Sanskar combed his wife’s hair and tied a neat ponytail. “How do you do that so perfectly? “she looked up at him through the mirror of the dresser.
He placed a soft kiss on her side of the head. ” I just have done it with Ani’s doll so many times” he placed his chin over her shoulder. Ragini smiled looking at him.
“So what are the plans for today? ” she turned to him. “Um. How about first we take a walk in the garden?” he rubbed his chin with his fingers.
“Sounds good” Ragini stood up and immediately Sanskar lifted her in his arms. “I thought we are walking” she dangled her hands across his neck.
“Right we are walking” he walked holding her and she smiled nodding her head. As they reached the garden Sanskar placed Ragini in the bench carefully.
“What’s that?” Ragini looked at a direction and saw the area was cloaked behind big plastic covers. “It’s nothing” Sanskar made her to look at him.
“Dumbledore” she said in a warning tone. “Um. It’s actually small garden equipped with kids play ground. For our baby” he caressed her baby bump.
She smiled emotionally looking at him. “I wanted to keep it a surprise till the baby arrives. It will be ready in one month” he looked up at her.
“That’s exactly when we will be with our little one”Ragini placed her head over his shoulder. “Exactly” he held her hand in his hands perfectly tangling her fingers with his fingers filling every gap.
Ragini’s lips curved up into a brighter smile as she felt the warmth of his feelings. As he kissed her forehead she closed her eyes letting herself lose in that blissful moment.
“I want to give it the best of everything” Sanskar looked front. Ragini’s hand moved up to reach his shoulder and she looked at him placing her chin over his shoulder.
“You are going to be the best of everything he will ever wish for” she said soft kissing his cheek and he blushed lowering his head.
“Awww Dumbledore” she pulled his cheeks. “Stop doing that for god sake I am going to be a father” he whined. ” Right big guy. But you will still be the cutest creature alive” she smiled. ” I am creature?” he looked into her eyes. “Yup. A cute one” she said smiling widely and he could not help but smile and looked front nodding his head.
****.******
The sun was in the west and ready to say goodbye when Sanskar’s phone rang when he was making Ragini drink the soup.
He looked at the screen confused. “Why is he calling at this time? ” he walked away from the bed.
“Yes Sahil” he answered the call. After Sahil’s question he replied “No”
Then whatever Sahil said made Sanskar’s heart sink. He composed himself. “I will meet you in a minute” he said softly making it sure that Ragini will not hear him.
He disconnected the call and took a deep breath before wearing the normal face and walked to Ragini.
“See Dumbledore I finished that yuck soup. Now can we watch the movie please” she pleaded him.
“Of course why not. You be seated here I will play it” he walked to the TV and played the movie. He placed the cushion behind her back to make her comfortable.
He picked the car key which was on the side table and felt Ragini’s hand clutching his wrist. “You promised you will watch the movie with me” she said and her eyes had turned watery already.
“Um. Biwi. I had a bit work. I will finish that and will come back soon. Till then you enjoy the movie okay” he leaned to kiss her forehead. His shivering lips made her forehead crease like she understood that he was tensed.
“What’s wrong? ” she asked and Sanskar forced a smile and she narrowed her eyes as she did not liked the delay.
“Nothing. Sahil has some issues with some deal. I’m just trying to help him” he said not meeting her eyes.
“Sanskar” she asked him firmly this time clearly stating that she was not convinced. “That’s it Biwi. You have been watching lot of detective movies now a days. Doubting every little thing” he walked to the dresser to set his hair.
“Are you going to say it or not?” she pushed the quilt and stood on her feet. Sanskar worried nearing her. “What had I told? Stay in your place” he whined.
“Tell me what happened?” she pushed his hand away. “Biwi it’s nothing. I will handle it. I swear” he cupped her face.
“What’s there in sharing your worries? ” she asked looking into his eyes. “Okay. First promise me you won’t panic” he said and she nodded her head like a small kid.
“Ansh hasn’t returned from school yet” he said and Ragini felt her heart falling at the pit of her stomach. “You promised you won’t panic” Sanskar looked at her worried but every word did not seemed like it will reach her brain right now.
“My baby” she said in a low voice and started hyperventilating. “He will be fine Ragini. Don’t panic please” he pleaded her.
“How can you be so casual. Look at the time dammit. Its dark outside and I don’t know if he has eaten anything. You know he gets hungry as soon as the last bell of the school rings and it has been two hours from then. My baby is hungry from two hours and I don’t know if there is water in his water bottle and he will be thirsty too. And it’s freaking dark. Don’t you know he shivers and is scared of darkness. What if he is locked somewhere and is crying? What if someone have just picked him on the way. What if…..” she felt low and collapsed on the bed.
“Ragini…..Ragini…. Listen to me” he grabbed her face as she looked around everywhere with worry. ” I promise I will get him back to you safe. I promise okay” he said but she did not respond.
“Please tell me you will be okay by the time I come back?” he pleaded her. She was still worried. “Ragini” he called firmly and she nodded her head vigorously not meeting his eyes.
He looked at her worried as he exited kissing her palms.
***.****
It was just 10 minutes Sanskar left but Ragini felt as if her world has stopped. She looked at the clock again and again and waited for Sanskar’s call.
Number of thoughts just galloped in her mind as each second passed. She was getting more and more restless with the second passing.
“How can they be so careless. He is a kid after all. How can they just let him go and come back from school on his own? I shouldn’t have left my baby with that careless idiot. Damn what will be he doing? What if he is scared? What if he is crying? ” tears rolled down her cheek as those images of Ansh played in her brain.
“No. I can’t trust anyone with my baby’s safety. He will be waiting for me” she stood up and walked out of the room and then out of the mansion.
She walked to the gate and stopped a taxi and got inside it with difficulty. She guided the driver with the address and she was at the school gate on fifteen minutes.
She paid the taxi and walked towards the gate. “It just took fifteen minutes to reach here and I don’t know what took that Sadu to take it so long to search his own DNA sample” she hissed.
The watchman stopped her. “My baby has not reached home bhayya” she said to the watchman. “But madam the kids have left long ago. There is nobody in the school” he said.
“What will you lose for checking. He is very small. He can’t even scream for help if he has trapped somewhere also” she pleaded him.
The watchman looked at her and her condition and felt pity on her. He sighed and then opened the gate. “Thank you bhayya” she looked at him with gratitude.
The watchman weakly smiled at her and followed her. She swiftly walked around scanning every room. She wiped the sweat and held her baby bump which made it difficult for her to walk.
But nothing actually bothered right now more than seeing Ansh fine and safe. “Ansh” she screamed and did not get any revert.
“I had told you na madam. The kids have left long back and there is nobody here” the watchman said.
Ragini pressed her temple and looked around worried. She was feeling uneasy. And her fears went just multiplying.
“Where he will be. He must be so hungry thirsty and scared now” she cried looking around helplessly.
“I vowed to protect him at any cost. I failed my duty as a mother. True they say I can never love him the way his mother could have loved him. And I snatched the same mother from him. If I wasn’t there he would have been happy with his mother who would have protected him” she spoke and let out more tears.
“Madam” the watchman called her from a distance to which he had walked.
She closed her fist eyes feeling a heaviness in her heart.
“Maa” she heard a low voice and opened her eyes instantly to look around. She wiped her face. “Ansh baby. Maa is here only” she cried. “Maa” she heard his voice again.
“Baby. Mumma is here only okay. I will get you” she said and walked further in a direction she felt the voice coming from.
“Madam…..madam….. ” the annoyed watchman followed her. She reached a chapel and looked at its locked door.
“Open this door” she said looking at the watchman. “Madam there is nobody there. The sister has locked it after everyone left. And if she came to know I opened it at this time I will lose my job. Please try to understand” he pleaded her.
“He is a small kid for god sake. What if he was left behind. I can feel him” she placed her ear to the door and tried listening Ansh’s voice.
“Please bhayya” she folded her hands begging him. He felt pity and without giving a thought to losing his job he opened the big wooden doors of the chapel after unlocking them.
“Ansh” Ragini looked around searching Ansh. “Baby see mumma came” she said crying.
“Maa” she heard the most soothing word in the world for her and her heart leaped high with excitement. “Baby” she looked around.
She found Ansh lying on the cold ground and her eyes moved up to look at the chandelier which was weak and was ready to fall.
She squeezed her stomach as though guessing her position. “Sorry” she stared at the baby bump and a tear tripped her eye.
She ran towards Ansh as the chandelier shook and started it’s journey towards the ground and ready to fall on Ansh.
Ragini’s stomach hit the ground just an inch away from Ansh and she slid to cover him in her embrace as she rolled aside saving him and some of the glass pieces piercing her skin at her shoulder and face at the exposed side.
She felt a shooting pain in her stomach as the glass piece entered the skin of her stomach.
And in a moment the ground across her was covered in blood and she looked at Ansh who was safe in her embrace and passed out leaving a relaxing breath.
Everything was slow for next few minutes. She opened her eyes many times to get a glimpse but her mind did not record anything.
“I’m sorry Sanskar” she whispered lowly as if she felt his warm touch on her skin which was numb and came alive suddenly.
****.****
Ansh neared Sanskar who was sitting on the chair outside the operation theater. It had been half an hour that the light outside went red.
“Im sorry Chachu. Because of me Mumma got hurt” he cried bitterly. Sanskar was just staring blankly. He did not knew what to say.
“Champ” Yohan took Ansh with him. “Yohan Chachu mumma” he cried bitter hugging Yohan. “I went to Chapel to pray for mumma and baby. Because it was Christmas Eve. And when they closed the chapel I did not realized” he sobbed.
“I’m such an idiot. I was searching him everywhere” Sahil spoke pulling his hair.
“I shouldn’t have called Sanky when I knew Ragini will be worried and she will not leave a chance to reach Ansh at any cost. May that cost be her own baby” Sahil spoke broken.
“Bhai. Your Sanky needs you now. If you break down who will console him” Yohan spoke looking at Sahil.
“You are telling me to do something I don’t know” he looked at Yohan. “Your Ms. Collided would have wanted nothing from you right now other than this” Yohan’s eyes moistened.
He had no courage to operate Ragini at this situation. It was her eighth month and plus she was hurt badly. He had no courage to survive to look at her state and continue to operate her this way.
Sanskar felt a hand on his shoulder and a tear dropped his eye. He looked up at Vikram who sat beside him. “She will be fine. My bacha will not leave me” his voice shivered.
“You know she likes the idea of spending time in a hospital” he tried smiling from his contorted face.
In a moment Sanskar hugged Vikram tightly and cried bitterly.
“I don’t want to live without her” he sobbed. “You need not live without her Sanskar. She will not leave us.” they heard a voice and looked up to find Ragvi.
She sat beside Vikram. “She is here to live to be with her family” she smiled placing her hand on Vikram’s shoulder.
Vikram hugged her with love. “She will be fine” she spoke in a mere whisper praying to the almighty to save her sister who was destined to reach them in a most unexpected way.
When Ragvi saw Ansh she walked to him leaving Vikram to stay with Sanskar.
“Ansh” she called and Ansh who was with Sahil turned along with his father.
“Maasi maa” he ran to hug her and covered her legs.
“Mumma” he cried when Ragvi knelt in front of him.
“Your mumma gonna be fine” she wiped his face and gave him a warm hug. “Pakka na? ” asked he innocently.
“Pakka. May be someday nobody will be beside you but your mumma she will fight the world to be beside you. She loves you. She loves you more than the mother who gave birth to you. She loves you more than anyone in the world…. More than her own….” she stopped as her throat pained.
“She loves you the most” she said bending her head.
“She loves you the most” she closed her eyes and felt Kumud’s soul smiling at her emotionally.
“I’m sorry dee. I cannot hate her for being Ansh’s mother. I cannot hate her for healing every wound she caused. I cannot hate her for reviving those dead people who were not even breathing after you left. I cannot.” she said lifting Ansh in her arms with closed eyes.
Sahil smiled as the year tripped his eye. He covered her in his embrace along with Ansh. She opened her eyes looking at him.
“I surely cannot give you Kumud’s place in my life. But can I give you the place which I created for you at least?” he asked her and she let out a small cry and nodded her head and placed her head on his chest.
“I love you” she said softly. “I love you too” he kissed her forehead.
“Jhalli. See your Sadu finally got what he deserved. A LIFE” Yohan smiled looking at them.
*****.******
First ever chapter I have completely typed in the cellphone.
Phew took a lot of time but could not hold the idea.
I hope you have liked it.
Do let me know through your comments.
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