Forever with you...

40- Past

Adithi's POV:

When I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital. Sanjay was sitting beside me holding my hand. 'Where's Appa? I want to see him,' I raised from the bed. 'Adithi. Uncle is getting his treatment. Relax,' He touched my shoulder.

'How can you be calm Sanjay? How can I relax? I want to see him right now,' I yelled and ran out. Khanna uncle was standing silently. 'Uncle, Where's Appa?' I asked him. He lowered his gaze silently. 'Will anyone ever tell where my father is?' I screamed.

He silently pointed towards a room. I ran to the room and saw a stretcher. Someone was over it with a white sheet covering them completely. I slowly walked towards the stretcher. My body began to tremble.

'Adithi, you will not be able to see him,' Sanjay held me from back. I shrugged him away while tears flooded my eyes. I slowly removed the sheet. It was Appa. My heart stopped beating. 'Appa,' I gently touched his cheek. He was cold. 'Sanjay, call the doctor. Appa is very cold,' words fell from my mouth.

'Adithi. He is no more,' he replied. 'How can you tell? Are you god?' I yelled. 'He will not leave me alone. He is alive,' I touched his forehead. His head was covered with bandage cloth. 'Appa. Please wake up and tell them that you were just sleeping,' I cried hugging him.

'Please. Please, Appa. Tell them that you cannot leave me alone,' I shook him. He cannot. He left me alone. 'Appa. Please. Please talk to me once,' I cried cupping his face. 'Appa. Please. Please,' I cried aloud. 'Come back to me,' I hugged his tightly. This time he didn't reciprocate. 'Appa,' I screamed seeing his face. Sanjay hugged me tightly. I cried unable to control me.

Someone came and took the stretcher away. 'Sanjay, Please stop them. Please,' I wailed. I followed that man. He placed the stretcher in an ambulance. I got in and sat beside Appa. My tears fell over his hand. He would never allow me to cry if he was alive. I was staring at his face while tears flowed down my face.

'Adithi. Get down. We have reached home,' Sanjay dragged me out. I didn't remove my eyes from him. I want him to hug me one last time. I want to feel the love and warmth of his hug. I want to hear his voice. I want to see his smile. I want him back. Kartika ran to me and hugged me and broke down.

'Please Karti, at least you tell him to wake up. Please. I cannot see him like this,' I cried hugging him tight. The last soul which loved me unconditionally is not any more. How could I accept this? He was there loving me hours before. But now.

I was simply sitting beside him and crying. I didn't care about anyone. He cannot leave me like this. Suddenly they took him away. 'Stop. You cannot take him away,' I ran behind them. Kartika hugged me from back. 'They have to take him. Its time,' she cried.

'Where? He cannot go away from me like this,' I wiped off my tears. 'To graveyard,' she hugged me. So this is life. Leaving all our loved ones back. Breaking all the promises. She made me sit beside her and hugged me tightly. I leaned in her shoulder letting my heart to cry out the pain.

They haven't away my father. They have also taken away a part from me which will remain empty for a lifetime. I felt nothing. I had no one in my heart except my Appa. I felt void. 'You have to bath,' her mom said and took me to shower. I was like a puppet. Simply lost in my own world, letting them do whatever they want to. They poured water over me. It masked the tears flowing down.

They brought me back to the living room. I lied down with my head in Kartika's lap. Tears flowed down like a river. I didn't feel anything. Just emptiness. 'Adithi,' someone called me bringing me back to my senses. 'This is Uncle's,' Sanjay's voice broke. He handed me a small mud pot. My hands trembled as I got it. My eyes closed and let the dark overtake me.