Gehraiyaan - A ShiVi SS

Chapter 6

As they all stood next to the priest, watching the grave being lowered into the ground, they couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in their chest, knowing they'd never see her again.

Her smile, her tango dance sessions, her stories. Her.

Raavi wiped a tear as she watched the three boys trying so hard to keep it together, reading the tombstone, not able to process what it read yet;

In loving memory of

Esther Grace Fernandes.
1950-2022

Daughter, Wife and Mother.

Raavi walked over to Gaurav, and held his forearm, nodding in reassurance, he wasn't a very touchy-feely person. She hugged Shashank's arm, resting her head on his shoulder, and he patted her hand in response, acknowledging the comfort she attempted to provide, before she walked to Shiva.

Shiva was devastated. Mrs. Fernandes was there for him, even when she wasn't. When none of his family was around. He'd tell Raavi about all the stories she'd so fondly narrate of Mr. Fernandes, and what a darling she'd been to the 3 newly-shifted boys, so welcoming, so warm.

He stood there, staring at the grave, barely holding it together, fidgeting with the skin under his nails to distract himself. Raavi's heart pained for him; he lost someone who had come to make such an important place in his life, in such a short span.

She walked to stand in front of him, placing her hand on his cheek to make him look at her, and the pain that swirled behind his eyes made Raavi's eyes watery.

Raavi looped her arms under his shoulders, and gently pulled him in for a hug; he needed someone to let him know it would be okay soon. For 2 seconds, he didn't react, his forehead on her shoulder, arms limp by his side.

She held him close, knowing he'd let that last thread break, and it did. His body raked with sobs, as his hands reached around her waist and up her back, head in the crook of her neck, letting her hold him as he let his emotions of the last few hours flow freely.

Raavi rubbed her hand up and down his back, her own tears escaping, but he needed her more right now, so she just held him until he had tears no more.

She pulled back, just enough to wipe his tears, and he nodded at her, breaking the hug as she stood next to him, slipping her hand into his and holding it, and he held her hand tight, as they covered the grave and called the final prayers.

Raavi knocked on Mrs. Fernandes' door to give her the casseroles and tupperwares back, but received no response. Which was weird because she distinctly remembered her having an order to go out at 11 AM, and it was around 10:50 now.

Something didn't feel right, it was weirdly unsettling because Mrs. Fernandes was the kind of person who always liked to be punctual.

She rang the bell a few more times, before calling out to Shiva for a spare key. He opened the door, and they found Mrs. Fernandes on the floor, unconscious and not moving.

Raavi and Shiva sat down next to her, patting her cheeks and sprinkling water, trying to wake her up, but she didn't. That's when Raavi felt for a heartbeat.

But there wasn't one.

And by the time they had rushed her to a hospital, it had been too late.

Mrs. Fernandes had passed away from cardiac arrest.

And so, they had called her daughter, with a heavy heart, to inform her about her mother's passing, to which she immediately booked the nearest flight, to carry out her burial.

They handed over the house keys to her daughter, and turned away from the crowd.

Shiva, Raavi, Gaurav and Shashank watched as everyone dispersed, giving their good wishes so that her soul rests in peace. Together, they walked to her grave, and each placed a wreath of flowers.

Her birth flower; chrysanthemum.

....

A knock on their door that evening surprised them, since they expected no one. Maria Fernandes. Daughter of Mrs. Fernandes.

"Hi. Good evening." She said softly, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Hey, hi! Come in." Raavi called her in, while the boys sat around the coffee table.

"I was cleaning out mumma's old stuff, and I found these," She said, handing over 4 key chains, lettered R, S, G and S. "I believe these were made for you."

Maria handed over the 4 keychains to Raavi, and Raavi caressed it gently. They were handmade; knitted, to be precise, in 4 different pastel colours.

"Thank you." Raavi said, with a smile, showing them the gifts she left behind for them.

"No, thank YOU. All." Maria said, folding her hands. "Mumma ka saath dene ke liye, for not making her feel lonely in these last few months. Woh humesha tum sab ki baatein karti thi mujhse video call pe, especially Shiva." She looked at the 3 boys, confused who was who.

"That would be me." Shiva chuckled, raising his palm, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"She was just like our mother, hume unke around kabhi homesick feel hi nahi hua. We'll be forever grateful to her." Shashank said in response.

"Aap humare saath baithke dinner karna chahogi? Waise hume kuch khaas bhook nahi lagi hai, but I can still whip something up." Raavi asked.

"That's very sweet of you, but I will have to decline. Abhi kaafi kuch settle karke jaana hai waapas mujhe. But thank you, goodnight." She nodded and left, while Raavi sat back down, placing the key chains in front of them on the coffee table.

"Unhone ye banaya humare liye, apne haathon se." Raavi said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Mujhe woh yellow colour wala chahiye." Shiva pointed at the pastel yellow 'S', claiming dibs on it, glancing at Shashank.

Shashank smiled and grabbed the green 'S', Raavi kept her lavender 'R' clasped in her palm, and Gaurav took the blue 'G'.

"It's so cute." Raavi whispered, opening the cap of her drink.

"I have to agree with her." Gaurav nodded, attaching it to his bike keys already.

A certain silence settled between them, not knowing what to say now, as they all looked here and there, grasping the realness of today's events.

"Pata hai?" Shashank said after a while, "mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha unka naam Esther hai."

Shiva chuckled at that, "Mujhe bhi nahi. Itne mahine, har roz unse baat ki, lekin mujhe bhi nahi pata tha."

"Esther Grace. Beautiful name, na?" Raavi said, smiling as everyone nodded.

"Just like her." Gaurav cracked open the tab of his beer can.

"It's so hard to believe she won't come up to our door saying 'my dear boys'  " Shashank fiddled with his can of beer.

"Par at least ab unke life mein shaanti toh hai. Unhe na kisi order ka tension, na apni kamar tootne ka, aur definitely no tension about not being able to tango when she 'gets old' " Gaurav chuckled, and everyone shared the laugh.

"Mai unko 3 weeks se hi jaanti hu, but she was so jolly."

"She was. Unko dekh ke mere sarr ka tension mitt jata tha. That's how she was." Shiva smiled wistfully, as Raavi got up and sat next to him, sliding her hand in his, blinking in assurance.

"She'll finally be with Mr. Fernandes, itne saalon baad. She'll be so happy." Raavi smiled, and raised her bottle, feeling Shiva gently squeeze her hand back.

"To Mrs. Fernandes."

"To Mrs. Fernandes!"

The four of them clinked their cans, and raised a toast, to the woman that now rested well, in a world far, far away from them.