OS: I knew

(something different. I hope you like it.)

"Excuse me?" Aditi said at the counter. "I'm Aditi Mehra. Someone left me a letter."

"Oh yes. We found it strapped under the bed." The receptionist replied. "The letter was dated thirteen years back.

"Thirteen years?" Aditi asked shocked. "I was six years old. Are you sure this is for me?"

"Yes Mam." The receptionist replied. "We had your home phone number written on it. Here you go." Aditi smiled and took the letter.

"Who left it?" Aditi asked examining the letter.

"A former patient, Pragya Mehra." The receptionist replied. Aditi stared at her surprised. She forced a smile and left for home.

**

Aditi sat in her room staring at the letter. She didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to tear the letter out of anger but part of her wanted to know what she wrote in it. Aditi with trembling hands opened it.

"Dear Aditi,

How are you? I don't know when you will get but I hope you do. I know you're angry and you have every right to be. I'm sure being that small you must have thought about a mother. You must have thought how come other kids have mothers and you don't but I promise you Aditi, I love you more than those entire mother's combined. The day I left, I saw you. You gave me a smile that I wanted to hold you stay but I couldn't. I wanted you and Abhi to hate me. I wanted you two to hate for the rest of your lives so my memory doesn't haunt you two.

I know you'll probably be thinking why I wanted you two to hate me. You were five years old when I found out that I had cancer. I didn't tell anyone. Daadi was sick and my mom would have gone terminal. Along with that I didn't want to give pain to Abhi in such hard times. I secretly started my treatment but after some time I stopped responding to the treatment. There was no cure for me but so much time had passed, I had been out of the house for days and nights for the treatment. I didn't tell Abhi why and that caused further problems. He did trust me but a part of him wanted to know the truth but I would always divert the conversation. I was glad when we started fighting over this, I was looking for a reason to make Abhi hate me and I had found it.

One day before Abhi or anyone woke up, I left. You were the last person I had met before leaving and as I told you, I wanted to hold tightly. I know this wasn't the way and maybe there was a cure for me but I had no other choice. This way I knew Abhi would let go of the memory and I hope he did.

I am probably dead by now but I don't know for how long. I just have one request. Forgive me Aditi. Forgive me. This will give peace to my soul. I want your forgiveness but please don't tell Abhi. I don't want him to fall in the clutches of the painful past.

I am probably taking so much of your time. I will miss you and always remember Aditi, you and Abhi are the only ones whom I have loved more than anything, anyone in this world. I will always love you.

Love

Pragya Mehra.

Aditi had started crying. All her life she had been angry on her Mom, on God, on everyone for taking her mother away.

"Forgive you? How can I forgive you? How can I forgive someone on whom I was never angry?" Aditi cried looking at the letter. "I didn't know anything. The topic of you mom had been very serious in the house. No one said anything. Dad never said anything. He did not say one word about you. I know you want me to keep this away from Dad but I can't. I have to tell him. I love you mom and so does Dad. He has to know the truth."

**

"D-Dad?" Aditi said coming inside the room. Abhi smiled to himself and turned towards him. He looked at her shocked.

"Aditi? You're crying?" Abhi said coming to her. Aditi hugged Abhi tightly. Abhi tried to comfort her. "Aditi, what's wrong?"

"Dad. I want to know the truth." Aditi looked at him. "The truth about Mom." Abhi looked at her.

"Aditi you know.." Abhi looked at away.

"I don't." Aditi cried. "I want to know the truth. I have every right to!"

"Okay then." Abhi looked at her. "You're right. I should have told you before but I couldn't. I was too guilty."

"Guilty?" Aditi looked at him.

"Pragya... she had cancer." Abhi told her. "She didn't tell me or anyone but I knew. I knew there was something wrong and I eventually found out the truth."

"But..." Aditi looked at him confused.

"It was my fault. I tried so much for her to tell me but she wouldn't." Abhi told Aditi. "Then one day she left. Five days later I got a call from the hospital."

"You knew?" Aditi looked at him.

"Of course I did." Abhi looked at her. "I put her ashes in the Ganga myself."

"You loved her very much?" Aditi asked.

"More than anything and anyone." Abhi smiled tears forming in his eyes. "I understand why she left, even when she was dying she thought about me and you."

Aditi smiled at Abhi and hugged him. She didn't tell him about the letter. Hearing her dad was enough to realize he blamed himself, no one else. She knew he loved her more than anyone and always will. I hope you find peace. I hope I see you again in the next life. Aditi thought.

Both of them felt a soft breeze on them. A very familiar breeze, as if Pragya was near. As if she had heard everything. Both of them smiled and closed their eyes, feeling the pleasure of the breeze.