Part 135
R: What are you saying Devi? Do you really mean it? No, but Armaan will never accept it. He knows that it was your dream to………………
D: Riddhima, try to understand me. All my dreams have been fulfilled now. I wanted my family and I have got them here with me. I don't want to move away from them ever again. They have settled here since long and we do not want to uproot them either. So we've decided to buy a house, near my sister's house, here, in Mumbai. Hence we are giving Armaan this offer. This was the price he had negotiated for, when Bashir spoke to him from Dubai. When we were talking about all this, last week, Dr. Atul told us that Armaan's birthday was few days away. So we decided to get the paper work done and send it to Armaan for his signatures on his birthday, as a birthday surprise. I can't say a gift because we aren't going to gift it to him. But I know it will make him very happy. I called you to ask for his hospital address, because we want him to receive it personally. If we send it to the house address he may not be at home when it arrives.
R: Devi, I've no words to thank you. This is the happiest thing that could be happening to him on his birthday. Thank you, thank you soooooooooooooooo much.
D: Please Riddhima, you make us feel ashamed. You are thanking us for a selfish act. We're disposing the Munnar house only to buy a house in Mumbai. We can never, never, ever repay you both for all the joy you have brought into our lives. But for you two, we would never have come to Mumbai, nor met Dr.Atul nor got back our family. So we feel ashamed to accept your thanks.
R: Come on Devi, who are we to do anything? It was your destiny. Your time to be reunited with your family had come.
D: As they say everything happens for the best, I think my cancer also happened to bring about this reunion only. By the way how are the two little angels. I miss them a lot and so do Snoopy and Droopy.
Riddhima talked about Ani's teething and his mischiefs, Akshat's school progress etc. She told her how Ani used to go outside and search for the dogs long after they had left. Devi bid her goodbye asking her to convey her regrds to kaka and akka and taking a promise from Riddhima not to breathe a word about their talk to Armaan.
When Riddhima entered the clinic there were already 5-6 patients waiting for her. The virus was taking a heavy toll on everyone. The alternating rain and sunshine was only worsening things. She never knew when the two hours were up. As was her usual practice, she called Armaan when the last two patients were left. Just as she was about to leave, the couple whose child she had sent Dr. Shaila, came there with their daughter. The mother held Riddhima's hand and put them to her eyes which had tears pouring from them. When Riddhima asked her the reason, she thanked Riddhima for having given their daughter a new life. Had she not sent them to the pediatrician that day, they might have lost their daughter.
Riddhima was very much embarrassed by her show of gratitude. Taking the little girl in her arms she said "I too have children, so I know how a parent feels when they fall ill. It is the Almighty who does everything, we are only his agents." She also told the couple to take proper care of the child so that she doesn't have a relapse and as she looked up, she saw Armaan standing at the door of the clinic watching the whole scene. The couple also looked at him and went towards him to thank him for his concern and support on that particular day, when they were so devastated. Armaan waved it away saying it was nothing. Then he came and stood beside Riddhima and beckoned to the little girl who readily jumped into his arms. Soon Armaan with his mimicry had the girl rolling with laughter.
For sometime the lady kept watching them. Then she complimented Riddhima and Armaan saying that they made an awesome pair, both physically and mentally. Both had the patients' welfare uppermost in their minds. She promised to always keep them and their children in her prayers. Finally when the assistant also had finished sterilizing the instruments etc., they all dispersed, locking up the clinic.
Riddhima was very tired after the hectic week. She didn't even know when Sunday came and went. She had more work on Sundays even though she didn't go to the clinic. She made it a point to pamper the kids on that day by standing hand and foot on them, attending to their every need herself. It was her way of compensating for not being there for them throughout the week, especially with Akshat. So Sunday was his favourite day.
When Armaan asked them to accompany him and kaka for the weekly shopping, Akshat dropped out saying he had lots of homework and Riddhima's excuse was she had to sort out her clothes for the following week. After the others left, both of them huddled together and planned Armaan's birthday party. This time Riddhima decided to have it on their terrace itself, because this house truly belonged to them now. The menu was drawn up and ordered from the best restaurant in Munnar. She told the decorators to come during the day and discreetly decorate the terrace, the lighting etc. could be done in the last minute.
Akshat and Riddhima decided that they wouldn't have the cake cutting at 12 midnight, as Armaan would expect them to. Instead they would pretend to have forgotten it and at 2 am when he least expected it, they would wake him up and cut the cake. Both of them were very excited about everything.
Akshat also showed her the pretty fragrant candles he had himself made for his dad over the last few days.
Riddhima was totally stunned seeing them in so many different colours. As usual it was Tania's idea, executed with her help. Her mother was learning candle making and Tania got all the materials from her, as also the procedure. When Riddhima complimented him on their beauty and fragrance he said "Inhe banana bahut aasaan hai mama. Pehle ek wick rakhna hai is cup mein, (he pointed to a tart cup). Phir wax melt karke is cup mein daalna hai. Phir do drops scent aur jo colour chaho us colour ke crayon shavings. Sab mix karke raat bhar chod do. Candle tayyar. Phir next day usey palto to candle nikal jaata hai. Aur agar na nikle to thodi der fridge mein rakdo, to sure nikal jaata hai."
Riddhima just couldn't believe her eyes and ears. "Itna sab kuch tumne akele kiya? Aur tumne wax kaise melt kiya?" she asked him in a worried tone. But she was very glad when he said "sab kuch maine kiya, lekin wax melting Athai ne kiya." She complimented him on a job excellently done and said she was very proud of him. Akshat's face lit up like a 1000 watts bulb hearing his mama's praise. But when they heard Armaan's car drive up, he quickly packed away everything and hid it.
Wednesday dawned a lousy day with heavy rains. From the time she woke up Riddhima was feeling out of sorts. As she got ready for the clinic, she was sneezing and by the time she reached there, she started with a headache. She put off taking any medicine, as she was feeding Ani. When Armaan came to pick her at lunchtime, seeing her red nose he warned her that she was heading for a cold and asked her take a paracetomol after lunch. She said she would but then totally forgot about it. He would have given it to her himself, but he got a call from the hospital and had to rush back. She lay down on the bed and was fast asleep in a few minutes.
The incessant rain, and Ani's crankiness was getting on her nerves. Her throat was also giving her some pain. Perhaps he's cutting the next teeth she thought. As it is, she was running late for the clinic. She had also to call up the cake shop and ask them to deliver the cake late at night. In her hurry she forgot to carry her umbrella. Anyway Shafi was waiting right at the doorstep for her. But when she reached the clinic, a car was parked right in front of it and a patient was being helped out of it. She had to run in the rain, around the parked car. So before she could enter into the clinic, she was drenched. She tried drying her hair with a napkin but didn't have time to dry it completely. There was already a long queue of patients already waiting.
When Armaan came to pick her, he was preoccupied with some emergency at the hospital and continuously getting calls. Otherwise he wouldn't have missed her watery eyes and wilted face. He dropped her home and directly drove off to the hospital even without having dinner, excusing himself to her. Riddhima just wanted to hit the bed. She ate a little, so that kaka wouldn't be upset and then went to bed. She told kaka to collect the cake which would be arriving late and asked Akshat to set his alarm for 1.45. She also did likewise and took Ani for his feed and both of them fell asleep.
It was past ten when Armaan returned home. He saw the delivery boy from the cake shop leave on his bike and smiled to himself. He thought he would purposely not sleep till 12 and annoy them. Anyways he was starving as of now. So he headed straight to the dining table and just washing his hands in the wash basin there, sat down to have dinner. Kaka came to serve him food, glad that he had managed to hide the cake before he walked in. He started eating after enquiring if all the others had eaten.
After dinner he first went into Akshat's room and saw him sitting at the table with the table lamp on. Hearing him he quickly switched it off and came to him. "tum abhi tak soye nahi? Armaan asked him and then continued "Anyways mujhe bhi kuch kaam hai, chalo I'll also sit with you. Main laptop lekar abhi aaya." . Akshat immediately lay down on his bed saying "Main bus abhi sone chala tha. Aap itne late kyon hue?"
Armaan explained to him about the emergency at the hospital. Then he tucked him in bed and kissed him goodnight. When he went into their room he saw Riddima curled up on the bed. He found the room warm as the fan was switched off and even all the windows were closed. When he went closer he saw Ani hidden in the quilt. He picked him and slowly laid him in his cot, wondering why Riddhima hadn't done so. After tucking him in and kissing him, he switched on the fan.
As he lay he lay down on the bed, he noticed Riddhima shivering inspite of the quilt. He immediately touched her forehead and found her burning with fever. Finding him next to her she moved closer to him. He tried to wake her but she kept mumbling in her sleep. He got a glass of water and a paracetamol and making her sit up a little, made her swallow it.Then he lay down beside her, hugging her as close as he could. He also soon fell asleep.
Slowly the fever came down and she started sweating. Feeling the wetness on his chest, he picked up a towel and gently wiped her face and neck. While she snuggled even closer. He saw the time, it was 5 minutes past 12. How come her alarm didn't go off? Then he remembered how the previous year she had set the alarm in his cell. So he picked it up to check, but it only showed his usual 6 am alarm. He waited for Akshat to come knocking discreetly at the door but that too didn't happen. The cake had been delivered he knew, then why weren't they wishing him?
He recollected the wonderful surprise she had given him last year for his birthday and felt cheated. He had expected his family to usher in his birthday, showering him with all their love and kisses, at the stroke of midnight. But this eerie silence reminded him of those times in the past, when his birthday had brought nothing but tears and loneliness. Then he consoled himself thinking, maybe because she was unwell, she'd forgotten all about his birthday. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep.
Opening his eyes he looked around wondering why he had woken him up. It was surely not daylight yet. Then he heard the light tap on the door once again. As he touched her to shift her on the bed, he felt her burning with fever again. Laying her on the bed, he went and opened the door and saw Akshat standing there. He got flustered seeing his dad. Armaan smiled seeing his reaction and purposely asked him "kya hua? neend nahi aa rahi? Tabeeyat to theek hai?" Akshat only muttered "mama," and moved towards her. But Armaan pulled him back saying "usey bahut tez bukaar hai." Akshat was shocked to hear that. "Kya? To phir cake.." and stopped in midsentence realizing that he was about to reveal the surprise.
Armaan ruffled his hair and pulling him on his lap said, "ab usey sone do, hum cake subah kaat lenge." The looking at the clock and seeing that it was 2 o'clock he said 'Waise bhi you are two hours late." Akshat sweetly explained to him that they wanted to tease him and hence the plan of 2 instead of 12. Then Akshat put his arms tightly around his dad's neck and showered him with kisses and wished him 'Happy birthday." Then he happily proclaimed, "This time I'm the first to wish you, even before mama". Armaan nodded seeing his excitement. "But you owe me a lot more kisses" complained Armaan "for those six birthdays of mine, which you missed."
Those words brought tears to the little boy's eyes and he asked 'Tab aap bahut akele feel kiye honge na?" and he continued with his kisses. After sometime, Armaan sent him off to his room as he had school the next day.While he himself went into the kitchen t get a bowl of ice cold water to put cold pads on her forehead.
Shiv Shakti
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