face.
"If you want me to believe everything you just said, then I will" his voice was laced with sarcasm.
"Chris I'm serious---"
"---Rishma..." he interrupted, and continued, "You went to Manhattan? Come on Rishma. I know your mother never allow you to go to Manhattan alone."
"I left without telling anyone." I said out loud.
What's this happening?
What I thought would happen and the opposite is actually happening!
How could he say such a big thing so lightly?
"Okay. Fine. You went to find out about me. Leave it. I believed." He put me at the peak of sarcasm.
"True. I went. When I got there I got to know your childhood stories and traumas."
"From whom. Was my life story carved on the stones of Manhattan?"
I sat silently. His sarcasm crossed the limit line and my eyes turned red with anger.
"Tell me who said that?" he asked again.
"There is no one on that land who knows my childhood." Chris assured.
"But Father--"
I didn't make it whole.
Why should I say?
He doesn't believe me even though I say so much.
You don't need to believe this anymore.
"Leave it" I said angrily and folded my hands.
I heard someone opening the door and turned around. It was the nurse who came to change Chris's bandage.
I got up from the chair and went out without saying a word to him.
***************
Hello lovely readers,
So... what you think about this chapter?
Do you like it?
Why Chris didn't believe her?
Any guess what will happen next?
If any, comment it.
Yours Richu