FADING DARKNESS

CHAPTER 22: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

"Bhai" said Piya warmly, into the phone, "How are you?"
"Fine, now that I've heard your voice." said Arjun's voice from the other end. "Am I holding u back from work?"
Piya grinned. "Of course not. I'm on my way to the school, U know. I can walk and talk, right?" She could feel her brother smiling at the other end. "And I'm coming to see u this weekend. To check in person whether u are listening to the doctors." She added in a mock stern voice.
There was a small chuckle and pause at the other end before Arjun spoke. "I miss u, sis. U aren't coming home anytime soon?"
Piya sighed. "I-I'm not prepared for it, Bhai." She said. "I need more time."
Arjun sighed. "I understand."
Piya could sense Arjun was trying to say something. "Bhai, u are all right, aren't you? U seem-distracted."
"I wish u were here, Piya."
Piya sighed, wishing nothing more than to reach through the phone and hug her brother. He sounded so sad and tired. But her school had come in sight and she had to keep the phone fast.
"I'll come this Saturday, promise" she whispered into the phone. "Okay, I'm hanging up. School has come. Love you, Bhai."
"Would you love me if I killed someone even?" his voice had gone softer, more vulnerable.
Piya halted for a moment, confused. "What? Why would you ask such a thing Bhai?"
"It's nothing-nothing-" Arjun spoke hurriedly. "Okay, I won't hold u up any longer. Bye."
The call disconnected.
Piya frowned, staring at the screen for a while. What had Arjun meant? She had no more time to ponder on it, as just then the bell rang signaling the start of school and she hurried inside.
*************
Abhay felt strangely afraid as he walked up the steps leading to the first floor of the orphanage where Haseena's room was. He had asked where she could be found to a small girl who had opened the door.
It was hard to push down the feelings he felt coursing through him, feelings which made a lump rise in his throat. It made him feel vulnerable. It made him hesitate. It made his heart beat in anticipation and also filled him with sadness. He hesitated at the threshold of the door to which he had been directed. Suddenly he did not know whether he had enough strength to face this. But he wasn't one to back out now. He clutched the diary she had sent to him in his right hand. And raised his left fist to knock on the door.
"It's open" he heard a soft voice say, and his heart thudded. His mother's voice. He took a deep breath to compose himself, and pausing for a fraction of a second, he pushed the door wide open.
As the woman turned in his direction he whispered, "Mom?"
**********
A tired Haseena leaned back against the pillows, her face glowing and her eyes shining with a joyous light that exhaustion could not snatch away. Her eyes were tender as she gazed down at the newborn sleeping in her protective arms and marveled once more at the second miracle she had her husband had created.
The sound of the hospital door opening made her look up, and she smiled as her husband came in and walked towards her. She shifted slightly on the bed, making room for him to sit, taking care not to wake up the angel in his arms or to disturb her three-year -old daughter's sleep, as she slept beside her.
"Alisha fell asleep" she said in a low voice to her husband., indicating the little girl sleeping beside her."She said she needs sleep to gain energy to look after her "tiny" brother."
Chand smiled, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on Haseena's lips. "And aren't u tired, love? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked, as he tucked the blanket more securely around his daughter.
Haseena leaned against his shoulders. "I don't want to. These moments are too magical to miss."
"They are." Chand admitted, putting an arm around Haseena, as both watched their two children, looking adorable in their sleep. "I'm with my angel who has given me two more angels. I can stay like this my whole life."
Haseena smiled. "So much happiness Chand, I find it hard to believe...."
"It is true" said Chand, smiling tenderly at his wife. "See, there are the four of us, all together, huddled on this narrow hospital bed, happy, peaceful. Isn't this the perfect reality?"
Just then, their little boy yawned in his sleep, showing the little toothless pink gums.
"Aww" whispered Chand, as he watched him and Haseena's heart swelled with loving pride. "Beautiful, isn't he?"
"Have u thought of a name?" Haseena asked, as she gently swung the baby from side to side. "I named our daughter, now it's up to u to name our son. We made a deal, remember?"
Chand gave a low chuckle. "Of course I do. I've thought of it for quite a while, u know, and I was thinking....how about Abhay? It's a good, strong name."
"It's perfect" Haseena smiled radiantly. "Abhay Raichand. Son of Chand and Haseena Raichand, brother to Alisha Raichand. My son. My Abhay."
***********
"Abhay..."Haseena's voice trembled, her eyes not daring to believe what she was seeing, fearing that he was just an illusion. "Is it you? Is it really you, my son?"
Abhay was rendered speechless for a moment at he stared at her. If someone were to ask him later what the room looked like, he wouldn't be able to say a single thing. His attention was focused on his mother, as he hungrily devoured her in. It was like discovering a long lost beautiful tale amidst all the pile of dirt and rubbish in a long abandoned house. He had inherited her eyes, he noted. Blue like hers, only his were colder and hers-hers glowed with love and tears.
"It really is me" he said, surprised to see how his voice cracked. "Your son, Mother."
Haseena smiled through her tears, as she extended her arms towards Abhay. It took Abhay only a few steps to cross the room. He dropped the diary on the bed behind her and wrapped his arms tight around her, letting the tears flow free at last.
"I-I didn't know u were-I'm sorry I came so late-U wrote to me....."
Haseena kissed his head fondly, which he had buried in her neck. Abhay was taller than her, but he felt himself so small in front of her all-encompassing love. This was what being in a mother's arms felt like then. People wrote about a mother's unconditional love, but he had never known, never appreciated, because he had nobody to call mother-his mother-and now he was in his mother's arms, feeling joy flood his veins as she kissed his head.
"Hush, my boy, hush" Haseena whispered gently. She gently pushed him back to have a better look at him, reaching out to wipe the wetness from his cheeks, her own tears sliding uninhibited down hers. "How tall u've grown, Abhay, and how handsome-the newspapers didn't do justice-"
"W-why didn't u tell me earlier, Mom?" Abhay's tone was accusatory, the boy who had starved for his mother's affection was coming out. "Why?" he clutched at his mother's shoulders. "Why did u leave us? Why?"
Haseena bit her lips. "Things weren't easy then, son. Believe me...it tore at my heart-"
"U allowed my father to tear ur heart!" said Abhay furiously. "U allowed him to push u away from ur children!"
"How is Chand?" Haseena's voice trembled slightly as she took his name. "Does his leg still hurt him a lot?"
"He's fine...." Said Abhay curtly, feeling angry all of a sudden. "How can u still think about him, Mom? After all he's done?"
"Abhay, he's ur father." Aid Haseena gently. "What he did long ago was a decision any father would have taken...the decision of putting his children before all other. Even I took many wrong decisions in the past...Chand has a good heart, Abhay..U must know that."
"But-"
"Here, sit down with me for a while." Haseena made Abhay sit on the bed beside him. Looking at his angry, mutinous face, she smiled. "I see u have inherited your father's temper."
"I don't want to be like him." He aid scowling.
Haseena laid an affectionate hand against his cheeks. "Did u know ur father named u?"
Abhay looked at her, momentarily stumped.
Haseena coughed, laying her hand across her chest. "What is it, Mom?" said Abhay at once, looking worried.
She shook her head. "Nothing, dear." She looked up at him, joy evident on her face. "I dreamt of seeing u grow up" she admitted. "When u took ur first steps, I dreamt that one day, when I would be old, u'd hold my hand just like I held yours back then. I dreamt of seeing u grow up to be someone good and important, I dreamt of u falling in love-"
"Mom" said Abhay, his throat choked. "I wish u were there Mom."
"I was afraid when I wrote to u.." Haseena murmured. "Before that, u would be too young to understand, but now, I was afraid of ur reaction. Still, I wasn't sure what u would do....and I wanted u to know the truth....before it was too late.."
"Too late?" Abhay asked. "What do u mean? And how could u think I'd not want to meet u?"
"U're here, that's all that matters to me... " said Haseena softly. "But I think I'm still being selfish...I wonder whether meeting me will give u more pain-"
"How can a mother be selfish if she wants to meet her son?" asked Abhay. "And giving me pain? What do u mean? If I've been in pain all these years, it's because I wished that I had a mother by my side."
"Oh, Abhay!" Haseena pulled him into a hug, sadness crashing in her heart like waves. "I wish-I wish-we had more time together my son..More time together to create memories.."
"We will have" Abhay spoke, his voice determined. "We will spend times together...we'll do all the things u wanted to do and all the things I ever wanted.....and I'm taking u back home with me.."
"Abhay-no!" Haseena gasped. "That's not possible."
Abhay pulled back to look into his mother's eyes, so like his own. "Why?" he asked. "If it's because of Dad then-"
"No, Abhay" aid Haseena gently. "These children-in this orphanage-they have no one else-they need me-"
"I need you." Abhay stated.
Haseena looked at him with an unfathomable expression. "I love you, my son" she said softly, and something in Abhay's heart swelled. "but it's best if I stay here. Believe me..u can come to visit me whenever u want-but it will be less painful if-" she trailed away..
Abhay frowned. "Why are things the way they are, Mother?"
Haseena had no answer to that. She sighed. "Did u eat something, Abhay? U look tired..freshen up-I'll arrange something- the bathroom's downstairs if u want to use it-ask the children if u can't find it-"
Abhay smiled at his mother, reveling in the care she was showing him. "I will Mom. I love you."
Haseena followed her son out of the door of the room, and stood at the railings watching him go down. A sense of peace and happiness flooded through her. As she turned to go, her foot slipped on a small puddle of water lying on the ground and she lost her balance. With a scream, she hurtled down the two flights of stairs, her head hitting the stairs as she came to lay on the floor, unconscious.
*************
Piya walked up the steps towards Misha's home, tired after a day's teaching at school. But her mind pondered over what her brother had said to her. He had sounded strange.
Would you love me if I killed someone even?
What had that meant? Her brother could be so cryptic at times, Piya thought frowning. She couldn't wait for the weekend, when she could finally go and see her brother in person. As she reached the front door, it flew open before she could ring the doorbell and Piya came face to face with a white-faced Misha. Piya at once knew that something was terribly wrong. Misha had looked like this when she had come to tell Piya about Arjun's accident, she remembered unwillingly.
"What's wrong, Mish?" she asked alarmed. "What--?"
Misha's lower lip trembled; she looked close to bursting into tears. "U gotta come with me now, Piya. We're going to the hospital. Right now. H-haseena aunty's there. She-she slipped and fell down the stairs."
Piya's heart lurched. Misha was already walking towards her car. Piya hurriedly followed her, dread licking her insides. There was something Misha wasn't telling her, she could tell that. "S-she'll be Ok, right? What did the doctors say?" she asked, getting into the passenger seat as Misha started the engine.
Misha paused to wipe off the tears from her eyes before starting to drive. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "It's s-serious Piya. She-she hit her head-in a bad place-and-and-well-she's in a coma."