The Foundling

4. Destiny

The piercing cries of a newborn baby shattered the stillness of the grand mansion, jolting both Krishav and Prerna from their slumber.

Prerna swiftly scooped up the tiny bundle, feeling the weight of the baby in her arms. She cradled him gently, her fingers tracing soothing circles on his back to soothe him before he made himself sick. The sound of his cries filled the room, echoing off the elegant walls.

Looking at the clock, Prerna's heart sank as she realized the baby must be hungry. She glanced at Krishav, who sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, his face etched with helplessness.

A soft chuckle escaped Prerna's lips as she watched her older son fumbling with the bedsheet, a slight pout on his face. Krishav had never experienced having a younger sibling, and his lack of familiarity with infants was clearly visible.

"Kanha, could you please hurry downstairs and ask Ramu kaka to warm up some milk for us? The baby seems quite hungry," Prerna requested, her voice laced with urgency. Krishav nodded eagerly, his determination to ease the baby's hunger evident in his hasty movements.

Krishav's footsteps echoed as he rushed down the stairs and raced towards the kitchen.

Spotting Ramu kaka in the bustling kitchen, Krishav approached him with a sense of urgency.

Ramu kaka, taken aback by Krishav's unusual haste, stepped out of the kitchen to inquire. "What happened, Chote baba?" he questioned, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Kaka, I need some milk," Krishav replied, surprising Ramu kaka.

Ramu kaka looked at Krishav weirdly. In all these years, only one thing hasn't changed that is Krishav's dislike of milk and suddenly he's asking for milk confused him.

Shrugging his shoulder, not giving much thought. Ramu kaka warmed up the milk and carefully pour it into a glass. Handing the glass to Krishav, he watched as Krishav hurriedly made his way back upstairs, clutching the glass with a firm grip.

Ramu kaka observed Krishav's retreating figure and couldn't help but wonder, "Did something happen?"

The other workers around him merely shrugged, unaware of the events from the previous day. With the festival and being too late at night, most of the workers were out or sleeping.

Only a handful of guards and workers were aware of the last night's happenings. Being the morning rush hour, no one got time to gossip and yesterday they all slept too late and obviously were late.

Failing to receive a satisfactory answer, Ramu kaka dismissed the incident from his thoughts and refocused on the work at hand.

Here, Krishav cautiously approached the room, the faint sound of his mother's voice reaching his ears from a distance. Intrigued, he peered through the crack behind the door, his curiosity piqued.

What he witnessed amazed him. Prerna sat cradling the baby in her lap, their joyful laughter filling the room. The sweet scent of baby powder lingered in the air. Prerna playfully tickled the baby, eliciting a chorus of small giggles that echoed in Krishav's heart.

Suddenly, the baby's lip quivered, and a pout formed on his tiny face. Prerna quickly reassured him, whispering soothing words. "Now, now don't cry, little baby hush, your Bhai has gone to bring you milk, shh shhh don't cry" Prerna's word shocked Krishav as he now stood in-front of the door.

Krishav stood frozen, his heart fluttering at the realization that he was now a "Bhai"-a brother. A grin spread across his face as he imagined the baby calling him that endearing term.

His daydream was interrupted by the baby's cries, and he rushed to his mother's side.

Prerna looked at her son with an unimpressed look who passed her the milk glass. "baccha, how do you think I will feed the baby?"