Page 215 - Till the Last Breath . . .

blood, lying with broken bones in a hospital bed, frothing at the mouth

because of an overdose of sleeping pills. Slowly, she felt the anger melt
away. She couldn’t help but think about what it would be like not to have
her dad around. It was a sinking feeling.

She didn’t know how it happened, but she found herself in her dad’s arms
and both of them wept profusely. Every passing second made the presence

of her father near her easier to bear. With every tear that she shed, she could
feel the animosity melt away. The flood of tears slowly reduced to a trickle.

Zarah didn’t know what to say, all she knew was that after years of
bitterness and hostility, this tiny moment of love made her feel alive again.

Just then, the door bell rang.
Zarah stood up straight. Both of them wiped their tears away and she felt
her lips curve into a little smile. Next, she smoothened out her clothes and

walked to the door. She opened the door and hugged her mother. ‘Good
morning,’ she whispered. Her mother looked at her, shocked.

‘I got aloo-puri for breakfast,’ her mother said and held out the polythene
in her hands.

‘I will just take a bath and come back,’ Zarah said and smiled. As she
walked to her room, her eyes met her father’s and they smiled. She blushed.

In more ways than one, it was one. The shower went on for a little longer
than she had intended. For the longest time, she stood there and thought
about how life would have been different had her father come out earlier

and apologized. She realized her anger was aimed at her father keeping
mum about the whole matter.

She came to the living room after she dried herself and dressed. Her
parents were already waiting on the table for her. The salty, yummy aroma

of the aloo-puri overwhelmed her senses. She sat down and started to eat,
her mother slightly perturbed by the glances and small talk between Zarah

and her father.
‘When do you have to go to the hospital today?’ her mom asked.
‘Late night,’ she said and reminded her mother of her weekly day off.

‘You’re staying at home today?’ she asked.