"Ram betha,are you ready to meet your little sister?" Virendra asked as he stood outside the hospital room
"Yes, dad but would Shubhum get angry if I meet her first since he is asleep" he said pointing at his little brother fast asleep in the nannies' arms.
"Maybe for a second, but the moment he sees his little sister he will forget about it" his father said chuckling, a twinkle in his eyes as he thought about his little girl
Ram smiled at his dad, before fixing his shirt nervously he wanted to look like the perfect big brother
Virendra chuckled seeing his antics "Ram, you are already a good brother don't worry" he said before opening the door revealing an exhausted Nandini who was holding her daughter wrapped in a light pink blanket.
The nervousness disappeared slightly as Ram watched Nandini smilingly at him beamingly, he had missed his mom terribly the last days. Nandini was his stepmom for the world, but for him she was his second mom. Ram would never stop thanking the stars for not blessing him with not just one good mother, but two.
"How are you feeling mom?" he asked as he walked towards the bed
"I'm good munchkin, ready to meet your sister?" she asked him
Ram nodded smilingly, Nandini gently handled baby Shivina in his arms. Ram smiled as he looked at his sister, who was fast asleep with a small frown on her face. He kissed her cheek gently and held her closer to his heart wanting to protect her from any harm.
"She is beautiful just like you mom" he said but his gaze did not tear away from the little adorable baby in his arms
"Virendra,will you hold her for a minute so I can speak to Ram?"
Ram turned his attention from his little sister to his mom, he looked at her with curiosity wondering what his mom would want to talk about. Virendra grabbed the baby from his arms and left the room to give his wife and eldest son privacy.
"What's wrong mom?" Ram asked tensely while holding her hand
"Nothing is wrong munchkin" she said kissing his forehead, calming him down instantly with her motherly affection
"Your dad and I was talking about what to name your little sister, there is one name I suggested to your father but he wanted me to ask you first if it was okey. Ram,I wanted to name her Shivina" she said softly
"After my mom" Ram whispered emotionally his lips trembling, flashes of memory of his mom running after him, cooking food for him hit him
"Only if you are okey with it?" Nandini asked nervously biting her bottom lip, worried she had reopened a wound
"I would like that very much" he said slowly smiling before hugging his mom gently
Nandini smiled emotionally, wondering how she got so blessed to have three beautiful and healthy kids. She just prayed that they would be protected from any evil eye.
"I love you munchkin" she said softly
"I love you too mom, forever" Ram said wiping her tears away before wiping his own
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Loss and grief were two things Ram were quite familiar with from a young age. First, he lost his maa the first person he loved, then his dad who was his hero and then his shivi bacha. His little sister, his little princess who he was supposed to protect.
Ram clenches his glass of vodka, closing his eyes as he remembers his baby sister taking her last breath in his arms. His heart aches to listen to her laugh again, to hear her gossip about celebrities and asking him to get ice cream at the most random time. He would buy every ice cream in the world, if he could get her back.
"Ram, you should go home" he hears Adi say
"Home?" Ram answered bitterly before letting out a dark chuckle
"Come on buddy, lets get you home" Adi said taking the glass from Ram
"There is no home anymore Adi, without dad and shivi. It's just a house, an empty house whose walls will always call out their names. Three people in the house who will always seek out the two remaining members of their family who both brutally and cowardly was taken by my ex- in laws."
"Ram, Shivi dying is not on you" Adi says sternly
Ram shook his head, getting teary eyed. Adi sighed sadly seeing the pain and grief in his eyes, his dear friend who once always had a smile on his face. He could not recognize the man in front of him, it was all the warmth and love had been sucked out of him. There were only broken pieces remaining of the man he once knew.
"I was her big brother Adi; I was supposed to be the one who dies first. I was never supposed to learn how to live without her. Adi.....I miss her, the pain it's everending. I'm so tired" he whispered broken, tears falling from his eyes. Adi hugged his bestfriend, his brother in arm. Adi was determined to help him get out of this, no matter what it takes. Ram hugged his friend back, but he felt no affection or love just numbness and he sighed as he remembers Shivina telling him she loves him one last time.
CITEȘTI
Till forever falls apart
Ficțiune generalăRam has to learn to live in a world after his sister's death, while still taking care of his mom and brother. Nandini feels like a piece of her died along with her daughter, will the fear of losing another child remind her of the person she once was...
