BAAGHI

Ch 3 A call !

She was reminded of many things when she looked into her lush green eyes. Remembering them caused a sharp pain in her heart. He took a deep breath and then shook her head, starting to walk with the little girl.

After a while, they were standing outside the ICU room. Through the glass, she saw his father on the hospital bed, fighting between life and death.

She remembered that he hadn't spoken to this man for the last 10 years. Despite that, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing from her eyes. Perhaps the bond of blood is so strong that it extinguishes every other fire.

____

Night was falling. After feeding Aashi in the hospital canteen, they both sat on the bench outside the ICU again. Within a short time, Aashi fell asleep, resting her head in her lap, but for some reason, her sleep had vanished.

Yes, she hated her father, but she didn't wish for him to die. In fact, she wanted to see him in front of her eyes. Even though her father wasn't aware of her, she kept track of his every minute.

She was lost in thought when the nurse came running to her, "Miss Raichand! Your dad has regained consciousness but he doesn't have much time."

Hearing this, she gently removed Aashi's head from her lap, placed her coat under it, and rushed toward the ICU.

Her dad was breathing heavily and calling out to her, "I... Ishna... my child!"

She didn't know how many years it had been since he last called her by that name. Her heart swelled with emotion. Holding his hand with her trembling voice, she said, "Daddy."

"Be... beloved, Aa... Aashi... she's... she's so young. I don't have much time. Promise me... that you'll give her both a mother's and a father's love?"

With these words, he left this world. And a scream escaped her throat. She shook her father for a long time, crying out, but there was no one to hear her pleas.

_____
15 days later!

After completing all the formalities in Japan, today Ishna returned home with Aashi. She had spent the last 15 days with Aashi in her small house, and those days had passed in deep sorrow for both sisters.

As soon as she entered the house, she sat on the sofa and said to her maid Dolly, "Dolly, this is Aashi... she'll be staying with us from now on. Take her to the new bedroom I had prepared."

Saying this, she turned on her phone, which she had kept off for the last 15 days, and during that time, she had been using her dad's number as an emergency contact because she didn't want to speak to anyone on the phone.

As soon as she turned it on, the most calls were from her bestie, Agastya Mehra.
"Oh shit, 200+ calls from bestie."

She was just saying this when Agastya's call came through. She quickly picked it up and immediately said, "I am so sorry, bestie."

"Shut up... I've called you so many times, and you... You're unfaithful, just unfaithful."

Hearing him call her unfaithful, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Go ahead, laugh, make fun of me... Grandpa and Dad used to do the same."

"Okay, you silly girl, I won't laugh. So, tell me?"

"Just that I've arrived in the USA. And you didn't even meet me on the last day... I even came to your house."

"Oh! Maybe fate didn't want us to meet." She teased him. He got annoyed and then, becoming normal, said, "Forget all that. Tell me, where did you suddenly disappear to? I thought you might have jumped in front of a train or something?" He asked, laughing.

She smiled faintly, lost in thought, and teased him, "No way! I'll die only after I kill you."

"You'll kill me? My wife won't spare you then?"
"W... wife?"

"Idiot... You think I won't get married?"

"But you hate love." She sounded a bit serious now.

"I still do, but everyone gets married. I will too, but I won't put her on a pedestal like I do you."

He was still speaking when she said, "Alright, Agastya, I just got back from the airport. I'll talk to you in the evening."

"Hey, listen!"
He was still speaking when Isha abruptly cut the call and threw the phone on the table.

Then she got up and went straight upstairs.

____

Evening had fallen when Aashi came downstairs after taking a bath and getting a good rest. Coming down, she asked the maid, "Dolly aunty, where is didi maa?"

"Aashi Baby... Ishna madam is sleeping. Would you like something to eat? I can make something for you."

"No... I'm really bored, and I want to talk to someone."

"Baby, we can talk to you, but madam has to go to the gym in half an hour, and we have to prepare her diet. If it's not ready on time, not even the goddess herself can save us from her wrath." Saying this, she ran to the kitchen.

"Dolly aunty... aunty, wait! I'll help you." She was just saying this when the phone on the table rang.

Her attention shifted to the phone. She quickly picked it up and read the name on the screen, which said 'Bestie Buddy.' Before she could answer, she remembered something her mom had told her.

"No, no, picking up someone else's phone is a bad habit."

Saying this, she put the phone back on the table.

But then the phone rang again. And when it rang for the third time, Aashi got irritated and finally answered it, blurting out, "Uncle, don't you have any manners? You shouldn't disturb someone by calling repeatedly."

_____

What had happened between Ishna and her dad that she was so angry with him?

And if she was angry, why did she cry so much when he passed away?

Why did Agastya's words upset her?

And how will Aashi and Agastya's first conversation turn out?

Is he really worthy of being called her uncle, or is there something more?

To find out, keep reading "Baaghi."