Chapter 2: His Agony

#unedited

"I want a mom.'' Paro said, and like that the glass slips from Arjun's hand.

He was shocked would have been an understatement. He was more than shocked. Shocked to the core. It had been three years since he had told Paro about his mom's death, but never had Paro asked him about his mom again. He used to skip his meals and cry for his mom, but as time passed, never did he ask about his  mom again.

But now again suddenly he was asking for his mom.

"Paro, did someone say something to you , darling?" Tanya asked Paro because she had understood how hard it was for Arjun.

"Umm..no chachi! But why? I also want to have a mom!" Paras said innocently.

"See darlo, God wanted a friend, and he called your mom there up to him to become his friend. Isn't that simple?" Tanya said in an attempt to make him understand.

"But chachi see na, everyone has a mom. All of my friends have. Tell God to call someone else to him and give my mom back." He said innocently.

"Paro, see Mom can't come back. But all of us are here, for you, right? I'm here, Tanu chachi is here and Chachu is also here. All of are there!" Arjun said something after a whole minute.

But even Paras was hell bent on having a mom.

"Okay then, if mom can't come back, then bring a new mom for me!" Paras said happily.

Everyone was shocked.

"Paro, I'm like you mom, right? You can play with me, talk with me, and we read stories together too!" Tanya said.

"No! I want my mom only!" Paras says. Tanya and Rahul both tried to make Paras understand that they couldn't just bring a new mom like that.

This was just enough for Arjun.

"Paro, This is enough now. Finish your breakfast and now this ends here. I don't want any more discussion on this topic.'' Arjun said in stern voice controlling his tears back but it seemed more of a shouting to Paras. 

Arjun angrily stormed out of the house as tears welled in Paras' eyes. He never knew his father could shout at him too. He was discovering this side of Arjun for the first time. Affectionate, loving  and caring Arjun was the only Arjun he knew. 

Arjun saw the tears welling up in Paro's eyes but his wife's face was all that flashed in his mind. His heart melted a little seeing him cry but all that he could remember was his wife. And, he stormed out of the house even without confronting Paras as to why he was asking for a mom.

As soon as he left, tears started rolling down from Paro's eyes. Rahul and Tanya made him stop crying after much of effort and persuasion, he finally agreed as Rahul dropped him to school. Paras was silent and sad all day in the school which his teacher noticed as he was one of the naughtiest children in the class.

Arjun's POV

I stormed out of the house , sat in my car and went to my office. As soon as I reached my cabin I broke down. I missed her. I missed my conscience, my better half, my wife, my Prerna. I missed her like anything. 

I just don't know what came over me that I shouted at Paras. It just happened. but whatever happened, happened for the first time. After a while I stood up and started checking some files.

Suddenly, someone entered my cabin. I looked up to see Rahul Bhaiya.

''What the hell was that Arjun? How could you should at Paras like that? Do you know how much it affects him? Whenever he sees his friend hanging out with their mom, his heart pains. He feels the void of a mom. And you are just- leave it." Rahul said, sighing. ''It took me and Tanya an hour to make him stop crying. How could you be so, so cruel to your own son?"

"I'm sorry Bhaiya. I..I just don't know what came over me" I said as tears welled up in my eyes.

How could I shout at Paro? I'm really a bad dad. I don't pick him up on time, I don't help him with his homework, I shout at him. I was really the worst dad ever.

"Bhai I really don't know what got into me. Maybe it was my frustration or Paro asking for a.." as I trailed off. 

"A mom, right?" Bhaiya said, and I looked up at him, shocked. "Yes Arjun. That was the reason behind your outburst. I know you do miss her but you should try and move on, Arjun. I mean, it's been seven years Prerna left us. Paro never asked for his mom before and that is why everything was fine. But now he too needs a mom , Arjun. You might be knowing his pain, even better. Even we grew up without our parents and we know how it feels to be without your mother's love." Bhaiya said as he wiped the tears in my eyes.

"All that is fine and valid too, Bhaiya but ..a 'new mom'? How?" I was questioning him but to be true, it was more of a question for me. What do I choose between? My love or the the only symbol of my love that I have left? A pure dilemma.

"We'll work that out later, but for now you have a meeting with the Singhs. They're here, and I'll bringing them in a minute or two. So get ready, and remember, give it your best shot." He said as I nodded. I should really be focusing on the meeting now. I checked my phone for any urgent messages or updates and seeing none, I switched it off.

Tanya's POV

I was waiting in Paro's school to pick him up. Since it was a Friday, they had an activity class which usually took longer. I stood up to see Paras coming out with his teacher, Mrs.D'souza. I was about to hold Paro's hand when he blankly walked past me and sat in the car.  I figured out that something was off, and was about to sit in the car when Mrs.D'souza called me.

"Hello ma'am. What happened?" I asked her. 

"Hello Mrs.Malhotra. It's nothing serious, actually. It is just that I noticed Paras today. The whole day he was sad and silent. I even say him sobbing silently. When I asked him what was wrong, he didn't answer me. I know it was intruding of me to ask and I'm sorry for that, but in my opinion you should try and figure out what has happened to him, It might even affect him academics." she said and I nodded.

"Thanks ma'am. I'll see to it. I said and sat in the car.

"Today Paro and Chachi will got to Paro's favourite mall!" I said, trying to cheer Paro up.

"No maasi. Paro doesn't want to go anywhere." He says, in a low voice.

"Then...maasi will be katti!" I pout and  I try my best, I know I'm blackmailing him but that's my last chance.

"Hmm...fine!" He says, with a little smile on his face.

"Yayyyyy! I swear we're gonna have so much fun Paru baby!!!" I bet I can see his eyes sparkling. Poor boy...he's been going through a lot since the past few days. I can understand how he feels without a mom. I'm definitely gonna talk to Arjun about this.

I sat there thinking about how to mention this to Arjun, when the driver said that we had reached. I and Paro get down, and the first thing we do is go the the Gamezone. Ofcourse he had changed into his normal wear, otherwise it would be weird to see a kid in a mall in his school uniform.

After playing a ton, literally a ton of games, we then made our way to Starbuck's. We loved being there. The Vanilla Latte and Grilled Cheese there is the best combo and we both love it a lot!! We ordered the same for both of us and ofcourse, the organic rosemary cupcake came first, being their signature dish.

"Paro, we're going shopping after this, okay?" I said, taking a bite of my cupcake.

"No maasi! No, no,no! No shopping please!!" He said, giving me those cute puppy eyes.

"Why darlo? Your birthday is coming up in a few weeks!!"

"Yes massi, but shopping is too much of tiredness. Roam here and there for clothes,  try hundreds of them and what not. I get bored." He said stressing on I GET BORED. Huh. Like father like son.

"Okay fine. We'll check out the new doughnut shop then. I've heard now they've got McQueen doughnuts too!!"

"Yesss!!! And I if I win the spin wheel game, then have a year, an entire year free of doughnuts!" He said and squealed.

"Offo Paro, how many times have I and Dadda told you that the entire game is rigged? No one wins anything there." I told him.

"No maasi! It is not and I'm playing that game. Otherwise again Paro will be Katti!!!" He said, kind of glaring at me. Oh god, this little guy.

"Okay, fine! Now wait here, and I'll just use the washroom, okay?" I said to which he nodded and I moved towards the washroom. Handling pregnancy can get real tough sometimes.

Third Person POV

Paras was sitting,  waiting for his Maasi to come back when he spotted a young girl, about his maasi's age, distributing balloons and flowers to little kids.

He wanted one too, and looked for his maasi to come back. But when there wasn't any sign of her, he looked towards the young girl and followed her as she left the shop.

Tanya's POV

I cam out of the washroom to find our seats empty,  and Paro was nowhere to be seen. I started looking for him frantically,  asking anyone and everyone if they had seen him.

And when I seemed to run out of options, I took to my last one. Call Arjun. But only rings could be heard, and there was no response from the other side. Taking a deep breath, I made a call at the reception.

Arjun's cabin,

Arjun was just done with his meeting when he heard a knock.

"Come in." He said, only to find the receptionist breathing heavily as if she had been running.

"Sir, Tanya ma'am called at the reception. She said that it was something urgent and asked you to call immediately. "

"Okay. You can go. Thanks." He took out his phone, only to see thirteen missed calls from Tanya as he dialled her number.

"Hello Arjun!"

"Hello Bhabhi? What's wrong?"

"Arjun, a..actually I..I and P..Paro came to the mall and I..I went to the washroom for a f..few minutes..A..And..and when I came back, I could not find him!"

"What do you mean bhabhi???"

"Paro is lost." Tanya said and burst into tears , as her cries could clearly be heard on the phone.

That's it dearies!!

How was it? Do vote and comment!!

P.S. Yagya's entry upcoming!!

Next update: Not anytime soon, I guess 😝 *runs away*
*comes back*
Okay, okay, after 30 votes.
Others : Keep a target for updates.
Le me : Target rakh deti hu, jyada bada wala, phir jyada din tak update karne ki jarurat nahi hogi 😛

Toodles!
~Elsa