When the Sun meets the Moon

Authors Cut 6: A Family pact

BEEP...BEEP....

"Papa...."

"Shivaay....Son..."

"I miss you Papa...I am sorry I pushed you away...I am sorry I pushed everyone away....But I know now I can't do this alone...I need your help! "

"Son you don't know how happy I am to hear your voice...We are always with you...YOUR family is with YOU!...Om tells me, that Ann is back? Did you speak to her? Does she remember?"

"No Papa...She doesn't know...and I don't think after everything that happened and what's happening right now...She should be here...She will return to England in two months...I..I just have to be patient till then..."

"Hmmn...Son...She's your wife...and if you think that this is for the best I promise you the whole family will support you!"

"Thank You Papa..."

"How is your health? Are you looking after yourself? Omkara was so worried at one point, he almost left his pregnant wife alone, and ran back to Bombay to see you!"

"Err...Well he did choose me this nurse...Mistake or not...I have to admit, I don't think anyone else would have been up to the task...I was a hopeless case...But now it's different...I...I want to get better Papa...I really want to...Ann keeps poisoning my food with medication, and threatening me to do exercises...She's rather a fierce nurse...I must say...An annoying one...And she talks to me every single night...Can you imagine? Sitting and listening to her and she makes me talk to her....Urgh! Sometimes I get so mad!"

"Haha...That's my girl! She's always rather...what's the word..."

"Formidable..." 

"Ah...Yes...Formidable...Do you think she is ready to leave you behind?"

"She did once...second time around it shouldn't be that hard..."

"Is that? Is that a baby crying?"

"Ah...that's Pari...I forgot to tell you...She's my god daughter...You should meet her...She's beautiful...and Ann..Ann loves her so much, they have become inseparable!"

" Ah...Do you think Ann would want to leave now that Pari is..."

"I need to make sure she goes back Papa...Ann's safety is my priority...I am going in to a war...and I already got attacked in my own house...Night...Night is no more..."

"What do you mean son? Are you okay? Is Ann okay? I am going to come back tonight...Do you need reinforcements? Should I send Khanna right away?"

"No Papa...I am okay...We are both okay...It's been taken care of...I have asked for police protection in the grounds, until the riots are over. In fact the school is starting today...I am opening up an orphanage soon...I will come to Shimla next week...I will head to Doda, from there..."

"Will you...Will you bring Ann with you? And Pari? I..I promise I won't say a thing...And I make sure Gauri and Omkara doesn't either...I...I just want to see her..."

"I...I was thinking to leave them here Papa...besides...Pari will leave in a few days back to her family...But maybe...maybe there is no harm in bringing Ann...She would be safer with you..."

"Maa is still in Rishikesh....She's still completing her yathra...asking for blessings for you every day...She would love to see Ann too?"

"No Papa...Not Daadi...I..I know you would support me...but Daadi...Daadi might just be Daadi...She won't understand..."

"But Shivaay can I ask you one thing son? Why don't you want to let her know that she is your wife? That this is her family?"

"Because...Because...I don't want her to choose us, because we are bound together with all this relationships...She might decided to stay because she feels responsible...even though she has no memory of any of it! I...I know she has a sense of feeling...a connection, that keeps drawing her back to me...But...that's it...there is no meaning to it...It's just a vague familiarity...That day when she wiped me off her memory, it would have hurt her a lot...Unknowingly I must have hurt her so much...I...I just don't want to relive that again Papa...I...I wasn't alive...neither dead...I was stuck in a limbo...I don't know how to explain this to you...But I have made a decision...I am going to make the best out of this life...this new life..."

"So to say...you are moving on? And you want Ann to move on?"

" All I want is a normal life with my family...A life lived for the greater good...A selfless life...A calm life...like Nights was..."

" Hmmmn It might be easier said than done my child!"

" Ah...well...I wouldn't know if I won't try?"

"Did you...Did you hear from Rudra?"

"He's...He's been writing..."

"And...?"

"And...I am not ready yet..."

"Not ready to forgive?"

"Not ready to apologise...I...I need time..."

"Son...Why do you need to go to Doda? I thought the affairs there was settled..."

"I have some unfinished business Papa...And it has to be me...no one else!"

"But you do know your family stands by you, and will be there for you...always?"

"I know Papa...that's why I need your help...to protect Ann...keep her safe...from everything!"

"Son...I love you..."

"I love you too Papa..."