Sophia's Freedom

Chapter 93 : The Wish

As dad was about to say something, I saw Aamaya di approaching Abhinu. She bent down in front of him on her knees and looking at Abhinu from head to toe. It felt like she was trying to check if he is alright or if his wounds were healed.

“Are you alright sweetheart... I am so glad that you are alright…” and suddenly she hugged Abhinu close to her chest.

It felt like Abhinu was not feeling comfortable with Aamaya di touching him. He softly pushed her away from him. Aamaya di loses her balance and falls to the ground. By the look, it appeared like he was kind of disgusted or uncomfortable by her presence or probably by her touch. He ran and hid behind Aunty Jessica.

I was at a loss to describe his expression. As far as I knew Abhinu was a forgiving soul, but something is definitely wrong with him now.

Aunty Jessica caught hold of Abhinu’s hands and comforted him “You don’t need to be afraid of her... Do you trust me…?”

I saw Abhinu nodding his head. The comforting touch of Aunty Jessica felt like he trusted her a lot. “At least listen, what she has to say…” Aunty Jessica continued.

Still holding each other’s hands, Aunty Jessica guided him and stood in front of Aamaya di. I was feeling bad for Aamaya di. She was still on the ground and no one stepped up to help her get up. I looked around and could feel the anger and hatred for the person who was well known as Abhinu's tormentor.

For some reason, Mom, Dad, and Aunty Sengupta were not reacting to what was happening. I could also feel that Aamaya di was shivering because of the cold climate and because she was only wearing stockings and was not wearing any pants over it.

Somehow she got up and sat on her knees, and with folded hands and eyes down towards the earth, Aamaya di started mumbling “Honey… I don’t know how to say this to you…” she hesitated for a while and continued “Well… the thing is… I know I have never treated you well… I don’t remember even a single day I did justice to our relationship…”

I could really understand how much she was struggling to say the next sentence. “I know, I don’t deserve forgiveness from you… Even god might say the same… But in case you feel I deserve a wee bit of forgiveness from you for my foolishness… will you please forgive me for everything…”

Abhinu’s face showed signs that he was confused by the sudden turn of events… Probably deep down he was still unable to digest the fact that the person whom he considers his mighty tormentor had a drastic change of heart. He turned his head up towards Aunty Jessica’s face. He was probably asking her if he should trust Aamaya di.

I didn’t find any reaction in Auntie’s face.

Suddenly Abhinu spoke up. “DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU WILL JUST COME FROM THE GRAVE AND ASK ME FOR FORGIVENESS…” Abhinu started to cry and shouted… “YOU ARE MY ELDER SISTER… I USED TO LOOK UP TO YOU, FOR EVERYTHING, BEFORE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TURNED ME TO SOPHIA… BUT IN RETURN WHAT DID I GET… ONLY TORTURES… AND FOR WHAT”

“DO YOU EVEN IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT PAINS LIVING EACH DAY OF MY LIFE IN ANOTHER ENTITY... AS A GIRL. I AM A BOY FOR GOD SAKE… DO YOU REMEMBER THERE WERE DAYS WHEN YOU TOOK CARE OF ME, PROTECTED ME FROM DARIKA AND GARIMA, AND THEN ONE DAY YOU CHANGED...YOU BECAME A MONSTER... CAN YOU TELL ME OF ONE SINGLE DAY IN THE PAST 4 YEARS WHEN YOU CAME UP TO ME AND MIGHT HAVE ASKED ME HOW I WAS FEELING OR HOW AM I DOING?”

“IF YOU CAN CITE ME A SINGLE DAY WHEN YOU DID THAT, I AM READY TO FORGIVE YOU…” 

“DO YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THOSE 7 YEARS I PRAYED TO GOD TO KILL ME BUT THAT WAS NOT IN THE PLATTER TOO…”

“WHY DON’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME OR KILL ME INSTEAD… BUT FORGIVING YOU IS OUT OF QUESTION…” saying this he ran away trying to be as far away as possible from Aamaya di. I saw Master Kaku running behind Abhinu, probably to comfort him.

Wow… this was not expected… Suddenly I saw Jessica Aunty holding Aamaya di by the arms and helping her stand up. Aamaya di was also weeping after what she heard from Abhinu. 

“Please give him some time… he has a good soul, but right now it is shattered. It will take time to heal itself...”

"I know… I can understand… but how do I make him trust me…” asked Aamaya di.

“Well… that you will have to try… try to be friendly with him. You will have to make him believe that you are not the same Aamaya anymore, only then he will start trusting you… he is going to let you be near him… it’s going to take time, but in due time everything will be alright.”

I wish I could tell Abhinu about what Aamaya di had done for Abhinu to ensure his safety. To tell you the truth, A part of me believes that whatever has happened in the past few days, Abhinu's rescue, she goes missing, cold-blooded murder of Darika, Garima, and Aunty, was all a part of a plan that she might have set it in motion. Aunty Jessica was still talking to her.

“Joe has planned something for the evening… it might help you to be closer with him…”

The very mention of Joe Dada’s name suddenly made my mom shout with anger “WHERE THE HECK IS JOE…”

All of a sudden, I saw Joe dada stealthily approaching mom from behind. As she saw him, she suddenly caught hold of his collar and landed a tight slap on his face. The sound of mom’s hand touching Joe Dada’s face reverberating in the surrounding bounced back into our ears. I saw Joe dada fall on the floor and mom shouting “THIS WILL REMIND YOU NOT TO KEEP SECRETS FROM ME… DON’T YOU EVER DARE TO GO INTO HIDING WITHOUT INFORMING ME ABOUT YOUR WHEREABOUT…”

Dad, Nishi Jethu, Sagar sir, Brigadier Shahi, Tribeni Dadu, and everyone present on the spot went mum and didn’t try to respond.

Mom suddenly stretched her hand towards dada and helped him get up. As he stood up, she pulled him towards her and hugged him tightly. “I am sorry to have hit you, son…” and then she started to cry and simultaneously began to kiss him all over his face. Mom can really be unpredictable at times.

“Come on mom… it's fine… I deserved it… I should have called you… It's I who should be sorry…” for once, I saw Joe Dada crying. 

It was probably the first time in my life I saw him crying. “Please forgive me, mom…”

“Promise me, son… you won’t do this to me anymore…” Asked Mom…

“I promise…” replied Joe dada.

Suddenly Sagar sir Interrupted and replied “It's nearing 6 o clock… I think all of you should go and take rest. We have something planned for you in the evening.”

As we were about to move back to the car, I found Aamaya di walk towards Sagar Sir and pulled his shirt. Nobody was least bothered what Aamaya di's condition was as I could see that everyone has started to walk towards the car. I decided to wait for some time and watch what happens next.

Sagar sir looked at Aamaya di and bent so that he is in eye contact with Aamaya di and asked "Yes my dear... you want to ask me something..."

"Yes sir..."

"Sure go ahead... what do you want to know?"

"Sir... back in the car... you said that if we ask the something from the god of the mountain... he will grant up the wish if we are worthy of it... is that really true..."

"Well dear... it is a story that has been told in our village for generations... If you should at the mountain and if you voice echoes only 5 times the god of the mountain might grant your wish..." I heard him pause for a while and then continued "You have some wish in your mind..."

Aamaya di was looking down and then she replied "Hmmm... yes sir..."

"is it something to do with maybe asking the god to convince Abhinu to forgive you?"

"No sir... I am not going to ask that... in his eyes, I have committed the crime... so I don't want the god of the mountain to intervene between Abhinu's anger and his decision to forgive me or not... its something else that I want to ask him..."

Sagar sir placed his hand over her shoulder and began to walk towards the viewpoint. "well dear... it is only a story but why don't you give it a try... who knows maybe you prove to me that the story of the god of the mountain is true..."

I saw the 2 of them stand in front of the viewpoint and then Sagar Sir spoke something in her ear. About a few seconds later I could hear Aamaya Di give out an ear-piercing shout "O GOD OF THE MOUNTAIN... PLEASE HEAR MY WISH... IF YOU FEEL I AM WORTHY... PLEASE HELP ME REMEMBER HOW MY BROTHER LOOKS AND ASK HIM TO COME AND TAKE ME AWAY PLEASE..."

Aamaya di's voice kept resonating back from the mountain and as Sagar sir had said her voice echoed only 5 times and it vanished. Sagar sir whispered something into her ear, and then the 2 of them began to walk back. I joined them and as I kept walking, I could still feel everyone's hatred for her.

Everyone was waiting for us back in our cars and then Sagar Sir told us that we have a booking in Pedong Heritage resort. We will go there and have a rest. Once we are fully rested, someone will come to take us to his village.

We went to the resort, Nishi Jethu, and Tribeni Dadu made himself comfortable in a room, Mom and Dad took another room. Aamaya di and I decided to stay in another room. Joe dada also accompanied us to our rooms. Abhinu was still mad at Aamaya di and hence he decided not to accompany us to the rooms.

Once everyone was comfortable, Joe dada told me “We need to leave now… its important… we will be back later in the day…”

As Aamaya di sat on the bed I told her “Di… I am sorry for what happened with Abhinu. I know Abhinu well… he is going to forgive you… It’s only a matter of time…”

I saw Aamaya di opening her pumps and her stocking and getting on her bed and replying “I know Monika… It is not easy for him to forgive me easily… After what I did to him all these years only a miracle can help me… However, I will keep trying… maybe a day will come when he remembers the afternoon of 14th February 1996 and he will understand how much I cared for him. He will definitely forgive me someday… but until that day I am ready to live like the bad girl that everyone thinks I am.”

I kept pestering Aamaya di to tell me what happened that day, but she wouldn’t say, she only said that she knew that Abhinu maintained a journal and that whatever happened that day, she made Abhinu promise that he would not write it down on his journal. However, she believed that one day Abhinu will remember the incident and he will forgive her for everything.

She however said that they have a video recording of that incident which she had kept for safekeeping with someone she trusts. That video will serve as proof that she is not what she seems to be.

As I was setting up the pillow to lie down on the bed, I found an envelope underneath it. I took it out and on it, it was written "For Aamaya with love"

I guess it was a letter from Aamaya di and gave it to her. She opened the envelope and began to read it. As she kept reading I saw a beautiful smile on her face. It was a smile which I had never seen on her for a very long time. I asked her what the letter contained, and she said that she will tell me in a short time and then ran out of the room, and from the first floor she began to look out of the window for someone, she had a photograph in her hand as she shouted "SAGAR SIR... SAGAR SIR... YOU ARE RIGHT... THE GOD OF THE MOUNTAIN REALLY EXISTS... MY BROTHER IS COMING TO GET ME..." and she began to wave the picture and began to jump in excitement.

Sagar sir might have shown her something since I saw her stop the dance and return back to the room. She gave me a kiss on my cheek and bid good night to me and went off to sleep with the photograph of the person close to her heart.

I was not sure what had happened but something was not right. I decided to ignore everything, considering for once I have seen her happy after a long time and finally went off to sleep. 

*** We shall be changing the narration perspective through the eyes of Joe for the remaining chapters. ***

                                                     TO BE CONTINUED…

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