Emotions Redefined

Aksh turned his mobile silent. He wondered why his mom reacted. He just didn’t make it to his grandma’s place. He had promised his mom, he would, but his IIT coaching sir, announced a test the next day & Aksh was in no mood to give up on his only chance to nail a hat-trick of top marks. He therefore decided to stay back and study. He wasn’t that social anyway. But somehow his mom refrained from understanding that. To avoid any possibility of further calls from his mom or even his grandma, he found a smart way out. After about an hour of studying, he took his usual break. He picked up his phone to ask mom how long she would take, only to find shocking 15 missed calls in last 10 minutes.

“Mel-o-drama here I come”, he said to himself.

Much to his surprise none of those calls were from his mom’s phone. Most of those calls were from his dad and a few from Aashiyana. He called back his dad wondering what might have gone wrong. But he dint pick up. So he called Aashiyana. After a ring or two she picked-up.

“Aksh are you fine?” Aashiyana asked with a shaky voice.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Aksh. I need you to sit somewhere. And listen to me carefully. There is no need to panic.”Aashiyana said.

“What? Why? ”Aksh couldn’t understand a thing.

“Aksh listen do not panic. Your mom met with an accident on the way back home. A truck dashed into the car. Now I need you to reach to the hospital near our place since they are taking her there. I will reach in 15 minutes and start with the paperwork.” Aashiyana said in a shaky voice.

Aksh couldn’t believe what he just heard. He could hardly utter a word. Sensing it Aashiyana said “I know you are in shock, but it’s time to act. I will meet you there.” Aksh tried standing up but this news had made all the strength in his body disappear. Still gathering all his strength, he picked the keys of his dad’s bike and locked his place.

As soon as Aksh made it to the hospital, he saw Aashiyana waiting for him. She ran towards Aksh. Hugging him she said, “Don’t worry. I have completed all the paperwork, Doctors are ready and waiting for your mom. Everything will be alright.”

Aksh had never faced anything of that sort before. Most of the times he was blank, but today his mind was full of chaos. “You are not in this alone”, Aashiyana said sensing his turmoil. She was the only true friend he had. They knew each other since childhood and the only person who had not given up on him.

He could hear the ambulance siren and both of them turned towards the entrance. The hospital staff hurried towards the ambulance with a stretcher and Aksh could notice his mom. He could notice everything, ‘his mom being laid on stretcher, stretcher being dragged into hospital, Aashiyana informing hospital staff about completion of paperwork, a stranger at accident scene taking to Aashiyana saying a truck dashed into the car and the driver died on the spot’, but he didn’t want to believe it. His eyes were fixed on his mom. He could feel his legs were losing strength and he took support of Aashiyana. As soon as the stretcher passed next to him, he saw his mom, lying in a pool of blood. He turned away and hugged her. Aksh couldn’t face it. The last time he had seen something similar was long back.

‘He was woken by the cries of his mom. Aksh was hardly five then. His mom kept on crying and weeping out of pain. His tiny bed was next to his parents bed. He climbed on the bed only to notice stains of blood. Aksh turned away his face. He couldn’t face it. His dad who was bathing, came out running, listening to his mom’s cries. The look on his dad’s face turned black and blue. It was as if he had seen ghosts. His dad knew what might have gone wrong, but he didn’t want to believe. “Aakriti hold on, I will get a taxi” said his dad. He was too young to have understood it then. Later he got to know that his mom was pregnant then and he had lost his would have been sibling and his parents their second child.

He thought he had dodged that terrible feeling well and wouldn’t have to face it again. Hardly did he imagine, that fear would strike back a hundred times stronger….

He sat down clueless not knowing what to do. He had always dodged emotions. Never did he think that life would bring him to such a path that the only way forward would be to face his emotions. And yet, he was slightly relieved as he looked at Aashiyana.

“Thanks”, he said looking at her. He just didn’t want to thank her for being here but for every single time she didn’t give up on him.

“Don’t say thanks silly. That’s what FRIENDS are for”, she said. And that assurance gave him hope that everything will turn out fine.