I opened my eyes... Everyone is looking at me... Ayi is caressing my head... I hold her hand and looked at her face...
'i want him ayi...'
'astha... No don't cry... Not good for your health... Think about your baby first...' She said firmly...
I looked at dada's face...
'dada... I don't know what happened to him..? Or why he doing this...? But he is hiding something from me...'
'no astha... '
'dada...will you plz go with him... Don't worry about the office... I will manage... Plz... Dada... I don't trust anyone... I want him here when my baby arrives...' I cried out... I can't handle the grief weld up inside me...
'astha... Don't cry ... I will go... Look I am going now... But you need to be strong... For all of us... ' he caressed my hair... He is indeed a best brother...
'sojal.., pack my bag...' I saw they walked out of the room...
I kept my head on ayi's lap...she wiped my tears and bend down to kiss my forehead...
'astha, do you know life is always a mystery... Sometimes it give so much things that make us happy...but at the same time it also snatch our happiness... We need to accept happiness and sadness in same way...' I sat on the bed holding her hand and kept my fix to her eyes...
'When niranjan ji died I felt I lost everything...a life without him is unthinkable... I never ever thought I need to stand as a single mother... He gone after created a void in my life... A space that no one can replace... Even my children... Astha... Before you crying,shlok is not walk away from you... As he said he will come...till that you need to be strong... Don't you know distance never matter in a relationship if you are loyal to each other... I know my son... He always keeps his word... If he give his word then he will come back... Astha... I don't want you to cry... '
I nodded with a faint smile... I really felt respect for this lady... She make me lay down on the bed... Then she turned and walks back...
I closed my eyes and I heard
'astha..., prepare yourself... Tomorrow onwards u are going to office...' Before saying anything she gone... I closed my eyes again...
******************
Within hours dada got ready to go to shlok...
'dada, call Ankush bhayia when you reach there... He will help you there.' I said
'don't worry about me astha... Take care of your self...and the baby...' I nodded with a faint smile... I watched him fade away from eyes... Sojal hold my hand for support...
'astha..., don't worry he will come...' I walked back to my room... The room where we two dream about our life... Our private place... The fights, love, possessions, jealous like every feelings we shared played infront of me... I saw his shirt he just changed lay on the couch... I take it in my hand... It smelled him... The unique one... The scents that any perfumes can't able to give... I lay down on the bed hold his shirt to my heart... I want to scream my heart out...
I heard my phone rings... I took the phone... It was ayi
'astha, meri beachi...'
'mom,...' I called her the same way I used to call her in my childhood... I want to return back as my dad's little girl...
'astha..don't worry... Keep your faith in him... He will come...'
'mom, are you all hidden anything from me?'
'no astha ... It is that... I know him... He never let us down...'
'bye mom... I need to sleep some time...'
'hmm take rest...' We hang up the call... I clutched his sweat shirt to my heart and closed my eyes...
. FLASHBACK ENDS