The Broken Angel

2.

Manisha was squatted before lord ganesha's idol ,her eyes shut tight and her trembling hands folded in a quiet prayer. It had been 6 hours since Abhira had been taken away in that sombre blue gown on the bleak,long stretcher-there had been no update from those inside the cold operation theatre. Poddars might have gathered upstairs near the room or they might have not,but all of it did not seem to bother her. All she cared about right now was the well being of her little child stuck in the game of life and death and only prayers would possibly work in such a dire situation as this.

"Mamma,mamma! Dr. Vivek is calling you,please come upstairs with me right now. I-I don't know what has happened"Kiara hurried nudging her tensed mother who stood up at her place with a jolt and rushed in a dishevelled state to the lift,amusing her own daughter with her super-fast pace. The lift halted at the third floor and she strode out of it, stood right in front of the OT's entrace,her eyes heavy with anticipation where the doctor stood with a tensed look on his face,beads of sweat covering his forehead. 

"Mrs Manisha,the surgery was successful! The internal bleeding seems to have been the consequence of a heavy object falling hitting her below the chest,do you all not pay any attention to her at home?Do you even realise what would have happened if the site of injury was 2cm away? It could have caused damage to her ribcage and she might have even lost her life on the spot! Are you sure she is your own daughter?" 

"I-I am s-so sorry. I-I didn't k-know th-" Manisha hiccuped,unable to complete her sentence as hot tears trickled down her exhausted face,guilt pinching her from within. The woman seated in a chair stood up with her eyes down in shame and guilt as she approached Manisha and engulfed her in a tight hug,rubbing her back. She wiped her tears with her handkerchief and turned around to face the young doctor who had by now taken off his surgical mask and cap.

"Vivek!"

"Kaveri Nani? Are you in relation with Abhira Sharma?" the doctor asked with questioning eyes as his grandmother's childhood friend stood before him in a way he had never known-trembling,dejected with shoulders slumped,her usually stoic demeanor nowhere to be seen.

"S-She i-is Armaan's wife,my pota-bahu",she stuttered with downcast eyes,her conscience preventing her from facing the child who had once considered her as a role-model.

"Is this how you treat your daughter-in-laws at home nani? I used to look up to you,you were my iron-woman,the most diligent employee cum owner of one of the best law firms in the country. But, I never knew you could be so cruel to such a young girl? Was all your love and care for your children a facade? If she is your eldest grandson's wife,isn't she a part of your family as well? Like the missing piece of a puzzle? Did you get Armaan married to her forcefully,doesn't he care for his wife and love her enough? 

This surgery was a very risky one due to her high blood pressure,and I am sure the spike in BP happens frequently to her-her reports clearly are the basis of evidence! What pressure have you guys put her under? I bet she is not even treated at par with an animal at your palatial bungalow with tens and thousands of servants,otherwise what else could've  been the reason behind her severe dehydration when she was brought in by Manisha Maami and her daughter! And wait a minute, where is Armaan? And where are her own parents,vidya maami and rohit? And the others?" The doctor shot a barrel of questions at her as he took off his gloves and discarded them in a bin nearby.

"Sab bataayenge beta ham tumhein. S-Sab kuch..b-bas ek baar hamein yeh bata do,kya hamari bachchi theek hain?P-Please beta" Kaveri pleaded in a wobbly tone with folded hands before him.

"Main aapko jhoothe dilaase nahin doonga Nani. Abhira ki surgery successful rahin hain,bleeding bhi ruk gayin hain. Par wo respond nahin kar rahin hain..Jaiseh maano unke jeene ki koi wajah hi nah bachi ho,unhein dekh kar mera jee ghabra raha hain. Agar agle 6 ghanto mein unhein hosh nahin aaya toh-"

"Toh kya Vivek,t-toh kya?"

"Tohh I'm sorry but she might slip into a coma,and we are not sure about her revival after that.I-I'm sorry,pooja prarthana keejeeye bas ab,main bhi karoonga! Eeshwar ki marzi hui toh apni is beti ko is duniya ke zulm jhelne ki aur himmat de denge,main aata hoon change karke. 

Unhein room mein shift kar diya gaya hain,dekh leejeeye jaake" 

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"E-ek m-minute rukiye Dadisa. Taya sa,Krish bhai,Charu di,Aaryan aur Papa kahaan chale gayein?" Kiara questioned in an almost inaudible voice overwhelmed with emotions and with the fear of losing the woman who gave the chorus gang wings to fly,the sunshine of their lives-their bhabhi.

"Beta, zyaadah log honge tohh kaahaan rukenge? Abhira ko uthne ke baad madadh chahiye hogi tohh tum apna best karke bhi kahin chook gayin tohh? Useh bhi discomfort hoga nah,tumhein bhi bura lagega,bachchi ho tum bhi abhi! Hamne baaki bachchon ko bhi ghar bhej diya hain, Madhav aur Manoj ko kapde aur samaan laane bheja hain. Yahaan ham Manisha aur Manoj ke saath rahenge,no more discussions! 

Milogi nahin ek baar apni bhabhi seh?" 

"Nahin dekha jaayega Dadisa unhein aiseh,I-I can't. I can't s-see her lying there,lifeless. I'll go home,but before that I need to take care of something else,something very urgent-and you know that right. D-don't worry about someone dropping me home,I've texted Krish bhai" Kiara said before hurrying downstairs,breathing a sigh of relief as she found that place right opposite to the hospital still open.

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Manisha squeezed her eyes shut as a reflex action of seeing Abhira's frail body pricked with needles and tubes all over,the tears she held back slipping away when she entered the musty yellow room. Kaveri,fighting back tears,swung her arm across Manisha's shoulder and dragged her towards Abhira's bed,her lips moving in a silent prayer.

"Abhiraaa,aankhein kholna beta,please! A-apni cutie chachisa ko rulaayegi tu aiseh? B-beta uth ja nah,dara matt mujhe aiseh" Manisha broke down,sobbing sorrowfully as she rested her head against the bed,gently placing Abhira's palm in her own.

Kaveri caressed her cold and clammy skin and ran her fingers softly across her hair,bent down to place a kiss on her forehead and whispered, a lone tear escaping her eyes "I-I am s-so sorry beta,h-ham kabhi nahin chahate the ki tumhein aiseh dekhein,zindagi aur maut ke beech ladhte huye. Hamne tumhare saath bohoth zyadati ki hain,tumhein bohoth dard diya hain jabse tumhari aur Armaan ki peheli shaadi huyi thi. P-par pichle kuch dinon mein hamein yeh ehsaas hua ki tum ek aisih dor ho jisne yeh ghar tootne se bacha liya,apne aap ki qurbaani dekar. Tum woh phool ho jo ek aangan mehka deta ho,sab ko khil-khilaana sikha deta ho, hamari bachchi  ho tum. Isiliye ab ham tumhein Vidya ke haathon khud ko nahin khone denge,khud ki khushiyon ka gala nahin ghotne denge. Ham yeh expect nahin kar rahein ki tum hamari pichli galtiyaan bhula do,but please give me the last chance to be a part of your family beta,jaldi se theek ho jao"

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Stay tuned for Armaan in the next part