Chapter 1
2161 Words
Trigger warnings: This chapter may be disturbing to some of you. You can skip it if you don't want to read it.
Aadhan
Two years ago.
When I feel the unignorably intense pair of eyes on me, I glance up from the seven-month-old baby in my arms, my sister's son, Eegan. My heart splinters into several pieces to see the longing in my wife's eyes who is standing a few feet away as if she's frozen by the sight of me holding the little boy.
"Hey, love. What are you doing there? You want to hold him?" I say from the couch where I'm sitting in my parents' home. We had come here for Sunday lunch as we always do. Ela and Mini have also joined us with Eegan.
Priya walks and perches next to me but doesn't take hold of the baby as usual. She used to carry him when he was a newborn but slowly she stopped doing it and only stared at him from afar.
I hold the baby in front of her and he is suddenly fascinated by the earring that's dangling from Priya's earlobe. I chuckle when he tries to lean forward to grab it but his attempts go in vain. "He's cute, isn't he?"
Priya's only response is a negligible nod of her head. Lifting him up to my face, I blow raspberries into his full tummy, making him giggle and flail his limbs in the air. I do it in an attempt to make him laugh which in turn might change Priya's mood. It does greatly to mine.
"You seem to like him so much.." I hear my wife.
"Yeah, he's so adorable. What's there to not like about this cheeky fellow.." I tell her and go back to making him laugh.
"I am so sorry, Aadhi.."
My head snaps to my wife, wondering what she is apologizing for. "Sorry?"
"Hmm.." Her eyes become misty with saddened tears, "For not being able to give you a child.."
"Don't apologize as if the fault is in you. I could be the problem, for all we know, Priya.."
She opens her mouth to say something but quickly decides against it and looks away.
"Priya.." I shift on the couch to face her fully, "We are still young. I'm sure when the time is right, we will have a baby. Just don't be so heartbroken about it, love.."
She scoffs, "How can I not be? We have been trying for almost three years now, Aadhi.."
"Yeah, but we have our whole life ahead of us. Moreover.." I take her hand and kiss the back of it, "I'm actually enjoying all the attention I'm getting from you. Once the baby comes, you will hardly have any time for me.."
She doesn't say anything and only nods her head reluctantly before she gets up and walks away. I feel a crack in my heart to see her crestfallen face which once was always full of smiles and joy.
After lunch, Priya tells me that she has a mild headache and she wants to go home.
"Alright, come let's go home.." I pick up the car keys from the key hanger.
"No, Aadhi. I can drive home myself.." She protests and takes the key from my hand. "Mini and Ela will go to Rajasthan soon. You won't be able to meet your nephew till next year. So, spend some time with them. I will be fine.."
"But I want to go home with you ?"
"Please Aadhi. Let me go."
"Okay.." I sigh in defeat, "Drive carefully. Call me once you reach home, okay?"
"Sure.." With a half smile, she leaves.
***
"Coffee.." I take the cup from Ela's hand who sits next to me holding his son in his other hand.
"I have never seen her so down in these four years of your marriage.." He says with concern-filled eyes, "She really wants a baby, Aadhi. I can see that in her face.."
"I want a baby too, Ela.." I admit in a broken voice and rub a hand down my face. "It's just not happening.."
He reaches for my shoulder, "Go see a doctor. Make her feel that you want a baby as much as she wants.."
My parents and sister have been convincing me to consult a doctor but I have been simply postponing it. I believe it really isn't necessary. It will have when it's bound to happen
However, seeing Priya so heartbroken about it, I think it's time to face the problem rather than run away from it. I want to make all her wishes come true. We have been married for four years now. The absence of a baby in our lives is taking a toll on our relationship, even if I didn't want to agree to it but I have to take this issue seriously now so that we will have a baby at least by the end of next year.
I decided to talk to Priya about it later and book a doctor's appointment as early as possible.
"Do you know any good gynecologist, Mini?" I ask my sister who is a doctor herself but she's into general medicine and not gynecology.
"Yeah, I will send you the address. She's my classmate and she will be able to help you two.." She says as she joins us on the couch, scrolling through her phone before I hear the message popping up sound in my phone.
"Thanks.." I grin and take their son from Ela. "I am going to miss you so much when you go to Rajasthan. Will you miss me, huh?"
***
The rest of the Sunday we spent talking about renovating this house. It's our family home, one which my father built before his marriage to my mom. As their son, it was my duty to look after it even though I don't live here.
"Now that Mini doesn't use her room anymore and stays in Ela's whenever she's here, we should make it a nursery. What do you say?" My mom asks my dad.
"You are right.." He agrees with her as he proudly beams down at his grandchild who is trying to crawl but struggles with his chubby bum. "He's growing up so fast. Soon he might need his own room here."
Mini rolls her eyes to that, "Appa, it's really not necessary. We won't be back here till next year.."
"But when you come here, he will need a room, right? No way, our grandson is getting a room of his own in this house.." My mother argues and Mini shakes her head when she realizes there isn't a use arguing with them.
Smiling at my family, I walk away to make a call to my wife to ask if she's okay but the call goes unattended. Assuming she is resting, I join back with everyone.
"I should go home.." I say, giving Eegan back to his mother.
"Yes, you should. Priya must be waiting for you.." Mini takes her son and kisses his cheek. "You will go to the doctor, right?"
"I promise.." I smile, leaning down to kiss my nephew. "I will come to the airport on Thursday.."
"Okay.."
I am about to leave the house when my phone rings, and I stop in my tracks when I see the call is from my neighbor.
"Hello?" Panic shoots through me as I ponder why my neighbor who doesn't call me for anything has to call all of a sudden.
"Aadhan?" I didn't miss the shiver in his tone.
"Yes, Naveen, it's me. What is it?"
"Your house.. Fire.. Your wife.." He stutters miserably, making it hard for me to make sense of his words but one thing I understand. There is something terribly wrong with my wife and she needs me.
"Come to Lifeline Hospital. Hurry up." He says before ending the call
"What's wrong?" Mini must have picked up the distress in my eyes as she asks worriedly.
"Priya is in the hospital.." I don't know how I managed to frame sentences. "I need to go.."
"We are coming with you.." Ela announces before he, Mini, and my father rush to his car, leaving their son with my mom who is as distressed as every one of us but has to stay back for the sake of Eegan.
Did he say fire?
What did he mean by that?
Oh God! Let Priya be alright. Please.
So many thoughts cloud my brain all at once and I don't realize when Ela parks the car in front of the hospital. "Go inside. I will park the car and be there in a minute.."
I am lost in my fears when we reach the reception desk. "My wife, Priya is admitted here.."
"Just a minute.." The woman checks in her computer before she turns to me with a sorry look in her eyes. "The emergency ward is on the second floor.."
My heart thuds in my chest when her words soak into my brain. Emergency ward?
What has happened to Priya in these two hours that she is now in the emergency ward? I almost sprint out of the elevator when it stops on the second floor to the said emergency ward. Mini and my father keep up with my speed behind me.
"Naveen.." I spot my neighbor and his wife outside the ER, "What happened to Priya?"
Seeing me, his wife starts to sob even though she isn't very close to Priya. Her whole body shakes as if she'd seen something horrific.
"Aadhi, there was a fire at your house. The gas cylinder blasted, they say. Priya was in there.."
Mini gasps behind me and my father's hand falls on my shoulder as if he can't balance his own weight but I don't bother to glance at them. The world around me begins to spin before I slump onto a chair next to me.
"What happened?" I hear Ela's voice from the corridor which is followed by the soft cries of Mini as she explains everything to him.
"She wanted you inside, Aadhi. She kept asking for you." The Neighbor's wife informs me. "You should go inside.."
With trembling legs, I get up and make my way into the ER. A cold chill zips down my spine when I see a charred figure lying on the operation table, surrounded by doctors and attendants.
"Are you Aadhi?" One of the doctors asks.
My sister answers for me as I am in no position to do so. It is a miracle that I am even breathing. It is the push from Mini that takes me near the raised table. As if on cue, the doctors give way for me and step back.
"A..adhi, is t-that.. you?" The voice is Priya's but the woman lying in front of me is nothing like her. Her once shiny golden skin appears almost coal black, raised and peeling of the bones. Her long curly hair is gone, burnt to ashes.
I am too stunned to react. I can't believe what's happening to me.
This can't be happening. This can't. No.
I keep telling myself. She was fine just a few hours ago.
Mini beside me, keeps sobbing silently but keeps a firm grip on my shoulder. If not for her, I might fall onto my back.
"It.. hurts.. Aadhi. S-So much.." Her painful words are mere whispers but they stabbed into my heart like an iron rod. Tears keet rolling down her scorched face. "I.. sh..should h-have be-been c-careful. I-I d-don't want to d-die. I w-want to live. L-Live with y-you, A-Aadhi.."
I surge forward and hold her hand which feels like it's melting under my touch, "No. You are not dying. I won't let you die.."
" L-Look at me. I-I am burnt from h-head to toe. Even if I-I survive, I w-would look ugly.." She weeps uncontrollably and I want to scream at the top of my lungs for being so helpless.
"You are beautiful. You will always be beautiful to me, Priya.." A strangled cry bursts out of my mouth when I see the skin on her hand in my palms peeling off.
"Will y-you s-still l-love?"
"I will always love you. I will only love.." I promise her repeatedly until she doesn't reply. The soft rise and fall of her chest come to a complete halt. One of the machines which was beeping at regular intervals now lets out a continuous screech. I don't understand what it means and glance at Mini for explanation who shakes her head and cries louder than before.
"She's gone, Aadhi. I am so sorry.." She tightens her arms around me.
"What do you mean she's gone?" I look at the doctors, "She would wake up soon. Do something to her.."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Aadhi. We couldn't save your wife.."
I stand rooted to the floor as he announces the time of death.
- Writer
