Sona's POV:

Next day noon:

Arjun slept for a big 12 hours.

Neither did I try to wake him up nor to free my hand from his hold because after pouring the pain out of his heart he needed that peaceful sleep.

For the whole night sleep was snatched from my eyes. Feeling his heartbeat and caressing my baby's face and hairs I spent the whole night watching him.

Though I had many unanswered questions I was waiting for the new rising day that would bring a new ray of light into his life...our lives.

I called Rohan and informed him that Arjun won't be coming to the office and I switched off Arjun's phone as well.

It was 1 pm and finally decided to wake him up as he had not eaten anything since yesterday.

There on the bed was my baby sleeping flat on his stomach with his innocent adorable face.

Brushing off his messy hairs falling on the forehead and placing a lingering kiss over there I called him softly
"Arjun...wake up baby"

Opening his sleepy eyes he looked at me for a brief moment of time and then he rolled over and laid on his back.

"You need to freshen up"

He tried to straighten himself with the help of his palms but his body didn't help him to do so.

He was hell worn out with yesterday's outburst.

Balancing himself on his palms he tried to sit but as there was no life left in his body his palm strumbled and his body was about to fall back on the bed.

But he had me as his backbone.

Instantly I held him and helped him to sit straight.

"No need to worry...Ill never let you fall"

Mumbling this to him I began opening his shirt.

"I have placed your clothes and towel in the bathroom...take a good shower" I instructed removing the shirt from his body.

Getting out of the bed I made him stride to the bathroom and standing in front of the basin and putting my palm over his cheek I asked "Will you be able to manage??"

He nodded his head and I stepped out of the bathroom.

Post his shower he came out wearing the white t-shirt and black track pant and sat on the edge of the bed.

I asked him to crawl to the headboard and placing a pillow at his back I made him settle down properly with his legs flatten on the bed.

His face was extremely pale...eyes were red with dark circles under them. His hairs were messy as he didn't comb.

I set his hairs with my fingers and kissed the crown of his head.

Meanwhile, Madhavi Didi entered with a tray of food that I made for him and passing the tray to me she left the room.

I fed food to my baby and he kept watching all my actions silently.

Next, it was the time to speak his heart out.

I held his hands in mine and spoke

"Yesterday you cried till no more tears were left...now it's time to speak your heart out...speak up everything that is haunting you Arjun...and there's no need of getting scared of anything... I am right here to hold you"

He looked at me for a momentary period of time and then taking a deep breath he started up speaking

"It all happened when I was 5. We were a family of three Maa Baba and Arjun. I was always proud that the three of us shared the same initials Arun Arundhati and Arjun.

Maa used to keep ranting that Baba's name is enclosed in our names. Both our names had Arun hidden in them.

And I was on top of the world to know this because Baba was my hero.

With me sitting on his back he would do pushups...I would lock my palms to his biceps and he would turn me around like a merry go round...we both used to play WWF at home...

He taught me how to hold a bat and how to fly a kite... He taught me how to hit a gilli with Danda...

He taught me to tie my shoelace and button my shirt....all the first-ever things that a boy does was taught to me by him.

I always wanted to become like Baba...He was my idol...in fact sometimes I used to wear his shirt and ask everyone whether I look like my Baba....the shirt reached below my knees and the sleeves folded upto my little wrist...it was like I was wearing a sack...and Maa used to tease me asking whether I am going to participate in a sack race.

though the shirt was bigger I used to wear it every now and then so that I could look like Baba...it used to give me a cloud nine feeling.

Whereas Baba was my hero...Maa was my best friend...I used to share every single thing with her...even I was capable of eating with my own hands I always wanted maa to feed me and she never complained about this...after feeding me she used to tell me bedtime stories...I was crazy about The Arabian Nights...the way Maa used to narrate the stories of how Aladdin flew in the sky sitting on the magical carpet was so fascinating that I asked Baba to get me the magical carpet as my birthday gift...

Initially, Baba laughed at me...but I was so adamant and stubborn that Baba had to drop his hands his defeat and promised me to get the magical carpet on my next birthday.

I would keep babbling that sitting on that magical carpet I will fly in the sky just like Aladdin.

After coming back home she used to prepare my favourite snacks for me and Raghav...she used to play with us...three of us used to play a lot of games cricket...flying kites...Gilli danda...hide and seek...

Whenever we played hide and seek that idiot Raghav was the one who was supposed to get caught first and used to cry over that...he was such a cry baby...

You know what Sona....Me as Aladdin and Maa as Genie would enact the story and purposely I would make Raghav Abu the monkey because he was my best friend and according to the story Abu was Aladdin's best friend...So Raghav was Arjun ka Abu.

Even for that Raghav used to cry but Maa would pacify him saying that we all are born from monkeys and the biggest monkey was Arjun himself and then Raghav would laugh and tease me saying that when I will get my Jasmine he would tell her that Arjun is a monkey...a big monkey"

He had a smile on his face with the last sentence but his smile lasted only for a moment when he proceeded further.

"This was our little happy world but then everything was ruined...my world was snatched from my hands.
I lost my everything.

Aladdin lost his Genie

The little Arjun lost his Maa at the age of 5.

The little Arjun lost everything he had.

I lost my Maa Sona"

He blinked his eyes and tears escaped his eyes rolling down his cheeks.

I wiped those painful tears with my fingers and held his face between my palms for a brief period so that he can attain all the warmth he needs and during this process, he didn't open his eyes.

Opening his eyes he shook his head conveying that he is ok and I took my hands back and once again clasped them with his.

"Everything was going well but after somedays Maa stopped playing with us... she stopped cooking... feeding me....and telling me bedtime stories...she began laying on the bed all the while...and when I asked Maa she said she is tired and wants to rest

Later Saru Maa i.e Maa's sister came to our house and she looked after everything...

I was not allowed to sleep with Maa...when asked Saru Maa would say that as she has come to meet me I must sleep with her...but I wanted to sleep with my Maa...

Badimaa (Raghav's mother) would take me to their house and I was asked to stay with Raghav all the time. Raghav and I would play in his house but I wasn't happy

I was feeling lonely without Maa and Baba.

Dada (Sona's Father) said Baba was busy with his work so he too couldn't spend time with me.

I missed them so much but was helpless.

This continued for many days and I was craving to spend time with Maa Baba.

I wanted my Maa Baba so badly that one day I cried and cried in front of Dada asking him to allow me to see my Maa.

Dada agreed and finally I was allowed to meet Maa.

I was so happy that day...I decided to scold Maa and be angry with her for her behaviour...I wanted to question her...how can she stay away from Arjun??

I decided to take a promise from her that she will not repeat this...Maa will always be with Arjun...she will play with him...feed him...take him in her arms and tell bedtime stories...Maa will never leave Arjun alone.

Today even at this moment I remember the each and every second of that day Sona...that incident...its... it's stuck to my eyes...her appearance her voice.... everything is engraved on my heart and soul"

He held his head between his palms.

I just placed my hand on his shoulder for a while giving him time to compose himself.

Taking his time he lifted head and blinked at me and continued

"But when I entered her room I couldn't recognise the person laying on the bed....she was not my Maa....she was someone else.

My Maa had long hairs...her long hairs reached her waist but the lady on the bed had short hairs...

My Maa had a smily bright face...but that lady's face was so pale and lifeless...

I was so scared to see the lady on the bed that I hid myself behind Dada holding his legs with my tiny hands.

Then I heard Maa's voice calling my name "Arjun"

Tilting my head I looked at the lady and she smiled at me "Aladdin apni Genie se nhi milega??"

Though her voice was low it reached my ears and in no time I ran to her and jumping on the bed I threw my arms around her neck.

"Mera bachcha...I missed you so much" she kissed my head.

My Maa kissed me after so many days...how much I craved for that affectionate touch...

You have no idea Sona...at that tender age what I felt when I received that loving touch...

But I was angry with her...and I wanted her to know that how much I was hurt by her...so unwillingly I untangled with her and sat opposite her...

"Aladdin is so angry with you Genie...katti"

"Sorry mera baccha"

One single sorry holding her ears was more than enough for my tiny heart to melt...

"Maa...I missed you so much...No one is allowing me to meet you...all are bad Maa....even Baba is bad...very bad...he left me alone"

And I felt some familiar hands lifting me.

It was my hero.

Lifting me Baba put me on his lap "Baba is always with Arjun...hai na" and kissed my cheeks.

"Ahh...Baba your beard is pricking me"

"Arun...why are you troubling my baby with your Devdas beard...han??"

"Baba you look so bad in this beard...see it's very rough" I was rubbing his thick beard and Maa called me

"Arjun come here"

I was still sitting on his lap so he moved a bit forward and Maa asked

"Kya Genie Aladdin se much mang sakta hai??"

(Can Genie ask for something from Aladdin"

"Par Maa hamesha to Genie Aladdin ki help karta hai na"

(But Maa all the time Genie is supposed to help Aladdin)

"Yes, my baby...But this time Genie needs help from Aladdin"

"Acha...so Aladin can help Genie??"

"Ha mera bachha"

"Ok then Aladdin will help you Genie...tell me what you want??"

"You will listen to Baba and Saru Maa...you will not trouble them"

"But Maa...Saru Maa will go to Nani's place na"

"No... she will be staying with you"

"But why Maa"

"Baby please follow my words without any questions"

I was not convinced with her but still, I had to say yes.

"In future when you will grow up as a good man...here at this place you will build a cancer hospital for poor and needy people"

"But Maa this is our house na...aur ye cancer hospital kya hota hai??"

"Baba will explain everything to you ... promise me that you will fulfil my wish"

At that age, I was not knowing anything so I just nodded my head.

"Arjun promise me that you will look after your Baba"

"Ji Maa"

Extending her hand she asked me to promise "You will take care of Baba in my absence"

That word absence frightened me...

"Where are you going Maa...I will also come with you"

And next, she pulled me into her and hugged me close to her chest and kissed me everywhere on my face... my hands... my palms

"I am not going anywhere baby...I am not going"

I was so confused with her actions Sona...after many days I was seeing Maa...talking with her...touching her...I didn't want anything else....all I wanted was her by my side

"Maa I so wanted to sleep with you...but everyone stopped me all the time...Today I won't listen to anyone...I am sleeping with you...tell everyone not to disturb us...Arjun will sleep with Maa...and that's final"

And I completely hovered on her.

"Yes mera bachha....you can sleep with me today"

Again she kissed me on my head and began patting me.

As the little Arjun was back to her Maa after many days he was dozed off very quickly.

And that was his last peaceful sleep in his mothers embrace.

I was sleeping and suddenly I heard everyone crying.

Badimaa pulled me out and lifted me in her arms while Baba was patting Maa's cheek and screaming "Aru open your eyes....Aru open your eyes"

I saw bloodstains on her mouth.

I was scared to death witnessing that horrifying scene and throwing my arms around Badimaa's neck I held her tighter such that my nails were digging into her flesh and shut my eyes very tight.

The only voice I could hear was Baba's screaming... crying....and nothing else

Maa did not open her eyes...she slept.... She slept forever

She was...she was ddeeaa

He couldn't utter that word as his whole body was trembling with fear and without any second I pulled him into my warm embrace.

He sobbed on my chest like never before.

I didn't feel like a 30 year old matured Arjun crying on my chest...

I felt like a 5-year-old innocent Arjun was crying for his Maa...

Crying for the loss of the person who was his only world...

The innocent Aladdin was crying for his Genie...

An image of a little Arjun witnessing such a horrifying scene made my heart bleed like hell.

I felt like someone was squeezing my heart mercilessly

My heart wanted to cry for him...

But he needs me...

Arjun needs his Sona...

Aladdin needs his Jasmine...

The only thing I could do is comfort him...make him feel calm and safe in my embrace

Gathering the broken piece of his little innocent heart I held him tight to my heart striving to give strength and warmth to his soul.