Ah girls..romance..on the back burner for sometime now...here is a heart wrenching scene..for you...i wept...see what you feel
Chapter 54
Maan and Vicky went downstairs the next morning to have breakfast with Daadi as usual. Daadi asked them if they remembered that they are to pick Poonam up for the wedding. She had had the room readied for her arrival.
Both brothers exchanged glances, knowing that even though it was happy time with the wedding this week, they might end up having a storm to weather. They loved their mother but her swings in mood and her random uproars with total silences never prepared them for anything. They only were left to pick up the pieces and work to keep her calm. No highs or low just one steady flow lest they disturb the waters and they become murkier.
Maan, Vicky and Daadi went to the institution. Poonam was dressed in a beige saari with maroon prints on it in starched cotton that was culcatti in style. She looked elegant and well groomed if not beautiful. She was what a mother looked liked, the one you would run to with problems, to give her hug and get the love and affection she would shower on you. But Poonam was only a shadow of that woman, that mother. Her expressions at best were bland, unseeing almost. She did not anymore hug or fondle her sons' hair as they hugged her. She stood with her arms on her side. It was as if she was body that saw and heard everything but had forgotten to react. Other than her eyes which sometimes showed some emotions, the features looked serene and deathly calm. She looked like she was a walking dead.
Vicky could never take it. This woman who was his mother and he had some memories which were full of life and fun and now she almost did not recognize them. Vicky thought, what can I do to shake her back to life? What jolt will bring her back from the dead? He almost felt his anger bubbling inside, threatening to overwhelm him with its intensity and reach the surface when he used his sense of humour to tell Maan something inane, something that would distract his mind.
He said, "Aaj to Ma bahut khoobsurat lagi hai, hai na? Just like jaya prada."
Maan just said, "Hmm!" not helping.
It was Daadima who understood what Vicky was talking about.
"Bhai kyun, woh to Jaya Prada se bhi khoobsurat hai, hamari Poonam. Aur khush bhi hai, hai na Poonam, Maan ki shaadi hone waali hai. Tumhein lene aaye hain hum sab." She interjected and Poonam moved her eyes from Maan to her mother in law and smied. A weak one but a smile none the less. Vicky and Maan gave a collective sigh at the first good sign.
They picked up her bag that the staff must have packed and left for home.
Upon reaching the Mansion, Poonam seemed to be more alive. She stepped into the hall and said, "Kitna achcha lag raha hai, ghar aake. Mein ab kabhi nahi jaaongi Mummyji. Mein ab apne bachchon ke saath rehna chahti hoon."
All three exchanged looks that were happy as well as cautious for the last time she had been here, it had been the same only to deteriorate in two weeks time. Hopefully, the progress that doctor talked about now was going to give them a longer window of time for them to help Poonam lead as normal a life she can. It was after all technically nothing wrong with her other than the rage she went into once in a while or the total depression that overtook her and she lost sense of time and place and almost killed herself either with no food or water for several days by locking herself away.
Maan went upto her and put a hand on her shoulder and told her, "Ma hamein bhi bahut achcha laga," looking at Vicky to include him, "ki aap hamare saath hain."
Vicky however seemed to be taking a step away rather than towards his mom. He knew he cannot be totally involved else if she retreats back into her oblivion, he will be left feeling bereft again, jilted, alone and he was not going to let that happen to him.
He pleaded work as they moved to the library but Maan glowered at him for trying to leave and signaled him to join them. They all settled and Chandu got coffee for everyone and tea for Poonam. He had been with them for long and he knew how Poonam memsaab liked her tea. She smiled wanly at him letting him know that she recognized him and spoke with him as if it was just few days that she had been away. Chandu seemed a bit taken aback but Daadi's signal made him continue with the line of talk she had started and replied in kind and retreated once he served everyone their beverage.
Poonam took the first sip and laughingly said, "Chandu abhi tak waisi hi chai banate hai jaisi mujhe pasand hai. Itne saal ho gaye, woh aaj bhi mera waisa hi khayal rakhte hai jaise mein koi nayee dulhan hoon."
Daadima replied, "Beta aap hamare liye wahi Poonam ho, kuch nahin badla yahan par. Aap apne ghar mein hain."
Poonam with more lucidity than all three had anticipated shocked them, "Haan Mummyji mein bhi yahi kehna chahti hoon, aap sab mere saath ek bimaar ki tarah mat vyavhar karein. Mujhe sab pata hai kya hua tha, kyon hua tha, mujhe sab yaad hai aur mein kuch bhi ab aapke aur mere bachchon ke beech mein nahi aane doongi. Mein itne saalon mein yahi jaana hai, ki jo hua usme shayad meri bhi galati thi ki meine unhein aazad nahi kiya. Shayad aisa karti to aaj woh bhi hote aur Papaji bhi hote."
She continued, "Mein mere bte ki shaadi karwaaongi, dham dhoom se, usse uski Ma ki kami ab, is mauke pe to poori karke dikhaoongi. Maan, aapki Maa aa gayee hai aur duniya ki koi bhi takat usse tumhari shaadi mein shareekh hone se nahi rok sakti. Aap ki Maa aapko ashirwaad deti hai ki aap ki vivaahit jeevan achche se jaaye, dher saara pyar aur vishwaas aap dono mein rahe hamesha."
Maan could not take it anymore, he went up to his mom and put his head on her lap and cried. Cried for all the years she was there without being there with them. All the years he and Vicky had missed because his father could not hold himself getting into someone's skirt, someone who was family. He still blamed his father for her mother's state but having her back with him even if it meant for a short period was being given a gift that he would cherish for life.
Vicky's eyes had brimmed with tears but he refused to let them flow. He kept control over his emotions, emotions that threatened to overflow. He stood up from the sofa and went to the window and looked outside without seeing anything. He was not ready to believe that his Mom was back with them. He still needed to understand more. He was not going to be fooled over and over again. He was not going to let his heart break again if she did not recognise him one more time.
"Sonu," Poonam called out to Vicky with hand outstretched, who turned as he heard his childhood name his Mom used to call him with, not believing his ears. She remembered. She remembered him and this time he could not hold back his emotions, tears flowed silently down his cheeks as he took slow steps back to his Mom, sinking to his knees in front of her but still keeping a distance. She touched his cheeks, wiping his tears and said, "Mere Sonu, Maa se galle nahi lagega. Ab tak maaf nahi kiya Maa ko, tumhein akela chorne ke liye?"
That broke him, he sobbed and hugged his Mom, putting his head on her shoulder and wrapping his arm around her. Crying like he never had, not even when she had left him, not even when he knew he was all alone. Never.
Daadi had tears flowing down her cheek looking at the picture she saw in front of her. Mother with her two sons, one in lap putting his head down and her hand on his and other hugging her and her hand on his head, soothing both. She will treasure this picture of reunion of mother and sons for a very long time.
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