Handcuffed Bliss - Watty Awards... 2012

My daughter and me.

1)   

I was out of the hospital bed in 2 days. By the third I was eating a little. In these 7 days I had lost weight. Loads of it and as a result I looked like a kid. But by now everyone in the hospital knew I was Caroline's ma. They accepted our weird relation. It was progressing smoothly between us as well.

We had moved away from our passed pains. The past was no longer relevant. Every day mom would cook amazing food, healthy amazing food for us and get. It was like a huge picnic in the hospital. Caro was like mom and dad's favorite granddaughter. They pampered her mad. I too loved being with her. We would drool over hot actors and models and if we ever got into a fight over which guy belongs to whom, she would remind me that I am her mom and therefore only allowed to drool over her dad.

I would pout and then we would laugh over it. But if she did not like some hottie, she would "give him to me" saying that drooling over her dad could get boring sometimes. I slept with her every night. Sometimes, when she would have night mares, I would hold her through the night singing lullabies.

It was a usual weekday. Ethan had gone off for some important meeting and mom and dad too had to meet some relative. The two of us lay snuggled in the hospital bed; my arm was around her as she put her head on my chest. My fingers were threading through her hair as the other hand was on the remote. I would change when she wanted me to. Her hand was on my waist, holding me in place. 

She was almost drowsy when I came across a news channel. It was a local station. The reader was talking about our school. We stopped to watch. The background picture was indeed our school. Andy had been arrested for raping and abetting a suicide attempt of a student. We froze. No one had told us that this news would be covered. We had expressly requested that this proceeding be kept quite.

Caro's hold tightened as I heard a muffled sob escape her. I knew she was crying too as hot tears scalded me. I held her tightly as I reached out for my cell. This would be the first time I would talk to him in over 2 weeks. But I was doing it for my daughter so it wasn't counted.

He picked up on the third ring, "Hello," I whispered as Caro stifled another sob. "Did you see the news on the local station? They are covering Andy's arrest." I informed him. We were both silent for a while; none wanting to break this silence and each searching for a better way to break it.

"How is she holding up?" He asked in his husky voice. "Not good," I whispered back. She was sobbing into my shirt and trying to be quite about it. But her body was trembling, each sob wreaking it further. Each sob was like a knife to my heart. I couldn't see her in pain. This humiliation was beyond her capacity. It would be beyond anyone’s actually. 

"Please look into the matter immediately." I begged. "She is crying her heart out. Please stop this nonsense on television."  I was holding her into me with all my might. I fumbled with the remote and turned off the television. "Rudra," He spoke my name like a caress, “Please hold her together while I clear this shit." He said in a strong voice.

"Honey, Caro," I whispered, it will be alright. Daddy is looking into the matter." I whispered into her ear. I was stroking her hair, holding her tight and loving her. "Mom, is this why none of my friends have come to visit me?" She asked as choked over her tears. I did not know what to say.  I was floored with the extent of her loss. She had lost her self-respect because of the ass hole, even her love, her faith and trust. She lost her health and her dad too. Ethan hadn't spoken to her. Not once had he asked her how she was feeling. She had now lost her friends too.