THAT'S NOT ALL

4.HIS TRAGEDY

"Today is my mom's death anniversary. She was all I had. She was my everything. My happiness, my pride, my conscience wall, basically everything. And he killed her. She died before my eyes and I couldn't do anything to save her. She told me to take care of myself, but I never knew how to do that, because she was the one taking care since ever..... and she left me.... Alone ....." he somehow spokeAnd he bursted into tears..... all the teardrops he was stopping made their way out...... and this time he didn't try to hide them either... I had never seen him so broken... his anger was not his attitude but his pain... he always tried to hide his broken self behind that arrogant man..... so that no one could reach his inner one...I never expected this .... So I was in utter shock.. I some how gathered myself back and asked.. "He? Who he?"
"My so called father. Who else."Now I didn't know what to ask or tell him... we sat there in complete silence for few minutes when he restarted...."She loved him with all her heart.. She had given her life for him... she sacrificed all her happiness, so that that man could smile.. and he .... He used to abuse her verbally and physically every other day... she tried everything to get his anger in control... but she got defeated....... I remember, it was my 16th birthday... me and my mom were waiting for him to come back, so that I could cut the cake....... He came at 11 and without speaking a word with us he rushed into his room, packed his stuffs and started to leave. Mom went inside and closed the door...... She started scolding him for spoiling my birthday.... She was saying that she had never stopped him from keeping relation with that other woman but she just requested to shift out after my birthday.... And he couldn't even do that..... she was telling him how terrible husband and father he was..... I was watching everything from the keyhole..... I was so scared because I had never seen my mom shouting on anyone like that..... the fight grew worse and he started beating her with belt..... I....I tried opening the door... but I guess it got jammed..... I was shouting him to stop.... She was crying... and that beast continued beating her worse than any 3rd degree treatment police do with the criminals...... having no option left, I rushed out to call my neighbors... they started to break the door....and I stuck to the keyhole.... They pulled me back to bang on the door and we heard the loud sound of firing and her scream....... We broke inside to see him holding the gun after firing, and.....m....my....mom....my mom was lying there all in blood...... we called the ambulance, someone called the police .... I was with her in the ambulance and was telling her, that I'll not let anything happen to her.... And all she could say was to take care of myself........... 

She had left me... alone... they took him in custody... and he was imprisoned for life.... And my life was spoiled for ever..."

Till now he was shedding tears... but now even I was numb... I couldn't imagine how must he be living with all this baggage... I didn't know if ever he had told this to anyone before.... But I knew he was not, as bad as people thought of him..... I knew he just needed love.... Lots of love..... to heal... and I knew I was not going to leave his side .. at least till he starts smiling again..."So. Where is that other woman and her family?" I asked out of curiosity may be."I don't know. I've never heard of them.. not till date. " he answered trying to compose himself.Again the silence overpowered our grief.... And after about an hour, he spoke out."I had never told this to anyone before. And I have no idea why the hell did I told you all this.... I hate talking about this topic the most...." And he got up saying that.

He started to leave, without even looking at me...and this time I didn't stop him. I could feel him.. his emotions just got naked before me for the 1st time... it was not easy for someone so reserved like him to digest that...

I sat there thinking of his words for sometime, and then got up and went back to my room...We didn't see each other the next day.