Sitting on the wooden floor and leaning against creaking wooden planks, Elroy stares at the cobweb-painted ceiling. Iris looks at him with expectations as she whispers, "El, please look at me. Please don't ignore me. At least hear me out El. Please."

Tears trail down her cheeks but she doesn't wipe them away. "Plea... please give me a chance. Please."

"Speak." A cold voice leaves Elroy's lips as his eyes wander at the ceiling.

Taking a deep breath, Iris closes her eyes. A few seconds later, opening the eyes, she speaks. "Ten years ago, when we broke up, I shut everyone out. But one month later, I called Luna. That month I missed my periods and was feeling sick. So, I did a pregnancy test at home. It... it was positive. When I told her about this, she asked me to meet a doctor. I couldn't muster the courage to take the report so Luna picked it..."

"So, it was... your pregnancy report that I found in Lu's cupboard. But she never told me it was yours." Elroy looks at Iris. His eyes are as cold as ice.

Looking away, Iris closes her eyes as she says, "I... I asked her to not... tell you." She keeps quiet to hear any reaction of Elroy but he is as numb as a stone. When she looks back, Elroy has gone to his previous position of staring at the ceiling.

She looks down at her bump as tears drop on it. She continues speaking, "I didn't want you... you to force. We have always loved each other. But that time I... I thought... you know how we ended in bad terms. We were not even ready to see each other's face El. I thought you were happy being single. I... didn't want to put any pressure on you and make you stay... stay with me only for the baby."

"And you decided that on your own? Haven't it occurred to you that I should also know about her? For god's sake Ri, she was my child. My Daughter! How can you take all the decisions alone?" A painful anger passes across Elroy's blank face. Iris looks at him and breaks into tears.

"I'm sorry El. Please forgive me. Please." As she cries, Elroy looks at her with concern.

"Calm down Iris. There's no point in crying now." Iris keeps on sobbing while Elroy finally asks, "How?"

Iris looks at him not understanding his question. Feeling her stare, Elroy looks into her eyes and asks coldly, "How did our daughter die Iris?"

A shriek of pain engulfs Iris' face as she closes her eyes and remembers that fateful night. She opens her eyes and begins, "It had been three years since she came to my life. She had red hair and blue eyes, like me. But the rest were all like you. Her face, her eyes, her energy, her behaviour... she was an exact copy of you. On her third birthday, I decided I'll start working. If you remember, there used to be a daycare few feet away from my apartment. I took a job as a receptionist in a nearby office. I used to drop her at the day care and while returning home, I used to pick her up. Every thing was going fine."

All these while a smile was dancing on Iris' face as her eyes twinkle. But suddenly a grey cloud covers her bright face as she takes a long, deep breath. "It was 31st December, and the employees were given an early leave. I was packing my things up and was about to leave when Shaila..." Saying her name, Iris pauses for a moment and a faint smile appears on her face. Taking a short deep breath, Iris continues, "Shaila. My only friend in the office. It was difficult to face the society when a 21-year-old girl has a three-year-old child out of wedlock. My colleagues told nothing in front of me but I didn't miss their judging eyes and taunting smirks. Among all those, Shaila was the only one who understood me. So, that day... when she asked me to go with her at a party, I couldn't say no to her. The sun was still up, so I thought to stay there for thirty minutes. Only if I had listened to my heart that afternoon. Only if I..."

Iris sniffs a sob and says, "She took me to the nearby club. All of my colleagues were there celebrating the last day of 2011 and I was impatient to pick our daughter, my life, from the day care. I had a soft drink and was about to leave when everything got hazy. It was then I realized someone spiked my drink. Soon a man pulled me in a corner but all I could think about... was my baby. Mustering all my strength, I pushed the man and ran from there. I fastened my pace until I reached the exit. Seeing my condition, one bouncer called a cab for me. I was feeling nauseous but somehow told the driver to take me to the daycare as I slugged down the whole water from my bottle. I don't know what time it was when I reached. But the last night of the year had already fallen by then. I dashed out of the car and headed for the three-storied building standing in front me. The door was open. I entered into the building as I shouted her name. But everything was calm. But during that time... I didn't understand that this calmness is taking a shape of a storm. Suddenly, I heard tumbling  sounds coming from the upstairs. I took the stairs. As I neared the first floor, screaming of a male and female increased. I panicked thinking about my baby. I rushed towards the sound and saw a man was strangling a woman. The man's back was at me and the woman's eyes were closed but she was fighting. The man was wearing prison's dress. My heart was beating louder against my rib cage. I tiptoed towards them and realized it was the same woman who takes care of my baby. I panicked. My hands started sweating. I looked around and saw a rod lying on the ground. I picked it up. My hands were trembling. My eyes were getting hazy. Pushing away the lump forming in my throat, I hit the man's back with the rod. With blooded eyes he turned at me. He looked at me with his storming eyes and dashed towards the terrace. Heaving a sigh of relief, I dropped the rod and ran towards the woman. She was coughing badly. I rubbed her back and asked her about my baby. She looked at me with shocked eyes. I shouted hysterically to answer me. My mind was going haywire. She looked at the direction where that man ran and replied that my baby is at... the terrace. Fear gripped me. It was that time when I heard her cries. She was crying El. She was crying... like never before. I could feel her fear from there. I rushed at the terrace and saw... and saw..." Iris chokes. Her body is trembling reliving her past again.

Elroy's eyes are glistening seeing the pain Iris had gone through. "You can tell me later if you..."

Before Elroy can finish Iris shouts, "No! I... I'll tell you everything today. I can't afford to relive that night once again."

Elroy nods as Iris starts, "The man was holding a... a knai... knife against my baby's... throat. She... she was screaming. Mum... Mumma help! Save me Mumma! But I... I stood there. Root... rooted to my spot. My whole body was trembling. All I could see was the knife and her... her throat. I was feeling dizzy when suddenly the man shouted, Stop! It was then I looked beside me and saw the woman was calling the police. I begged her to not call. My... my baby's life was at ri... risk. The man looked at me with his raging eyes and said that he will do nothing to her if... if within ten... ten seconds I can go downstairs and catch... my child. I was afraid realizing that he will threw... threw my daughter down from the terrace. But I had no... no option. It was my only chance! I stepped back and stumbled down the stairs. At the back I could hear his malicious voice counting. One... Two... Three... I fastened my pace. The drug had started doing its work long back but still I was fighting. Soon my breathing got heavy. My legs were giving away. But I was running. Six... Five... I could see the last step. I pushed myself one last time. Four... I could see the ajar door. I dashed towards the door. My body was giving up. As I came out, the man counted, Three... He was standing at the far end of the terrace. My baby was screaming and shouting out her fear and pain. I... I ran. Two... My baby was dang... dangling in the air. One... He left her hand. She was fall... falling down in front... of my eyes. I was one foot away when a sudden darkness blackened my view. I fell down and with that I... I failed. I failed to ca... catch her... I fucking failed! I failed... as a mother. I was losing my conscious. I could hear people talking. Call the Ambulance! Hurry up! But all my heart wanted to hear at that time was... was my baby's voice. Her laughter. Even her cries for a lit... little hope. But nothing. Slowly, all of them faded... as a painful darkness engulfed my mind." Iris stares at the floor as drops of tear wets her face. Elroy stares at Iris' trembling figure as the force of his pain breaks down his strong dam.

Iris looks at Elroy and parts her lips to say something but only her silence comes out. Taking a deep breath she continues, "Next day when I woke up, it was evening. 1st January. New Year. The day which brings happiness to people's life brought the worst news of my life. I lost my baby that day. I lost... I lost my only reason to stay alive. So, I decided that I'll end... end my life. I came out of my room and made my way towards the terrace. I crossed the next room. But as soon as I crossed that room, I heard a baby's cry. It took me back... to the last night. I halted on my way and came back to the room. I saw a little black-haired girl, sitting on a chair and crying. Going inside, I saw a woman with same black hair, lying on the bed, unconscious. Patting the girl's head I asked the reason of her cries. But she didn't reply. She kept on sobbing. It was taking me back to that night when my baby was crying in the same way. But I couldn't do any... anything. So, I picked up the girl and tried to calm her down. After some minutes as she stopped crying, I asked her if she wanted to eat anything. She nodded her head with a sweet smile as her green eyes twinkled. She embraced me and buried her face at the crook of my neck. I felt a sudden warmth in my heart. My emptiness got caressed by love. It was then the thought hit me that... that I will take her away. I looked around and found an empty corridor. I fastened my pace and left for the stairs. But before I could do anything, I found myself face to face with a man. He was staring at me sternly as he said with concern, Ciana! The little girl looked at the man and I saw a burst of happiness in her eyes. She left my arms and jumped at that man as she said in her sweet voice, Dadda! It was then I realized what a grave mistake I was about to do. Embarrassed, I left for my room. But that little child made me drop the decision of ending my life." A faint smile glistened in Iris' eyes as she pauses while Elroy continues staring at the ceiling.

After pausing for few moments, Iris continues, "I lost everything that night. My sole happiness. My breath. My... my life. But that little girl... she... she... I don't know what she did but she... she eased my pain. When I went back to my room, doctor handed me the discharge paper. I completed all the formalities like a machine. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see my baby crying, shouting helplessly and that pain again... again emerged within me. I just wanted to leave the hospital. It was making me crazy. My baby's life... lifeless body was lying in the morgue. That... that white cloth shroud... shrouding her. My hands were tremb... trembling. The doctor was saying something about her bur... burial. I kept on nodding. But I... listened nothing. As they took her away, I... I walked after them like a robot. Soon, I realised they had taken her to the hospital... gra... graveyard. My baby was... sleeping. She... was sleeping just the way she... she used to sleep be... beside me. They clo... closed the coffin. I couldn't feel... feel anything. As she went deep... deeper into the land, my... heart pierced into smithereens. All the flo... flowers, soil were like cold... cold stab to my heart. I could not sta... stand there anymore. I rushed out and walked. Just walked. I... I didn't know where I was going when suddenly someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around and saw that same man with the little girl. She was sleeping. Just... just like my baby. Bolts of pain shoot my heart. I was about to go when the man stopped and told me the most unexpected thing. He told... told me to take her daughter away. No. Not told. He... he begged me. I... didn't know what to do. Infront of me was standing a helpless father. Same helplessness which I... I felt last night. Without my will, I took the girl. I saw the relief in his eyes. He caressed her head. I could feel the pain he was feeling but at the same time he was smiling. Kissing her forehead for the last time, he turned around. But before leaving he said, Leave this town as soon as possible and please... protect her from Brenna, her mother. Shocked, I asked if he was talking about the woman lying in the hospital. Nodding a yes, he left and... never turned back. As soon as he went out of my vision, I looked at the girl. She was resting her head on my shoulder and sucking her thumb. I called Luna and told her everything. It was she, who helped me in leaving the town and settling in Mirth. Obviously, she had another reason. You were staying in Mirth and she wanted us to get back together which finally happened four years later." A smile appears on her face while Elroy finally breaks his silence.

"So that little girl is Ciana." Pausing for a second he asks, "Why did you listen to the man? Maybe he was faking it." Elroy says as his eyes show disappointment.

"No. I still remember his crestfallen face. He... his eyes were screaming for help. And I also remember his parting words." Iris says as tears again brim in her eyes.

Elroy stares at her broken state for sometime and finally asks in a cold tone, "What was her name?"

Iris looks at Elroy. Tears break down as she sees a broken Elroy asking for his dead daughter's name. In between her sobs, she replies, "Ed... Edna."

A sudden spark glistens in Elroy's moist eyes as he utters emotionally, "Mom... mom's name?"

Iris nods as Elroy slouches back and closes his eyes. A tear trails down his face as he whispers, "Edna."

☆☆☆

"Ciana. Wake up, darling." Brenna caresses Ciana's head. Her face has a bright smile as her green eyes sparkle in warmth.

A smile appears on Ciana's sleepy face as she mumbles in sleep, "Mommy! Five minutes more, please."

Brenna's face hardens hearing the word Mommy. She looks at Ciana with painful eyes, as if someone is stabbing her repeatedly. But she quickly covers her pain with a faint smile. She again caresses Ciana's black hair and whispers, "It's 31st December darling. Don't you want to celebrate the day with me?"

Hearing this, Ciana jerks up with a bundle of energy and shouts, "Yes! Yes! I want to celebrate with..." It's at this moment her eyes fall on Brenna's excited face and she pauses. Ciana looks at her and moves back a little as she looks down.

"You want to celebrate with... me?" Brenna stares at Ciana expectantly but Ciana stays quiet.

Disappointed, Brenna gets up and is about to leave when Ciana parts her lips saying, "I..."

Brenna halts as she looks at Ciana with twinkling green eyes. Ciana peeks at her for a moment and makes her gaze down as she says, "I... I want to talk... talk with Mo... Mommy." 

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