where are you?
"Where are you swayam? Pick up. Pick up dammit"! Muttering vociferously, Sharon shekhawat strode round the cramped corner under the stairs. God only knew why this was his favourite hideout. When he was upset, usually he would be found sitting here, head buried in his hands, a glitter of unshed tears, barricaded from the eyes of the world. Stubborn as a mule. She thought, worried and angry. Her heart stopped. Where was he?
swayam was not picking up.
"rey, rey, i cant find him anywhere! Swayam is not picking up his phone...please, rey,i..."Sharon was on the verge of tears now, and her voice broke.
"Sharon...calm down. Calm down...the whole gang is looking for him...and me and taani are also trying to find him Don't you worry. We will find him okay?" rey tried to keep the fact that he himself was worried to death about him, out of his voice. Sharon was scared enough already.
Sharon cut the phone and sat down,trembling, with her head in her hands. She wanted him here, now. Safe.in her arms. She cant live without him. Oh god. She cant lose him.
Rey and taani had searched all over the shekhawat dance academy. The whole gang had searched all the possible places he could go. He was nowhere to be found.
Taani was by now in tears too ."rey, what are we gonna do? Where is he ? and for god's sake why is not bhai picking up his phone?bhagwan na kare agar kuch..." she could not go on any more, choking on her tears.
Rey's cell rang again.it was swayam's dad.
"rey? Did you guys find him? I have been trying to reach swayam from god knows when, but...and Sharon bitiya...she ..." rishi shekhawat sounded old for the first time since rey had known him. Old, worried, and helpless. Out of his mind with worry. like they all were.
"uncle, we know...but i'm afraid, there's nothing we can do anymore. We tried all the possible places we could think of. I think...'he broke off.
Sharon had called him again. Rey put swayam's dad on hold."Sharon...we.."
"you haven't found him nah?" sharon's voice came...calm with despair. Rey hated how hollow it sounded.
"no."
"i am going to the police station."
"yes, i guess we should now. We are going too. Just hold on Sharon. Nothing will happen to him" rey herded up the gang and they went up to the station; swayam's dad too.
Sharon arrived. She was holding up...barely. she looked like an apparition...in all his years of knowing her, the gang had never seen Sharon like this...like she would die any moment. Like a ghost...a zombie...her arms looking, thirsting for him...her eyes craving his innocent ones..
They had just finished giving the description...and made a diary for the missing, when sharon's cell beeped.
She clutched at it like a lifeline.
"swa..swayam?"
"Sharon...what's wrong, i was in a meeting with our sponsors...and i saw your calls...everyones..wha?"
"swyam...shreyas is missing" sharon wailed. The tears, she had been locking in her gut had poured out at the sound of her husband's voice.
"what?" swaym felt like his being had dropped out of him. Their baby, their four year old son...how can he go missing?
"i am such a bad mother swayam...we were practicing and shreyas got bored...he goes off to his corner under the stairs when he gets bored...to read or something...i let him go...and now i ccaan't..find..."sharon's voice vanished in hiccups
"Sharon...but...but wait...i just"
"hum log police station pe hain...aur...please tum aa jao swayam...i ...mujhse aur nahi ho raha hain" the mom in her would die---her little baby. All Sharon could think of was the first time she held him in her arms after her long labour...swaym's eyes as they lit up moist seeing their son after nine long months of baby talking with the life growing inside of her...his sleeping form...their madness over their precious baby boy..her lying awake to feed him at nights...changing his diapers...watching him dream ..his cry piercing her like a knife..his first steps, his calling him dadaaa...her mmmaa...his first day at school...
Swayam's voice broke in..."but Sharon...shreyas is calling me on my phone----" his voice sounded relieved and confused at the same time.
"what----shre'shreyu is calling'"
Swaym put them on conference...
"dad---mom kaha hai? She left me here---wherev are they? Mom khon gayin hai kya? Dad..".shreyas sounded panicked...like he was about to cry.
"shreyu " Sharon whimpered in relief and gratitude..."beta...where are you---aap kaha chale gaye the? Aap theek to ho na? Aur.."
"haan mom---i thought you have got lost---aap , rey fufa...bua...sab log...main toh aap ke liye surprise plan kar...oops" shreyas broke off.
Swaym broke in---"will the both of you please explain? Kya hua? Shreyas aap mummy se chup ke kaha the?
"dad vo---secret hai"
"no...khul ke bolo---what were you doing? " swaym sounded uncharacteristically stern with anxiety.
"vo dad, aaj mothers day hai na'so i was just decorating up the terrace...that's mom's special place nah...so...then i finished and i waited for mom to finish up as well...and i fell asleep. Aur caretaker uncle ne terrace ke gate par lock laga diya hai.i cant get out. I thought mom would never forget me here...so then she must have gotten lost herself..." shreyas trailed off.
Sharon sank to the floor in thankfulness. Her baby was okay. Everyone around breathed sighs of relieved gratitude. Shreyas was the only offspring as yet among their friends...and he was everyones favourite. Taani's darling. She put an arm round her bhabi, her smile coming back.
"aake batati hu tumhe...mother's day--mumma kho gayi hai----i thought i had lost my baby, i was such a bad mom...and mujhe pareshan karne ki aadat papa se mila hai tumhe" the mom who thought all had been lost just dissolved in tears now...at the news of her precious child's safety.
"no mom...you are the best...aap aake mujhe le jao and aap mujhe daant sakti ho and i'm sorry maine aapko rulaya..." shreyas sounded so sorry and penitent...that Sharon had to smile. All was well.
"okay now both my hopelessly confused mischiefs will stop crying...and Shreyas...come on...i'm coming to pick you up...we'll get mom...and see your surprise okay?"
"okay dad...and mom...happy mothers day"
"i love you beta...you are the best gift i could ever have...i love you baby..."
"errm...aur main?"swayam piped up
"yeah...love you too baby ke papa" Shreyas mimicked his mom's reply.
Everyone laughed, even the inspector.
this was for mothers day guys. its been a long time since i wrote...and been a bit busy. but anyway hope you guys like it and plzzz let me know, if you do.
Arjun
9