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Nostalgic. That's what you feel when you memorise your old memories, when you encounter something from your past, something which is not in your routine,in your present. Right?

Sure,Naira was feeling nostalgic. But her heart was immersed in the wave full of emotions. Emotions of grief, sadness,fear and what not!

Her eyes adored the building of off white colour. She once called her home. She ran her eyes to the lawn in front of the house. And then her eyes wandered to the unfamiliar brown coloured couches in the lawn instead of white. They must have replaced them

She saw the view with teary eyes as she remembered herself running in this lawn. Planting these plants. And living in this house. Her home.

Her heart beats escalated as she remembered those words of Ayush. And despite being fear in her heart of how to encounter those people. Her people. She ran upto the house.

Maybe he is just messing with her. Maybe he said that to call her back.

With these thoughts she ran to enter in the house. But the wailing,the cries she heard from afar broke the tipsy-tiny of hope she had in her heart.

And when she entered in her house. Her body felt numb seeing a figure covered with white satin cloth. Her heart thumped in chest seeing all the people Crying. Seeing her grandpa lying there. Lifeless.

Grief settled within her. She felt pain in her heart. Pain because of sorrow. Pain because of losing someone dearer to her heart.

Tears flew from her eyes without restriction. One after another. And she felt herself slipping down with a thud.

"Di!" She heard someone's voice. And felt footsteps coming nearer and nearer. And then she was in a embrace.

She looked at Ayush. And her heart pained. Seeing him in such a state.

"Ayush" she whispered.

"Yes di,Ayush. Your ayush. Di. S..see.. what happened to him." He said pointing towards his dead dadaji.

Naira looked up at him and hugged him more tightly. Whimpering. Sobbing.

" I am telling you di, he is playing prank on us. In your absence,he has become cranky. " He whispered engulfing her di more. Trying to soothe down the pain which his heart was feeling.

"Ayush,he is dead." She whispered wiping his tears

"No. No di... He isn't.. talk to him di.. tell him you are back. He will wake up immediately. Tell him di. Ask him. He is playing prank." He kept whispering. And she kept hugging him. Trying to provide the embrace he needed.

After being tired from Crying,they both wiped their tears and broke the hug. The moistness was still there but they were tired. Tired from grieving. From hoping that this all is just a nightmare.

Naira stood up with Ayush. And faced, looked at the people standing in front  of her. Who were looking at her in return. While some were whispering about how shameless is she. How she left her parents and so on. But naira didn't pay heed to them.

Her eyes searched those faces. The faces of her parents. And stopped when she found them. Her father looked at her with coldness. And her mother looked at her with longing,with pain.

Her tears rolled down her cheeks seeing them. After ages. Her heart longed to be embraced by them. But she feared. Feared of their anger.

"Papa" she called him.

"We will have to go to burial ground. It's the time. So let's start." He said in his heavy voice. Ignoring her.

And then few men came forward and they pulled up the stretcher with the body and went outside the house.

All were in tears. Some were wailing. Some were sobbing. While Naira was standing in corner seeing her grandpa going away from her. For good.

The pain she was going through was unbearable. It was suffocating her. And the helplessness was taking a toll on her.

*******

After 2-3 hours. When most of the relatives were gone. She found herself in the corner again. She couldn't find strength in her to face them.

Someone coughed making her startled. She looked up at her parents who were sitting on the couch of living room.

"Why are you here?" She heard his deep calm voice. Her father's voice.

She tried to speak something. But nothing came out of her mouth.

"Answer me. Why are you here?" He stood up and shouted at her.

"Dada ji..."She paused not knowing what to speak "to.. see him."

"Oh so you got time to see him! Huh!!' he shouted. Sarita clutched his arm trying to calm him down.

He sighed. "Get out of my house." He said in a calm voice. Which resembled the calmness before the storm.

"But papa" she whispered.

"I said get out of my house." He yelled.

She shivered.

"Papa, pls don't say like this to di." Ayush interfered.

"You keep quiet Ayush. And you (pointing to naira) get out this very instant. Otherwise you will have to face the consequences."

Naira didn't know what to do. What to speak. She was shivering under fear. And was dumbstruck.

"Sarita, make her leave from here." He ordered to his wife and sat on couch holding his head in his hands.

Sarita went to naira and held her hand. Naira looked at her pleading.

"Pls go.. naira..not now... Don't do this now.. go from here." She whispered dragging her.

"But Maa!"

"go away from here. For now.. pls"

Naira saw looked back and saw Aayush following her. To drop her at her apartment. But Adesh,Her father spoke

"Stop Aayush,let her go. You go to ur room."he said in very serious and commanding tone. So, fearing Ayush went to his room unwillingly giving her sister helpless look.

Her mother dragged her to the door unwillingly and closed the door on her face.

Naira stood there looking at the closed door. Her head felt heavy from all the emotional chaos.

Just then her phone rang.

Kartik calling

She hung up the call Because she wasn't in the state to talk but the continuous ringing made her pick it up.

"Hello"

"Naira.. naira..are you alright?" He asked worried.

"Yes I am fine Kartik." She answered. But they both knew that she was anything but fine.

"Should I come to pick you up now. If you want to come back."he asked.

"I will come myself Kartik. No need to wor" she was cut off by him.

" don't..just don't.. I am coming to pick you up. Naira. Ok? Wait for me. I am coming" he said and hung up.

While Naira stood there in the dark. With her eyes watering and heart crying.

*********

Thank u so much for all the love ❤️
I am so overwhelmed.
Thank u for supporting me.
Constructive criticism is welcomed.
Bhumi♥️

Swipe up guys to read next chapter. I updated another ch as well.,❤️