“Surprise!!” Aaru said and pointed at the two tall well built men walking towards them.
Durga froze as she took in the picture in front of her.
“Armaan, Aadesh..” She mumbled softly, as she stared at them in disbelief and shock.
Armaan and Aadesh couldn’t take their eyes off their mother. The mother they both had secretly yearned for all those years, but could never voice it out.
“Maa..” Armaan called out softly and that voice was an undoing for Durga.
She stumbled at the impact of hearing her son’s voice after twenty five long years. Gagan held her, but she was unable to bear it all. The shock was too much and Durga felt everything around her going dark.
She went limp in Gagan’s arms. Armaan and Aadesh panicked and hurried towards their mother.
In a swift move, Armaan picked up his mother in his arms and carried her inside.
“Aaru, where’s the bedroom?” Armaan asked worriedly and an equally worried Aaru guided Armaan towards the master bedroom.
Armaan gently laid his mother on the bed and saw Aaru’s father hurting there with a BP apparatus and a stethoscope.
He examined Durga and Armaan and Aadesh watched him giving their mother an injection.
“What is wrong with her? Why are you giving her an injection? Why did she faint like that?” Armaan asked gruffly.
“Momma is a BP patient, Armaan bhai.” Aaru said.
“Her BP shot up. I just gave her a Hydralazine injection. She will come around quickly.” Gagan said.
Though neither of them understood the name of the drug, they nodded their heads. After all, the man is a doctor.
“Aren’t you a psychiatrist? How do you know all these?” Armaan asked with a frown, the innate mistrust in his refusing to take the man at his words.
“I went into psychiatry only after completing my MBBS, son.” Gagan said with a chuckle and Armaan felt like a fool for asking such a silly question.
“I will go bring bhabhis and the kids.” Aaru said and hurried out of the room to welcome them in.
“Why did she faint, seeing us?” Aadesh asked in worry.
“Seeing you two was almost like an impossible dream for her. A dream that she never thought will come true one day..” Gagan said with a sad smile as he tucked a wayward tendril of the older woman behind her ears.
He loved her, they could see clearly.
“And seeing you two out of nowhere like that must have been shocking for her. I should have known and prepared her for this, but was too excited about giving her a surprise..” Gagan said, with a self deprecating smile.
“She didn’t know we were coming?” Armaan asked.
“We didn’t want to get her hopes high, so we never told her about Aaru’s attempts at getting to you. She had no idea Aaru was staying at your house.” Gagan said.
“Sasuma, mera bhacha.. mera bacha wapas do. Please..” They saw Durga mumbling in her sleep and getting agitated, tears running down her cheeks.
“She is still not completely out of the trauma she faced twenty five years ago. She moved on in life, but at times, it all comes back. She gets terrible nightmares and she would cry for you two in her sleep. We couldn’t watch it anymore. We had to try one last time before giving up. That’s how Aaru ended up in your home.” Gagan said, before turning to attend to Durga.
Armaan and Aadesh stood rooted to their position, seeing their mother’s suffering right in front of their eyes. To think that she has been going through this for more than two decades.
Only because of their poisonous grandmother. If she were alive today, they would have shown her what real hell is.
“Durga, open your eyes. Your bachaas are here. Open your eyes and see..” Gagan gently prompted Durga to open her eyes.
Durga opened her eyes and her eyes took in her sons greedily, as they kept overflowing.
She couldn’t have enough of staring at them.
She covered her face with both her palms and anguished sobs echoed across the bedroom.
Gagan eyed the Verma brothers to go to their mother and they didn’t need a second invitation.
Armaan and Aadesh kneeled in front of their mother and placed their heads on her lap, which only made her wail harder.
“Maa.. Please don’t cry. Just slap me. Slap me for never opening your letter. Slap me for never letting your letters reach Aadesh. Just slap me for thinking so badly of you. Please stop crying..” Armaan pleaded with his mom.
Druga bent and hugged both her sons to her bosom and cried, pouring out all her agony that had been bottled up in her for the past thirty years. She had been suffering from day one of her marriage to Acharya.
“My sons. My sons are here. With me..” Durga laughed in between her cries as she peppered kisses all over her sons.
“Maa. Our Maa is with us..” Aadesh laughed through his tears and he snuggled closer to his mother. Knowing the mother’s warmth for the first time in his life.
Gagan stepped out of the room, wrapped an arm around Aaru’s shoulder and watched the scene in contentment. Janani and Shreya were also standing next to them. And all four pairs of eyes were misty, watching the scene unfolding in front of them.
“You did it Aaru, my darling little girl.” Gagan said and he dropped an affectionate kiss on top of her head.
“I would never have been able to do this without these two ladies’ support.” Aaru said, pointing at Janani and Shreya.
Gagan placed his hand on top of their head in the form of a blessing.
Durga, Armaan and Aadesh couldn’t have enough of being in each other’s arms. Durga was scared it was all a dream and when she opens her eyes, they will disappear. So she held on tightly, not wanting to ever let go.
Durga was brought out of it when she felt a chubby little hand, trying to punch her thighs.
“Aivi..” Advi screamed at the older woman, not liking a stranger hugging his father and uncle. According to him, it was only his right to hug all the members of his family.
Durga chuckled through her tears, seeing her grandson. Her son’s son. She had only heard of the kids. Never seen even a photograph of them.
“Advaith, our son.” Armaan said softly and Durga gathered the little boy in her arms and kissed all over his face, much to the baby’s annoyance. He gave a bite in return for the kiss attack, making the older woman laugh.
“Ava, come here, darling.” Armaan called out to Ava, who was peeping from behind Janani.
“Ava, our daughter.” Armaan introduced his daughter to his mother. Durga picked up the little girl and gave a loud kiss on her cheek, making her giggle. But little Advi didn’t like someone kissing his beloved sister.
“Aivi..” He screamed and clung to his sister as he glared at the older woman.
“Such a jealous boy..” Durga said with a laugh.
Everyone in the room felt content, seeing her laugh so openly.