Together Forever

Chapter 69: Crossroads

Sanskaar sat with fuzzy hands before the doctor who seemed busy looking out for Asha's reports. Ever since then, he had only muttered prayers within.

"Is everything okay doctor?" The impending silence kept Sanskaar on toes that he could no longer wait.

The doctor closed the file, an exhale left from him as he leaned forward, "Is there no other elder guardian or relative except you Sanskaar?"

"There's no one." He repeated the answer to the periodical question the doctor often enquired, "Please do not hesitate to speak, doctor-- if there's anything."

Sanskaar insisted. The anxiety had slowly started to creep into him; they spread all over that made his hands tremble slightly and his heart raced.

The doctor looked at him, hands clasped together. "Mrs. Asha's reports are positive towards Coronary artery disease. Too much damage in the major heart blood vessels."

Coron--- what? Sanskaar's heart forgot to beat and instead, numbness seeped in. It was heavy. So heavy that he found it so hard to breathe.

"But-- She's doing fine doctor! Apart from very occasional heart burns, breathing struggle or fatigue-- she's just--" No. He would not agree.

Apart from a few drops of health, Asha had been in an absolute fit! Even an hour ago she cooked his favourite breakfast and laughed with him. This has to be false; No--

"Sanskaar. Whatever you stated, these are the symptoms--" The doctor continued to speak more about the symptoms, required medications and the procedures.

Everything was a blur. Nothing seemed right, nothing clear and the doctor's words only added more weight upon him. They kept increasing with every verbal.

"She requires angioplasty surgery to check how severe the damage has spread. The sooner, the better." The doctor concluded or rather the turmoil on the young lad's face forced him to stop.

"Why?" Sanskaar's tone cracked yet he gathered strength, "The monthly checkup was done except for the last two months. So why was this condition not discovered then?"

"She didn't tell you?" The doctor looked amused, "I've already informed your grandmother during the last report results." Last time the boy didn't accompany her.

He explained to Asha and even urged to get surgery soonest. But he received no answers from her side nor did she turn regular with the checkups.

Already informed-- That explained why Asha was extraordinarily stubborn about the regular monthly checkup. Two months- she concealed a secret that might even take away her life.

And he knew nothing although, they were mostly together. So how many days had she suppressed her physical ache just because she didn't not want him to suffer?

The thought itself acted as a knife and was plunged right to his heart. It stung, it bled but the ache didn't cease. Sanskaar had a brief recollection of getting out of the cabin.

He had a vague memory of the doctor calling him back, people he stumbled across cursing him-- everything was distant to him at this point.

On what basis did he think happiness could also reach him? On what grounds did he believe hope that never favoured him? To all those stupid beliefs, there came his answer-

Happiness was never his to embrace.

Sanskaar's face was buried in his palms-- the doctor's words reel in loops into his ears. The noose, once gone was back around his neck and it suffocated him.  

And when he pulled back himself with a staggered breath, it was dark. Sanskaar could see only darkness despite how the sun scorched so bright.

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