#RIANSH – BEING A WOMAN!!! – #PART – 13

I know am late un updating the story but as said in my previous post am stuck at work so excuse me!!!!!

The story is a continuation of what happened in Vansh & Aryan’s childhood!!!! Hope you’d not disagree with this as this is my way of explaining the bond of brother & sister; what a family is!!!

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The time seemed to be moving slowly as they didn’t turn up yet. We wanted to have dinner with angel so we were waiting patiently in the lawn every often looking back towards the gate but those gates seemed to be not opening. Then we saw dad going out and we all rushed to him

Aryan: Bade papa, where is angel?

Dad had a new emotion in his eyes which I didn’t understand but understood that he was tensed

Me: Dad what happened?

He bent to our level

Dad: You both are good boys right!!

We nodded

Dad: So, now go into the house and have your dinner and sleep, see the time is already 8 pm and it’s not a good habit to stay awake this late for kids. Go with mom and have dinner and sleep, when angel comes we’ll wake you up.

Aryan (upset): Nahi Bade papa, I want to meet angel first and then me and bhai will eat with her.

Dad tried to convince us but Aryan was much more adamant than me so after much persuasion dad left the mansion leaving us with dadi and mom. They took us in but I can see that dadi and mom were crying

Me: Mom, why are you crying? Did it pain like Chachi (pointing towards her tummy)

Aryan: Bade Ma, is my sibling hurting you? Wait I’ll talk to him/her

Aryan (to tummy): Hi, I am Aryan your bhai, this is Vansh bhai, our bade bhai. Don’t hurt bade ma, she’s crying. You should be a good boy/ girl. After you come out, we all 4 – you, me, Vansh bhai, and angel will play along and enjoy. So, till then be a good boy/ girl. If you be so then after you come out, I’ll give you my chocolate.

Dadi was crying too but that all seemed too new to us. We were force-fed and it was late and without our knowledge, we slept on the couches in the living room. After some time, I heard some sound and woke up to find dadi and mom staring towards the entrance and I understood that angel came so I woke Aryan too

Me (excited): Aryan… Aryan wake-up angel came

Aryan woke and was rubbing his eyes when we saw dad entering. I and Aryan ran to him and Aryan hugged dad’s legs

Aryan: Bade papa…. Bade papa (excited) Where is angel? You went to bring them right!!!! Where is she!!!

I saw dad looking at him with moist eyes and then turned to see dadi and mom who were standing some feet away from us near the couch and dadi asked dad with her head as if what? And I saw dad nodding his head in disapproval. I didn’t understand their sign language but then I saw dadi collapsing on the couch and dad rushing to her. I and Aryan were looking at them totally confused and then we saw someone entering our house, that person was clad in total white then it clicked to me that he is from the hospital, maybe a male nurse. I was wondering why he was there and then saw 2 more such persons coming in with someone on a stretcher. I saw dad rushing towards us

Dad (panic): Vansh, Aryan you both go into your rooms and sleep. It’s too late.

Me: But dad…. Who are they (pointing towards the males)?

Dad: Vansh that’s nothing, first, take Aryan and go to your room. And don’t come out unless I call

Aryan: Bade papa but angel?

Dad: Aryan, beta angel didn’t come today, we’ll talk about her tomorrow. For now, be a good boy and go with Vansh bhai and sleep. Okay?

Aryan (crying): Angel didn’t come? Why??? I want to sleep with angel

Mom: Aryan, come today I’ll tell you a new bedtime story. Vansh come beta.

She was crying, I saw her wiping her tears. All this made me curious and worried too. But none told us anything. Mom was taking us when we heard a strong gasp and turned to find a man with a tiny creature in his hand and he handed it to dad and now even dad was crying. I realized something was definitely not right as I felt mom leave my hand and in fact Aryan’s hand too and cupped her mouth seeing that tiny creature clad in a white cloth as if it’s wrapped. And then another stretcher arrived and was placed along with the first stretcher. Both the stretchers were covered with white cloth and then the male nurse who first came gave a note pad to dad and he signed it with still holding that tiny creature. I saw them leaving and then dadi rushed towards the stretchers and started weeping and mom rushed to be by her side. I and Aryan were still near the staircase and observing them giving each other confused looks.

Aryan: Bhai what happened? Why is dadi, bade papa, and bade ma crying? And where is angel… mom and dad?

Me: Even I don’t know Aryan. Am confused too ki why are they all crying and what’s that tiny creature wrapped in that white cloth with dad!!!

Aryan (excited): Bhai is it, angel???

Me: But Aryan angel???

Aryan: Yes bhai don’t you remember how tiny she was when we saw her yesterday…. But where are mom and dad!!!

All this was so confusing and my parents and dadi’s crying and their behavior were sending negative vibes to me. And before I could understand I saw Aryan rushing to dad shocking him, as he expected us to be in our room.

Aryan: Bade papa this is angel??

Dad was shocked would be an understatement. He was aghast… he didn’t reply but I saw tears making their way. What’s happening was the main question my mind was asking me!!! And that’s when I saw dadi removing the cloth off the stretchers and cried miserably and my eyes fell on them and then everything was clear. It was chachu and Chachi, covered in white cloth on stretchers and dadi and mom crying over them. MY GOD!!!!! NOOO!!!! That means they are dead!!!! And then my eyes drastically turned towards dad and my eyes fell on the tiny creature and the way it was wrapped in a white cloth….. I gasped as reality struck me. Aryan was right, it was angel but not the way we expected it to be…. Even saying that word held my breathe. I saw dad not letting Aryan take angel into his hands, I ran to him, and seeing my panic state and my eyes over angel, chachu, and Chachi dad understood that am able to connect the dots of what happened. I saw him with hope in his eyes as if asking if angel is safe but he drastically nodded his head in disapproval. I fell off back, my eyes saw Aryan pulling dad down and after much struggle, he reached to get angel. He was seeing her with excitement. Dad was holding her in Aryan’s arms as he was scared that maybe Aryan might lose balance and she might fall down. (Sarcastic chuckle) What’ll happen to a lifeless body!!! Aryan was twirling with angel’s tiny wrapped-up body. And then his eyes fell on the stretchers and as if he understood, I saw his eyes turning from excited to teary, and then leaving angel with dad he ran to the stretcher and was curiously watching the bodies of his parents and us. He didn’t exactly understand but seeing him thus we all cried, that’s when he went to mom, (he loves mom more than Chachi)

Aryan: Bade Ma, what happened? Why are you crying? Is the baby hurting you?

Mom couldn’t hold back her emotions and instantly hugged Aryan and was crying on him, but what he asked next had no answer from any one of us

Aryan: Bade Ma, why are mom and dad sleeping? Are they tired?

Dadi (sobbing): Aryan, beta mom, and dad went to….. we…nt to God

She broke soon after unable to hold back, dad was supporting her. Aryan looked at me confused and then turned back

Aryan: Dadi but mom and dad are here in front of us, they didn’t go anywhere

Dad: Aryan … beta mom and dad left their this bodies to go to God

Aryan (after thinking): When will they come back?

Mom: Aryan, people who go…. to God……won….t return

Aryan: Then why did they go leaving me and angel here? Even we want to go

Dad and Mom were glaring at each other trying to understand how to inform the bitter truth to Aryan. Before they could do anything, Aryan grabbed angel from dad scaring everyone. I ran to him to catch angel from falling… ((chuckle) Even I was protecting a lifeless body) I put my hands below Aryan’s to support angel, and turning to Aryan I decided to inform him of what happened to chachu, Chachi and angel

Me: Aryan, you remember last week your friend Bunty was crying bitterly!

Aryan: Haa bhai poor he, he was crying a lot. I asked him the reason and he said…

Me: Ha, when you asked him why he was crying, he told you that his grandfather went to God right!

Aryan: Yes bhai, he is close to his grandfather and loves him like we love dadi and one night he went to God and didn’t return again and his mother was informing mom that Bunty’s grandfather died. But what do you mean by died bhai?

Me: Look Aryan, people who go to God won’t return. Now even chachi, chachu and …

Aryan: So, bhai does that mean mom and dad will never come back to me and angel? Did they leave us? But why? Even we want to go… hai na angel (to angel)

Me: Aryan listen to me….

Aryan: NO bhai…. (cry) even we want to go.. angel is so small, I am small, we need Mom na. We’ll have to play with dad too.

Me: Aryan…. First, listen to me

Aryan was desperately trying to wake chachu and Chachi by moving them vigorously and crying asking them to come and take them too.

Mom: Aryan!!! Aryan listen to me. You love me right?

Aryan (sobbing): Bade Mom, I love you… but look na mom and dad aren’t waking!!

Mom: Beta listen…. People who go to God will never return they are called……. dead. God ……. God calls people who are good….

Aryan (weeping): Bade ma, even am a good boy na…. and angel, she is also…. Good

Mom (crying): Actually…. God wanted mom and dad for him

Aryan (innocently): Doesn’t he have mom and dad?

Mom: No bacha, isliye he called your mom and dad to him as even he…. Wanted to play with them as you do.

Aryan (cry): But bade ma, even I want to play with them na and angel also

Mom: He said you have me and bade papa to play and even Vansh bhai. And….. and he even took ang…. Angel with him

Aryan’s eyes widened in shock and with those shocked eyes he saw the tiny creature in his hands. I didn’t understand his stand, like did he understand or was he upset that angel is with God

Aryan: Angel…..angel is…. dead?

We all gasped as he fell on the floor with angel in his hands and his eyes were now filled with new tears. I realized he understood everything now as he was staring at chachu, Chachi and angel and broke. He started literally crying inconsolably. Mom and dadi who were crying were now even more weeping seeing a small 5-year-old kid crying literally….

(Present)

Vansh: That night was the most lengthiest night our family has ever experienced. Whole life seemed to have turned upside down. You know Riddhima, the small angel which we met just a day back was now in our hands but lifeless. The first time we saw her a few hours back she was wrapped half in a smooth towel but now she was wrapped in a white cloth totally. Those small eyes which saw us a few hours back were now closed and the thought that they won’t be opening again was something that pierced us. Her that small cute lips which curved to a slight smile when her eyes met Aryan’s were now shut and maybe can never turn into any emotion. Her those tiny hands that held our little finger wrapped all her fingers onto them stiff but now those were under that cloth and maybe then can never come out again. Her first cry which we heard was something listening to which I and Aryan chuckled as her voice was so feeble that it took time for us to understand that she was crying. Her those invisible tears were so cute. But everything changed in a single night. The welcome card, the decorations we made for her welcome now were just adored to bid her a final goodbye. Who might have thought that our wait for her arrival would be for a lifetime as we won’t be able to welcome her again? That night was difficult for us, Aryan didn’t even leave angel for a second. He was inconsolable, the dreams he saw for her arrival, everything seemed to fade in front of his eyes. Everyone tried to console him but nothing sort of worked out. He didn’t let anyone take angel off his arms. He wanted to be a protective brother for her but now he was just standing seeing his parent’s corpses burning in the pyre and his little sister being buried.

Vansh: That was the last day he spoke or smiled at least. After coming from the cemetery, he didn’t speak to anyone and went straight to his room and slept obviously crying. He didn’t attend school. In fact, he wasn’t in a position to attend it, so dad spoke to the school authorities for permission. It’s been 2 days since he spoke, mom and dadi used to feed him and he used to eat without any reaction. I used to go to his room and try to cheer him up but he didn’t even budge. The next day mom got her delivery pains so dad took her to the hospital while dadi and I stayed back. That night when I was in my room after dinner, I saw Aryan entering my room

(Flashback starts)

Me (excited): Aryan…

He didn’t answer anything and sat on my bed with his head staring at his legs. I sat beside him and put my hand on his shoulder when he turned to see me and hugged me tight

Me (worried): Aryan… Aryan are you hurt?

Aryan (weeping): Bhai…. Bade ma

Me: Aryan mom went to the hospital right….. she’ll be back. Don’t worry

Aryan: Bhai will Bade ma also go to God?

I was shocked listening to him. I didn’t understand why and how this thought came to his mind

Me: Aryan why are you speaking such? Nothing will happen to her

Aryan: Mom and dad too went to the hospital and they went to God… will bade ma…. (crying)

Me: Aryan… trust me nothing will happen. She’ll bring our sibling.

Aryan: I don’t want anyone…. I want Bade Ma

He was so affected by his parent’s death that he didn’t want to lose mom and dad. He was adamant that he’ll not talk to anyone if anything happens to mom. After much convincing, he finally slept. The next day I as usual went to school leaving dadi and Aryan. By the time I was back from school, I saw Aryan still in his room and dadi informed me that I got a sister and they might come home anytime soon. I was excited as hell and rushed to inform the same to Aryan but saw him sleeping and not intending to disturb him, I came back to my room. After some time, I heard dadi calling me that mom and dad came with my sister, I rushed to welcome them. After all the welcoming rituals, I was given my sister and my eyes welled up seeing her for the first time. Wrapped in a pink fluffy towel, she was sleeping peacefully with angelic features. She was my princess. I and dadi were engrossed in her while mom and dad went to meet Aryan as he didn’t come out. I was excited to share this good news with him so even I went behind them. I was standing with my princess in my arms when mom was waking Aryan. As soon as he woke and saw mom, he instantly hugged her.

Mom: Seems like someone missed me a lot… hai na

Aryan: Bade Ma, I was afraid you’ll also go to God like mom and dad

Mom hugged him to her heart and comforted him.

Dad: Acha Chalo ab no more cries, Aryan, look you got a sister, won’t you meet her? You are a big brother now…..

Aryan: NO! I don’t want to meet anyone. I want my bade ma that’s it.

He was not even interested to see her as he was afraid ki even she might leave him the same way as angel. I felt bad and left from there. Mom and dad tried convincing him but no use. He was adamant. Every day I used to play with my princess after school and try to convince Aryan to meet her but nothing sort of worked. It’s been 3 days since she arrived and over a week since chachu and all passed away. Aryan was still the same, always in his room not meeting his sister, not playing, not living. Used to mingle with everyone except my princess. One day after coming from school I straight away went to my room and was working on my homework when I heard chaos in my parent’s room so rushed to find mom crying and dad trying to comfort her and all the servants rushing here and there