INCOMPLETE Chapter 8

Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3 Chapter 4  Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7

She waited in the drawing room. Things had changed with time. She was having constant visions now. Clear and coherent. The pictures aided them. The Kumbh of 1942, the stampede, she could even recall being trampled upon by hundreds of feet. It made her breathless. She only thanked God that she had not taken Kaveri along.
When Sumitra had died, Jayant had promised her that he would never leave Kaveri's side, he would always stand by her and take care of her. He couldn't keep his promise then, but he'll keep it now, almost 60 years after he had left the chapter incomplete.
Taarush came in, she had told him, she was Kaveri's distant relative and family freind. She had names to prove it.
"Ma is doing her puja. It'll take her half an hour. Do you mind waiting for sometime. We generally don't disturb her during this time"
"No no don't.I'll wait. Can we meet the kids?"
As they walked she asked him other things about Kaveri. "Nah, she never got married. She was hardly nineteen when started working on this place, about six months after her father's demise. She gave this place any and everything she had. Initially there was a shortage of funds, but that by God's grace got managed subsequently. We have got 127 children right now. She also has plans to build an old age home now. Ma means everything to Jayant House"

In her heart she was dying every moment. The wait seemed like thousands of years. Each second took ages to pass. However it became easier with the children. Then Taarush called her aside for a moment.
"Its too much of a coincidence, how you came here casually and found Ma. There is however something that I think I should tell you"
"What?"
The expression on his face made her uneasy. "Ma has Leukemia"
The words fell on her, one by one, the last one buried her beneath its weight. It didn't let her rise again. She was totally numb.
"Blood Cancer. It was recently diagnosed. She is however refusing to take any treatment. In vain we have tried to persuade her but she refuses to budge. She means the world to us. We cannot afford to lose her. Jayant House cannot do without her. Its here because she nurtures it with her love. She is Ma to all of us. Please do something if you can. Try and convince her. The doc say she has months to live. The treatment may make a lot of difference."

She was listening but nothing he said was making sense. Nothing was sinking in.Why? To meet your daughter after more half a century only to find out she has few months to live. This was a bad dream. A horrid nightmare. She needed to wake up.
It was becoming too much to take.

"Ma is almost done.You can meet her" some lady came in and informed.

"Lets go. Its time" Taarush said.

"Its time" she repeated.