The Leaves of November | Complete✔

Chapter 2

"Bittu," Shaila brushed her fingers across his forehead, just as he gently opened his eyes. "When did you come back last night? You didn't even wake me up dear."

"Yeah it got very late, sorry maa." Squinting his eyes to adjust them to the light, he sat up straight. He had fallen asleep in his shirt and trousers.

"Where's Pihu? I better go wake her up, she'll be late for school."

"I already did, she's having breakfast with Nancy. I don't understand one thing, I had put her to sleep beside me last night, but this morning when I woke up I found her in her room."

Shayan smiled at his mother's confusion but didn't reveal anything to her.

"You should try to come home earlier shona. Pihu stays very upset. Atleast if you're around it will lessen her grief. Now it is not possible for that poor baby to forget about it any time soon but we can try-"

Shayan breathed out a heavy sigh. His throat was dry but his words had barely made their way through.

"She's not gone maa. She's still alive. And I would very much like my daughter to believe that too."

Shaila's face turned gloomy. No mother could bear to see her child in the kind of pain that Shayan was going through.

"Shayan," She sighed, "It's been almost three months since the accident."

"So what maa? I've heard about people staying in coma for years and then wake up one fine day. It happens maa. Miracles happen. Then why should give up hope?"

Shaila had nothing that she could say to him. She did not want to aggravate his misery and did not know how to lessen it, so they left the conversation there.

"Come on, let's have breakfast together and then I'll drop Pihu to school."

*****

It had been almost a month since the Thakurs had moved in. One afternoon, it so happened that Shaila went to the their house with a plate of fresh homemade sandesh. It had become a daily activity for her and Brinda, to spend some time together sharing a chat. Shaila had always been quite an extrovert, making friends wherever she goes. On the other side, Brinda too had become fond of her.

"Don't you think you've been spending too much time in that house?"

"Only you could think something like that. Areh baba, notun esheche (they're new here). What's wrong in extending a hand of friendship?"

Alok Chatterjee was usually skeptical about his wife's over-friendliness with the people in the neighborhood. He was a believer in minding his own business, not that he didn't interact with people, but it was substantially less than his wife.

"Na, there is nothing wrong but I just don't want them to think we are interfering too much."

"Don't worry they are not that kind of people. In fact, Brinda was telling me how thankful they are to have found neighbors like us. They're adjusting well in the neighborhood, and I'm happy I could help them even if by a small margin."