Part 24 Shocking Sagar

The next day

Arnav didn't find Sanjay downstairs. He searched for him in every room. That was when he learned that Sagar also missing. Where did these guys go? Arnav understood that both of them should be together. Yet, he wanted to confirm it. So, he went to the terrace. Nisha who just came from shopping, saw him going upstairs. She called him but he didn't hear her. she sighed and followed him. She brought Custard Apple for Sanjay as the Custard Apple triggers brain function. She used to give it to Sanjay often hoping to get his brain to work properly.

Nisha followed Arnav upstairs. Arnav came to the terrace and got stuck. Sagar was making Sanjay walk through his hands. Sagar was following Sanjay, holding Sanjay's legs and Sanjay was walking by his hands. They were roaming the terrace laughing. Arnav felt not good to see Sanjay like that. That was when Nisha came there. Arnav became tensed because he thought Nisha would get angry with Sagar for ill-treating Sanjay. He looked at Nisha hesitatingly. But he saw her face shining.

"Nisha... he is Sagar... Madhav's friend"

"But how does he know about hand walk?" Nisha asked with excitement.

"Hank Walk?" Arnav frowned.

"Yes... Sanju's doctor often makes him walk like this"

"Is it?"

"Yeah...the doctor said, it increases the blood circulation in the brain area"

"Oh..." Arnav looked at Sagar, raising his brows.

Nisha went to Sagar.

"Hi... are you making him walk by his hands playfully?"

"No, aunty, it increases the blood circulation in the brain area"

"But how do you know these things?"

"My Mom told me"

Nisha raised her brows getting wondering.

"His mother is a special teacher," Arnav said.

"Is it?" Nisha became excited.

Sagar nodded yes.

"Then I have to talk to your mother," Nisha said.

Sagar nodded ok.

"You too come with me," she asked Arnav.

He nodded ok and walked off. They searched for Khushi. They saw her assisting with the decoration work. Nisha came to her.

"Excuse me..."

Khushi looked behind and got stuck, seeing Nisha with Arnav. An unknown nervousness occupied her heart. She could not come to the conclusion of why Nisha was there. Did she get to know about their past? She was thought baselessly as it was human psychology. But her face didn't seem so.

"Sagar said you are a special teacher..." Nisha said.

Huffing in relief, Khushi nodded yes. Though she didn't look at Arnav she could sense Arnav was looking at her intensely.

"Your son Sagar is handling Sanjay so brilliantly. Do you know how hard it's to handle him...? He is uncontrolled sometimes" she said worriedly.

"I can understand..."

"Yeah, after all, you are a special teacher. I should appreciate you, madam... I can't even handle one child... don't know how you manage many children..."

Khushi smiled slightly.

"Could you guide me to get him practiced with such activities at home?"

"Sure..."

"Arnav, could you follow her up?"

Khushi looked at her shockingly.

"Actually, I'm busy here... I won't get time to learn it from you. That's why I ask Arnav to catch you up. Don't worry. Arnav will look after Sanjay well more than I do"

Khushi plastered a smile.

That was when someone called Nisha.

"See... my Massi is calling me. That's why I said..."

Khushi nodded yes.

"Arnav..."

Cutting her,

"I will follow her..." Arnav said, looking at Khushi.

Nisha nodded ok and left the place. At the same time, Sagar came there with Sanjay.

"Mom, Sanjay is enjoying my company"

"Major Sir will take care of Sagar. You come with me. I will tell you what to do. You teach the same to Major sir" She said and Sagar nodded ok.

Arnav shrank his eyes, seeing her avoiding him. Khushi went to the kitchen taking Sagar with her. She saw Kalpana preparing the dough to make roti.

"Can I take a ball of dough?" Khushi asked.

"Arrey... why are you asking for permission? take it..." Kalpana forwarded it to her.

Taking a ball, Khushi extended it to Sagar and was about to say something, Sagar cut her off,

"I know what to do... I should make Sanju to make small balls and big balls alternatively... right?"

Khushi nodded yes. Sagar left the place and came out. He saw Arnav and Sagar sitting on the cement bench that was in the garden. He gave the wheat flour ball to Sanjay. Sanjay tried to eat it excitedly. Sagar stopped him and gave him a little bit of dough to eat. Then, he started teaching him to make balls using the dough.

"What is this for?"

"This is a fine motor skill, Major. Special children's hands won't cooperate with their brains. They want to do something but their hands do something. We can see it when they WRITE. Their mouth utters one number but they write some other number. This practice will help them to get their hands to synchronize"

"Oh..." Arnav wondered.

Sanjay made balls while eating the dough little by little.

"Sanju... the balls are getting smaller in size" Sagar teased.

Arnav chuckled, hearing that.

"Why not we use clay instead of wheat dough?" he asked.

"It's not safe, Major. What if Sanju put it in his mouth? The wheat won't cause trouble. It's not so harmful. That's why we use wheat. Children will play with it interesting because they could eat it" he laughed.

Arnav nodded yes smilingly. Arnav could not believe how Sagar could be a nice boy, being the son of the worst creature, Shiv Shankar. It must be Khushi's upbringing. That was why this boy was behaving so politely. He thought.

After a while, Nisha came there and saw him making dough balls.

"Wow, Sanju beta, it seems you will help me in the kitchen while making roti..." she smiled.

Sanjay nodded yes.

"Great... come, I will make you take bath"

"No..." Sanjay said.

"Sanju, you are a good boy. Go and take bath..." Sagar said.

Sanju stood up nodding ok. Nisha raised her brows.

"Wow... I can't believe he is obeying you..."

"Because Sanju is a good boy aunty," Sagar said.

Nisha took Sanju with him.

Arnav saw someone distributing cool drinks to everyone. Arnav called the person and took two bottles from him. He extended one to Sagar.

"Thank you, Major" he accepted it.

Sagar thought of chitchatting with Arnav.

"Did you serve in the Border in your service period, Major?" Sagar asked while drinking the drink.

"Yeah... I have served in the Border three years ago." He sipped the drink.

"Did the climate suit you?"

"Not at all... at the beginning, our battalion suffered a lot. As time passed, we got used to it... we had to... no choice. Our condition is much better... my batch mate served in Ladak. He lost his teeth you know?"

"But why, Major?"

"Because he got only COLD food to eat when he was served there. Cold means not just cold... it would be like, ice cubes. He ate such food for one year. That affected his teeth completely. Now also he could not eat meat or any hard food items..."

"Oh, God..."

"Army men's life is not that easy. People think we work only during the time of WAR. No one knows our struggle" Arnav smiled.

"Was that your ambition to join in Army?" Sagar kept the empty bottle on the floor, finishing the drinks.

Arnav smiled softly and said nothing.

Khushi who crossed the place, saw Arnav drinking a soft drink with Sagar. She smiled, seeing them together. Suddenly, someone shouted for help. Keeping the soft drink bottle unfinished, Arnav rushed in the direction to help the person. Sagar also rushed with him. The man was holding the wedding banner on his back. It seemed he missed the balance when he fixed it. Both of them pulled the banner back and helped the man to fix it.

Khushi was looking at them adoringly. This father-and-son combination was looking dashing. It gave a pleasant feel to her heart. She smiled softly, seeing them helping the man.

Her eyes fell on the soft drink bottle left unfinished by Arnav. After all, she was a typical lover...! She moved towards the bottle looking here and there cautiously. Sagar saw her doing that and frowned with confusion as he didn't know why she was doing that. Khushi made sure she was not getting noticed. Sagar rushed from the place and hid behind a pillar, witnessing the weird behavior of his mother. He was confused when she took the bottle and left the place. She found a place to hide and drank the remaining drinks from the bottle.

Sagar was shocked to the core. What did that mean? He was confused and he could not understand anything. He became restless. His body started sweating badly. He felt dizzy.

To be continued...