Fates

Part 35- Panic

"Mumma." Pragya let out in a broken voice when the person on the other side of the phone picked up.

"Pragya, my daughter, what happened are you okay? Why are you calling at this time? Is Prachi okay? Are both of you okay?" Sarla maa asked worriedly, asking numerous questions. From her daughter's voice, she instantly knew that something was wrong.

"Maa, I- I met hi- him." Pragya said in between sobs, Sarla maa instantly knew who Pragya was talking about.

"She wears glasses- just- like me." Pragya said and this time Sarla maa did not know who Pragya was talking about.

"Who wears glasses Pragya?" Sarla maa asked worriedly.

"My- my daughter. My baby. Prachi's little twin sister. Your littlest granddaughter." Pragya said as tears streamed down her face, but she had a small smile on her face as she made an image of the daughter she had never known in her mind. Sarla maa too felt tears fall down her face as she thought about her youngest granddaughter.

"I can't Maa, I can't deal with the fact that I missed seeing my daughter's childhood. Knowing this detail about her makes my heart heavy, it makes staying away from her harder." Pragya said as tears kept on falling from her eyes, Sarla maa remained silent, letting Pragya voice her feelings.

"He told me this and I told him a little bit about Prachi. But he didn't even ask. He didn't even ask how his daughter was, I just told him. It's like he didn't even want to know, it's like he didn't even care how me or his other daughter were." Pragya said as her sobs started to get louder and her tears fell more heavily.

"He doesn't even care. He doesn't even care. He doesn't even care." Pragya repeated like a mantra, her breathing getting heavier with every word she spoke, she was about to have a panic attack.

"Pragya, my baby, listen to me." Sarla maa said knowing that Pragya was going to have a panic attack if she didn't calm down.

"Breathe in and Breathe out." Sarla maa instructed Pragya, Pragya shook her head refusing to do what her mom was telling her to do, but then she realized that her mom couldn't see her over the phone.

"Are you doing it?" Sarla maa asked being able to make out that Pragya was still breathing pretty heavily over the phone.

"Ye- Yes," Pragya said finally following her mom's instructions, not wanting to make this harder for her.

"Good, my baby, keep on doing just that." Sarla maa said motivating Pragya, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard Pragya's breathing get calmer. After a few minutes of Pragya breathing in and out, her breathing was finally normal.

"Is Saritaben there?" Sarla maa asked Pragya when she knew that Pragya was completely calm, she wanted someone to be with Pragya when she couldn't.

"No she's sleeping." Pragya informed her mom in a mere whisper.

"Okay, that's completely fine." Sarla maa said speaking to Pragya as if she was a child because she knew how sensitive Pragya got after one of her panic attacks.

"Where are you right now?" Sarla maa asked worriedly.

"In my room... on the floor." Pragya said hesitantly because she didn't want her Mom to be mad at her.

"Can you get up?" Sarla maa said letting out a mental sigh, worried about her daughter, and upset that she couldn't be there to comfort her.

"Yeah." Pragya said slowly and shakingly getting up by holding on to the door handle.

"Okay good, go lay down on the bed, and stay on the call with me." Sarla maa said giving a small smile because they had made some progress at least.

"I'm in bed now." Pragya said her voice hoarse from crying so much.