• The Way Back Home •

5

Ram lazily opened his eyes and looked around. He was in his bedroom. It seemed like the middle of the night given how dark everything was. He sighed. His throat was parched. He turned his head to look at the side table and saw that he was out of water.

"Ta..."

Ram was about to call Tarun but stopped. A strange voice in his head reminded him that even Tarun needed rest. He was not supposed to disturb Tarun for every small thing. Tiredly, Ram got up. He could get water from the kitchen.

But just as he removed the duvet from his legs, he froze.

His mother stood at a distance in the favourite corner of his room. She was elegantly dressed in a beautiful white dress. Her thick, wavy hair swayed to her waist. She was walking here and there, whilst cooing to something in her hands.

Ram could only stare.

After so many years, after so much time, after the crumbling loneliness he had spent his life in; he was seeing his mother. Had he died? He grinned. It wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. He wanted it.

He didn't even remember her now. All he remembered was crying hard to get her attention. So right now, he just sat there, gawking at her.

As if on cue, she looked at him.

Ram gasped. He knew that she was beautiful but he didn't remember her to be so ethereal. He had definitely taken after her. Her eyes shone like two blue emeralds. Her beautiful porcelain skin made her look like she was a marble statue carved out by some skilful sculptor.

Then she looked at him with a soft, genuine smile and crooned, "So ja chanda...raja so ja...chal sapnon mein chal..."

Gooseflesh erupted on Ram's body. He vaguely remembered her singing that very specific lullaby to him but he had long forgotten the lyrics and her voice. He sat there frozen, shaken and on the verge of tears.

He saw his mother remove the hand from the baby's head. As she did that, his heart skipped even more beats. The baby was him. And he was in his mother's arms. She was singing to him.

"Neend ki pariyan pehen ke aayi pairon mein payal..." his mother rocked the baby and he gurgled cheerily. Yeah, it was him alright.

Ram stared at himself. He was a splitting image of his mother. Just tinier. The hair was similar. The skin was similar. But what was striking, was that he had stolen her eyes.

His mother dropped a kiss on the baby's head and sang, "Tujhko apne naram paron par lekar jayengi...sone ka desh hai jiski ser karayengi."

Ram instinctively touched his own head. His eyes closed. Tears leaked out of his eyes uncontrollably as he felt his mother's lips on his skin. How unlucky, how cursed he was that he had never gotten to experience her love? How had he lived all his life without with woman?

"Ma..." he sobbed. His hands stretched out in her direction. "Hold me for only once. Please..."

But his cries were met with silence. Ram knew that it was not going to happen. There would be no one to hold him.

Dejected, Ram let out a deep breath and held his head in his palms. He remained like that for a while before looking up. But when he did, the air was knocked out of his lungs.

Nandini was sitting in front of him with a sweet smile on her face and staring at him.

"Mom!" he shrieked. Placing a hand on his chest, he whispered, "I didn't know you were here."

He expected an answer from Nandini but she remained still. And smiling. After a few seconds, she quietly moved closer to him. She placed a cold palm on his cheek and squeezed it lightly.