𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬

16

ACHYUT

The air was heavy with the strong smell of phenyl that the hospital staff used to mop the floor a few minutes ago. Beeping of the machines was clearly audible as I stood near Dadu’s cabin. Ansh was sitting in a stool beside him, his eyes red due to all the crying he did tonight. Walking out of the room I came and sat beside Shree. Anirudh went back home to drop everyone safely and was on his way back here. 

As I sat there in the corridor of the hospital along with Shree, I could hear the slow murmurs of other patient's families, and the rushed movement of nurses across the corridor. I sat there in the visitor chair observing everything.

Some with happy smiles, some with dejected sighs. Corridors of hospitals have heard the most cries, seen the happiest people and also witnessed the worst failures.

How people entered with worry, stress and panic. How small the world was. Where someone was happy with their child’s birth, someone sat there crying, sad, dejected because they lost someone important. 

Dadu had a minor stroke this evening and even though he had been having signs already none of my family members paid much focus. And most importantly dadu himself was ignorant. 

Ansh said how he has been feeling a bit sick since yesterday, and this evening too and when they asked him to rest, he was adamant and argued that he is fit enough with Papa. And no one can ever win in an argument with him. 

Grandparents are every child's first best friend. They protect you from your parents' scolding. They play with you when you are bored. They tell you bedtime stories when you can't sleep. They secretly protect all your secrets, like a treasure. 

For them, their grandkids are nothing less than a chance, a blessing. Chance to live life once again. Chance to dream about new things with their grandkid again. Chance to live the life that they couldn't because they were busy fulfilling duties.

Today,after hearing about the stroke,even though it was a minor one, I realized how old he is becoming and how little time I have spent with him over the years. I can't blame anyone but feel guilty for not spending much time with dadu anymore. 

Two years after dadi's death, Anirudh and I moved out for college, which resulted in bringing Ansh and Aarohi more closer to him. We four are his grandkids but Ansh and Aarohi are more like his buddies. 

Ashwant Singh Upadhyay was a ruthless businessman for the World. A man of discipline and principles for his family. But for Ansh and Aaru? For them he was just their bff, their buddy. 

Ansh and Aarohi, are also very open about showing their emotions and keep doing crazy things along with dadu. They're a trio, each other's best friend.

After returning from college, I was shocked to see their relationship dynamics because even though he loved all of us equally, he was no less than a kid of their age. 

Later Maa told me how he has changed over the years, Dadi's death playing a major role in his change. He loved Dadi so much, very much actually. And always taught all the men of our family in different ways to treat the women right. 

Shree was sitting beside me lost in her own thoughts. Both of our families were here but once the doctor said that dadu was out of danger I somehow convinced everyone to return back home. 

I even asked Shree to go back but the stubborn woman that she is, she stayed back arguing how if I fell asleep and in case something happened,some sort of emergency,someone else must be there to take care. Before I could argue giving proper reasons she simply glared at me, shutting me up completely.