Posted:
MaaMinty licked her lips . The sweet taste of victory had made the gulab jamuns sweeter.
Shopping and eating gulab jamuns with her friends was the best way to
celebrate because tomorrow was Anu and Veer's wedding.
Anu would be out of Rajat's life forever.
Sareen house, Sareen , Rajat and Neel would go back to being Minty's home,
Minty's husband and Minty's sons... Minty almost laughed out with joy.
"What happened Minty?" asked one of her friends.
Minty smiled " I was just..."
Before she could complete the sentence , Minty's head swam and right there
in the market place , in front of her friends she collapsed.
A couple of hours later, Minty found herself fully concious , laid down on a bed
in a plush, multi-speciality hospital.
"You are fine now M'am" The nurse who looked more like an air-hostess informed her.
"We are conducting a few tests and then you can go home. We did try to ring your
husband and sons but either their phones are switched off or unreachable"
Minty sat up with a grimace. Once Anu was married and gone everyone
would be reachable again.
Accompanied by her friends Minty came home. The ground floor of Sareen house
stood strangely silent while music -wedding songs emnated from the first floor.
Minty freshened up , cooked a meal and painted her nails , singing happily to
herself all the time. She hadn't seen hair or hide of her husband and sons all day.
All of them busy with Anu's wedding fuss, Minty growled to herself.
It was late in the evening , the sun was beginning to go down, when the phone rang.
"Mrs Minty Sareen?" a polite voice enquired.
"Yes. Minty Sareen speaking"
"M'am, I am calling from the Mind &Body Multi-speciality Hospital. You had come in here this
morning. I'm calling to request you to make a day long appointment for tests tomorrow."
"Why? I am fine now. What is this test that I need?"
The voice at the other end hesitated, " M'am it's called a biopsy. On the basis
of your blood tests etc I am advising you to please come in tomorrow.
It is really important & urgent for your treatment..."
The voice said a lot of soothing , supporting things but Minty heard no more.
Several of her relatives had succumbed to cancer. Yet, she had never thought that
nature woulfd inflict it on her. For a moment ,all her thoughts stilled, her feelings were numbed,
Slowly,panic began to fill her heart and mind.
"Sareen Saab" she whispered and ran upstairs expecting to see Sareen helping
out with the wedding preparations. She looked around for him . He was nowhere.
The only people in the hall were the Shastri sisters. They were wiping their Mother's
large photograph displayed in the hall.
"Don't cry Anu" Alka was saying, "Mother would never be happy to see you cry. I believe
even now wherever she is , she will be watching us, wishing that we are always happy"
Having wiped their mother's picture carefully , they hung it back on the wall, garlanded it ,
joined their hands and closed their eyes in prayer.
Minty didn't know when she turned around , climbed down the stairs and entered her house.
In a daze , she dropped onto the sofa and sat motionless. The sun had set fully now.
The room was plunged in darkness. Tears ran down Minty's cheeks.
She could see Sareen, Rajat and Neel putting up her picture. But all of them were very quiet,
their faces drawn, their eyes hollow-devoid of any expression. Hours passed
as she waited for any of them to say something . But no one did.
Suddenly, the snap of a switch flooded the room with light.
"Mom, what happened? Are you all right? Why are you sitting in the dark?"
Minty looked up at the handsome, tired, sad face of Rajat.
"Mom?" Rajat bent down a little to see if she was allright and Minty caught the
strong whiff of whiskey. He'd been drinking. She looked at his face.
He looked worried. For her. His Mother.
Minty stood up and took his hand in hers. "Come" she said and marched upstairs.
"Shastri ji...Shastri ji" Minty called loudly. Sareen rushed out with Shastri ji right behind him.
Rajat and his Dad exchanged alarmed expressions but befor either of them could say
anything, Minty joined her hands and walked upto shastri ji.
"Please forgive me for all that I have said about your daughters and your late wife.
I was angry, i was jealous. I just wanted this alliance to break off, but I always
knew in my heart that your daughters are good girls. Your wife must have been
a good lady too ... " Minty sobbed.
Minty's apology was graciously accepted by a shocked Shastriji and witnessed by a
stunned audience that included not only the two families but also Veer and his Mother.
After hearing everything, Veer decided to graciously step aside for Rajat.
It seemed that suddenly all the happiness in the world had decided to
wrap itself into Sareen house.
The two families spent the night in excited conversations. No one slept a wink.
Minty never said anything about her tests because she was overwhelmed to
see true happiness on her family's faces. She did not have the courage to shatter their joy.
She had done enough of that already.
Early next morning, a young man in a suit stood outside Sareen house asking to
speak to Minty Sareen. When minty came up to him, he joined his hands.
"I have come personally to apologise on behalf of the Path lab staff at my hospital.
I believe you had recieved a phone call yesterday. Actually, it was not for you.
The call had to be made to another patient. I hope you did not worry yourself too much..."
Minty's face turned white first and then pink with joy.
"Sareen Saab...!" she turned around, shouting out like the old Minty, " Sareen Saab,
I am fine. I am good"
Both families stared at Minty with puzzled expressions.
" Of course you are good Minty" said sareen saab, "you are a Mother ."
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Members Lounge
Mr And Mrs Parshuram
Dr Aarambhi
