Last Few Days

Chapter - 27

[Darshan]:
(flashback, when Naina was 5 years old)
"Naina, what are you doing? Please come here", I asked. "Coming dad", she shouted from her room. She entered my room and darted towards me. I picked her up and made her sit on my lap with her face towards me. "What were you doing?", I casually asked and she shoved a crayon colour in air. "My princess was coloring. Will you show me once it's done?", I asked and she nodded her head vigorously. "I have already done two, I will show you all the three together", she said. "Okay", I said and smiled. I was very confused about how to tell her, how to start the topic, how to tell her that the person whom she was talking to since last three years and always considered as her mom, was not her mom. "I have to tell you something", I said. "What's that? Mom's coming home?", she asked in excitement. "Actually..", I searched for words. "The lady whom you talk to is not your mom", I finally managed to say. Naina looked at me in surprise, her expressions clearly showed that she didn't understand what I wanted to say. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before saying again. "She is not your mom. She's Neha, my sister", I added. "What! So who is my mom? Where's she? Why didn't you tell me about her earlier? Why don't she call me?", she asked in a single breath. "Because she's no more", I said. I hated saying it, but I had to. "What do you mean?", she asked and raised her eyebrow. "She is dead", I straightforwardly said. "What!", she exclaimed and got down on her feet. Tears started rolling down her eyes. "Mo..mom's..de....dead", she blanky repeated. "And you never told me. You always lied to me. You told that, that lady was my mom", she fumbled but still tried her best to say everything clearly between her cries. "'That lady is your bua", I added. "But not my mom", she said and ran into her room. "Naina, wait", I said and ran behind her. I tried to open the door but it was locked. "Naina, baby open the door, don't do this. Listen to me", I said and knocked the door. "No", she screamed from inside. "I hate you dad", she added. "I am sorry Naina, listen to me. Open the door", I pleaded. Tears ran down my eyes, I was very scared, Naina had never locked the door before this. "Baby open the door. Dad will give you a chocolate, I promise. Open the door", I said. "I'm not a little child dad", '5 year old' Naina snapped. I stood with my back leaned against the door and I opened Aaruhi's picture in my phone. "See, your daughter is just like you. When we used to fight, you also never used to listen to me and lock yourself in a room", I said looking towards her picture. "But I never used get so worried about you because I knew that you'll be fine, but Naina, she's just 5. God! These mom and daughter never fails to drive me mad", I dramatically added and shoved my phone into my pocket and knocked the door again.