Shot #32
She smiled at her beloved son seeing him making a face for being unsuccessful in catching the colorful insect on the orange zinnia flower as the butterfly has just escaped from the grasp......the view of 3000 square feet backyard garden from the large balcony of her bedroom was extraordinary......a number of different types of garden flowers were smiling at the sunny sky......most of them had opened their petals to embrace the morning nature as well as to extend their fresh aromas......the layout of the garden magnificently complemented the image of her home.........indeed a little paradise of love....
It was 8:30am but seeing his innocent face, she didn't have the heart to wake him up, in stead she decided to have a visit to the backyard garden with her son, who is already awaken, ready to welcome the day.......the first thing that caught his eyes was the red spotted purple butterfly hovered over the beautiful golden yellow sunflower.......amused by her son's ecstatic in exploring the beauty of the place, she slowly walked upto the anemone flowers, where another butterfly was resting......letting her son enjoy the beautiful view for a while, Heer was about to get the little colorful insect when the butterfly got tranported to a semi-wrinkled hypothenar muscle.......looking up, she was stunned to witness her visitor.......
Holding up the beautiful species in front of the baby in his mommy's arms, Mr. Mittal smiled at his grandson......."...here you go little boy...." he offered.......' ... haww!!! I was just pretending man......I practically didn't mean to touch it......' little Pratham thought as he flushed after being offered to hold the butterfly......she looked down at her left shoulder smiling as her son giggling while resting his head on mommy's shoulder, trying to hide his red face from the stranger.......
The old man laughed at the response from the little baby as he gently brushed off the insect........holding her son carefully, she tried to to take his blessings when he quickly stopped her from bending......"....bless you...." he whispered as he patted on her head......"...Please come in!!..." she quietly requested him only to receive a negative response......
"...I'm sorry!!..." he made the confession after sitting on the stainless steel silver slatted bench......Heer looked down, decided to keep quiet as she didn't know what to say in return.......
Taking a deep breathe he further added, "....I'm sorry for everything.....in my attempt of being a successful businessman, I miserably failed to be a successful father......haven't really paid any attention to him......or loved him......I am not worth of being called a father.......I don't deserve to be called his father.......he deserves far more better than me.......always gave him pain......not anymore........don't want to cause him any more torment because of me........I am his culprit and I know I am not worth of his forgiveness........no son can forgive the killer of his mother........" he softly admitted as his eyes dropped on the fresh green grass.......
A moment of silence took place as both didn't know what to say when suddenly Mr. Mittal felt a soft trace on the fleshy part of his right wrist......turning his attention to the person, he found himself observing his grandson having a close look at the buttons of his sleeve......he couldn't help but watch the replica of his son as cute Pratham instantly gave him a ride down to his own memory lane......all of a sudden remembering those days when Prem was less than a year old.......how he too used to interact with him in the exact same way just to grab his father's attention......but instead of the buttons, Prem used to grab the pen from his hand......then how he used to make him sit on his thigh and enjoyed his son's smile.......a priceless heart touching smile........
Coming back to the present, Mr. Mittal looked down at Pratham to witness the same smile after 26 years.......he felt a warm drop of tear rolling down his cheek.......surprised......as he couldn't remember the last time he sheded a tear for someone.......as if this little angel did the magic......as if his charming smile did the magic to turn him back into a human.......observing this little structure, he realised what he missed in his life for the past 26 years......what he did with his family......he missed that charming smile on his innocent, adorable face.......he missed those little hands pulling the buttons of his coat sleeve......he missed the soft feelings of those fleshy parts of his tiny palms......he missed all those beautiful experiences with his son, Prem......for the first time, he realised that, '..he too was a father..'....if only he could rewind the whole chapter of his life back to 26 years and fix those broken parts or fill in those blanks......if only he could go back to those old times and gulp in those harsh words back into him that he threw at his own son......
He found himself helpless in front of this tiny creature when he opened his arms to the little man sitting on his mommy's lap before wiping his wet cheek.......all of a sudden, wanted to feel his son through Pratham......wanted to love him......wanted to tell him how bad he himself is as a father.......
'...YESS!!!.....finally got a chance to touch those funny looking whitish hairs on his face......wait!!...before mommy changes her mind, lemme grab him first......' looking at the open arms of the funny looking guy, the ecstatic Pratham didn't waste a second before jumping into his arms since he got a chance to explore his new discovery......"...uuouhh....young man!!!......these are my natural charms.....therefore, go easy on them please...." fixing his french cut beard, the old man requested the little man........'...yeah sure......whatever.......who are you kidding dude??....they feel more like my doggy's feathers...' the little one enthusiastically giggled at the thought of his soft brown doggy......the grandfather too shared a giggle with his grandson........lightly ruffling his silky hair, Mr. Mittal unknowingly shared the past moment, "....you are two steps ahead than your dad, you know that young man???!!....." he laughed......."...your father used to grab the pen from my hand but you are trying to grab my charms eh??!!!......." he confessed as he lightly pinched Pratham's chubby cheeks......."....and you know how I gave him a tit for tat????.....like this!!!....." both the men giggled as Mr. Mittal tickled his grandson's little tummy......
"......you still believe you 'NEVER' paid attention to him???......or 'NEVER' cared for him???......" she smiled seeing the bond her father-in-law made with her son.........his smile faded away when he blurted out, a bit confused, "......I honestly don't know, when I lost the track in life beta......but it was too late when I realised that I am out of track......" he helplessly admitted........".......isn't it better to be late than never???......." she asked........smiling at the lady, he confessed, ".....in my case......it's the same as never......".......sensing the broken tone, she felt bad for the old man as she encouraged, ".....Please talk to him....paa-paa.....".......his heart melted, he didn't know why he felt so good hearing the last word from her mouth.......now if only he could hear the same from his son......as he made a last wish to God before his death......
".....I don't have the guts to face him, dear....." he revealed his weakness, as he got up from the seat before passing over Pratham back into her arms......leaving a peck on his grandson's head he continued......".......one day I will have to get my punishment.......so why not now??.......I know Prem will never forgive me......perhaps this is the deserved punishment for me and I accept it without a word........" without letting her influence him any further, he gently placed a blessing kiss on her forehead, "...take care...." he turned back towards his car, leaving behind his daughter-in-law and grandson to helplessly stare after him......
Noticing Pratham rubbing his eyes due to the burning sun-rays, she turned around to the entrance when her eyes fell on the figure, standing against the slided glass door, both hands in pockets......lips had a little smile but eyes were filled with tears of mixed emotions.......
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