THE HIDDEN HALF

Chapter 16 : I believe you!

Annapurna: I’m sorry!

Vidhaan: Sorry?! I guess you said you are not here for forgiveness.

Annapurna: I’m not talking about that Sans… V-Vidhaan! I’m sorry for not protecting you… then!

Vidhaan: (narrows his eyes) What?

Annapurna sucks in a deep breath before taking out a polybag from behind of her and forwarding it towards him. Vidhaan scrunches his brow in confusion. Now what is she up to? Slowly yet cautiously he brings his fingers to the bag fumbling with its opening but in an instant Annapurna holds his hand.

Annapurna: Not here, please! I don’t want anyone else to see this. If you don’t mind, can I come inside?

Without a single word, Vidhaan moves to his left side providing enough room for her to enter and Annapurna understanding his silence walks inside with a slight nod. Sighing, Vidhaan shuts the door beside him and offers her a seat on the bed as he sits on the chair next to the bed.

Vidhaan: What is it?

He asks as he starts working on the folded poly bag once again. Taking a deep breath he finally peers inside the bag and Annapurna keeps looking at him with an indescribable expression… relief, resentment, anticipation and maybe… fear?!

And the next moment Vidhaan throws the polybag with a jolt of fear. His entire being trembles and his eyes go wide almost ready to bulge out of the sockets. Is this lady crazy?

Vidhaan: W-What is… that?

Annapurna looks at him but he keeps staring at the bag in disbelief. It’s as if his eyes have been glued to the polybag he has thrown down onto the floor with the only thing inside of it sprawling out now. Vidhaan cringes at the sight of the piece of cloth… A white cloth covered in blood!! Dried blood patches, precisely.

Is this woman trying to give him heart attack now?! Was everything she did a week ago not enough?

His eyes widen even more as she gets up from the bed, picks up the cloth, folds it with utmost care and places it back inside the bag. When finally done, she lifts up her head and her gaze meets with his baffled questioning eyes. Slowly, she runs her fingers over the bag as if reliving some memories. The smile on her lips tells him that this is something dear but her eyes hold an unbearable amount of pain. Pain that he could feel too. He feels a connection and though he is still denial but she is his mother.

Annapurna: This is the cloth ‘you’ were wrapped in when I saw you last time.

“What?!!”, Vidhaan chokes on his own breath and it comes out louder than expected. This is ‘his’?! That ragged piece of cloth belongs to ‘him’!

Annapurna tries to chuckle at his expression but all comes out is a croaked voice. She has been holding this inside of her for last twenty seven years and now finally it’s time to let everything out. She looks at him as a couple of tears also break off their boundaries and roll down the corner of her eyes.

Vidhaan: H-How come is it mine?

Annapurna: When I was pregnant, I had no idea that I was going to have twins. You know during the starting months, your father and I always had this tussle for deciding the names of our kids. We decided that if daughter we’ll name her Avni but when it came to our son, your father wanted to name him Shlok but I loved the name Sanskaar. We had this argument for almost a month and then we came to an agreement that our elder son will be named Shlok and if I’ll have a son again then we’ll name him Sanskaar.

Vidhaan: So… that means I was younger of the two?

Annapurna: (nods her head) Yes! By a couple of minutes. Shlok was born normal just like any other healthy baby but you were weak… really weak. The doctors said that you were having trouble in breathing and thus, they had to keep you under observation for 48 hours. You were taken to the incubator. I… I… wasn’t even allowed to hold you! They said it could be dangerous for you and I knew it was for the best. If I had to hold you for all my life then I had to let you go then. There were these two pendants that your father had made for both our sons after your birth. After twenty four hours, I was finally allowed to hold you. The moment you were given in my arms… you held my finger and with your delicate fragile fingers wrapped around mine, I instantly fell in love with you. You felt so much like Shlok yet you were so different. Your breathings were turning normal but you were still weak. Your father placed one chain around Shlok’s neck and I had put the other around yours. And then you were taken back again for a few tests. But who knew that it would be the first time I would touch you and the last time I would see you.