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The number you have called is not answering, please try again late.......
I tsked and threw my phone on the seat beside me. It was the third time since the morning I have tried contacting her, but she won't answer. I felt restless.
It's been two days since I returned home. The big bandage on the forehead was now replaced by a small hansaplast, and my poor right was still caged between the heavy plaster. Aradhya won't leave me that day, only until the police arrived and held her back.
She eased off only after she realised the cause of the accident. She begged me to forgive her, but I can't, because I was not mad at her. I don't blame her. I know what it feel like to loose the most important person of life, right in front.
She was my wife, and they were her parents, how can I expect her to keep her cool.
My heart pained for her, more when I learned they were the only ones she had. Her mother has been a orphan all her life, and her dad was abandoned by his own family, when he chose her.
Not even a week went by, for the first time I met her. How bubbly she was, how energetic, and that day, all her charm was lost.
My still eyes, tilted to look at Arya who whined as the dry leaf discharged from the tea and had a safe landing on Arya's smooth cheeks. I immediately shooed it away from her and carried her in my arms.
My motionless face, turned into a small smiling one, when I saw her resting on my shoulder happily, endeavouring to get hold of my shirt's tiny button. I could adore her all days long, and still not get enough of her.
But seems like destiny was cruel to me. My eyes had to leave her to look into my phone, when it chimed. Anvesha's video call?
I received the call and greeted her with a big smile and she reciprocated with the same smile.
'Hey, is that Arya in your arms?', she squeaked. I simpered over her excited tone.
'Yeah. Have a look at your little niece.', I held her straight in my arms, and she got irritated when my button went far away from her reach. She whined but I cradled her on my lap.
'Oh my god, such a cutie. This cute little button, I just feel like running and squeeze those chubby cheeks of hers. Her cheeks are so tempting, inviting me to bite them.', coordinating with her well, Arya sobbed as she completed.
'Haha see Avi, she understood that what you said, and denied clearly.', she narrowed her eyes at my statement.
'Shut up. She can't understand our language still, ok.', she whimpered annoyingly. I chuckled.
'Are baba I am just joking. You take things way too seriously. Anyway, when are you coming home?', my nose scrunched when I see her falling silent.
'Oh Avi about that....actually I am off to Delhi.', my mouth hung, while she continued looking at me with a insincere smile.
'What?! How could you? You promised me. And even your punishment is due.', I complained like a child, and my poor daughter stopped sobbing seeing her father behaving like a child.
'Haha see...she stopped crying seeing you. Arya be like - one child is enough. Papa is the child, I should be mature.', she joked. Was she believing I was run into her trap?
'Shut up. Don't try to divert the topic.', I scolded her.
'I am not diverting the topic bro. It was quite urgent. We had to leave, but trust me we will come back soon and then you can give me any punishment you want.', she pleaded me, with puppy eyes.
'No yaar Avi, this is not done.', I was still not satisfied.
'Ok fine you can double your punishment and I will double my stay there. Ab toh maan ja. Please', I chuckled when her 'please' whined.
'Listen you potato, this is the last time I accepting your sorry. Next time I won't, you better mind that', she giggled over the nickname I gave her.
'Thank youuuuu. And how are you doing? All good?', she asked.
'Yeah. You can already the bandage is replaced and the plaster would be intact for few more weeks.', I shrugged my shoulder, and she tsked.
'It's ok. Be well soon. And now bye, I called up only to check on you. Will call back soon and yes, you have to come to Delhi super soon, okay?', she tried shutting off the call.
'Sure thing. Bye!', I bid her bye with a smile.
'Bye Avi. Bye my cutie patootie', Arya giggled realizing that the last nickname was for her.
As the declined the call, I was all set to throw it beside me, but my mind commanded me to give her a call again, in a hope she answers, at least this time. Praying to sunshine's kanha that she would answer, I tapped on the call button.
I waited patiently for the phone to ring
The number you are trying to call, is either switched off or not reachable, please try again.....
What?! Just a few minutes back it was ringing and now switched off? My heart thumped in my chest with the maximum speed possible.
Was she okay? Does she have someone by her side? What if she is getting wrong thoughts in her mind? Should I go see her? Before giving it a second thought, I jumped back to my feet with Arya on my waist and carried her inside.
'Handle her for few hours Kavya, I will be back soon.', I was all to take off, but she stopped my, grabbing me arm.
'Hello? Where are you off to? You are still not okay!', she showed me a eye, but I had to go.
'Just something urgent. And don't worry, I am fine. And I will take the driver me, ok?', I knew she wouldn't be convinced and try her ass off to stop me, and keeping in mind the same reason, I zoomed out as I completed before she could reply.
Pulling the driving from outside the garage, I hopped into the car, on the back seat, with driver on the driver's.
'Here is the address bhaiya. Please rush, it's urgent.', we managed to exchange our numbers and address the day, after I had a talk with her in private.
I find a good friend in you Avyaansh.
She made me feel important and found someone special in me, and today when she is all alone in the cold-blooded world, I conclude that I need to be with her in the toughest phase of her life.
Her mood transition was in a blink of eye. She wanted to kill me with her bare hands, or even sharp eyes, but the very next moment when she knew the reality, she flipped.
Three months back I was broken and now she is. I know the state of my mind, I once went through it and maybe she is going through even worse. They were her parents, of course there's nothing too wondering.
Life is another definition of change. Of course, you won't even realise and your life would flip 360 degrees round overnight, and sadly it won't be under your control to change it. Every night you sleep with a hope to wake the next day, with a new hope and energy to live that day off, but you never realise, what destiny has stored for you that day, or even just the next second.
That night she complained about her mom, and today she is grieving over her. Maybe, neither her nor her mom would have known that these were one of their last calls, deep inside they would have known, she would have cherished even her anger.
My eyes were still at the seat in front of her. I don't realise, did I even blink or not. But I was forced to come out of my subconscious self when the car screeched to stop. Following my gaze outside the window, my eyes fell on a big board, 'Urban Heaven Apartments', realizing I was already on my destination.
Requesting the driver to wait for me, I climbed off the car and moved inside the gate. The gatekeeper won't stop me? Strange. I moved in further and confirming her house's way, I found my way into the lift till the thirteenth floor.
I smiled when I reached her door step. It was narrow passage, greens everywhere and a toran on the top edge of the door. I pressed the door bell, when my eyes fell on the name plate above. It was a epoxy name plate with 'Sahani's' calligraphed over it.
'Avyaansh...hi. What a pleasant surprise.', she welcomed me with a greeting smile. A smile, but the charm behind it was lost somewhere.
My heart pained seeing her. Her face was sickly. The colour was drained away. She had big dark circles under her eyes, and those pretty orbs of her felt swollen. Seems like she haven't slept. her lips were dried away. Her voice was hoarse, not somewhere near that day.
Her hairs were tied back into a bun, was dressed in her pale pink chikankaari kurti with white leggings.
'Hi. I hope I am interrupting something.', I said in a sweet tone.
'Not at all. Please come.', she welcomed me affectionately in there. The house was small with two bedrooms. Not much but still way more. It had everything one need to be happy.
'I know it is nothing compared to yours, but...', she spoke with a small smile, but I interrupted her.
'Hey! Don't say that. It is small, but it has everything one needs to be happy. And remember, size doesn't define happiness.', her lips escaped a chuckle, sad precisely.
'The reason I smiled in the house are already gone. There's nothing left to be happy Avyaansh.', her voice was plain while her eyes gazed at her parents photo on the opposite wall, with a haar on them. My heart pained seeing it and immediately lowered my gaze.
'Anyway, coffee? Or tea?', she returned back to me.
'Let it be. I don't wanna be a trouble.', I replied back formally.
'I won't be a trouble, trust me.', I was all set to deny again, but I realised maybe she wouldn't have had anything.
'Ok. Tea will work. But only if I have your company.', maybe, now she can have something.
'Sure.', she stood up to leave, when my eyes fell on the balcony, landscaped with sitting stuff.
'Aradhya.', she turned to me, looking at me with questioning eyes.
'Can we continue in the balcony out there?', I asked.
'Yeah sure. Head in there, I will join in a few.', she replied before heading back to the kitchen and I found my way to the balcony. I bounced on the tub chair behind me, adoring everything around. And just in the next few minutes, Aradhya appeared with a tray in her hands.
Handing me a mug, she grabbed hers before getting her seat. I had a sip, and ahh it was good. Satisfactory enough.
'Delish!', I murmured and she passed me a thankful smile.
'I dialled you a few times, but you won't answer, so I found my way here.', I explained myself.
'Umm the phone was on silent mode maybe. And I was out in the hall, with mom dad.', she said in a low tone.
'Aradhya, are you okay?', I regretted as soon as the words escaped my lips. Of course she isn't, idiot!
'I am trying to Avyaansh, but it isn't easy.', how truthful she was.
'You will be fine, trust me. Everything will heal overtime.', I was trying hard to be her support system.
'I don't know Avyaansh. It's been just two days and I already feel so lonely, so alone. There are n numbers of people around me, and still I feel alone. The house feels haunting. I feel like the alone dried up rose amidst the pages of the book, and the shut pages of the book feels like the cage, which is holding back the rose, to free itself and found it's way right under the bright sky.', I listened to her patiently.
'Not everything is permanent Aradhya. Neither happiness nor sorrow. This time will pass, too.', was I consoling her? Or myself? Because many a times I find myself on the same page as hers.
'I feel lost. I don't feel like doing anything. These two days, I was on my bed all the time. I don't know if I can do something in my life or no, or even I can live or not?', a trail of tear strolled down her cheek, which she wiped off immediately.
I took a sip of my tea, before continuing. 'You know Aradhya, just three months back, actually almost four, I lost the most important person of my life, my love, my wife.'
She snapped her head towards me. 'Yeah. Somewhere in my heart I dreamt of her with me all my life, happily, growing in our career together, having kids, raising them and soon turn old together when we slowly start losing our teeth and whistles blow through them.'
She chuckled at my last statement and I smiled seeing her smile. 'We saw the dream together, and promised each other to stay together till the end of our time. But she left, without fulfilling her promise. I was broken, just like you. I felt my life was ending, just like you. I hate doing stuff, just like you. But you know what kept me alive?'
She was listening to me keenly, and her eyes turned questioning at my last phrase. 'My daughter, whom she left behind.'
She gasped. 'You....have a daughter?'
'Hmm...she passed away after giving birth to her. You know I have not heard it somewhere, but I feel it from the bottom of my heart. I...truly feel that whenever a important person of life goes away, he leaves behind something, or someone which can be the sole reason of your survival. And that important part of my life which my left behind is my daughter. You know she is a miracle kid, born in the onset of eight month, doctors declared she was critical, anaemic. But she fought it, because it not just her destiny, it was my destiny too. Because my wife's Kanha and my daughter knew that she is the only reason for my existence.'
All these while, she was looking at me with moist eyes and a smile lingering on her lips. 'Wow. What a great way to look at your life.'
'And likewise, even you would have something in your life, which would be the reason of your existence, you just have to figure it out.', I really can't believe it was actually me who blabbered those words.
I looked up at her and found her lost in thoughts, already involved in finding the reason maybe. I clasped her knuckled which we holding her mug. 'Hey! Relax. Take your time.'
She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it when my phone's chimes touched our years. Excusing myself from her, I received it, it was from Kavya. 'Please don't tell me Kavya that Arya has again created a nuisance.
I spoke in no nonsense tone, but immediately straightened my back, when I heard her sobs. 'Bhai, I am sorry, I am sorry bhai. It was not deliberate. I am really sorry.'
'Kavya, what's wrong? Why are you crying?', my anxiety was raising continuously.
'Bhaii...Arya....', my heart skipped a beat hearing her. I couldn't see a scratch on my princess, what's wrong with her?
'Bhai, Arya is crying since long. I have tried all the possible way, I fed her too. But she won't stop. I am sorry, bhai, I couldn't take care of her properly. What do I do bhai? She is crying so much.', I face palmed myself hearing her. I sigh of relief escaped my lips.
'Damn goodness Kavya, you fucking scared me. I thought....never mind, just do one thing, cradle her or take her to Radhika's picture you have her recorded song right. Play it. She will be fine. And I will be there soon. And please, at least you don't cry.', I soothed her, and complying to me, she declined the call.
'Your daughter?', I turned to her, and gave a nod. 'Sometimes, she creates a chaos.'
'It's ok. You go to her, she needs you currently.', she said softly.
'My sister's with her. She will be fine. I have to be with you currently, who is alone.', she passed a smile to me, and clasped my hands.
'I am fine Avyaansh. Trust me. Your words helped a lot.', she tried explaining me.
'Ok, but are you sure? I can stay if you want.', I was still in a dilemma.
'Yeah, trust me over this.', she muttered with a smile and both jumped back to our feet.
'Ok then I will leave. But feel free to call me. Ok?', she nodded her head, and hesitantly, giving her a side hug, I rushed back to my car to see what my daughter was up to exactly.
I rested my head on the back rest of my cat seat, with my lids shut. I found a new hope of my life today. I didn't realise the words spoke, but I did realize it when I was done.
My heart, my mind still couldn't register that it was actually me who said those words. In the heat of the moment, I muttered them, but now I realize how deep it was. Arya was not just my daughter, but the cupid of my life.
How stupid I was to give up, without realizing that she was not just a girl, but a goddess in form of my daughter, who came to me right from the heaven to hold me back, from attempting something wrong.
I promised Viraj and Kavya that I would give a second chance to my life, for Arya. But maybe those were just words, but today when I say I am living for her, are my actual feelings, these words are not spoke from my throat, but from my heart, which is true to its own self.
How was the chapter readers?
Which part from the chapter was your favourite? 😙😙
Liking the new Avyaansh-Aradhya bond?
What do you think about the twists and turns in their life post this incident?
Have you got some friend in you life Avyaansh?
Tell in the comment section below.
And what should be your Anvesha's punishment Mehez_Alfaaz
Date - 08/02/2024
Word Count - 3094 Words
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