Daksh Chauhan

Present 

Death

A five letter word that had always made every leaving being to be in a fear, neither such that nor had anyone been able to acknowledge it, by the wonders the life threw at them, or to discuss with anyone- for each had a pride to protect.

But now, so close to my death, I couldn't see my life being reviewed for me; I was thankful though. I never liked acknowledging those things which I never liked, I never talked about it to anyone, for I was scared what would the other person think?

May be even I was one of those 'protective of their pride' people. But now with my blood flowing through my head, all kind of panicky voices around me – I could all feel was a small smile on my lips and a contented heart.

How phenomenal it had always been, a few minutes, that's what it takes to change things. One minute I was happy living some amazing moments which I would have shared with none; And the next – it just took me a blink of my eyes, a huge smile and a small shove to get out of the path, on the road to be knocked off by the huge truck.

But it didn't felt as described in those movies, air knocking off my chest, my world crumbling before me, things moving in a slow motion ... nothing.

It was all quick, as if the God just wanted to finish off with things related to me. And just like that, my once smiling face, did remained the same, with me almost flying in the sky for a minute and then landing with a huge thumb, only to not get up again.

The events had got me to peace. A moment as if gifted to me. The question – If I would be alive or not endlessly supporting me as my eyes would drop to sereneness. The blood still flowing around me, made me shiver at its sensation.

But then, I liked here. I wanted to be here, as I couldn't feel a thing; no pain, no happiness, no sorrows, no ill feelings for anyone nothing. I was a plain blank sheet, such that if any of the toddlers would have had their hands on me, they would have filled me with beautiful colors.

Somewhere through the happenings, there was something for which I was waiting. There was physical pain, a lot of it, but more than that I waited for something within me to be completed.

Rather than the perfect endings, things looked different, as the time would pass by I only felt as if I myself was an unknown self, things just couldn't be clicked, the way it always did. Who was I supposed to blame, there was none, each and every thing was for me to be blamed. But I stood or shall I say laid there a bit lifeless my breath shallow, waiting for that one more jab in my guts to let go off this life.

Instead The time ticked by, the pain increased a new fold, nevertheless a certain will within me had me hooked up there, to stop, to not let go of that heavy breath that stuck in my throat.

My body almost lifeless, with people around me calling out to the ambulances, some guessing my name all stood there, watching me, estimating what would happen to me. But all through the voices, one caught my attention. Other though futile and unclear, but this as clear as the pearl; A voice so old, fragile and curious that rang through my ears,

"Life would lay its own cards; some smiles will give you happiness, some satisfaction, some a bit of pain... but the best is what you have to choose. Steps would echo around you, things would look perfect but alas they wouldn't, love would surround you, the right is what you have to choose and with each breath, you would be breathless. Then my child would be a time to decide, decide to smile and live or to smile and die on things that would be more beautiful."

It was sudden, the intake of breath as if everything was fine, my eyes opened for a moment a whole lot of people surrounded me, a flash of light burned my eyes, then there was a huge echo, echo of footsteps whose I didn't knew. The words rang in my ears as mantras and as they would end they would fade.

The need to hear them would increase an octave, but as my eyes tried to be open and search for the person it failed.

But there was a new found will, I wanted to live, smile to have a new life, however all of a sudden amidst all the happening it came that, one jab for which I had waited for so long. But then that was earlier, now I wanted to live know what was it that had left for me, even with the happening, except it didn't ; for my breath left my system, a pain of that moment which gave me peace, while I accepted the end.

And as I wanted to be a free sole, to be where I wanted, along with my parents happy, but never had I knew what a bitch death was.

*********

Mitali Jain

My hands shook in shock as my eyes kept on staring at the blood that was coated on them. Right after the truck had wheezed pass us, the crowd of the children and the people from the nearby stalls had rushed out towards the lightly breathing bloodied body of Daksh.

And from the moment I saw his eyes closing off on me, I felt my body becoming rigid, I could all but just acknowledge and know that someone did tried to pick Daksh up, as I kept on holding his hand tightly, then maybe it was Jai or Naveen who had walked up to me, held me by my shoulder said something and pried my hands off Daksh's as the ambulance and the doctors did their work, and loaded Daksh in the ambulance and had rushed off to some hospital.

We were just running off ourselves behind them, when Jai noticed the poor old care taker of Daksh, walking up to him, Jai hugged him and brought him as well in the car and now with me and the old kaka seated in the back seat with, Jai making calls, and Naveen navigating through the narrow lanes of Panjim was trying to reach the hospital as soon as possible.

But all through this, I was scared.

In those few minutes in the car did I realized that I could have had been with Daksh if Jai wouldn't have pulled me back, or may be how stupid of us for not even looking around. I knew that place was dangerous, yet I acted reckless.

Was it my fault that Daksh was today at the brink of death?

I was still contemplating over these thoughts of mine, when my phone rang, looking at the caller, I quickly picked it up. Though I wished it would have been Shakti, but at that moment talking with Tejal would have as well done.

"Tejal, ... Daksh." The two syllables left my mouth, and as soon as they did, I could see from the corner of my eyes, the way Jai looked back at me and called out my name. My brother let out a few numerous of curses surely worried about me.

"Mitali, are you okay?' Tejal asked. Her voice sounded so concerned.

But it was her words, the same words that many times Daksh had asked me time and again, the way it reminded me of the small yet numerous of moments that I had been with him.

He was special to me; maybe he was more important for me than what Jai could have ever been.

"Talk to me Mitali, what is it... are you okay? "

"We were in Panjim, looking for Daksh, we had reached his place, when ..." and so I narrated her all of the happening, with each successive word tears began to fall down. I felt a pair of arms wrapping around me, it was kaka, who as well was crying out like a baby.

"Don't worry Mitali... you should just know that this isn't your fault, it was an accident. You don't have anything to be guilty about it, right now you should stay beside him... he was happy to see you Mitali, may be that can motivate him to get well soon."

I nodded at her words, and hung up the call, and as soon as I did, we took in a sharp turn and entered the gates of the hospital. Naveen quickly parker the car as we all rushed out immediately to the emergency ward.

I went and sat by the nearest chair to the operation theater till the time Jai and Naveen made a few enquires.

I was about let out yet another sob, when I felt someone's hand on my shoulders. It was kaka. I looked at him, as his eyes were red, his breath labored. He slowly sat by my side and took hold of my hand and began patting it lovingly.

"Daksh baba always talked about you, you are Mitali right?" he asked.

My head snapped at him as soon as he began talking. It reminded me of what Tejal had once said,

"Different people have different ways of giving comfort; some snap at you, some give you a warm hug, while others talk about the good time. What matters is, the comfort and the efforts not the way it is done. "

I tried to smile a bit at him, but failed miserably, but he, he then patted my head as said,

"Last few months were difficult for him, Daksh baba hasn't been himself. The world is cruel child, but destiny is the worst. Baba deserved all the happiness in this world ... he didn't deserved this."

There were so many questions that were lingered in my mind, but I couldn't frame right words for it.

Kaka looked at me and then at Jai who had now came and sat beside me. He smiled at the two of us and said,

"He received your invitation, and was so happy, he wanted to give you a special gift, and he said if he failed to do so then I was supposed to give it you... it seemed as if he knew this would happen."

"kaka, why did you all came to Panjim?" Naveen asked as he kneeled down in front of kaka, and wiped away his tears. The old man at that moment looked even more aged.

"Daksh baba-"

"Are you all Daksh Chauhan's immediate family?" the doctor asked. His question and arrival made us all jump onto our feet.

"We all are his childhood friends, and he has been his legal guardian since he was 15," Jai said pointing towards kaka, who held onto the old cloth bag as if his life was depended on it.

"Sir, is Daksh okay?" Jai further enquired.

"We are sorry, but we can't really inform you about it as of now, we have found anti depressant pills in the patient's blood. We want to know if any one of you knew that the patient was going through any psychological issue or has been taking anti depressant pills."

As soon as the doctor said this, kaka walked ahead and chided him, his stanza and actions made us all shocked.

"My baba is not mad, he is just not well."

I walked up to kaka and wrapped him in a comforting embrace. "kaka..."

"He is just not well..." the old man broke down crying, as if for so many days this all had been taking a toll on him. He kept on repeating only one thing, that Daksh wasn't well.

And with each time he said that he killed me from inside.

Denial and breakdown were the most important stages of acceptance, but the fact that, what was this journey of acceptance made me scared? I couldn't just have Daksh taken away from us right after we had found him.

"Mr. Kapadia, I am sorry but if the guardian is saying that the patient isn't well, we will have to look into their previous reports, until then we can't proceed with the treatment."

We all looked at the doctor and then at kaka, who was till weeping like that of a kid.

Jai walked up him and tried to make him listen to him, he asked him about the reports, the doctor but he wouldn't understand anything. The old man had just had enough of this whole thing.

His present situation made me wonder what all had gone wrong when Daksh had gone missing?

"kaka," I called out to him myself this time. "kaka the only way we could save Daksh is if you tell us what's wrong with him. The doctor requires his reports."

Slightly nodding kaka handed over the bag to Jai who quickly opened it and took out numerous of files, and handed them over to the doctor, who nodded at him and then walked back from where he had came.

It had been almost hours, yet we hadn't heard anything from the doctors, the nurses were walking in and out, some would run, some seemed calm. Numerous other patients were brought in.

Our parents had as well started off from Mumbai, they decided to take the flight rather than coming by road, surprisingly enough, even Veer and Shakti decided to come.

And even though they all were here, everything thing seemed amiss.

The loud voices of footsteps fell into the corridor as numerous commando like people took over the area, it made me scared, but the feeling subsided immediately as I saw Shakti, this time in a complete different form, dressed in royal outfit walking with elegance, making her way towards us, with Rey and Veer by her side.

But what surprised me even more was her stanza. She was Shakti, but even though she was far or moments later when she came and hugged me I realized she was a different woman that day.

As we let go off each other, I opened my mouth to ask her how she was, but yet once again after so many hours the doctor walked outside the doors.

It scared me the most. And as if it was a habit of mine, I held onto Shakti's hand and so did she. Our eyes met each other as tears made their way through it.

There were a lot of things that were different in Shakti, but she was still that railing of mine onto whom I could hold on to for as long as I wanted to.

A/N 

Though a lot delayed again, I hope this chapter makes it up to you guys?? 

well I officially welcome you to the beginning of the end of the story. I have a few chapters ready, will be updating soon. but before that

how many of you are happy to have Shakti, Rey and Veer on board again? 

what do you think is wrong with Daksh? 

and most importantly who all had thought before the last chapter that the person who met in that accident in the prologue could be Daksh?? 

do tell me what you all have to say about the story. will be waiting for your views. 

Happy reading. 

P.S this post was supposed to come yesterday, but The internet here isnt working well. I just home this wont be a regular thing now. 

Yadni Bagwe