MahiRat Tales Collection

Always there for you!

"Papa, don't go, please!" A young boy sobbed.

The man in front of him continued walking away, smiling, in the dark lying beyond.

"Papa— PAPA!!" The boy shouted before seeing his father vanishing into thin air and now all left was darkness.

And now the darkness engulfing from every side, the boy stood there with tears streaming down, seeing his father walk away from him, forever!

"PAPA!!"

Virat woke up startled, sweating profusely, shaking and his heart pounding with all that adrenaline rush. He looked around the room in horror and took a moment before the realisation that it was a nightmare, came crashing to his mind.

He wanted to reach out to the jug of water but due to the inexplicable and overwhelming grief he was feeling, it felt he couldn't move at all. With all the courage inside him, he got his hands grab the glass of water kept beside him.

"Papa!" Virat's voice choked as he muttered.

Why did you leave me, Papa?, Virat thought miserably. Who can ever fill your absence?!

He closed his eyes feeling numb and restless at same time. I'll always be there for you, bacha, just close your eyes whenever you want to talk to me!
Virat could hear his father speaking to him these exact words, which were probably his last ones to him.

I miss you, Papa! Virat opened his eyes feeling extremely downhearted. His father, who meant the world to him... How could one ever cope up with such a loss in life?!

Virat suddenly started to feel suffocated in the room. He didn't want to stay there. He got up, trying hard to control his tears and walked out of the room and didn't need to think much about where he wanted to go.

"Bhai?" Virat spoke slowly as he entered the room.

There was only one person he could think of going to whenever he felt restless. Being around Mahi Bhai was always kind of being assured and relaxed.

"Cheeku?" Mahi asked, surprised to see such tearful look on Virat's face.

He knew something was wrong. He walked up to Virat but before he could speak anything, Virat had already thrown himself at him.

"Bhai," Virat hugged Mahi as he sobbed out.

"Cheeku, kya hua, bacha?" Mahi hugged him back and asked while caressing his back. "Bol, Cheeku, kya hua?"

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Mahi asked again worriedly as Virat gave no reply but kept sobbing harder.

"Bacha, stop crying, tell me what happened?" Mahi kept asking while rubbing his back in concern untill he heard a whisper "Papa" from Virat.

Mahi quite understood what happened and why was Virat in such state at middle of the night. He rubbed his back continuously to calm him down before speaking. 

"Cheeku, calm down." Mahi said cupping his cheeks, tears streaming down his face. "Come here."

Mahi made Virat lie down on bed keeping his head in his own lap. He kept stroking Virat's hair untill Virat calmed down and his sobs subsided.

"Cheeku," Mahi Bhai said gently. "You had nightmare, kiddo?"

"I—I saw Papa.. going away. He.. left!" Virat spoke in a shaky voice, inching closer to Mahi Bhai. "He left me!"

"Hey, he never left you, kiddo." Mahi Bhai said lovingly making Virat look towards him and caressing his face.

"He can never leave you, bacha. He's always right here, in your heart." Mahi Bhai said pointing at his heart.