deceptive facade

Hospital part-2

I took a deep breath and move ahead in the room. Late afternoon sunlight filtering through the slightly separated blinds of the room, gives a cheerful and sunny lift to otherwise dull and gloomy surroundings. I thought, well atleast It explains the location of this meeting but why he is here?

There is a vacant chair besides his bed, I move ahead and fold myself in it. He was sleeping. I want to wake him up but instead, turned and started studying him. I am a year older to him. Looking at  him now I feel, in spite of my being 30 I'll appear several years his junior. Maybe these are consequences of being with Su. There are dark circle around his eyes and his overall appearance is grey. Some tubes and several monitors are strapped to his boney arms. Life and its vibrancy has been sucked out of him. There deep hollows in his cheeks. He is not the same Sam(short of sambhav) I recall.

 Sam was tall around 5'10 with curly hair and deep brown intense eyes. His face was never without his famous smile. He was amiable and calm and always impeccably dressed. He had a cheerful presence, no one can be angry with him. A decent man with values, wit and character.

Then how?! he can be with Su(as she was refered by friends and relatives alike). It was a mystery for all of us. Sam and me used to get along well, before he moved in with Su. He always called me his alter ego, which I fail to understand. As I will never tolerate someone like Su in my life. She is poison and better left untouched.

 He is my maternal uncle's son. My mother, after death of my father, bought a house close to my uncle's house. My father and my uncle were both scientists and good friends working with government bodies. My father was smitten by my mother and asked his friend(my uncle) for her hand in marriage.

My grandmother never reconciled with the fact that he married in service class. My father was eldest son of rich farmer. They have farms, fruit orchids and dairies, in short they are pretty well off and rich but bigoted and orthodox , where except for my father nobody else went to collage. They can be called illiterate as compared to my mother's family. Both my maternal uncles are highly educated and my mother retired as head of psychology dept. in University.

My father never stopped my mother from working but my grandmother can't digest that; why her 'bahu' has to go and earn. It helped after my father's accident as it gave her independence, which allowed her to bring us up in much liberated and free minded environs. But was I really free is debatable because then I would have accepted Sam's relation to Su. Many a times I am forced to think that I have more off my paternal genes in me. I am 30 now and still can't look at their relationship with anything but abhorrence.

My thoughts are so jumbled and I still don't know why Sam called me here today.My thoughts are back to the person in front of me.

 Through the parted blinds I noticed that now sun is merely a orange ball and with diminishing light I wonder whether Sam's life is also gradually fading. The thought gave me such a jolt that sit straight and try to make myself comfortable on the chair. Suddenly there is knock on door and I see a nurse enter with huge smile on face. She come close to his bed and check his pulse and vital stats and in between enquire about me. Just then I see Su enter with a toddler in toe.

A little girl about 2 yrs old with dark curls and deep brown eyes. Little girl side steps Su and come bouncing inside room, where as Su is rooted to the door. I try to gauge her reaction. Again I look at little girl. I am forced to think is she their daughter? but draw a blank. At the same time Su greeted me :

Su: Hi Sid, its been a long time.

Sid: Ya , indeed and hi to you as well.

I was still looking intently towards little girl, when she cleared her throat and said 'effort to see beyond facade is futile, she is not ours, I am taking care of her for few days .'

I wanted to harangue that little girl's parents who thought Su's influence on their daughter's life is acceptable. She can't be left with a dog to take care of let alone a impressionable mind of so very young child.while I was thinking on these lines , she pulled another chair and settled the girl. She try to feed her but she is one with mischief in mind. she jump down from chair try to run away on her little leg giggling and pouting.Su ran after her and easily catch her. She sat little girl on her lap and started feeding her with lots of cajoling and coaxing in between. Had she not told me earlier I definately would have presumed her to be Sam and Su's daughter. Su's patience and genuine affection for the girl gave me different side of her. Suddenly she look at me and is furious. I know , I am looking at her as if she has grown horns on head. You can't fault me, she has only been famous for her various affairs.

Su: You can close your  mouth  I am no alien.

Sid: For me you are.

Su: I may not get your approval for being a good wife material but I still can love kids.

Sid:Just that you can have bad influence on any child.

Su: go....  stuff your opinion in your useless and chavunist a**. I care hoot about you and your        opinion. You bloody toad.

At that precise moment Sam opened his eyes and gave me and indifferent look, then collecting himself said hi. I was hit by the blank look in his eyes as if he is waiting for some kind of redemption. Redemption for what?

Then he tried to sit up. Su moves ahead and try to help but he refuses and ask her to leave as he has something important to discuss with me. She opposes his decision but finally relents.

After Su left with little girl. I turn towards Sam, without any further delay and prelude he blurts out:

Sam: I am suffering from cancer and have very little time left.

On hearing it I was shattered, my mind was blank. After a while I asked about only thing that came to my mind.

Sid: Su knows about it.

Sam: but of course, how can I hide such an important thing from su.

Was I shocked? Well I was freaking out. There were so many questions in my mind all in a cluttered mess and only thing that came out was a whispered 'how?'