Story 19: Homecoming

Epilogue

Since a few of you had asked for a proper reunion... 

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Epilogue

"Aapka Abhimanyu...."

The doctor looked up into the eyes of the tall young man who stood before him. His little Abhi. His son Abhi. Trembling hands reached out to cup Abir's face and then he just stepped forward and pulled his son into a bone crushing hug instead. Startled, Abir stood still for a moment before his own arms went around the older man, his father, and he hugged back just as fiercely.

Silence.... And in that silence, infinite unspoken words, infinite sorrows expressed, infinite reassurances given.... the bond once broken by cruel destiny slowly began to braid itself together again.

"Aapka Abhimanyu...." The words had reached Swarna's ears in the silence of the beautiful night but she could not register them immediately. When she saw her husband pull the young man into his protective embrace, she got to her feet slowly and moved as if on auto pilot to where they stood. Could this be true?? Could this be her lost little boy who had been the light of their life??

Her husband heard her come up and he pulled away from his son reluctantly to hand his wife the photograph. She looked at it almost fearfully, as if afraid that her hope would be destroyed again. And then her eyes filled with tears. Her fingers gently caressed the face of the little boy in the picture and then when she looked up at Abir again, there was nothing but pure joy in them. How had she not recognized the beautiful hazel eyes of her baby boy? She still remembered how they would permanently be lit up with mischief as he got into one scrape after another with no respite for his poor mother.

Memories began to thunder into her consciousness at unimaginable speed, the euphoria she had experienced when she had held him as an infant in her arms for the very first time, his first words, his antics, the many times she had scolded him, the many times she had comforted him and then the horrifying day they had lost him....

The terror and grief of that terrible day overwhelmed her and Swarna staggered under the avalanche of emotions. Over these years, whenever her grief had threatened to drown her, she had come to rely on her husband's unfailing hope, his presence, his comfort; but today...

Abir saw his birth mother physically wither under the onslaught of emotions and reacted instinctively just as his father did. The doctor caught the movement and stayed back. The mother had waited for this for too long- he would not intrude.

Abir engulfed his mother's slender frame in his arms and hugged tight, letting her sob all her pain away. It was the son's turn to comfort his mother and he did just that, cradling her head to his heart and repeating over and over again, "I am back, I am back now" reassuring both himself and her....

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