Sometimes Hate is Enough

Chapter 12

Khushi

It was almost midnight by the time we were driving through the streets of Lucknow and heading towards Hazratganj downtown.

I looked out through the window at the sleeping city and sighed deeply as I remembered how long it had been since I'd been here. 10 years, maybe... No, actually 12 years, since I was 8 when...

I turned my head to look inside as I heard a rustling sound, and I found everyone sleeping peacefully. They wouldn't have been this peaceful if they knew that we were actually going to Maa and Baba's house. Apart from Jiji, Amma and Babu Ji thought that we were going to stay at Bua Ji's friend's house. So, there are going to be a lot of arguments after we reach there. But all the arguments are worth it if they mean that we can be happy again. Hai, Devi Maiya, please handle everything. I promise I'll never lie to any of them again. I promise.

"Bitiya, Yehase koun taraf jaye?" Driver Kaka asked, looking at the rearview mirror.

"Umm... Bas thoda sa or agey... shayad." I paused as I looked outside the window and tried to guess which way we were supposed to go since I had no idea. "Aap..."

"Agey se daye wale gate pe rakh diyo, Bhaiya." Bua Ji spoke up from her seat next to Jiji while taking out a shawl from her bag and tapping on Amma's shoulders. "We have reached... Payaliya, get up."

I felt myself breathing heavily as the car stopped in front of the gate. I tried to look beyond the back iron gates, but I saw nothing since there was still some time left before the sunrise. So instead, I took the liberty to wake Jiji up.

"Jiji, get up!" I shook her shoulders hard from behind, since I was sitting behind them with all the bags.

"Where are we?" Amma asked cautiously as she stepped out of the car and went to Bua Ji, who was paying the driver. I wonder how Bua Ji managed to get so much money for hiring a car from Delhi to Hazratganj... I'll ask once we are settled.

When Jiji didn't wake up, I pushed down the seat that Bua Ji formerly occupied and jumped out of the car along with Babu Ji's wheelchair, then started to drag Jiji out. How much more will she sleep?

"Jiji!"

"What?" She jerked awake and looked around before finally looking at me. "What happened?"

"We have reached." I answered while motioning for her to come out and turned to Bua Ji, who was talking to Amma by the gate and away from the hearing range. Then I walked up to the passenger side door and opened it to help Babu Ji out.

By the time I settled Babu Ji on the wheelchair, Jiji and all our luggage were out of the car, and Amma was already glaring at me for lying to her.

I avoided her and went to drag all our bags to the gate with Jiji.

"Let's go inside." Bua Ji said as she walked up to the rusty iron gate, took out a whole bunch of keys from her bag, and started trying every single one of them on the lock.

"Bua Ji, please don't tell me you don't know which key is for this gate." I said while breathing heavily as I dragged the last bag near the gate and leaned against the dirty pillar of the gate, only to be pulled by Jiji again.

"It's dirty." She wrinkled her nose.

I made a face before turning my focus back to Bua Ji, who was still trying the keys out.

"Are you sure that the key is even in there?" I commented as I looked down at the rusty bunch, then at Bua Ji.

"Ay, don't say bad things. Where will we go if there's no key?" Bua Ji snapped with wide eyes as she continued her work. "Arre, Nandkishore, khul bhi jao!"

I sighed as I leaned on the pillar while Jiji shook her head at me with pressed lips.

"If I knew we were coming here, I would have never agreed." Amma said as she stood beside Babu Ji with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why are you so against coming here when this is your own sister's house?" I asked. But Amma didn't answer. Instead, she turned her head to look at the house.

"I should've asked the driver to wait." Bua Ji sighed as her hands fell on her sides with her head bowed down.

"Why? Did we leave something in the car?" Jiji asked with wide eyes, then started to count the bags.

"So that we could go back. Because I don't think I'll ever be able to open this lock, let alone the others inside." She answered with another deep sigh and looked at all of us while her disappointment brightly shone on her face in the rising sunlight.

I bit my finger nails as we all stood there silently looking at each other. Hai, Devi Maiya, why is this happening?

Amma slowly walked up to us and motioned for Jiji to go to Babu Ji before taking the bunch of keys from Bua Ji's hand. She took her time looking through the keys before selecting a big one with some kind of design and opening the lock with one hard twist of her wrist.

I straightened up and shared a look with equally shocked Bua Ji and Jiji before looking at Amma with wide eyes, then again turning to Bua Ji and saying, "I should have known that you wouldn't be able to do it."

Bua Ji hit me on the arm as soon as I finished and motioned for me to bring the bags, but Amma stopped me with a hand and said, "Open the gate, Bitiya."

I was about to ask her to do it herself because it doesn't matter who really opens the gate because all that matters right now is that we can go inside, but she noticed the look on my face and added, "I think they'll be happy if it's you."

I quietly nodded, took hold of the rusty cold bars, and opened the gate with a loud noise before finally looking up at the havali standing beyond it after 12 long years.

Finally, I'm home.