AbhiGya OS ~ Fathered

Fathered

When I reached the small caf, to say the least I was nervous. I didn't know how it would go. I didn't know even if I begged, would he comply. This was a serious claim, and I had no proof other than a man's word and his flimsy records. I took a seat on the table reserved on the name of Abhishek Prem Mehra, and the next minute I was served with a glass of wine and bread. I politely refused wine, but let them keep the bread. I looked around, why did the Rockstar choose this place for the meeting? He could have just met me in Mumbai, but instead I have been summoned here in Europe just for this one meeting - I sat there thinking to myself.

***

I didn't know what I was leading myself into, when seven years back, after my fourth wedding broke at the wedding alter I decided to live life, my way. Although it was unconventional, and my mother was completely against it, I chose it anyway - and so far, I haven't regretted choosing this path, even for a second - how could I? Every time I looked at Aarav's face, my world lit up - his innocent questions, his mischievous eyes, his childish grin and his ever-encompassing unadulterated love for his "mamma" - he didn't light my world, my Aarav is my world. My mother, the woman who initially was firmly against it, my little Aarav melted her heart too eventually and now he has grown up to be his nani's best bacha!

Never in my life did I imagine, life would bring me here, in Alsace, a small village in France, to meet a man, on whom my whole world depended currently. When one takes happiness for granted and forgets to worry about life, that is when destiny feels insecure and slams hardship on your face - I was so blinded by happiness in life, that I never saw a dark cloud coming. I am an accomplished professor, and the HOD of anthropology studies at the university of Mumbai - I earn well enough to single handedly raise my Aarav. My mother and grand mother runs the family wedding business. In short, we have a secure roof over us, and a stable income to take care of us, we were a happy home until my Aarav showed some strange medical signs.

***

My thoughts were disrupted by the sudden pulling of chairs and I realized he had arrived, and was seating himself opposite me - infact they I should say, he was not alone - another young man with a kind face came with him, maybe his manager. He sat down and brought forward his hand for a brief shake. Then his manager spoke.

"Abhi, this is Ms. Arora, and Ms. Arora, this is Mr. Mehra"

I nodded at him, my palms were sweating and suddenly I felt the loss of words - through out my flight journey here, I kept revising my points of arguments, slicing and dicing the situation at every angle, but right now in front of him, I just felt flustered - and for some strange reason, the mother in me, started picking similarities between his face and my Aarav's. Yes, Aarav had his father's eyes...

Again my train of thoughts were broken by his manager.

"So Abhi and Ms. Arora, I will leave you here to converse. I will be around. Once you're done Abhi, call me, I will guide Ms. Arora to the airport." he finished with a polite professional smile and left.

I saw him walk away, all the time aware that Abhishek Prem Mehra was studying me. When I couldn't avoid it any longer, I reluctantly looked at him. He had a calm composed face, whatever he was thinking, his face wasn't giving it away. I realized if he was giving me a personal audience, I shouldn't be wasting his time. I began in a shaky voice - I cursed myself for not putting up the confident voice I have been practicing my dialogues with.

"So, Mr. Mehra, this is about my seven year old son Aarav" I stammered.

"Please call me Abhi, and if you don't mind, I would like to use your first name too." he replied swiftly. I noticed he had a controlled voice, well devoid of his thoughts, but somewhere, if I wasn't mistaken, there was an edge.

"Sure. So my son Aarav has a medical condition - " I began again.

"Sorry to interrupt you Pragya, but in the mail that was sent to my manager, it said it is about my son's health not yours." he shot back with confidence.

"Yes, no.. I mean this is about my son Aarav, who.." I began, but he cut me again, his arrogance was irritating me a little by now.

"Well Pragya if this is about your son, then I am not sure other than my best wishes, what you expect me to offer - I mean if this was about monetary aid because he is my fan, my manager could donate on my name, it didn't need to escalate here - I must say you have wasted my time here." he finished and sat up straight on the chair, motioning to leave, but I had had it now - I can never take indifference and Aarav in one sentence.

"Well Abhishek, you don't have a son, you know that right? Then why did you pay heed to my mail and make the effort to privately meet me half way across the globe in this tiny French village?" I asked looking right into his eyes.

He noticed the sudden change in my voice and sat back once again, slightly less aggressive this time.

"Well because my manager thinks I should deal with this personally - if the press found out about your claim, they will make a media ruckus out of this - for your five minutes of fame and money, I have to suffer a lot - thought I meet you here and wrap this up." he replied defensively again. Something about this self-protecting voice of his gave me confidence - there was a slight chance I read in it, that I would be able to convince him.

"Well if you really believe in that, then I must say you're not perceptive Abhishek, because if my wish was to get the five minutes of fame, I would first go to the media with the news, and not send you a Private & Confidential' mail." I replied cooly.

"But if you did that, you wouldn't be able to milk out money off me by blackmail Ms.Arora" he smiled devilishly. It struck a chord in me.

"Well Abhishek, I am glad my son Aarav just looks like you, but has my charactral traits, I would be a really shameful mother if my son inherited your way of thinking" I said in sheer anger.

He looked at me incredulously "Your son looks like me, that's why you claim he is my son?"

"I don't claim he looks like you that's why he is your son Abhishek, my claim is he is your son and that's why he looks like you" I replied as calmly as I could.

"Okay you are trying to tell me, he is my son. And in the mail you sent a scan of his birth certificate that states he is born off you and isn't adopted. So you're meaning that at some point of time in life you and I got together to have him? Forgive me for having minor addictions Pragya, but I cant accept the claim of such a serious memory failure. But I must say your attempt was good, you did get me thinking for a bit.

Since you are my guest here, and I should be courteous, so this is a good time to wrap this conversation - my manager will escort you to the airport." he said and he got up to leave.

"So you're saying you never donated sperms haan? Not even in your struggling days for extra income? Maybe to support the expenses of your minor addictions?" I had hit the nail. He stopped and then he turned back and sat down again. Now I had his attention.

"Listen Abhishek, I am not here to harass you or ask for money. Trust me I wouldn't be here if this wasn't the end of my world kind of a crises. I know when you donate sperms, you sign an agreement stating you will never know who bought it, and also you are not liable for the future of a possible child that may develop from it. Similarly we as buyers sign an agreement that we will never know who the biological father of the child is, unless the circumstances are dire - and we can never claim monetary compensation for the child. But still I have been given your identity - the bank gave me your details inspite of them knowing you're a powerful man and can snub them for defamation - don't you think if they have risked this, the cause would be genuine?" I asked him earnestly, he looked shocked, and I realized I had tears in my eyes. I rubbed them quickly.

"Why did you need to meet me?" he asked quietly, not looking at my face anymore.

"Aarav, my son - your biological son needs a bone marrow transplant - no I am not asking for money, I can afford it. But the marrow can either be provided by a sibling or the biological father - I am a single mother who conceived him off a sperm bank, so there is no question of siblings with identical marrow here - that leaves us with the father - that's you. Abhishek, you are my only hope - due to the marrow issue, my Aarav is incapable of producing his own blood, he is dying everyday - he is all I have - I cannot let him go. I know you are a public figure and if this comes out it is scandalous, but I implore you to look at it from the point of view of a father - if you were married and this was your child, would you not transplant? It is absolutely safe for you - you can consult your own set of doctors if you want. I know you have no liability towards him, but can you deny he is your biological son Abhishek?"

"What proof do you have?" he asked quietly.

I hurriedly produced all the paper document, including the sperm bank record where his name was mentioned as biological father. He went through them quietly as I sat there with baited breath. As I looked at him hopefully, he seemed to have softened a little, and after a few minutes of quiet he spoke.

"I will do it. But at my choice of hospital, and with my set of doctors. Don't worry about the cost, I will take care of it. After all as you point it out, your Aarav is my son." he smiled a little.

And that is when I gave way to crying, tears of relief kept flowing, my Aarav was going to live - and how much ever I tried tears wouldn't stop. He patted my hands and tried soothing me, and after a while I calmed down.

"Thank-You" I said with all my heart and he nodded in response.

***

Abhishek had taken care of everything, from the press restraints to the secrecy, to our stay in the US and the hospital and doctors. He paid a huge sum of money for it, and I was guilty for that, but there was no other way - I tried paying as much as I could, but he refused to accept it - he called it his inherent duty towards his son.

***

After the surgery while Aarav was recovering, Abhishek was there all along, handling things on our behalf - it felt strange signing on Aarav's surgery papers as parents together. He got along well with Aarav, and I would often find them laughing and talking in the hospital - I couldn't help notice their bond - they were father and son, yet they weren't - he had Abhishek's laughter, he was mischievous just like his father and strangely they had very similar taste in food. I found myself smiling silently seeing them bond - and as the days were nearing for our departure, a heaviness was setting inside me. Abhishek and I had developed a comfort zone by now - we were friends one could say - he joked with me, he would come to our apartment to hang around with Aarav and he would stay back for dinner, we would chat even after Aarav slept - sometimes his friend and manager Purab would join too - I felt domesticated, and strangely I liked it - it was in my attempt to runaway from all this, I had shunned marriage and taken up my career seriously and later conceived Aarav - was I missing out on some inherent happiness? And was the biological father of my child, my sperm donor filling that void? I suppressed my thoughts and decided to enjoy this while it lasted.

***

The night before our departure for India, I had gone to meet him, and thank him one last time - after what he did for me, I owed him my life. He seemed a little low too, we decided to have dinner together as Aarav had fallen asleep.

"And for the records, I didn't donate sperms to support my minor drug habits. I had done it a few times because I badly needed the money - once to support my daadi's heart surgery and the other time to pay for my sister Aaliya's higher education." he mentioned.

I felt bad for my judgmental assumptions, but before I could speak he resumed. He seemed a little distant - it was more like he was reflecting his thoughts aloud and I wasn't there - he spoke about his family - he seemed very close to his grand mother and sister - he spoke of his tough days, his failed relationships, dreams and fears - a night before departure, Abhishek Prem Mehra had bared himself before me, and what was strange was I felt protective towards him. Amidst conversation he suddenly said something strange, "Pragya after moving to Mumbai will you bring Aarav home once? To meet my daadi? She will love him" he said happily.

"Sure Abhishek, but will you be telling her his real identity?" I asked unsure.

"I wont need to tell her, one glance at Aaru, and she will know - don't you see it, he is my young clone" he laughed like a proud father. I smiled. But then he looked seriously at me.

"Listen Pragya, I am not claiming any rights on him, he is all yours. Just that, my daadi is only living to see my children oneday" he sighed.

"Why don't you get married and fulfill that wish of hers soon?" I asked laughing, but the look that crossed his face made me realize something was amiss here.

"Pragya I can't father a child anymore - and my daadi doesn't know it" he replied shortly. I gasped in surprise.

"There was a time in my career when I fell into wrong company and indulged into major addictions - following that I needed treatment to recover - the side effect of those were sterility" he finished nonchalantly.

"I am sorry" I stammered, shocked at the revelation.

"Aarav is the only child of mine I can take to daadi, but I promise, daadi will claim no right on him - you can be assured. Neither will I ever as a father" he said shortly.

I looked into his eyes, I have always been possessive of my son, but for the first time sharing him didn't seem like a bad deal, "Aarav is your son Abhi, and if you want to claim rights, I wouldn't stop you. Your right on him as a father will never challenge my rights on him as a mother" I told him quietly - and he looked at me for the first time in two months with vulnerability.

***

Its been six months that we are back in India, we have met Abhishesk's family and they are very nice and loving people - everyone dotes on Aarav - but we haven't told him his real relation with Abhishek - inspite of that he has taken full liberty to call him "papa" because he likes to, and call Abhishek's daadi as "badi daadi" and call his sister as "Aaliya bua"!

As for Abhishek and me, I think we have grown attached to each other because of Aarav - we spend so much time together that it feels like family - there is liking there deep somewhere - but we both are too old to be in love and be romantic - we know eventually the families will try to get us to tie the knot and we will finally agree, but we are in no hurry, we are in a happy space with Aarav, his family and mine in it - the world has seen men and women come together to have a child, in our case our son finally got two very different people from two worlds together. We will be a real family someday - for now, we are just happy!