A Typical Indian Bride? [✓]

P2: Unhealed Heart

"Pavi-thhhhhhhrraaaa"

A man in his 30's slurred through his call in the middle of the night. A 13-year old Pavithra, even in her half sleep, recognised her father's voice. 

Baba! 

As the man banged their main door, the loud sound echoed through the silent streets, almost waking up their neighbours. 

Easing herself from the bed, she immediately rushed through the hall, trying not to wake her little sisters and opened the door. The sight that she was presented with was certainly unbearable. 

Her father was not just drunk but had had a great fall. There were visibly bloody injuries on his forehead, arms and knees. 

How did she know? Because, the blood stain seered through his torn clothes. 

"Pavi- Paviii?" 

"Huh-?" 

Raj ji looked with concern as I blinked at the familiar hospital corridor. 

I must have dozed off! 

"Are you okay?"

"Uh- Hmm- Yes-"

"Pavi!-" 

The thing is Raj ji and me have never spoken much about my past. I know I can trust him with all of the heaviness, but the dream that I had was not just a dream.

It was the first of many such tormented memories that  defined my childhood and a what 'father-figure' meant to me. 

"Are you really doing okay?"

I nodded a no and slowly looked at him as we sat in the waiting room.

I had to budge; it was a request from my helpless mother and my family wanted me to be there, at least for her. So, Raj ji and me immediately rushed to the hospital, while Dev stayed with my mother in law at home.

Ma ji understood that there was some difficulty for me in processing all this, but she said that the Shukla family would never leave her side and therefore, I can help my own mother without any apprehension.

Thankfully, Baba was admitted in the neighbouring hospital and so I could talk to the doctors to read into the situation.

Not surprisingly, it was his drinking addiction, that has doomed him, our family and now the word was on the streets. But there was more. The wounds this time were quite severe, but the abdominal pain that he had been sufferring from was a tad more than expected. The doctors have now sent him to get all the tests done.

Amidst all the bland description, my heart ached; to an extent where I wanted to be encapsulated in my husband's arms and cry. I certainly know what they are expecting it all to be!

Baba!

Raj ji looked at me waiting for my words.

"Pavi, you need to talk to me, baby!"

I knew he was right.

I stared at his beautiful face that brimmed with worry and concern.

"Ji-?"

"Yes baby?"

"I want to talk, I really really do-"

"What is stopping you-?"

I sadly looked at him.

"The truth-"

"Baby, we have been married for more than a year now and we have a beautiful son together, you think I will look at you for what your past was?"

He did have a point.

"Ji, Baba's condition is not looking good. But I always thought to myself that I would be unattached to this family and yet, it aches today, more than anything in the world-"

Raj ji pulled me close not caring that it is a hospital waiting room.

"Shhhh- now", he tried his best to calm me down.

While I could hear his thumping heart, it made me want to talk more.

"I didn't have the most colourful childhood Raj ji- My father always used to get drunk and put our family's name in the dump. The ladies, the four of us, we had to handle everything-"

Without even a slightest judgement, my husband's arm did not leave me. He silently stayed and listened to me earnestly.

"My mother did it all- but what hurt me the most is the way she cut me off-  I thought she needed me and I, her- and as a family, we needed eachother- but- she cut me off-"

I choked through the words as tears pooled my eyes.

"Once Baba had come home with a lot of scars on his body, he was bleeding profusely-

It was the middle of the night, Raj ji-

There was no one to help around-

I was too young to even give him a first aid-

Ma somehow arranged for an ambulance to get him to the hospital in time as none of our neighbours were willing to lend a helping hand-

That made me decide that I really wanted to be a doctor, to help the helpless-"

With those last words, I bawled like a lost baby in my husband's arms. Yes, here is everything- everything said and done- all in the open!

He pulled me close to himself and sniffed my hair. Then, he gently pulled me from his embrace and wiped my tears. I slowly looked into his eyes and saw the love that pured through them.

"I am so proud of you, okay? You did great! I will always stand by your side Pavi! However so, you are entitled to feel this pain because it is your father on the other side. No matter how much of injustice he could have caused you, you love him, in your own way."

Truer words hadn't been spoken. Yes, he was right.

I nodded in agreement.

"Pavi, can you please tell me now, why are these doctors ordering a lot many tests-"

Even before I could open my mouth, the nurse signalled us to enter the doctor's chambers.

My husband immediately swooped in to hold my hand and walk side by side into Dr. Malhotra's cabin.

A middle-aged man almost in his fifties sat comfortably in his armchair and welcomed us warmly. Dr. Malhotra was one of my guest lecturers and so he did seem to recognise me.

"Pavithra and Mr. Shukla, please take a seat."

As concerned ringed through Dr. Malhotra's voice, my silent prayers deepened. However, Raj ji still didn't let go of my hand.

"Doctor, is everything okay? How do the reports look?"

He sighed and glanced through the thick sheets of paper, which happened to be my father's test reports.

"Pavithra, your father has stage 4 liver cancer and he has only 5-6 months left-"

***