समय

Rukhmani Singh Malik

Karishma's heart raced as she descended the stairs, her emotions swirling like a tempest inside her. Each step felt like a leap of faith, a journey toward a truth she could scarcely believe.

As she reached the bottom, her eyes locked onto the figure standing in the hallway-a young child whose presence seemed to hold the key to her salvation. Memories flooded back, the sound of a voice echoing in her mind from the depths of unconsciousness.

With trembling feet, Karishma walked further, drawing closer to the child who had appeared in her darkest hour. And then it hit her, a revelation so profound it stole her breath away: it wasn't a figment of her imagination, nor a trick of her mind. It was her daughter, her own flesh and blood, who had reached through the veil of mortality to pull her back from the brink of death when she was fighting for her life in the hospital.

"Shivani Masi! Suniye toh? Ham na kal aapki bhasha sikhne ki koshish kar rahe the.. aur jante hai hamne kal kya sikha? Ham aapko abse maasi nahi bulayenge.. aap mai wo kya kehte hai... Ha!! Maasa... Shivani Maasa kahenge!", Rukhmani uttered grabbing the attention of the silent lady.

Shivani's gaze softened as she watched the little one, her heart heavy with the weight of what had just been said. The innocence in the child's eyes belied the impact of her words on the two women who hung on her every utterance.

With a gentle touch, Shivani reached out, her fingers brushing against the child's cheek in a silent gesture of understanding. In that moment, she realized that sometimes, it was the smallest souls who held the greatest wisdom, even if they were unaware of the profound effect their words could have.

Rukhmani smiled, celebrating her small victory of making her Maasa happy even be it for a moment, she glanced sidewise realizing Karishma standing there still, not even moving an inch but her eyes glued on her, Rukhmani uttered,

"Good Morning Miss Singh!!!".

Rukhmani's concerned gaze met Karishma's frozen form, and she sensed the turmoil that gripped her heart. Without a word spoken, the silent exchange between mother and daughter spoke volumes, as Rukhmani shared a look with Haseena.

Karishma's eyes flickered with a mixture of emotions-joy, fear, uncertainty-as she grappled with the overwhelming reality of finally finding her lost daughter. Shadows of fear stopped her from moving further, as if scared of loosing the little one again by going near her.

Unable to voice her fears, Karishma remained rooted to the spot, her body betraying her desire to rush forward and embrace the daughter she thought she might never see again.

Rukhmani glanced at her mother, maybe questioning what she should do through her eyes, Haseena blinked her eyes, reminding the kiddo that its the time for her to do the favor, she asked from her daughter the other day.

As Rukhmani wrapped her little arms around Karishma, a wave of warmth washed over her, melting away the icy grip of fear that had held her captive.

"Its okay Ms... Hamara matlab hai... Amma! Sab thik hai dekhiye na aapki beti aapke samne khadi hai...".

The child's words, spoken with such innocence and love, pierced through the darkness of doubt, illuminating the path forward with newfound hope.

Karishma's world seemed to spin as she sank to her knees, her eyes locked with Rukhmani's. Tears of disbelief and overwhelming joy streamed down her cheeks as she cupped the child's face in her hands, searching for reassurance in the depths of those familiar eyes.

"Hamari beti?" she whispered, the words barely audible through the lump in her throat.

Rukhmani's smile was radiant as she pressed a gentle kiss to Karishma's forehead, affirming the truth that had been hidden for so long. "Ha Amma, ham hi hai," she whispered in reply, her voice a soothing melody that banished all doubts.