Closing the distance

Chapter 5

The drive from Dr. Navya's to Dev's office wasn't long but the evening traffic was moving at a snail's pace. He stepped on the brakes as he came to a full stop at yet another red light. Usually, he would get annoyed but not today. Today, the time alone in the car was required. Dev cranked up the AC, his mind reliving those moments of the past. The moment, in particular, when he first found out...

The seminar had concluded for the day and Dev just wanted to relax in his hotel room. He loosened his tie, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-refrigerator and plopped down on the couch. It had been a really long day, with a continuous series of meetings and lectures. He got his phone out and switched it on, as he took a swig from the bottle. He was in a good mood, the investor had agreed to join hands with him and he will be able to get the deal signed tomorrow. He breathed out a sigh of relief and then glanced down at his phone as it flashed its details.

A surge of panic went through him and he leapt to his feet. There were 58 missed calls, all from home. From Saurabh, Vicky, Elena, Mamaji. So many missed calls? Has something happened? Did something happen to his mother? Or one of the children? What if something happened to Sonakshi? Dread flooded his heart. Stop over-imagining things, he told himself. He dialed Vicky with shaking hands, tapping his foot restlessly as he waited for the call to be picked up.

Vicky answered in a low voice. "Dev Bhai, where were you? We have been trying to reach you."

"I was in the seminar; my phone was off. What happened?" he asked, his alarm mounting to unsurmountable levels at Vicky's quiet, serious tone.

"Asha maasi passed away, few hours ago." Came his answer.

Dev sat down, stunned. "What? Come again?"

"Asha Maasi passed away. Her condition declined sharply and she didn't make it. Please try and come back soon."

Dev cut the call in a daze. Did Vicky just say, Asha Ma is no more? How is that possible? She was sick, but she would have gotten better. People get better, don't they? The doctor had said her results were looking better and they will be consulting more specialists. So, she should have gotten better. What does this mean, she is no more? How can she be no more? Vicky doesn't know what he is talking about. He would call Sonakshi and she would te..... wait a minute. Sona. Sonakshi. Asha Ma died. Asha Ma DIED.

It was like cold water had been dumped on him.

Oh No. No. No. No. Oh No. Sonakshi. Sonakshi. He grabbed his phone again and frantically dialed her number. He could feel his heart thumping over the sound of the ring.

There was no answer.

"Sonakshi, come on, pick up the phone, please", he prayed fervently. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." Nothing. He dialed again. And again. And again.

No answer.

He threw his phone away in frustration.

This is not good. Asha maa died and he isn't able to reach Sona. Not good at all. Awful, in fact.

But how did she die? He had just met her, and they were hoping she would be discharged soon. Did she take a turn for the worse? How did she slide so fast? Were the doctors not able to help? Did other complications develop? Did the specialist not suggest any other treatment? Questions were forming in his mind faster than he could process them. He needed to get a grip on himself.

But before all that, he needed to get back home. Sonakshi needed him now. "Where is my phone?" Where had he thrown it? He looked around, finally finding it behind the chair. Thankfully it wasn't broken. He needed to get on a plane right away. His return flight was two days later, but that certainly won't do. He grabbed his stuff around the room in a hurry, calling the hotel front desk to find transportation to get to the airport. The airport was jam-packed. Why is it so crowded? It was a task getting to the counter. He explained his circumstances, as the lady looked at him sympathetically. "Next flight is in 6 hours, Mr.Dixit. I can get you on it."

"6 hours? Isn't there anything sooner?"

"No, I am sorry. Flights are full."

"Okay, that one then." He sighed resignedly, handing over his credit card and passport.

He checked his phone again, hoping Sona would have called him back. No, nothing. He dialed Saurabh's number. "Hello, Dev Jiju."

"Hello, Saurabh, I heard what happened and I am on my way back. I am so sorry. Is Sonakshi there? Can I talk to her?"

"She is inside, I will go find her, hold on."

He drummed his fingers impatiently, he just needed to hear her voice, assure her that he was on his way and they will ride out this storm together. But it was Saurabh back on the line.

"Dev jiju, you there?"

"Yeah, Saurabh, I am here. Where is Sonakshi?"

"She says she will talk to you later. When are you getting back?"

Talk to him later? But why? Sonakshi, why can't you just come on the phone once? Please let me hear your voice. Just once, please! His mind screamed.

"Tomorrow morning, my flight is in 6 hours. Saurabh, please take care of yourself and please take care of Sona. I will be home soon. Once again, I am so sorry about Asha Ma." He tried to speak as normally as possible.

"I will. Have a safe flight." Dev hung up the phone, his heart heavier than ever.

There was a coldness gripping him, the familiar fear rising up again. His fear of losing Sonakshi. Of all things that he can face, he will never be able to face this particular fear. It's tentacles always gripped tighter than before, so tightly that he could scarcely breathe. There was nothing he could do to alleviate it. Face your fears, they say. 'No, I can never face this fear.'

He sat down in the lounge, and watched the clock ticking, counting his minutes to the plane and checking his phone, hoping it will ring, willing it to ring, that his Sona would call him. He started typing a text to her, but stopped himself. 'Really Dev, a text?' Sometimes he was such an idiot. He browsed his gallery to find pictures of Asha Ma. Their pictures together.

He looked at her as her empathetic eyes stared back at him through the screen. Asha Ma. How much she understood him. Even during the worst of times, when the blame of the whole world was on his shoulders, somehow, she was the one person who was never quick to judge, who always found it in her to look at a situation from others' perspectives. Asha Ma. Her kind eyes, her warm smile. Her quiet, firm yet considerate, loving demeanor. She was like an anti-thesis to her husband. Bijoy Baba was volatile, Asha Ma calm. He would never admit it aloud, but sometimes he felt like she understood him better than his own mother. His feelings, his intentions. He was an individual human being to her, he was Dev for her, and not just her daughter's lover or husband. Her guidance never came in the form of an order. Instead, it would be in the form of a suggestion, a gentle nudge in the right direction. He always knew that she wouldn't hold a grudge if her opinions were not taken. She had told him once, 'Dev, adults have the right to make their own decisions. As a parent, I may not approve, but as an adult, I will respect your decision and will stand by you. Shona knows it and you should too.' He smiled slightly at the memory. Sonakshi is really lucky to have her as a parent. Was, his mind corrected. Was lucky.

The tears, that he didn't even realize had welled up in his eyes, fell on his phone screen, right on Asha Ma's face. He wiped his screen but was unable to stop himself. He allowed the tears to flow not caring that he was in a public place. He closed his eyes and his thoughts carried him to all the moments with Asha Ma. The first time he met her, on her birthday, when she handed him a piece of the sugarfree cake, a little formally, yet warmly welcoming to the last time he met her, in the hospital, as she squeezed his hand with a gentle, tired smile.

Sitting there, in the airport lounge, Dev tried to come to terms with the fact that he and Sonakshi had lost a very important person in their lives.