"Sirf teriii vajah se.... "

"Enoughhhhhh" A heavily panting and distraught Akshara woke with a jolt.

This time of the year,

Again,

December.

She got up and made her hair into a messy bun and went straight to the washbasin and splashed her face with cold water.

It has been 3 years, since she left India, without any trace, no hints, all alone with a distraught and lifeless mind.

She was well settled in Sweden, ehhhh... The snow here and the chilled cold waves in winter are just..., something unbearable but for akshara the only to bring her back to present, was to splash her face with the cold water in this chilled winter.

She tried really , really, really hard to be strong... But someday or the other the haunting day of 26th december would knock her door and used to shake her to core.

She dressed herself in white upperwear with a black one in contrast and a overcoat, she couldn't to be late, and finally made it all on time.

It has been three years, since that dreadful incident, no doubt the Birlas lost Neil but they ignored that she lost her babies, her no less than a brother Neil and her family.

She still goes back to India without anyone's acquaintance of her arrival there, to pay her respect to her people she lost, and makes sure to help atleast a few people who come in her sight, in any way.

Akshra Goenka... No Birla.... Actually correct it She's Akshara Randhawa.

When no one could help her out in her hardest time, she made out one for herself.

She didn't had any Goenkas Or Birlas by her side, but instead they left her... And when she got her pain Scintillated, she made herself.

Glancing her watch, she looked around it was already 7:00am.

She collected her bag from the baggage collection and went out to exit gate. Hired herself a taxi and went to the temple, they; Neil , abhimanyu and akshara had came once before his untimely death.

She took her bag, on her back and went in, met the priest and..

"Ooo, child, you came, I have prepared everything, come let's begin" He said , as akshara bowed down in respect.

She followed him and did the ritual, as they do every year.

Akshara had left majority of her traits behind, but praying for their soul was something that couldn't go away.

She thanked the priest and bid him adieu and went around the temple , to help the poor and needy by donating them.

She donated every kid and women out there with the things they needed, money/clothes/or anything.

"Aap kuch bol kyu nhi rhi, didi?" One of the kid, of about 12 , ,dressed in rags,asked akshara.

Akshara wrapped the kid in her snood and said " Kyunki, chahe mai kuch bhi bol lu, aap last mei vhi sochoge mere baare jo aap pehli baar mei soche hoge, vaise jo phele se soch liya ho...usko smjhana bekaar h".

Translate:- "Because, no matter what I may say, you'll think of me by the perception you had when you saw me first, and it's useless to explain someone who is already holding a conclusion. "

The kid smiled in astonishment, and thanked akshara and she went to her way.

When she got down the stairs,waiting

for the taxi.

As a taxi stopped by, she asked the driver to drive to xxx resort, which was gonna be her address for next few days.

As she kept her bag ,inside the taxi, she felt strong gaze on her, she turned and saw a girl of about 3 years, wearing a denim jumpsuit , hair braided into two plaits.

Akshara looked around confused.

She then walked to the girl and stooped over her and asked " What happened? ".

" I lost mumma, and now I got a cut " All she could say, and point towards her knee.

Akshara gently folded the jumpsuit above her knee and saw that the girl was actually hurt.

"You know where you lost your mumma, bchcha?" She asked politely.

"I don't know"

"Mumma's name?"

"Aa.. R... I don't know" Poor girl tried hard.

"Fine, papa's name? "

"He is a doctor ,at bir... Bss... " The girl waved off the question dramatically.

"Cute, though"Akshara thought.

" Ok, ok... Aapka naam kya h? "

"Aashi"

"Aashi! Such a beautiful name.... Come let's find your papa" She said and lifted aashi and took her to the car.

She asked aashi what she was telling about her father and told her to tell the same to driver.

The driver felt confused, "papa doctor h, hospital mei"... This something obvious, he wasn't able to connect the dots, which hospital?, was the question.

" Blue color ki deevaar, B I R white color se... Bs aur kuch nhi pta aashi ko! " She said made a i-am- done face.

Akshara giggled, at her antics and asked the driver to drive to which ever hospital he thinks appropriate by aashi's description.

The driver drove the car, while akshara and aashi kept giggling on the backseat.

"Dard ho rha h, aashi ko!" Aashi said holding her knee.

"Bs aa gye " The driver replied, instead of akshara.

Akshara looked out the car's window and was perplexed 'ʙɪʀʟᴀ ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ'.

Aashi's scream brought akshara back to present from her reverie.

"Yhi h, look aun... " The girl said and stopped midway, not knowing what to address akshara as.

"Aapne naam nhi btaya mujhe, pr mera puch liya" She said feigning annoyance.

"Akshara" She replied absentminded.

"Aashi ka naam chota h, toh mai aapka naam bhi chota krungi... Ummm... " How cute was she.

"Ha.... Akshu" She declared proudly.

"Huh? " Akshara was reminded of thousand of memories in a minute.

"Ha... Aashi aur akshu, cute-cute" Aashi said squeezing akshara's cheek.

"Madam yhi utarna h?" The driver asked glancing his watch.

Akshara was stuck, she didn't wanted to go in , a thousand of memories flashed each second, thousand of thoughts went by.

What should she do?

"Chlo n... Akshu... Papa ko dhundhte h.. Aashi ko chot lgi h... Vo kaise Dundhegi akele? " Aashi said opening the car's door.

Soon she dragged akshara out of the car, unwillingly akshara took her bag from the taxi , paid the driver and thank him and went in.

She lifted aashi and went in, looking around... Most of staffs were new, while akshara was simultaneously walking through the corridor and her past, aashi was trying to locate her papa.

Aashi's voice caught akshara's attention.

"Neha aunty, papa kha h?" Aashi asked a nurse who was passing by.

"Aree, aashi... Ye kon h? " The nurse looked visibly surprised.

Akshara maintained a stern face, not knowing what to answer.

What she possibly could?

That she was once a wife of Dr. Abhimanyu birla?

Or was a music thérapist here?

Or simply a mother who lost her kids in this very hospital and on this very day?

"Ye... Akshu h... Meri nyi dost!" Aashi said giggling nervously, as studied akshara's changed expression.

"Ho n, akshu?" She asked confirming over getting no reaction.

"Ha" Akshara said smiling.

"Ooo.... Well, papa udhr h" Neha pointed at the end of the corridor and herself escorted them, once reached she went back to her work, leaving aashi, akshara with him.

They walked through the corridor and finally saw a man in scrubs with white doctor's coat, back facing them. He probably seemed in hurry and panick.

"Pta nhi hogi... Aashi.. Tm kaise use kho skti ho, Aar... " The man seemingly shouted over phone, but before he could complete aashi's shout caught his attention.

"Papaa" Aashi shouted catching her father's attention and ran to him and hugged him, he too hugged her back.

While akshara looked visibly shocked.

"Where were you, you scared me, aashi! " He said in his fearful yet calm voice.

"Aree papa,.... Akshu le aayi na, aashi ko" She said freeing herself from the tight hug of her father.

"Kon?" The man asked standing up and it seemed that the ground beneath his feet seemed to shake, all of sudden everything in the room became blur except, akshara.

His legs seemed to go numb, with shock.

"Ye h, akshu, papa! "Aashi said, running to akshara and clutching her hand tight.

" Akshuu??? "The man whispered.

Everything seemed to freeze, as the everything came jolting down at the two adults.