Aftermath (2)

Chapter Twenty two

Spriya sat on the floor of the marble tile; Brought her knees towards her chest and buried her head in between her legs.

Her sob was heard outside the room.

"He can't die, no he won't leave us." she repeated softly in between the sob.

After crying for some time, she stood up from the floor and searched for her husband's pictures in the room. As she was searching, beads of tears streamed down from her eyes to her cheeks. She's continued to murmur softly "He can't die ,not just like that." She opened the wardrobe and brought out some of his pictures and drop it on the floor.

She climbed on the small freezer in the room and brought out his enlarged picture .

In the picture, he was on his full military camouflage uniform smiling and looking at her .

She hugged the picture and sobbed

"You can't live me and our children, You promised me that. How can you break your promise?" she asked rhetorical

"What will I tell your baby girl Tara hmm?"

She raised her head and lifted her eyebrows. Bringing her right hand towards the picture; she used her thumb to caress it.

She stood up and dropped the picture on their king sized bed. She slowly laid down beside it and closed her eyes reminiscing all their good memories . She smiled at some memories and laughed at some .

As if strucked by something . She suddenly stood up from the bed and trashed the glass mortified lion drawing inside the room.

"Liar!"

"You are nothing but a liar. You broke your promise. You promised me that we will grow old together. You promised that you will always be there for us but where are you now?"

She bent down toward the picture on the bed and caressed it "Biggs." she called the name given to him by his grandfather.

"You promised to fight. You would have fought harder. you would have fought harder. How I am going to leave without you. Your children are too young to be fatherless. I am to young to be widowed."

She buried her face on her hands." Everyone, I ever loved always leaves me. My parents left me, my aunt left me , my grandparents left me and now..."

She smiled sadly and continued " Even if you have failed . I Spriya Tupperano will not fail. I will stay with our children."

She laughed softly "Biggs ." she called again " I warned you not to go but you refused. Your son warned you. Dismissing him ,you refused. Your mentor warned , you refused. Your godfather warned and asked you to retreat. He asked you not to go but you refused. Now look at it . Look at where your stubbornness had landed us in ? " she asked rhetorical

"No!"

Her voice resonated in the whole massion .

The workers inside the villa were frightened on hearing such a big roar.

The butler outside the room was frightened. He had been panicking since she locked herself inside the room. Undue, he wasn't able to hear her voice clearly. He knows that she had been crying and lamenting.

"Madam please open the door, please don't harm yourself."

He knocked on the door and repeated softly. Seeing that he can't do anything to make her open the door . He went downstairs to Know whether he could open the door with a cracker.

Different servants rushed to the place to know what was wrong but seeing it was there madam and the door was locked. They couldn't do anything but stay at the entrance panicking.

Some military soldiers at the entrance that heard the sound suspected that something was wrong .

When they reached the floor, they were surprised to see a group of servants crowding around the door.

"What are you people doing here? Go back to your duties." they commanded in a cold voice.

The servants scrolled away in fear.

The slim soldier among them knocked softly on the door." Ma please open the door."

Spriya who was inside the room was oblivious of what was happening outside her room because she was in her own world.

The butler who went downstairs , heard the ringing of the telephone. He sighed wondering who was calling at these perilous time.

He went towards the place and picked it up. "Hello, these is from the Star life . What can we do for you?" he asked professional

"Drop those formalities and tell me how my grand daughter in law is doing." The anxious voice of Ma Smittian was heard through the telephone.

The butler sighed in his heart and answered truthfully " Ma, she has locked herself in the room and has been crying since she saw the news. " If there was anyone who can help his lady boss. it was nobody than Ma Smittian.

Ma Smittian angry voice rang out through the telephone " Why did I leave you there if you can't even take care of your lady boss. Why do you allow her to see those useless propaganda ."she reprimanded

"Am sorry ma , I ....."

"Don't ever say sorry to me." she interrupted him "If any thing happens to my grand daughter in law. I won't spare you." She took a deep breath and continued " What are you waiting for. Go and open the room. Keep everything under care. I will be there in some minutes."

" Okay ma, thank yo ..." the line was cut off before he could complete his statements.

He sighed again and dropped the telephone before leaving to look for what he came down for.

Inside Smittian inn.

The chattering of a broken glass was heard.

"Nonsense, that stupid boy can't even take care of my grand daughter in law. Why did I keep him there .If he can't even do a small job" she said agitatedly

"Calm down ma, she will be okay." said a middle aged woman beside her.

"Do I hear you say ,she will be okay. Do you know what she went through after her parents death . She would have die , if not for me and her aunty. "

"Calm down, you will have a heart attack."

Ma Smittian glared at her " What do you know. Go and arrange the cars. We will be going there right away through the jet and you are coming with me."

"Yes, ma." she replied and left.

"Why are you pacing around, relax everything will be okay." said Pa Smittian who was sitting in the room watching the whole drama.

Ma Smittian snorted and replied "How will I relax, when my grand son is missing and my grand daughter in law is going through another emotional breakdown. I am going there right now to meet her. She needs someone by her side."

"Then, I am going with you."

"How can you go with me?" she asked rhetorical

"What do you mean by that . I want to go and see my grand daughter in law too." Pa Smittian argued

"You are not going anywhere. You are already old and you are not in good health to travel."

He scowled and replied "Are you not old yourself . Using my health and age as an excuse."

" Don't add another salt to my injury. I am trying to resolve a case and here you are trying to add to the already unpredictable lined up predicament. You are not going. I don't want to handle your case right now. The doctor had advised you not to travel for the meantime."

"I am going and that is fin..."

"Ma , everything is already set. We are set to go." The middle aged woman came in and reported thereby interrupting him.

"Okay, I am coming." replied Ma Smittian.

After , the middle aged woman left. She looked at her husband and said "You are very stubborn. No wonder where our grandson inherited his stubbornness from. His stubbornness is the cause of his disappearance. I won't add you in my list. Stay here and pray for your grandson to be found instead of running around."

After she concluded her statement. She left the villa without taking another glance at her husband.

Pa Smittian sat there looking defeated. He lowered his face to hid his gloomy expression.

...

At the presidential residency.

Before the butler could return, the door was already opened by two soldiers. They were able to open it because it wasn't probably locked.

When the butler entered and saw that the door was opened by the soldiers. He sighed in relief .

The soldiers at the entrance was astonished seeing the condition of the luxurious bedroom. Even with it's messy state. It still looked quiet opulence.

They shake their heads and sighed in their hearts. They understand the situation at hand. Nobody will be able to take the news of their love one's dismiss likely.

The butler was relieved on seeing that she hasn't harmed herself. He signaled the soldiers to go back to their duty post while he called the servants to clean up the room.

When he was about going down. He decided to call aunty usuey to come and take care of their lady boss. undue, she was on her day off. Leaving her alone will be dangerous. what she needed at these mintues was companion , advice and a little distraction.

After the butler called aunty usuey. He went into the kitchen to check the lunch they were preparing.

When aunty usuey arrived at the presidential villa. She was flabbergasted on seeing the condition of their lady boss.

She dropped her hand bag beside the luxurious king sized bed.

"Madam , are you okay?" she asked, after she sat down beside her. Concern dripping from her voice.

She helped her sit up and gave her a warm glass of water to drink.

When the butler called her . Even due, he didn't explain much to her but from the emergency of his tone and anxiousness.

She suspected that everything was not alright but seeing her madam's condition ...

She sighed and held her hand into hers.

"Ma, please calm down. I am sure that the president is not yet dead. You can't believe those propagandas . Have faith in him. We all knows he can die anyhow."

After some words of encouragement Spriya relaxed. She laid her head on the pillow staring into the space.

Perhaps, because she has been crying or she started feeling weak. She stood up from the bed and rushed inside the toilet.

Aunty usuey seeing her madam's sudden action stood up and followed her .

Spriya bent down and throw up everything , she has eaten in the morning. She felt someone holding back her hair . Without turning, she knew that it was aunty usuey .

After throwing up. She opened the tap, rinsed her mouth and left the place.

She sit down on the bed and took a sip of warm water beside the bed.

suddendly, the door opened revealing danvers who was still putting on his school uniform with a school bag at his back.

Danvers dropped the school back on the floor and rushed towards his mother. He enguffed her into a warm hug.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He took in his mum's appearance as he stepped into the room. Her hair was dishvelled , her beautiful face was looking very pale.

immediately, he entered into the Star life. She noticed that something was wrong. A once cool and quiet place was burstling with strange faces.

Even , before he entered into the mansion. He suspected something was wrong.

He was shocked, when he overheard some maids gossiping about the happening in the house and around the country.

He told his little sister and brother to go ahead and change.

"Mum, is okay. Stop crying I am here with you. I and my siblings are here for you. You can cry on my shoulders."

"You shouldn't loose hope. I will protect you okay?" he asked rhetorical and used his right hand to wipe her tears.

Spriya withdraw from her son . She cupped his son face in her hands. Looking at the face that is a replica of her husband's face. Stream of tears flowed down her cheeks.

" Baby, mum will not cry anymore. I will protect you and you siblings not the other way round." She used the back of her right hand to wipe her tears .

Downstairs Ma Smittian arrived into mansion with her group.

The butler who was coming out of the house saw her approaching.

" Good afternoon ma, welcome." He collected the hand bag she was holding.

"Where is my grand daughter and how is she ?" She looked at him and asked.

"Explain to me what happened."

The maids that saw her entering into the villa greeted her while passing.

After hearing the whole story from the butler.

....

The door of Spriya's bedroom was opened. She looked up to see the new visitor.

" Come." Ma Smittian said to Spriya when she came closer to her. She pulled her up before pulling her into a warm hug.

Spriya broke down again on hearing these same comforting and mothering voice. She leaned on her shoulder and cried.

" It okay my daughter. I am here with you ." she said smoothing the back of her hair

"You can cry on my shoulder. Let it out. Perhaps , my grandson is not dead. I believe he would be found."

...

I would have published these chapter the day that chapter 21 was published but I don't really know what happened resulting to the self deletion of the chapter. These is the longest chapter . I have ever written.