Untold

By Ginsha Mary

Wake up, wake up... alarm beeps... Sanju has no intention to wake up...snooze the alarm... After 10 minutes again, the alarm beeps. An angry face came out of the blanket and off the alarm. Every day starts like this, but now life is not the same as in the past. When did somebody's life turn upside down? Sometimes it's untold truth! Sanju starts scrolling through Instagram without waking up from the bed. He was stuck for a while when he saw a post named 'family'. His heart felt heavy; he threw the phone to the side of the bed and went outside the room. 

***

Three weeks ago.

Writing in a diary at midnight about the most heart-breaking revelation feels like hell! 'This is the day where my life starts upside down.' Sanju begins to write his diary. ' Never think about such a drastic event that will happen in my life!! This is the day where we went to our ancestral home to visit the grandmother who is bedridden, and this is the day where Achan and Achachan (father and grandfather) met after ten years. In my mind, I am literally happy to see them united after years, even though I don't know the exact reason for the dispute between them. Now I got the answer from Achachan!! It's me... only me who separates them from each other!! I am the adopted son... I am adopted!!!'

Sanju cried a lot in silence. He won't say a word to Achan and Amma (father and mother) about what Achachan told him, the untold truth about him!!! Like Achachan, Sanju also can't accept the truth; he can't accept that his father fought with Achachan because of him!! 

A life full of luxuries!! the undeserved luxuries, love of my parents, can I call them mine??? I don't know!! Why did they adopt me?? Who knows!! Everything wrapped around me is literally not mine!! 

***

Sanju joined a small job that he got in another city. As he can't face the family, he tries to escape from them. He joined the job without any hesitation and lived in a low budget room. Eat whatever he had at a low price and adjust everything at a low salary. Sanju's life and mind are in total mess until the day his dad comes to visit him. 

Leaving the office, he was shocked to see his dad was waiting for him. Sanju becomes happy and sad at the same time. Dad smiled at him, and Sanju smiled back by dumping his sadness. They didn't speak a word and began to walk slowly.

***

Two days ago.

Krishnan (Sanju's dad) is restless, heavy-hearted, and disturbed. The change in behavior and everything about Sanju makes him sick. There are very few calls, no chats, and no visits from his son; he was never like this earlier; what makes him be like this? Krishnan remembered that this change was after the day they visited the ancestral home. 'Did dad say anything to him???' Krishnan felt a chill in his spine. 

Krishnan can't handle everything. Sanju's change makes his mother mentally very down. She is absolutely sad, always thinking about him every time. He is such a lovely child; how can he be apart from us, especially from his mother? What happens to my child??? Krishnan's eyes become wet. He decided to visit Sanju. Even though he didn't know where Sanju was residing, he decided to meet him at his office. 

***

Sanju unlocked the room and invited his father. Krishnan becomes shocked to see that it is a very little room with minimal facilities like untidy walls, broken shelves, and a very small cot to sleep in. Krishnan felt a pain in his heart. They sit in the cot without saying anything. After a little silence, Krishnan started the conversation, "Why did you live here??? Was there any better place to live??"

"It's ok, Acha..and this place is cheap and near the office." Sanju replied in sadness.

"Why did you care about the expenses?? I will take care of it."

"It's ok. You take care of everything so far... Now it's my turn to take care of myself!! How long can I depend upon you?"

"Until my death!" Krishnan replied.

Sanju's heart skips a beat for a second, and his eyes become wet. He didn't say anything; he can't say anything.

Krishnan was in pain and asked, "Why my child, you didn't come to our home?? Call your mother?? What happened to you???"

Sanju can't say anything; he starts crying.

Doubted and in sadness, Krishnan asks frankly, "Did my dad say anything to you?"

Nodded the head, and Sanju replied, "Yes."

Krishnan feels his heart broken. 

Crying and shivering, Sanju said, "I can't cope with the truth... I want to escape from everything!! I felt to kill myself." 

"Sanju..." Krishnan calls loudly.

Sanju hugged him and cried aloud. Krishnan wrapped him tight and said, "You are everything to us, my child... We did everything for you... You are the fortune… You are the blessing. It's not the blood; it's the love that matters the most!!" 

They sit like that for a long time.

Sanju returns to his home with his father. Reaching home and seeing his mom makes him feel alive. He felt calm after the storm. He felt a meaning to his life. He became grateful for all the blessings. He hugged his mom; without saying anything, they became relieved; they shared their love; they shared their thoughts; they became one. It's not the blood; it's love that matters the most.

By Ginsha Mary