By Aayushi Bhowal
"Hush! Don't cry my dear, mumma is always there for you" she said as she made her crying daughter silent.
Scorching heat makes drops of sweat drip from Sarah's face as she cooks food for her 4 year old daughter Maya and herself. "The temperature of the city has risen to a striking of 39°C, the highest ever recorded in the city", the news headlines flashed. Her little daughter playing in front of the TV suddenly started shouting, "Mumma, it's 8:30 already!!".
"What! (while sweating) Oh my God, I have to rush now or else I will be late!"
Sarah was a young and experienced doctor who worked in the nearby city hospital. Her husband was an army officer who died during the past year due to a sudden conflict with the neighbouring country. From then on, Sarah is raising her little daughter alone while fighting the stereotypes of the society.
Sarah immediately packed their tiffins and switched off the TV. "Maya, ready?"
"Yes Mumma" the little girl replied with a wide smile flashing along her face.
"Good", replied Sarah.
"Did you take everything?" Sarah asked as she was locking the door.
After checking everything in her school bag, Maya replied,"Yes!".
They both got into the car and Sarah drove away. She dropped Maya at her Kindergarten school and drove about to her hospital. She reached her hospital in less than 10 mins. Quite quickly actually. Glancing at her wristwatch, which showed the time as 9:10 AM, Sarah said, "Perfect timings" and took out her bag from the car and started to head towards her cabin as she greeted everyone on her way. Clocks kept ticking without worrying to wait for anyone as it stuck it's hands at sharp 2:45 PM.
"Oh I have to pick Maya from her school. Well it's good that I don't have much work today. Guess I can take my leave now" said Sarah as her heart brimmed with the happiness of getting her rest of the day off. From the last week Sarah has been working extremely hard such that she is not being able to leave a second for rest. That day, however, Sarah didn't have much work as all her OTs (though around 2 in number) were done by then and not many patients were left or admitted newly in the hospital. She reached the reception and said," Hey Richa! Guess what I am leaving early today. You know there are not many patients under my supervision and the rest Nikhil can take care. So thought I'll take my day off."
"You should do something of that sort. You have been over exhausting yourself from the last week. I guess you need a good time to rest. Ok then I will enter your name in the register. Bye Sarah! And yeah say hello to my dearest Maya!"
"Surely Richa. Bye now!"
A merry Sarah leaped up to her car and drove away to pick her little princess from her school. She reached Maya's school within a time lapse of 5 mins. As she was closing the door of her car after getting out she suddenly felt like two little hands back hugged her.
"Mumma! Mumma!"
She turned around only to find her Maya brimming with excitement to tell her about her day's activities.
"Mumma you know what happened today?"
"Oho! Wait wait my Lady of Mischief, are you gonna share everything here only? Then what will you share at home?" Replied Sarah as she bent down and hugged Maya.
Suddenly, some sort of sound like that of an alarm started ringing as Sarah broke the hug in stunning blow. She turned around when suddenly she noticed a low level bomb blast in a building at a comfortable distance. Sarah was shaken to the core and immediately enfolded Maya in her protective arms as she ran inside her Kindergarten school building. In a split second, such muted explosions continued to happen in some more buildings. And then everything went silent again.
Slowly Sarah came out of the building, with her thick long strands of hair scattered all over her face due to fear. Making her vision clear by removing the strands of hair and making sure that Maya is still in her arms, she spoke out in terror,"What just h-happend?"
"M-mumma I am s-scared, p-please mumma d-don't l-leave me" Maya spoke as she trembled in fear in Sarah's arms.
Right at that moment, two cops came running towards them and some other guardians who took shelter in the building after the panic stricken moment. "Please listen to us carefully. We are from the police force. Immediately come with us to the Administrative Building where our Superintendent has something very urgent to share. All people are expected to assemble there. Please come with us promptly", said one of them. Then the two cops took Sarah and everyone assembled there to the middle of the city where every citizen was gathered. Everyone has lost their cool by then. Everyone had a rapidly racing heartbeat. The Superintendent hurriedly arrived and addressed the crowd of people assembled in front of him. "Dear citizens, a desolating news have reached us. Our neighbouring country has announced a brutal conflict against us. We are not sure how long this hostile situation is going to exist but we do want to inform you all that people who have children till the age of 20, or those children who are orphan are requested to be sent to the biggest childcare facility centre in the cityside and the rest of the people excluding Specially abled people,social workers and senior citizens are requested to move to the countryside. Senior citizens and Specially abled people are requested to move to the Speciality centre at the outskirts of the city. While social workers like doctors, nurses and all others please be with us as we need your urgent support, knowledge and help at this terrible situation".
Hearing this Sarah's heart shattered. She knew that she had to leave her daughter inorder to fulfill her duty. She had to leave one option but she knew that it was tough for her because neither she can deny her duty nor she can help herself from keeping Maya away from her. But she had to make a decision. She looked down at Maya as the frightened child looked up at her mother, her only hope, with eyes full of salt water. Her heart and her mind fighting among themselves. A series of questions started running in her mind and heart and finally, in the fight, her mind won. She chose her duty while making her heart stiff. She stabilised her mind and heart to pursue her sense of duty. Rubbing her tears with strong determination, she bent to Maya's height and said, "My brave girl, I guess you can now understand that we are not in a normal and everyday situation right? See dear, as you have heard, I have to drop you to the Childcare Centre where you will be taken care of. You may not understand everything that is going on here right at the moment but I hope that I am taking the best decision possible. See, I won't be able to be there with you. I have to work here. We don't know how long this war will continue. You are small but brave right? You will be given motherly care there. You will never face any situation where you will feel my absence. I promise and believe me, they will become like your own mother".
"But m-mumma, my mumma is mine. N-nobody can r-replace you. M-mumma please don't l-leave me. P-please mumma p-please. D-dadda also l-left m-me. P-please don't leave me", begged the little girl, with tears in her eyes, to her mother.
Sarah's heart clenched as she assembled her wildly running feelings and said, "No baby, listen you have to be strong now. Stronger than before. You are my girl. I promise m-mumma will not leave you like d-dadda. Please baby, please stay there. I have never asked anything from you. Please accept this only wish of your mumma. Please!".
Streams fast flowing from her eyes, as Maya finally replied,"O-ok M-mumma, but you have to promise me that you will come to meet me or meet me in a-any other possible way. Will you mumma? Please". Sarah hugged her little Maya tighty which was like a sign of assurance to her query, better to be called as a condition.
One young lady came to the mother daughter who were lost in the tight embrace of each other as she spoke,"Ma'am, please give me your daughter. I am a member of the Childcare centre management team and I am here to pick your daughter." Sarah broke the hug and unwillingly handed Maya over to the lady.
"Ma'am may I know your name?" asked Sarah.
"My name is Riya"
"Please take care of my Maya, Riya. Please make sure that she is the safest under your supervision."
Riya nodded her head with assurance and holding Maya's hand in her hand, she started to walk away. A daughter is getting seperated from her mother just because of some hatred filled in some mindless people. Maya was continuously crying as she walked away, regularly saying in a low voice, "Mumma". Sarah stood there as she felt like a big part of her heart and soul was walking away from her. Suddenly Riya turned back and assured once again, "Don't worry miss. I will take care of your daughter. I will ensure that her life is safer than my own." With passing seconds, Riya and Maya disappeared in the dust of clouds caused by the bomb blasts and the collapsing of the attacked buildings. Sarah stood there, alone. "Did I take the correct decision?", she thought.
Sarah was lost in her thoughts as a deep voice broke the silence around her, from behind. "What are you doing here? Where is Maya?"
Sarah turned around only to find a tall, handsome Nikhil in his messy hairs and glasses. "Nikhil?", said Sarah. "Yes. By the way where is Maya?", replied Nikhil looking here and there while trying to find Maya."Did you alr- "
Sarah spoke while cutting him off,"The Childcare centre management team member took her. Please tell me she will be fine right? Nothing will happen to her?"
Keeping his hands on her shoulders firmly, Nikhil replied, "No, not at all Sarah. Nothing will happen to her. She would be absolutely fine.They are experienced people. They won't let Maya undergo any difficult circumstances. Moreover Maya is a strong girl like you. Believe me. Everything will be alright. I think we need to go and fulfill our duties instead. Let's go. There are many newly admitted soldiers who are badly injured. We need to give immediate medical aid to them."
Rubbing her tears, Sarah firmly nodded and went along with Nikhil to the building where the injured people were kept. They couldn't go to the hospital as the hospital has collapsed due to a collision with the neighbouring building.
A man approached Sarah and Nikhil and said, "Doctors, please get on your duties fast or else we won't be able to save them."
Both of them hurriedly started doing their jobs as Sarah gave first aid to everyone who were injured and other essential medical treatment as per the requirement of each person. Day turned into night with no stars visible. Only clouds of gases and dust caused by the bomb explosion continue to float in the sky. Sarah looked out of one of the windows of the building and whispered, "Goodnight Maya baby".
The bombarding grew worse with the passage of time. News spread to other countries regarding the destruction.
Tv channels and newspapers flashed with headings like, "Massive bombarding in the city; tension among citizens increasing like the increase in the database of the number of deaths recorded"
Maya and other children were watching these news in the TV in the centre when suddenly Maya spoke out while pointing at one of the picture of a doctor on the TV, "It's my mumma; my mumma!".
Another child suddenly spoke out in sarcasm, "Oh that means your mumma is dead? Pity on you".
"N-no way m-my m-mumma is d-dead". She immediately ran towards Riya and hugged her, as everyone else started laughing. A surprised Riya looked at Maya as she bent to her level and asked, "What happened Maya?"
"They are s-saying that m-my m-mumma is dead"
"What? But why?"
"I saw my mother on the TV. Come and see"
Maya pulled Riya to the TV room and pointed at the TV, "L-look t-there is my m-mumma"
Riya looked at the TV for some time before speaking, "Dear Children never laugh at these things. These are not good manners. Her mother is not dead instead her mother is a hero. She is risking her own life to give life to several people. Instead of praising her for being the daughter of a hero, you all are making fun of Maya. Sad to know that." Everyone went silent. Everyone apologised to Maya. Maya then hugged Riya and Riya replied, "Don't worry dear. You are your brave mother's brave daughter. So never worry, ok?" Maya nodded with a flashing smile plastered across her face.
Everyday bombings. The Prime Minister of the Neighbouring country said, "This war will go on."
Every day lakhs of people died. "I can't find my 2 year old son. Please help me", a young lady cried infront of a journalist. "Someone please bring my father and mother back" a child cried loudly while holding his late mother's broken bangles and his late father's torn shoes.
Though the citizens were sent to different places for their safety but certain families were displaced within the city. Sadly not everyone was able to survive. Blood shed roads; burning vehicles at the roadsides. Cemetery workers are overloaded with the burden of burying an increasing number of dead bodies.
The sky were birds chirped at one point of time are now filled with deafening sounds of bombarding. There exists no more blue or colourful skies. There exists only black and red skies due to the poisonous gases of the bomb blasts. Shockwaves ran below the grounds everytime bombs were thrown from the aircrafts.
The ground which once grew golden wheat and rice is now painted crimson red by the blood of the worshippers of the same land. A growing number of children are now becoming orphan and some parents are becoming childless. The photo frames that were supposed to decorate the homes, are now holding flower garlands around them. Nobody knew how an everyday sunny morning turned into a dreaded beginning to a series of events that are a perfect example of a massive massacre.
A year passed like these as one day, Sarah said with a sigh while looking at the sky, "How long will I have to stay away from my Maya? It's been a year that I have not seen her."
It's been a year that Sarah was not able to meet her daughter. She never got a chance to leave the infirmary building where all those who were injured were admitted. Neither she got any chance to call her daughter. All the internet connections were cut off. An entire year spent and she was unable to either hug or even talk with her little princess.
"Sarah where are you?!"
"Whose calling me right now?"
Sarah turned around to find Nikhil, puffing and panting at the doorstep. She hurriedly went to Nikhil. Rubbing his back, she asked, "What happened? Looks like you were looking for me? Was it?"
"Yes, I-i h-have a good n-news for you"
"Cool down guy, you don't need to die out to give me any good news."
Sarah chuckled as Nikhil replied in disagreement, "Not now. Ok listen to my good news".
"Yes, speak up".
"So as per the news headlines, our Prime Minister had a diplomatic meeting with the neighbouring country's Prime Minister..."
"So what Nikhil?"
"Let me finish!"
"Ok continue. Sorry sorry"
"So as I was telling you, that meeting was successful and the neighbouring country's Prime Minister had said that we will think about ending the conflict and has also agreed to maintain diplomatic relations with our country..."
"Nikhil, he has just said that he will 'THINK' but he didn't announce that he will surely end the war. Why are you counting the chickens before they are hatched?".
"Ufff.... You are really a pessimist! See, from the last few days, they have not done any bombarding right? So why can't we expect something good? And the best thing is you can go and meet Maya tomorrow then. You are free tomorrow. The authorities have granted you a holiday since you have been over working so hard from the last few months. And moreover there are not many people who are injured from the last few days. So yeah, you have a guaranteed holiday tomorrow. So tomorrow we will go and meet Maya. And as there are no bombarding, there are chances that we can spend more time with Maya at the childcare centre."
"Truly Nikhil? I can meet my Maya!!! Really!" Sarah said in excitement as she started jumping like a little child.
"Cool down Sarah!" replied Nikhil as he laughed at Sarah's childish behaviour.
The next day came up with a golden ray of hope for Sarah. She was finally able to meet her daughter after a terrible and dreaded year. She got into her car and drove away with Nikhil. She didn't have Riya's number due to which she cannot call her. But she was too excited. They reached near the childcare centre and Sarah got down. Nikhil went to park the car at a considerable distance. They had to get down at a manageable distance away from the childcare centre as the centre was under extreme security. Surrounding showed that there were not many bomb blasts in the area. Somewhere, Sarah was relieved to know that. She approached the guards and asked one of them, "Excuse me, I am a parent and my child is in this centre. Can I go and meet her?"
"Ma'am please wait as we call the caretaker. May I know your child's name?"
"Yeah sure. Her name is Maya. She is... Ummm...5 years old now."
"Ok Ma'am, please wait." The guard called someone and started speaking on the phone, "A lady has come and she wants to meet her daughter named... Ummm... Something with M... Oh yeah M..Maya... Yes Maya! We are letting her enter. Ok!"
The guard then came to Maya and said, "Ma'am, you can go now."
"Thank you Sir."
A happy Sarah then entered the area. From the security check area, the main building of the centre was at a miles distance. She was walking and from afar she saw Maya came out with Riya behind her, both chuckling happily at her. Sarah was constantly looking at her daughter who has grown one year older in her absence, that too, in such a beautiful way.
But as she was about to take one more step forward, suddenly she noticed a change in Riya's expressions. Her expressions changed from that of happiness to intense anxiety. She hurriedly pulled Maya, as she was about to run towards Sarah, backwards. Maya screamed, "MUMMA!!".
Within a span of a second, a bomb was dropped a few steps behind Sarah. Before she could realise what has happened, everything went black. And then, a minor bomb blast took place but as it was just a few steps behind Sarah, unfortunately, she couldn't survive the blast.
Black fog spread in the area. And as the fog started to disappear, Maya saw before her the dead body of the only person who was the reason of her survival. Everyone was shocked. Maya freed herself from Riya's control and ran towards Sarah's dead body.
"Mumma!!" , she screamed as tears started flowing from her eyes.
She reached near her body and fell down. She started crying out, "Mumma, please open your eyes. Mumma please. For me atleast open your eyes."
At that moment, Maya placed her little hands at Sarah's chest, right above her heart, saying, "Mumma please make your heart beat. Make your heart beat to keep my memories alive mumma. MUMMA!!!!"
She laid her head on Sarah's body and started crying out loudly, shouting, "Mumma!! Mumma please come back!".
Shockingly, she felt a hand rubbing her head. Maya took her head up only to notice her mother's fond eyes on her and her last words. "Sorry m-mumma had to leave you like d-dadda but I k-know Riya will take care of you like y-your own mother"
"No mumma I need you. I only need YOU... Please mumma don't leave me" Maya cried out louder.
"Hush! Don't cry my dear, mumma is always there for you" Sarah said as her last words. And then her heart stopped forever, leaving her Maya, crying there and making her an 'Orphan'.
By Aayushi Bhowal
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