Clean Bowled

Chapter 46

*Aslesha*

Have you heard the saying pairo ke neeche se zameen sarak jaana? I had heard it too. Today I experienced it.

As soon as I heard what Dr. Chawla said it's like the whole world shattered below my feet.

My papa started panicking and the doctor was speaking to him about something but I couldn't hear them. All I could think of, all I could hear was 'Aslesha tumhe brain tumor hai'

Brain tumor.

"Aslesha.. Aslesha!" the doctor shook me and I realised that now she was standing beside me.

I looked up at her as dread filled my chest and my eyes filled with tears.

"Darling listen to me first" she said rubbing my back.

I closed my eyes trying to calm down my nerves and looked at her again.

"Mr. Mathur aap bhi please ek baar puri baat sunn lijiye" she says and goes back to sit in her chair.

"Brain tumor do type ke hote hai. Benign tumor and cancerous tumor. Tumhe benign tumor hua hai. Aur vo completely curable hai. Jald hi aap MRI aur thode tests kar lijiye so that tumor ka exact location pata chale. Uske baad surgery kar ke vo pura tumor nikala ja sakta hai. The survival rate is 70%. And you're a strong girl right? I know you'll fight it. It's gonna be okay" she says.

But that doesn't help to calm down my nerves.

"Why me?" I whisper as my eyes fill with tears again.

"There are no specific reasons darling. It can be genetic. Did anyone in your family have brain tumor?" She asks.

"Mumma" I say as the first tear escapes my eye.

Papa places his hand on his forehead and rubs vigorously, blinking back tears.

"Toh ab kya kare?" he asks.

"MRI nikaalna padega aur fir kuch imaging tests. I'll write it down for you. Ye hafte sab kuch kar lijiye so that jald se jald surgery kar sake hum" she says handing a paper to papa.

Surgery..

We get up to leave and I numbly walk beside papa and get in our car.

"Aashu?" He says shaking my shoulder and I blink and look at me.

He runs his hand through my hair and takes my hand in his. "I won't let anything happen to you. Sab kuch thik ho jaayega. I've lost my wife to this but not you. Tum bilkul tension mat lo. Tumhare papa jab tak hai iss duniya me, vo tumhe kuch nahi hone denge. Understood?" He says and my tears start running down my face in full flow.

"Papa mujhe darr lag raha hai" I say sobbing loudly as he wipes my tears.

"Shh.." he says rubbing my back and finally after a few minutes my heaving chest calms down and he lets me go.

When we reach home I feel tired and my head starts paining again. I somehow eat a little food and then take the medicines and go lay down on my bed.

My phone starts ringing and I squint my eyes to look at the caller.

Dummy.

My eyes fill with tears again as a lump forms in my throat.

I clear my throat and take a long breath. "Hello" I say wiping my eyes.

"Tum pagal ho kya?" He asks angrily and I frown.

"Kya?"

"Mai tumhe pachaas call lagaya rahunga. Ho kaha tum?" He snaps.