Her Sanctuary

36. Spring

Avinash POV

I sat on the white sheets on the floor of my apartment after all the guests had fed and left. Today, was the last day of the 9 days and my mother was supposed to have entered heaven. If that was possible for her or even if there was heaven.

"Where did you put the couch and stuff?" Ambar said sitting next to me. He had stains of lentils on his white pajama from pouring around in the plates.

"I sold it." I say as he looks at me shocked.

"Huh?" He says as I shrug.

"I leave this apartment soon. I sold almost everything. Refrigerator, oven, even the utensils we used belong to the gurudwara. The stuff I needed, including my clothes is packed and sent to Sabina's house. I have nothing here." I say as Samayra comes to sit by us followed by Ishleen and Rehaan.

"Here." Ishleen says handing me to the picture of my mother that I had framed with the date of her birth and death mentioned below.

"I don't need it." I say as Sabina walks out of the bathroom looking for a towel. She wipes her hands on her white cotton dupatta and takes the portrait.

"Give it to me." She says as I look at her confused.

"We're not taking it into that house." I say as she looks at me.

"Why not?"

"Because... because it's... That house is Jeet Uncle's and..." I was saying as she sat just before me. I opened my legs, as she put her back to my chest leaning on me.

"Did you think this before sending your stuff over?" she says.

"I live there but my mother d..."

"Your mother's portrait and her memories go where you go."

"I don't want the memories." I say as Ishleen chirped into our conversation.

"There must be some good memories... Something that she involuntarily did for you. A gesture of pure love and mother hood." Ishleen had said as Sabina slowly shook her head towards her.

"She hated the stretch marks on her belly because of carrying me. That reduced her beauty when she wore a saree." I say as there was pindrop silence for a few minutes.

"Something she made in the kitchen, that you liked?" Ishleen asked.

"She made me choori. Now, that I think of it... She hated jaggery but she always kept it in stock. She mixed it with chapatti and ghee, made those rolls I love and kept it before going away."

"And her grandchild will love choori as well, and hear this story." Sabina said showing me the picture as I put my arm around her and nod.

"Thank you." I whisper inhaling her scent. I had felt it change during motherhood, but I loved every moment of it.

My phone rang in my kurta's pocket as I took it out. It was an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Good afternoon, Is this Mr. Avinash Bajwa?" a man spoke formally. I would have hated to take a loan or bank salesman call right now.

"Yes, it is." I say ready for him to introduce himself so I could disconnect.

"Sir, you put up a request for adoption almost 2 months ago."

"Yes... yes, I did."

"Sir, we have a girl child. She's approximately 31 days old. She was abandoned at the railway station as a new born. We would like you to visit our office today or tomorrow. After this, we would have to..."

"I'll be there in 20 minutes." I say and got up, looking for my car keys as the man on the other end disconnected.

"What is it?"

"I... we got a baby girl." I say looking at Sabina as she squeals in delight looking at me. I give her a helping hand, as she carefully stood up with her bump.

"It was the adoption agency?" she asked as I nod.

"We're taking your car. I can't get a baby on a bike... so... and what else do we need?"

"A car seat. Raunak outgrew the one in our car's trunk, we got a new one few days ago..." Ishleen spoke as Rehaan immediately reached for his car keys to help out.

"Congratulations..." Samayra spoke, as she looked around.

"I would have gone home and decorated for your welcome but..." she says pointing to the sense of white and death looming around us. I shook my head disagreeing.

"Go home and decorate. We'll meet you there." I say as she nodded, and Ambar shook my hand in congratulations.

+++++++++++++++++++++

With my daughter having beautiful black curly hair, a dark olive skin, but the ocean blue eyes similar to the picture kept by her side in the backseat of the car, we drove into the parking lot of Jeet's house.

"Sabina." I say before she could get down.

"Avi." She says looking at me with a smile.

"I thought of a name." I say as she nods, wanting to listen. "Mohina." I say and almost immediately regret.

"I googled it... It's the name of a bird that..." I was saying as she kept her hand on mine.

"It's the name of the two important woman to you. Mohi and Sabina. And It's beautiful." She says as I nod. "I love you." She says as I bend forward to kiss her.

"I love you too." I say as we hear an excited little squeak from the backside.

"Yes, sweetie. Daddy on the way." I say removing my belt.

"Don't use daddy... Papa or something is fine." She says as I frown.

"Why?"

"Because I doubt she's the first girl to call you that."

"She's the first 'girl' to call me that." I say taking her out of the car seat and looking at the bundle of pure joy as she fusses. "The other's were woman." I say with a wink as Sabina rolls her eyes.

"I'll see how you protect Mohina from men like you, when she grows up." Sabina says, as I think for a minute.

"We need a gym in the house... and a taewondo instructor and some other even more dangerous form of martial arts. And I'll treat her right. She can always talk to me, and I can always talk her out of stupid decisions." I say as she chuckles.

"You deserve all the anxiety building up in you, at the thought of your daughter bringing home a man like you." Jeet says entering the car parking as Samayra walks behind him with Balloons.

I reluctantly hand him my daughter when he extends his hands, considering he handed his daughter in mine. They walk away celebrating her homecoming as Sabina walks with me.

"Daddy won't do. It's Papa or dad." I whisper as Sabina chuckles.

"Expected." She says.

But the truth was... Mohina did call me daddy from the age of a toddler to her pre-teens and it was a title I loved and cherished in all its purity.

We had a son, about five months later. We named him Ashish, and Ravdeep donated to a lot of charities on his birth. He was the first grandson, according to him.

But he and Kavita loved Danish, Mohina and Ashish the same. Mohina's eyes reminded me of storms and her sweet smile was a reminder that If I passed that, I can do anything in the world.

She was my favorite child. Maybe because Sabina said that daughters are more dear to a father than a son. But, she knew if I was upset or stressed and would kiss my cheek to make it all better, to take a pause from  pulling my nose.

It was a myth, that there's no such thing as a favorite child and all our equal. This little fairy was the best thing to happen to me, aside Sabina ofcourse.

And then there's Danish and Ashish.

Two irresponsible mess creating, pain in the ass'.

MY pain in the ass'