So.. I'm still not sure where this came from. A few phrases in my head and this was the result. I haven't written properly in way too long so naturally this is very rusty and might not flow very well. Nevertheless, something is better than nothing I suppose. Its a bit morbid, I'm afraid.. very morbid but angst has a way of inspiring me. Sorry for subjecting you guys to this. :|
It was supposed to have been a normal day. Atleast it had started out that way. He had woken up to see his wife dressing up his son... Only he wasn't wearing his school uniform. Instead he stood there in a suit and was flirting with his mother. It took a while for his sleep-ridden mind to register that his son was imitating him. When asked about it, his son told him that he was preparing for a competition at school and then went onto declare his Father as his biggest inspiration. Moved, he had kissed him on the forehead and hugged him before his wife insisted he go down and have breakfast. Once they were alone, they did what they usually did. Talked, laughed, flirted... He remembered kissing her on the cheek as they took a picture, the memory of it making him smile. How then had he ended up like this? Lying on the roadside, bleeding profusely from the head, trying to get up only to wince and fall back down. A dark shadow seemed to have descended upon the perfection that his family was and the shadow was no one's but his own. He had been talking so much of death lately and the carelessness of his words scared him now much like they had scared and angered his wife. The pain that had taken hold of his body seemed to breathing life into those very words, making them real and entirely possible. It was everywhere, the pain... and enough to make him lose consciousness every few seconds. But he couldn't sleep. Not now. Not when he still wasn't sure if Ayaan was safe. And Paakhi... He had to see Paakhi. As if she had heard him, her face and voice filled his mind now... He had always found her laugh to be beautiful. He could do anything... Simply anything for that laugh. He also knew that if he were to abandon her now, that was the first thing he would take away with him. The idea was nothing short of unbearable. Dying did not scare Anshuman Rathore so much as the repercussions his death would have on the two people he loved most in the world.
Not today. He said, addressing a God that until recently he hadn't even believed in.
The earth beneath him seemed to be vibrating now, the sensation making him uncomfortable. Light flashed through the darkness as he moved his head around, trying to locate the source. It was his phone. Ignoring the pain, he willed himself to get up and crawled towards it.
Paakhi.
He blinked once, his head feeling like somebody had hit him with a club. Time was moving very slowly. He fumbled with the phone, trying to remember how to operate it. By some miracle, he seemed to have done something right as her voice penetrated through the silence... His favorite sound in the world.
"Anshuman?!"
She sounded worried. Panicked. So she had gotten the message he had left her.
"Paakhi?" His voice was weak. Too weak and it did nothing to ease her worry.
"Anshuman, are you okay? Is Ayaan okay?"
As he tried to focus, he saw a small figure run towards him. It was Ayaan. He was alright. As if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, he embraced his son.
"Ayaan theek hai." he managed to say.
"Dad aap theek ho na?" His son asked him. He tried to nod but that made his head hurt all the more.
"Chachu... Chachu uth nai rahe Dad."
Even in the darkness, Anshuman saw the fear written across his son's face.
"Anshuman?"
Paakhi was still waiting for him to say something.
"Paakhi..."
"Anshuman where are you?" The pain was getting worse; consuming him much like fire consumes wood.
"Anshuman talk to me." she pleaded.
"Paakhi... I love you." The words slipped out of his mouth, much like a prayer.
"Anshuman please..."
"I love you."
It was the last thing he said to her before the pain engulfed him whole, making him lose his grip on reality as he finally lost consciousness and fell back to the ground. He didn't know what would happen next, he didn't even know if he would wake up again... Struggling with the final shreds of consciousness that still held him back; he looked to the skies above and prayed for his family.
"Keep them safe." He murmured.
His last conscious thought was not his own, instead it was her voice again. It seemed to penetrate through a thick void that was otherwise threatening to wipe out everything he had ever known or felt.
Clear, true and full of love... it was almost as if she was whispering the words into his ear,
"Tumhare intezaar mein, tumhari Paakhi."
Anshuman Rathore felt his heart break into a million pieces, the ache far worse than any physical agony his body might have been in.
I'm sorry.
After that he knew no more.
For anybody who is wondering, yes Anshuman does survive. I donot have the heart to kill him and never will. Let me know what you think of the drabble.. Feedback is always welcome. :)
Maham.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
