"Maa don't leave me ever?" asked six year old boy, lying in his mother's embrace.
"Where would I go leaving you kanha? Maa will never leave you," assured his Maa and tapping his head and making him sleep.
"Promise?" again asked the boy innocently...
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Some more years later
Main Character's POV:
Years passed. Feelings changed.
After that incident, Nani and I have come so close to each other. So close that we covered all the lost time. My brotherhood instincts kick in always and protected him, pampered him, and supported him all along. We shifted our house once again to a much more secluded place so that none will bother us and won't be the subject of any kind of abuse.
The bailout process is going on for Maa to come out but still, my grandparents are not withdrawing from the case or giving her any pardon so that she can come out. She is still in there and happy for me that I am doing well.
And I have been staying with them only even after I turned 18. I told HER I would leave the house once I turn 18 but when I did, I didn't have the heart to leave and SHE never asked me to leave. So I continued staying with them only as my institute is in the same city.
I am in my 2nd MBBS year. Fortunately or with my hard work, I cracked my NEET exam on the first attempt itself. Got a seat at the Apollo institute of Medical science and research. I have always hoped to treat patients and not be like my father.
But never in my wild dreams have I ever thought that one day in the very same hospital SHE will be a patient suffering from cancer. Brain Cancer.
We got to know her disease when she was in stage 3 only. Sometimes people ignore the basic symptoms that occur to them in the initial stages and neglecting those proves to be fatal. That's the case that happened with her.
Being a doctor herself she couldn't identify them. A month ago she collapsed suddenly holding her head in the kitchen. Thankfully that day was Sunday and Nani and I were present and took her to the hospital where we were blown away because of the revelation.
The doctors started the treatment immediately but were hesitant in telling us more information. Since I study in the same college I requested my professor, who is also a doctor, to tell us the actual truth about her condition. I talked to the doctors in more person asking them what they were hiding. That's when the doctors revealed that the chances of her survival are very less and the most they can do was to extend her lifespan a few more weeks. Listening to that my whole senses went numb.
The reason why they didn't tell us all this in the first place is that SHE specifically told them so. Especially to not tell Nani. Listening that I didn't know how I should respond. There's huge anger on one side because she was building a false hope for us that she can live and on the other hand helpless. After all, even if we both knew about this before we couldn't have done much.
Our prayers, the doctor's efforts, and everything slipped from our hands so fast like sand escaping from our fists. Nani broke down so badly upon learning the ultimatum. Anger flooded through his veins and bombarded her for hiding the truth from him. But all the reaction he got was a weak smile from his mother. He cried and cried on her shoulder as she lay down on the hospital bed and I remained a witness to that heart-wrenching visual.
