MishBir Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Bliss of Motherhood - #4

The Bliss of Motherhood - #4

Next day:

Bade papa had informed Abir of Mishti's arrival, and since then he was eagerly waiting to welcome Mishti with a little good news. He had been able to repurchase the house that they had once called theirs.

Away from all the negativity, their own little abode – the Mishbir house.

"Masi!" Abir showed her the name-plate, "Yeh dekh ke jab Mishti ke chehre pe 440 volt ki smile aayegi na, aap please usse capture kar lena." He handed her his phone and showed her the click button.

"Haan haan, ho jayega!" Parul walked in to the kitchen, "Pehle tum idar aao, aur chakh ke batao sheera kaisa bana hai." She smiled, "Mishti ko bahut pasand hai!"

Abir and Parul were busy in their chatters when they heard the sound of the cars outside the house. They quickly walked outside, only to witness a sight they wouldn't have wished for.

Mishti walked out of one car and Kuhu walked out of the other, followed by Kunal. While Kunal hung his head on seeing Mishti, Kuhu immediately hurried her footsteps seeing Mishti closing towards the entrance of the Rajvansh house.

Parul went to the mandir to bring aarti thali, but before she could reach back to the doorstep, Kuhu had overtaken Mishti and dashed inside the house. Abir patiently waited near the door for Mishti to come.

"Arey, ruko!"

Kuhu paused in her tracks and turned to see Mishti being stopped at the doorway by Parul.

"Ghar ki bahu laut ke aaye toh uska swagat aise kiya jaata hai." She did aarti of Mishti and after the little ritual, asked her to step inside the house with Abir.

Kuhu fumed at the sight.

2:30 PM

"Hashtag agar baby ki story khatam toh hum Parul Maa ke room mein kyun rahe?"

"Kuhu tumhe rest karne ko kaha hai."

"Iss ghar mein rest ho hi nahi sakta." Kuhu walked out of Parul's room with her briefcase and eyed at Mishti sitting in the hall with her laptop. "Yaha melodrama create karne walo'n ki kami nahi hai."

Mishti gave her a deaf ear. Kuhu stomped on her feet and climbed the stairs in a huff.

Abir watched Mishti from a distance. Since the time she has come back home, she hardly spoke one word. How much he tried with his antics to bring a smile on her face, but even Masi's sheera couldn't do the wonders.

Mishti's heart was a broken mess. In that one night, she had collected these pieces so quietly that even Abir couldn't hear the voices of her shattered heart. She had lost her first child. Mishti had deemed herself to be responsible for all the loss, simply because she couldn't give her child a space in her stomach. To add salt to her wounds, Abir had no intentions of telling her the truth anytime soon.

Abir watched Mishti typing furiously on her laptop and approached her.

"Woah!" Abir gained her attention, "Mera gussa humare laptop pe kyu nikal rahi ho?" he bent down to her eye level, "Banda aapke saamne haazir hai." He smiled.

Mishti couldn't smile back.

"NGO ka kaam dekh rahi thi..." she darted her eyes back to the screen, "kaafi pending kaam ab jaake dikh raha hai." She smiled half-heartedly. "Kitni ajeeb baat haina? Jab aaina saaf karke bhi kuch sahi se na dikhe, tab bhi yeh nahi sochte hum ki shayad dhool chashme mein lagi ho."