Connected Heart

My daughter's room #4

Chapter- 4 

Abhinav was sleeping in the hall, whereas Nisha and Siyali were in the respective room. He opened his eyes irritatingly and went towards that locked door.

“What must be there?” He mumbled.

“Small couch,” he muttered, looking everywhere, finding no one near him. He ruffled his hand through his hair and held the lock in another hand.

He became emotional and looked at that. Some flashes came in his mind, disturbing him.

“Abhi please, come with me and meet my mother and Nani, you know I want to surprise them. Nani already knows about you, she is so excited about it.”

“Saira, please don’t say that. I get nervous even seeing their pictures,” Abhinav said, hesitating making her laugh.

“Abhi you are incredible, so cute, but you know my family is open-minded. They will definitely let you live. My mother tells me to make some friends, she will be happy to meet you, please just for once," Saira said, chuckling, ruffling his hair making him irked.

“Don’t touch my hair Saira, else I will teach you a lesson,” Abhinav said. For a few seconds she stopped laughing and acted like she took him seriously but soon she laughed holding her stomach.

“You look like a devil, but yes hot too if you aren’t my friend then I must have dated you, imagine by your anger my all enemy must shriek in fear also my friends might get jealous of me,” Saira said shrugging her shoulder, he smacked her head saying “never think I will date an idiot.”

“You broke my heart,” Saira faked a cry making him incredulous.

“You are too much,” he tried to shoo her, but she smiled, grabbing him and hugging him saying “because I love to make you irritate.”

“Saira, tell me one thing. Do you have a double personality or you borne mad?” He said, she groaned and tried to leave him but he put his hand around her waist saying “but you know I still believe I am lucky to have you, so always you are welcome to irritate me.” 

“What are you doing here?” Nisha’s voice made him come to his senses. 

“Sleep, the couch is small. I can’t sleep on the floor as I am afraid of ants. You know they are so big, they might eat me then how I will live,” he said shedding tears. 

“By eating my brain,” Nisha mumbled, annoyed, he gave her an innocent smile.

“Ma, let him allow. I guess now we should accept, and face it,” Siyali said from the back.

Nisha looked at her, then closed her eyes. 

“I want to sleep; from three nights I was running. Please let me sleep on the bed, I promise I’ll not even touch anything,” Abhinav cried more. 

“Is tap in your eyes? Whenever you want water comes,” Nisha said, making him confused. He kept looking at her with widening eyes. 

“Leave it, I am sleepy. I am opening the door, but don’t dare to touch anything,” Nisha sternly said, thinking it is time to move on. 

Nisha opened the door; her eyes turned into a glassy seeing room which once used to echo with someone's voice now seems dead. 

Abhinav gets astounded to see the room. It was filled with a girl’s photo, her medal, trophies and a broken guitar. 

“Aunty,” he tried to seek attention, but Siyali was in her own world and he didn’t get the guts to say something to Nisha. He kept his finger at the lip and sat at the floor. 

“Where did you leave me at this age?” Nisha thought about entering inside the room and caressed the wall. 

“You remember Siyali, she didn’t allow anyone in her room, not even our guests but sees today she’s not here to stop us from allowing someone else her,” Nisha said moving towards the broken guitar.

“She broke that in anger, you asked her to repair with her own money but she never did as after that day she never returned from college. We don't even know what happened to her, only after a month we got her dead body,” Nisha said crying.

Abhinav emotionally looked towards the guitar getting some flashes.

“I love my guitar even more than myself, but you know I don’t have a professional guitar. I badly want that,” Saira’s voice echoed in his ears, making him shiver.

“Shall I give you? wait why I am asking you, I will buy it and give it to you. Do you want anything else?” His own voice was that which answered.

“i***t, my dream is purchasing that myself not from others and you are so rich then open a Music hall for me,” she chirped, smacking him.

“Really?” He said, but in reply, he got punches. 

“That was a joke,” she said, trying to punch him more, but he pulled her towards himself through the waist and stared at her with several feelings. She stopped beating and looked at him. They lost in each other but came to sense by the mobile ring.

They separated and embarrassingly turned their heads, thinking about what happened, but inside the heart, they felt jovial.

Abhi trances broken by a sob, he looked at Siyali and Nisha. They were trying hard to pretend fine, but a sob came from their mouth.

Siyali closed her eyes to prevent tears but when she opened her eyes looking everywhere in her daughter’s room. It seemed her fragrance was still here. 

It was like yesterday only her daughter started crawling, and she needed to run behind her so she could not go far. 

Siyali took a step and extended a hand to stop her daughter from moving out, but her hand remained in the air. Tears rolled thinking she went that much far where she couldn’t reach and scold her.

“Where are you?” She always used to ask staring in the sky but never got an answer, so today. 

They never opened this room after doing last rites as they used to feel broken. 

“I want my granddaughter, please come. I promise your Mishu will never scold you also, I’ll allow you to  address her as Mishu,” Nisha crying muttered. 

“Ma, let sleep. Tomorrow you have to go to the temple, and me to shop,” Siyali said, not able to see her mother in that state. 

“No, she’ll come at night after her job. I’ll be here and give her food,” Nisha said crying. 

“Ma, she will not like to see us cry and you know right she will never come back,” Siyali said, making Nisha stand. 

“Abhinav, sleep if you need anything then call me but touch nothing here,” Siyali emotionally said seeing the room again, he nodded in yes and laid at the bed while Siyali moved along Nisha who was crying.

Abhinav's eyes also brimmed with tears. He closed his eyes muttering “Saira.”

After a few minutes, he opened eyes with the same innocence and cuteness which he always holds and started looking here and there. 

“Guitar,” He happily muttered, looking towards the guitar. He stood and walked thinking, “I will play for you.” 

“Please don’t,” He yelled as soon as his gaze fell at the photo which was kept beside the guitar. 

A voice he heard causing his head to spin, “help.” 

“Nothing will happen to you, I am coming,” he yelled, falling on the floor. 

“What happened?” Siyali came there running, listening to his voices. 

“She wanted help, I failed,” He clutched Siyali’s hand and cried. 

“Help her, they’ll kill her. I am coming, you hide. I’m coming, hide. Don’t come from there until I don't come,” he was muttering continuously. 

“Abhinav, what are you saying?” Siyali worriedly asked, feeling different. 

“I am coming, you lock yourself in the library that’s safe,” Abhinav mumbled before fainting. 

His words were not clear, but she understood he went through worse.

“Abhinav open your eyes, what happened to you?” Siyali became afraid of seeing him fainting.

“Ma, call the doctor,” Siyali yelled.

................................ 

“Abhinav,” Anjali suddenly said, opening her eyes. 

“He is in problem, he needs me,” Anjali mumbled coming down from the bed. 

Her forehead was dripping in sweat even when Ac was on 22. She was shivering in fear and feeling difficulty in walking.

“He needs me,” Anjali mumbled under breath. 

She stumbled, but held by Ram. 

“Abhinav is in problem, please just for once let me see him. I will not talk to him; I’ll only see him,” Anjali fell on his feet and cried, holding his leg. 

“I want to see him, please, just for once,” she again mumbled. 

“5 minutes,” he said, moving from there. She stood and wiped her tears. 

He looked towards his brother, and Vivek's room, which was dark. He sighed and moved outside, thinking about something.

“I hope I can also express my feelings,” Ram mumbled, wiping his tears. 

.............................. 

The silence was prevailing everywhere except Udaipur roads which never seemed to get sleep. Car horns were still there, disturbing silence. 

Raindrop was falling, but along its tears were falling from three ladies eyes and someone who gulped tears. 

………………………………

Anjali and Ram reached Chauhan residence and knocked on the door. 

Siyali who was sitting staring at Abhinav stood wiping her tears, she looked towards Nisha who was murmuring something holding a picture.

“No, Ma can’t get a panic attack again,” Siyali mumbled , recalling after her daughter's death how much her mother suffered, she even tried to kill herself, that’s why she closed this door.

She also recalled whenever her mother used to feel lonely she used to come in this room and start talking with that picture and behave like she’s talking with her granddaughter only. 

“Open door, can’t you see I am talking with her. Don’t disturb us,” Nisha angrily glared at Siyali, she teary-eyed nodded in yes. 

She opened the door and was amazed to see Anjali that too with Ram who seemed arrogant to her. 

“My child? Is he fine?” Anjali asked, joining hands. 

“Yes, he fainted, but now fine,” Siyali tried to say. 

“What faint?” Anjali asked, stumbling. 

“Now he’s fine, sleeping,” Siyali again said. 

“Please, can I see him?” Anjali asked, turning towards Ram who was standing carefree. 

“5 minutes,” he muttered, moving from there and looked in a specific direction. 

The Kapoor house light was on, and someone was standing near the window. He immediately moved inside, and closed-door, leaving Siyali confused at his behavior. 

“My son?” Anjali asked, not able to locate him. 

Siyali removed her eye from Ram to Anjali and took her along with him. 

Seeing Abhinav, she immediately hugged him and sobbed, clutching him close to her. 

“Abhinav, see your mother is here. Please talk to me, I want to listen to your voice. I know you’re angry with us, that’s why you're punishing me this way, but now it’s enough,” She spoke crying. 

“Hey cry outside, I am spending time with my granddaughter. She will be angry if you will disturb me,” Nisha angrily said, Anjali confusingly looked here and there, then at Siyali who closed her eyes helplessly. 

“Okay, I won’t disturb you,” Anjali said, caressing Abhinav’s hair. 

“I am here, open your eyes. I have to talk with you. Where were you for 4 years? Didn’t you remember you have a mother, and sister too? They are waiting for you,” she mumbled, kissing his forehead. 

“Ma talks to her in your room, don’t disturb the guest also you know she’ll be angry seeing all this,” Siyali said, making Nisha stand. She nodded in yes. 

“Don’t be angry, they need help, that’s why your super mother allowed this boy here. You come and sleep in my room. We will gossip, you know that the queen is getting married. I didn’t see her groom, but he must be like her father but you don’t worry I will bring a prince for you who will love you even more than us and can do anything for you,” Nisha said happily moving from there leaving Anjali puzzled, also a little afraid for her son's safety. 

“Actually, this is my daughter’s room whenever my mother comes here, she feels like she’s talking with my daughter itself. You don’t worry, Ma is fine, it is just today after so many days we opened this door,” Siyali said, seeing Anjali again looking at her. 

“Where is she? And what’s her name?” Anjali asked understanding. 

“Sneha Chauhan and died two years ago,” Siyali's eyes turned glassy, Anjali felt bad, but Ram’s expression changed. He lifted his neck and looked at the wall where Sneha’s photo was hanging. 

“Saira.”

To be continued.