5 Ignored

It was almost evening when she came home. Without thinking anything she went straight to the kitchen where she assumed her mother was.

"Aama," she called out going inside the kitchen.

(Aama means mother in Nepali.)

"Yes," her mother said.

She went near her mom pulled out the tool and sat beside her.

"I wanted to talk... About mama," She said.

(Mama = mother's brother)

Her mother looked at her thinking why was she so interested in her uncle's life when she had explained everything and there was no way to help him.

"Aastu, I already told you everything. There is no way we can...." she felt pain in her chest, "help him," she said feeling difficult to say it.

"I wanted to find ways to make him talk about everything he has been through," Aastha said.

Tears brimmed in her eyes when her daughter said that so she turned to the other side and closed her eyes and took a deep breath controlling herself.

"Its... Its been 30 years since hearing him talk or even smile like other people. I am dying to see his smile. There is Eternity left in front of him and he is just......" She couldn't finish it.

Aastha came towards her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I want to help him, Aama and for that, I need your support and maybe a little bit of help,"

"How?" Muna said slowly pulling out of the hug and looking at her daughter.

"First, promise me you won't be angry,"

"Ok," she said.

"Yesterday, we bunked our college and went to mama's house..."

"You what?" Muna cut her off.

"Aama," she said in an annoyed tone. "You promised," she said reminding Muna her promise and her mother rolled her eyes and sat in the chair while Aastha sat in another chair in front of her mother.

"We came back from his house and then went to that woman's house," As aastha was saying this Muna gave her a look.

"I know its wrong but we found an album and there was another person in the pictures with mama and that woman. Do you know any of his other friends?"

She thought for a while and she was about to say no when she remembered something.

"Yes, There was another guy prayas talked about..... His name was...." She thought again trying to remember his name. "Yes, Adhir. They used to go out. Prayas told me he was a wolf. The girl introduced him to that wolf,"

"And what was the girl's name?"

"Something like sa... Sati." Her mother replied.

"Oh.. I think they were in the picture with mama," she said thinking the old woman's name is sati. She liked the name.

"Where is he now? Do you know anything?"

She shrugged "No idea, I wish, I could tell you more," Muna said.

She nodded and went to her room.

She sat on her bed thinking about the idea of how she could make her uncle talk and then something hit her and she called her bestie.

"We need to go to the hill house, ASAP,"

"Why?" Questions came from the other end.

"I will explain everything. Meet me near Temple in an hour," Saying this she hung up the phone. Denisha looked at her phone confused why she asked her to come to hill house with her.

In exact one hour, they met near the temple.

"Remember the picture we found of mama with the other two people?" She asked and denisha nodded.

"I think, I know his name," She said and told everything about her conversation with her mother.

"He is a wolf?"

"I think so. He must be the same guy Aama was talking about. If that's true then we can find him and know everything about mama's past." she said with hope-filled voice.

"Hmm," denisha said and they went towards the prayas house. Aastha knew that at this time he wouldn't be at his house cause it was his daily routine to go and check that woman.

They went inside the house and started to search the things that could help them but failed but Aastha was not one to give up. She went to every room and finally found a storeroom. There they found a very old album. They opened it and there it was the same picture they saw at Sati's house.

"Her name is Sati," Aastha said "Isn't that a beautiful name," she said looking at her bestie.

"Yes, it is,"

She clicked the picture of that photo. Aastha tired to find more pictures of the three of them together but it was the only photo.

"Have you heard of any wolf that goes by the name Adhir?" She asked.

"No," she replied after thinking.

They then went to the jungle where wolves lived. They asked everyone if they knew the wolf name Adhir and even showed them the picture but everyone had the same answer that they know nothing. Feeling sad and defeated they sat below the tree.

"Now what?" Denisha asked.

Aastha closed her eyes and then sighed.

"I think we should keep an eye on that woman for some days,"

"But your mama is always around her. He will find us stalking," Denisha said.

"I don't think he comes down during the day,"

It was fixed that they will keep eye on that lady the other day. Aastha came back home and ate her dinner.

"So?" Her mom asked and Aastha looked at her mom not knowing what she was asking.

"Where were you?"

"I was with wolfie," She replied casually and went to her room.

The next day, both of them bunked the college and went to the lady's house. They saw that she was about to go somewhere so they followed her. She went inside the bakery which was their favourite. They often went to have yummy pastries and cake. they thought she went to buy some for her but they were wrong. She didn't come back so they went inside and saw her inside in the kitchen from the glass door. She was wearing apron ready to bake.

Denisha insisted they should order a cake as they have entered inside. Aastha rolled her eyes and went to sit at the far corner and ordered black forest while Denisha ordered red velvet. This was the place they always came and their favourite place but they never saw her there, maybe cause they came there in the evening and she goes to sit in the park in the evening. They asked one of the workers who was the owner and the guy showed towards the lady.

Someday I want to work here," Denisha said between the talk.

"Same here, I always liked this place," Aastha replied.

After that, for days they kept eye on her. She used to come to the bakery in the late morning and in the evening she used to go back to her house. There were some staffs that took care of the bakery when she was not there. One day, during the afternoon, they saw Aastha's mama enter the bakery. They watched him from the outside. Denisha insisted they should go inside but Aastha refused.

Aastha was thankful that he went and sat near the glass window where they could see him clearly. After sometime sati came out from the kitchen and their eyes met. He slowly got up but without bothering to talk she slowly opened the door. She stood at the door for a brief moment and Aastha thought she was going to say something but she left without looking back. He stared at her back for some time and then left.

Aastha felt bad watching her ignore him.

"Why did she acted like she didn't see him?" She thought.

"I thought, they were friends," Denisha said and brought Aastha back from her thought.

"I thought too,"

"In pictures, they looked so happy," Denisha muttered.

"I don't know why she ignored him," Aastha said.

"Their past must be hot and Ssssspicy," Denisha joked and Aastha rolled her eyes.

They then went to the park. They watched her. She was sitting under the tree, her hand covering her face. She seemed to be in thought or in stress. Aastha wanted to go near her and ask her why she ignored her mama. She wanted to ask about their past but she controlled herself. Aastha wanted to go to see her mama. She couldn't even imagine how he must have felt when she ignored him like a stranger. No, not like a stranger but like an enemy. If someone comes to your door, your shop, you never ignore them how much you don't like them but she did.

Aastha was more than furious but she somehow controlled herself. There was so many questions left unanswered and she somehow thought that the only person now other than her mama could answer was Sati. She needed the right time to go in front of her and ask everything because she couldn't risk it cause if prayas knows she might get in trouble.

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