The Passionate Ego

34: OLD ACQUAINTANCE

"Manik. You should get here at the office." he spoke in a straight off tensed tone while nandini gave me a concerned look.

"Hey bro. What's wrong?" he asked getting up.

"Manik it's your mom. She's here."  

***********************************************************************************************

MANIK'S POV

I stormed into my office with blood-shot angry eyes. No matter how much Nandini tried to console me, gave me the keep-calm pep talk, i was enraged with anger and fear: anger for how that women could walk back into my life after everything she did and feared because i wasn't sure if i was ready to face her already even after so many years.

I opened the door to my cabin while my secretary gave me wierd looks, ofcourse she was confused of the entire scenario. As i got inside i saw Cabir infront of me to support me while that women; who called herself my mother sat at the lounge infront of me.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" i roared while Cabir held me.

"Manik relax." Cabir shushed me.

"How the hell can i relax when she is here? You know how she left , don't you?" i glared at him.

"I know i am at fault." in between my rage i heard a soft voice call out between my sentence.

"Yes you are." i snapped back.

"But i am not here for me Manik. Please listen to me once." she begged as she got up. That's when i noticed it, the tubes around her nosetrils connecting to a bag on her shoulder.

"What's wrong? This is one of your drama or emotional plays isn't it?" i fumbled pointing at the possible thing i didn't wanted to accept.

"No it's not. So now can we please talk?" she asked with a slow voice. I at once looked at Cabir to ensure what we thought about this situation to which he just nodded.

I gave a slight nod to my mother and made myself comfortable infront of her. She smiled and it fluttered my heart. I've missed her. She had always been the one who used to show up at my scholl football practices or to my friend's birthday parties to pick me up until she decided not to and went away with a different man. Cabir may habe understood the situation so he left us alone for privacy. It was an awkward silence for a couple of minutes until she decided to break it.

"So?" she asked for my permission to which i nodded. Words had dried in my mouth and i was in no condition to form a sentence.

"I know you're angry at me for what i did to you." i clutched my fingers into a fist. " But you have to know that your father and i, well we just fell out. And i wanted to move on but not from you. But we both know your father needed you more than i did and i loved him so i couldn't snatch you away from him so i left. And i am so sorry for that." she cried.

"i Know you're not so lets just get to the main part." i snapped.

"I got married to David and he was a graceful man but maybe God never wanted me to be happy so he punished me for what i did to you. He left the world a few years back and 4 years back i got diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. One day when i got back from work i felt a nonpositional, and exacerbated by eating and drinking anything. And then the next day i had fever, chills, night sweats, nausea, and nonbilious vomiting for an entire day, that's when they diagnosed me." she explained and i felt my jaw drop. No no no, this was my biggest nightmare. I held my head in my hands as she scooted closer.

"This can't happen." i tried the worst images to just buzz off but they didn't.

"It is. Good news is that they found a donor for me and the operation is tomorrow but the bad news is that looking at my age and the condition of my disease there's not much of a chance for me to survive." she comforted me.