SAHANA

Days passed as Mathew and I grew closer to each other. He picked and dropped me at the college every day, visited me every alternative day, took me out often, and whatnot did he try to bring my long-lost smile back on my face though it was a tough challenge and he kept failing continuously, he never gave up. He struggled hunting for a job and at last, he got one as a chef in a multi-cuisine restaurant. Mathew was an extraordinary chef and he always cooked exotic dishes and flaunted his culinary skills to me.

One fine day after college I directly went to the hospital to check how the work is going on and I couldn't inform Mathew because my mobile phone's battery died and he didn't pick up the call when I called him from some strangers mobile. I sat in Riya's cabin going through a few patient reports and details while Mathew rushed into the room.

"I went to college and people there told me that you already left, do you know how scared did I get", he shouted

"Hello calm down buddy, I am not a small kid to get lost, I can take care of myself", I said

"You could have at least informed me"

"Mobile battery died, I tried calling you from some random person's mobile phone and you didn't pick the call so not my fault"

"Okay, no point in arguing. By the way, I have brought ice-creams"

"Where is it?"

"Home"

"Come let's go home"

"Why are you in hurry now?

"To watch some movie of Thai drama and have ice-creams:

"You and your madness for that Thai drama I don't know how you enjoy reading subtitles"

"It is fun"

"Until and unless you don't ask me to watch them with"

"You don't know anything these dramas are so relaxing"

"Whatever come let's go home", he said

"Come on let's go", I said cheerfully

We walked out of the cabin to the corridor where the doctors and nurses were running here and there. I pulled one of the nurses closer and asked, "Sister, what happen why are you all in such a hurry?"

"Megha, an accident took place on the nearby main road and we have two casualties and a kid is critical in operation theatre", she replied

."Gosh!"

"The kid is just 3 years old or something fighting the death there while both her parents died on spot"

"This is so sad."

"I know right, that kid her name is Sahana, one of the papers in the car said so"

"Thanks for the information sister, Mathew let's go check on that kid Sahana come", I said

We rushed to the operation theatre I peeped into and found a small girl with blood all around her and stains of blood on her dress. Doctors and nurses wiped and cleaned all those stains and started their work. A lot of knives cutting through her body, and she was breathing through oxygen masks. After a few stitching, the doctor came out leaving the kid with numerous wires attaching her to the beeping machines. I enquired him about the case and he said that there was nothing much to worry just a few cuts that needed aid, she will be fine maybe a few days in the hospital will make her normal. Soon within a few minutes, her relatives visited the hospital, they came to see Sahana while I was with the girl. Those people were least concerned and it was so clear that they were here only for name sake and not because of care. A topic arose about whose going to take care of the girl from here onwards, none of her relations were ready to adopt her the only thing they were seriously discussing was about to admit her into some good orphanage. After some time everyone left I wasn't feeling any good about the way those people acted, Mathew and I went to the canteen and ordered some coffee.

"I don't understand at this young age this kid would become an orphan. It hurts a lot when you don't have parents with you in many stages of life, trust me I have been through it and now this girl is going to go through hell in this age itself and I am standing here witnessing all these", I exclaimed to him.

"I can understand your concern, but we can't help, right?", he said

"How can her relatives be so cruel?"

"Cool down"

"Mathew I have an idea"

"Tell me the idea"

"Why don't I adopt her and be her mother?"

"Good idea but a small correction"

"What is that now?"

"I will adopt her, be her father and you will be her aunt okay?"

"Not okay, Mathew you are going to get married soon do you think your family and Catherine will accept this decision of yours"

"I don't know about my parents, but I am sure Catherine might accept, she is very understanding you know. You are still studying dear, concentrate on your studies, it is not a good idea of taking responsibility for being a parent now so I will take care of her"

"But..."

"No buts, she is Sahana Mathew from now. End of the conversation", he said

We visited the hospital regularly and spent as much as possible with her. She recovered very fast, it showed what a fighter she was. I soon spoke to the doctors who were treating her about the adoption and they also felt that it was a good idea. As she was set to get discharged, we took her to Mathew's house, she was surprised and took time to get adjusted to the surrounding.

Slowly, as months passed Sahana had become everything to us, she meant the world to Mathew and me. After putting great effort she started addressing Mathew as 'daddy' and me as 'Maggie mausi'. Each and everything she newly learned made me feel so happy. She brought happiness back into my life.

Once on a Sunday, Mathew asked me to stay in his house with Sahana and wanted me to take care of his daughter because he was going somewhere long to cook for some event. I went to his house and Sahana was really very happy to see me and I was looking forward to spending one whole day all alone with her. We watched many animated movies and cartoons and soon got bored of them.

In the evening, I made her some cookies. She asked me if she could play pillow fight with me. I obviously agreed to it. We both started to play and we were so into it that the pillows tore and the stuffed cotton was scattered all over the house. Did we stop there? No, we didn't. Then we poured water on each other, applied powder on each other, drew on each other faces using lipsticks, and while running here and there we accidentally broke many things. We, at last, stopped after a few minutes and we had made the whole house dirty. We say on the sofa set as we were tired while Mathew opened the house with the spare key and entered in.

"Megha, Sahana", he shouted

"Mathew, why are you shouting? See she is getting scared" I said as Sahana held me tight in fear

"What else do you expect from me look around the house, look around how untidy it is?"

"Mathew we were playing"

"Playing? Sahana is a kid I can't blame her, but you are grown up you should have at least had thought before doing all this. I feel like there are two kids in this house, not one."

"Calm down"

"Day by day both of your naughtiness is increasing a lot, I should find a way to stop you both."

"Sorry", Sahana and I said in unison with sad faces

"Okay fine, both of you don't repeat this again okay? Now both of you go take bath and change into some clean clothes, we will go out for dinner tonight.", he said

I took Sahana to the room, stood at the entrance, and said, "By the way Mathew while playing by mistake we broke your favorite white color flower vase"

"You both..." he started to yell while I ran into the room and slammed the door.

We took a nice and relaxing hot bath and I wore the spare set of dress which I had brought along with me and put on some light makeup, while Sahana, the adamant daughter of Mathew wanted to wear her favorite pink T-shirt which I had no idea where Mathew has kept it. I started searching it all over the room while this girl is just like her father, she had no patience at all. She went out of the room continuously screaming, "Daddy, where is the pink T-shirt?" I searched for that T-shirt everywhere and at last, found it in Mathew's cupboard. I took it and went out of the room saying, "Sahana I found your T-shirt stop disturbing your father"

As I entered the living room some people were standing. They were staring at Mathew and he was standing still holding Sahana in one hand and a broom in another hand. I slowly walked closer to him.

"Who are these people?", I whispered in his ear

"Megha, that's my parents, he is my brother Steve Mathew and that beautiful girl is Catherine", he said