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Sunshine was here.
Finally.
"Hello everyone! How are you all?" She asked and the crowd replied in union, "Awesome."
And she smiled beautifully and just like that everything felt right.
"I'm so sorry everyone. The surgery made me late. But good thing is that the operation was successful and all's well that ends well, isn't it?" She explained her reason and smiled again.
Her smile was something; especially when it's without any inhibitions.
"Where were we in the last lecture? I know that my little geniuses have done their homework. So now it's time for few of you to come forward and share few words about it. Anyone wants to volunteer?" She asked and few children raised their hands and she smiled to them.
"Hmm... Diya why don't we start with you?" She asked and a girl came to the stage.
"Good afternoon everyone. My name is Diya Jain and I'm in sixth standard. As part of last assignment Ms. Sunshine asked us to say a few things about our mom's." Divya said and Kabir got stilled.
Mom.
Something that was taken away from him in a very young age.
"My mumma is a home maker. She wakes up the earliest and make sure that all of us are ready on time to go our school and offices. We get everything before we even have to ask and she loves us the most. But she forgets to take care of herself and as Ms. Sunshine said, I said I love you to my mumma and she was really happy. It was nice to see her happy."
"See everyone. Sometimes saying simple words means so much to someone. We love our family but it's good to express yourself once in a while. It makes their day. So express yourself and appreciate others." She spoke and asked another student to come up.
Express yourself? When was the last time he did that? Kabir thought.
"Hello everyone. My name is Karan. My mom is a manager in nearby factory. She is not there when I go back from school but she leaves the food in microwave so I don't have to bother and she always calls me after I reach home to make sure that I have eaten.
Sometimes I fight with her because she is not there but dad explained to me that she loves us and is working for our better future. I told her I love you mom and she was really happy and her headache also disappeared suddenly. She told me to say thank you to you." Karan said and everyone clapped.
"Good work Karan! We should never forget the efforts our parents are putting to give us a better future. We will have fights but never cross the line. They love us the most, that's the fact." She explained.
And Kabir remembered how hard his mother tried to fulfil his every demand. He fought with her many times but she handled him the best.
"And now a special girl; Amaya will you please come on the stage?" She called and suddenly the crowd went silent and Kabir wondered what was wrong with calling Amaya on stage.
"But Amaya's mother died when she was eight?" He heard a whisper near him and he stilled too.
What was she doing? Calling a girl to speak about her mother who was dead? She might not know but he knows exactly how painful it is to lose a parent.
For the first time since she came, Kabir didn't understand her approach.
"I know what you all are thinking. How could I ask Amaya about her mother? In fact I got a call from her father last week when he told me that she was crying because of my homework. I'm sorry Amaya that I made you go through that pain once again." She said.
"But I want you guys to know that mom is not just a word we use to address our mothers, it has a deep meaning. Anyone around us who takes care of us selflessly, makes sure that we are happy and healthy, wipes our tears when we cry, smiles in our victory, motivates us in our failure and constantly pushes us towards our success but makes sure that we don't over work ourselves can be our mother figure. No one can replace our mothers; true but some people try their best to fill that place and they deserve an equal appreciation too.
So Amaya next time anyone ask you about your mother don't cry. Smile and tell them about any memory you have with her. But if you don't have any memory then you could always tell about your dad who is trying his best to fill the place.
That's what I do. My dad is my everything and he has made me what I'm today. So when I have to talk about my mom I don't feel sad that I don't have one, instead I talk about the one person I have." She explained and the crowd went silent and so does Kabir's wayward thoughts.
She understood the pain of losing a parent but her approach to it was so different. Her understanding about life was so easy. She made it so easy.
Kabir was moved by her words. He started clapping unknown to himself and soon the others joined. Once again she smiled beautifully and asked for Amaya to speak about her dad.
As Amaya was speaking Kabir thought about his memories with his mother, something which he hasn't done in a long time and it made him smile, genuinely.
He didn't have a mother but he had her memories.
Just like that he didn't have his sweetie pie but has her memories.
And same was the case with her.
And that was enough.
***
The session has ended and she has given explained few more things to them and gave them another assignment.
Kabir saw her leaving for the staff room to meet some teachers. She also told that any student who wants to talk to her personal could meet her there.
Kabir told Gautam to sit there and wait and asked his friends to keep an eye on him. He walked towards the staffroom with an unknown feeling in his heart.
He was in the corridors when he heard a familiar voice and hided himself behind a closet.
"You didn't attend your therapy session. Dr. Seema is worried for you." He heard Neha speaking to her.
"I was busy Neha. Between work and everything I didn't have time. Also I don't need to attend one. My mother's death doesn't affect me." She replied in a normal voice and Kabir got shocked hearing her words.
***
"You are such a hypocrite. You are teaching these kids to love their parents. But you yourself..." Neha tried to say but was cut by her.
"Don't say anything that you will regret later Neha. I'm not a hypocrite. You have seen my case file, so you know my history. I don't hate my mother; I just wasn't connected with her because she left my dad when I was three.
And the whole society thought that it was my dad's fault. Rumours followed us everywhere. Then when they realised it wasn't dad's fault they thought that I will turn out to be money minded like her. New set of rumours started then.
So much so that I needed psychiatric help to calm down my anxiety. I grew up as a kid with anxiety issue. We left our hometown and settled here just to get rid of those talks. It was only after I went to college that my dad decided to shift back tour hometown.
If not for dad and Dr. Seema I would not have been able to come out of my shell. That's the reason I do what I do. The reason why I talk to these kids and make sure that they have good mental health.
It is also the reason why I understand that having two good parents is a blessing and no one should take it lightly. I have talked with Dr. Seema and took an appointment for tomorrow. So don't worry too much about me. You are a good friend of mine. But I can handle myself. Thanks for caring though." She explained and Kabir got shocked after listening to her words.
She has suffered so much but she didn't let her sufferings decide her fate.
Her words, her reasoning were simple and her thoughts were clear. She spoke what she thought which made it so easy to understand her. He wished that his mind was as simple as hers.
"You are a good person. Just attend your therapy."
Neha said ending the conversation.
She is really a good person and that's exactly the reason why he needed to stay away from her. He needs to be mentally healthy and so does she before he comes in front of her again.
Kabir thought and walked away from her, for now. He will get well soon and then approach her again.
Afterall, what's the hurry?
***
Kabir was working hard to stay positive and to not let his mind wander away. It was a tough road. He knew he should go and seek professional help but he wasn't ready to open up. The idea of talking to a stranger and discussing his deepest secrets with that person didn't sit well with him.
So he has decided that he will try to sort it out by himself. His childhood events had made him strong but complicated. He knew he had messiah complex wherein he tries to do everything by himself and hiding his problems from even those who were close to him but he also knew that no one could understand him... well except one person but she was not here and that was his reality now.
And he has to learn to accept it. He has to get back on track. He has to learn to survive. He survived when he was a nine year old, all alone in the world with no means to take care of himself so he could definitely survive now.
He was twenty four year old with a formal degree in his hand. He was working and earning for himself. If he survived then he definitely has the strength to survive now.
He needs to sort his mess before moving on. He has to complete his post-graduation degree which he has left in the middle. IIMR was not an option now but he has to apply to some other place.
He didn't know why but he was thinking of applying to some place nearby town where a certain surgeon was doing her post grad.
He smirked.
Only she has the ability to change his perspective too much too soon.
Only for her, he will come out of his depression.
***
See our Sunshine has her own set of sufferings, which will come later. But are you guys seeing the contrast here, while Kabir's sufferings became his fate, her sufferings changed her way of thinking for the betterment of others.
Now. Important issue here.
Readers: confused?! Because timeline doesn't add up, right?
So let's get the timeline straight, this is eight months after Kabir left. His accident will happen after almost 3 to 4 yrs from now. That means those 5 months are still far away. Then what is this meeting?
Well if you guys remember from DTBT that Kabir listens a sweet voice in his mind whenever he is angry, or frustrated. This is that sweet voice.
Which means, our Sunshine is the reason because of which Bir was able to survive after leaving everything.
But, if you read the chapter named Resistance you will see that our Sunshine didn't mention anything at all about this meeting which means only one thing, that she doesn't know. Because as I have written she is easy and simple.
So something happened that stopped Kabir from approaching her this time and changed his plans regarding his post grad and go to Mumbai.
We will find out soon.
Remember when I wrote in prologue that fate connected them thrice, this is the second time.
Third one is when his accident happened.