No one's POV
Kashish was in the middle of setting the plate when her phone rings, she picks up to hear Mohit's tense voice "Kashish, your mother and I went to the hospital. Now she has entered the house and closed the door without saying a word" he explains the situation. Kashish starts frowning "Okay Mohit uncle, I am coming back". Kashish runs to Mrs. Arora looking very tense "Mam I need to go back home, something urgent came up". Mrs. Arora although reluctant sees Kashish's worried expression she gives her the permission. Kashish leaves the hotel in hurry, she tries calling her mother but Saina does not answer her call. Kashish's worry increases tenfold the whole auto rickshaw ride to home she tries calling her again and again but in vain no reply comes.
She runs inside the house "Ma! Ma! Where are you?", after hearing Kashish's voice Saina emerges from her room "Kashish.." Kashish sighs with relief "Ma, why didn't you pick up my call" Saina gives a puzzled expression, Kashish understood something is off looking at her mother's face she questions "Ma what is wrong?". Saina tries to conceal her tenseness with a smile "Nothing my dear". Kashish does not buy it "I know you are lying, what happened?". Saina breaks into tears "He is here". Kashish confusedly asks "Who is here?", Saina continues "Rajiv is here". Kashish's eyes widen with shock "How? How did he know we are here?". Saina sobs "I don't know, I saw him in the hospital today". Silence follows Kashish is too shock to say anything.
Saina speaks up after long silence "What will we do now? he found us. He will make our lives living hell, he will try to take you away from me again. I can't lose you, my dear, your the only one I have". Kashish hugs her mother "No Ma he won't take me away from you. I am always here for you. Don't cry".
Kashish's POV
Mom is sleeping now, I haven't seen her crying like this for years now. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face I start recalling me and my mother's dark past, I was ten years old when Rajiv brought me to his home. Rajiv was my mother's husband ; he was a local goon, he was abusive and a drunkard. Every night he used to come home drunk and beat up mother, my mother used to bear everything. But one day he came with one of his friends; his friend was equally evil, he suggested Rajiv that he sell me to a brothel. Rajiv readily agreed but mom fought back for the first time. That night I still remember mother was beaten very badly. The next day Rajiv told us he is going to make a deal with the brothel. At that moment mother decided to run away from that hellhole. Mother was willing to fight for me so overnight we ran away from that city, we began a new life here in Mirzapur. Tears fall from my eyes thinking about all the things that my mother had to go through and the things she sacrificed for me. She suffered a lot to provide for me in a new city we didn't have anything yet she gave me love that is incomparable to any wealth or comfort. My mother means everything to me I am forever indebted to her, last time she protected me this time it's my turn. I won't let anyone hurt my family again.
Morning comes....
I start my daily routine of preparing breakfast and tea. I enter Mother's room and nudges her softly calling her "Ma, get up". She opens her eyes lazily and scrunches her nose "I am having a headache", I approach her and feel her forehead with my palm "You don't have a fever, maybe you didn't sleep well". Mom smiles meekly "I am fine, you go to work"; "Are you sure?" I ask worriedly. "I am totally fine," she says. Although unconvinced I head out reminding myself to come early today.
At around 3 pm I reach home after taking early leave from work. While entering the living room I see Mohit with his wife Priya, "Hello, aunty and uncle. It has been long since you both visited us together" I greet smiling. Mohit returns the smile but Priya does not meet my eyes I notice the air in the room is pretty tense. "What happened?" I ask confused. Priya finally looks up "Come and sit here with me", I quietly take the seat without any question. "Your mother is saying she wants to leave the city" Priya implies. My eyes widen "But why, what happened suddenly?". My mother exhales her breath which I am sure she has been holding for long now, she opens her mouth to speak but Priya intervenes "Mohit saw that man, he was with a group of people searching for your mother using an old photograph. He called your mother's name Kashi". I look up to mom asking through my eyes, mom begins "I told them everything that he is my husband and he used to abuse us. We ran here from him and his torture and changed our names".
Priya holds my hand and caresses it with her fingers "I didn't know you both had gone through such tough times. At such a young age you had to see the dark side of the world". I look at my hand trying to hold back my emotions, somehow her words strike in my strings. I control my voice "It is in the past, I am no more a weak kid who can't protect her mother. I have changed and this time I am gonna do everything to protect her". Priya smiles proudly "You grew up very good, you have such a good daughter Saina". Mother gives a knowing smile "I can never ask for a better daughter", Mohit clears his throat to grab our attention "So do you really wanna leave the city Saina?". Mother nods silently, I step in to deny it "No, Mom why should we leave? this is our home". Mother with an expression of certainty speaks "I knew this day was bound to come when we have to leave this house, eleven years have passed this house has given us so much. But without the residents' happiness, the house is never home". "Till when are we gonna live in fear, we have the right to live here. He is a nobody we can't let our fear overpower us. We will report him to police if he tries anything" I reply. Mother stands up and looks straight at me "I know Rajiv very well, once he gets hold of us. He won't let us live peacefully; I am positive he has been waiting for this day". I try to cut in, but Priya stops me "let your mother speak my dear". Mother continues "He has traveled from another city with what purpose do you think? He is here for revenge. He is a person who does not forget anything, eleven years have passed and I am certain his anger instead of subsiding has increased more with each passing day"... mother walks towards me and clasps my hand speaking softly "You are my daughter, and to protect you is my duty", "But Ma" I try to refuse, but noticing mother's expression, I stop myself, there was a line forming in her forehead, means the conversation is over and she won't change her decision. Mohit stands up saying "But where will you guys go, for past all these years I have not heard about any one of your relatives", I simply state "We have No one". his face falls, but soon Priya cuts in as her face lighten after frowning during the whole time "Mohit, we can offer them our house in Delhi", hearing the name Delhi makes me uncomfortable, but Mohit gives a small smile and excitedly speaks "Oh! How can I forget about this? It has been lying empty for years, you guys can settle there comfortably". "You have a house in Delhi," my mother asks confused. "Its a long story" states Priya. "But how can we live in your house Mohit bhaiya" mom replies hinting reluctance in her voice. Priya comes forward standing directly in front of my mother "We are no strangers and we are like family, for past all these eleven years our family had to depend on each other. So how can you expect we will abandon you in this difficult time". My mother smiles meekly "Thank you bhabhi, but how can we become a burden to you guys". Priya lightly smacks mother in her hand "You call us bhabhi and bhaiya but hesitates to take our help. We are family and I insist, in this way we won't be worried". At last, Mother nods giving in "Okay bhabhi, I won't decline your offer any more". Mohit and Priya smile with relief. But while all these conversations were going on, I was having distracting thoughts, moving to Delhi led me back to recall my troubled past. I left Delhi a long time ago, but that city never left me, my past still haunts me this date. I still remember all the agonizing memories that the city gave me, Noida is also the same but at least it gave me some memories to reminisce about other than Delhi where I got only pain, rejections, and defamation. While I was contemplating, my mother's voice diverts my attention "I am sorry Kashish, but I have been pondering about it since yesterday. And my conclusion is that for our safety we must leave as early as we can, Rajiv is no ordinary man he will find us soon if we don't leave". I nod understandingly "Yes Ma I understand. He might try to harm you and they might cause a problem for Uncle and Aunty"
bhaiya- brother
bhabhi- sis in law