SIDDHARTH
February 10,2000.
8 years old
I am very happy today. Its mom and dad's marriage anniversary. Every year this week we all come together to spend a week together.....this is where dad first met mom.
"Maaa..." I run into their bedroom.
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. She quickly wipes her tears away and smiles at me.
"Maa?" I say in a low voice
"come here baby." I rush to her embrace
"Were you crying ma?" I say
"No baby. Mumma wasn't crying." She pulls away holding my shoulders and looks me in the eyes
"Will you and your brother both go and get the candles from the attic?" she says
I eagerly nod and rush to find my brother.
We both get the candles downstairs into the room and hand it over to maa.
"Mom why are we decorating the house with candles?"
"Its a special occasion baby....come help mumma place all the candles."
"But the anniversary is after 2 days maa." my brother says
"Sharath....(says in a harsh tone*sighs*)....its a surprise baby. Now help mumma...quick." she says
"The whole house maa?" I ask looking at the amount of candles in the bag
"Yes baby." she tells us staring blankly at me
Sharath holds my hand and we go out of the room.
"Bhai?" I ask looking up at him
"Go play in your room and don't come out till I come to get you....You hear me?" he says
"But...we have to help mom." I say frowning
"Go now Sid." he says in his stern voice
"Okay." I say.......
Once I reach my room I look at the candles in my hand that I picked without anyone knowing. I open my cabinet which has firecrackers in it.
Last time we were here me and bhai put these on my balcony and burst them. He didn't let me touch them though.....I can play with it this time.
I light the candle and carefully take out the little tiny cracker. I hold it in my hand as I light it....It doesn't burn so I throw it down and pick another one....Just then I hear bhai shout loudly.
Bhai never shouts
Frowning I open my door to go and check on what is happening, Maa is on the floor, crying holding a matchbox and bhai is holding onto her. She is wet....like someone put water on her.
"Bhai...maa" I say quietly as I enter the room
I look near the stairs and find 5 big empty containers.....its not water.
"What are you doing here Sid? I asked you not to leave your room." he says
"Bhai...why are you crying? ..maa?" I say scared
"its nothing darling."
She wipes her tears, standing up.
"Both of you stay here...we will leave later alright?" she says ruffling my hair and making her way to stairs
"Leave?" I ask
"Dad said we have to leave?" I ask again when she doesn't respond
"No baby. Its just the three of us. We will leave tonight....we...we will go to your grandmother's house....yes we will do that." she nods to herself and with a small smile in our direction goes upstairs
YOU ARE READING
Estranged lovers
RomansaStoic, handsome and ruthless businessman, Siddharth Chauhan has been cursed with a past he cannot escape. "Sell the lake house and marry within 2 years" A single clause threatens everything he has worked hard to achieve. What will he do when he is...
