Chapter 7:: dtd 29.01.2019

I am taking an anticipatory bail right now.
🙌🙈🙈🙈🙈

That month the kids wanted to roam around the ancient places.  Both Jhas and Raizadas were enjoying the walk. Then ladies dragged their kids and hubbies for street shopping.

"Dau, I want icecream. Strawberry one. 1, 2 , 3 no 5."

Little Kuhu demanded to Shyam showing her cute little 5 fingers. Shyam who had held her in his arms chuckled at her.

"We should come back before Chotte comes out. This will be my surprise for him." She turned to Anjali besides them.

"Di, shushh secret."

"Ok baby, I won't tell Chotte about this."

"Ok my princess, let's go !"
When he was about to cross the double lane with Kuhu, his Mom asked him to leave Kuhu with her.

Anjali offered to go with him so that she would help Shyam in bringing back the icecreams for the whole family. So Shyam and Anjali crossed the road and went for icecreams.

Radhika and others turned back to shopping. None noticed the little Kuhu sneaking away and trying to cross the road to go to her Dau. She wanted to change the flavour from 5 Strawberries to 2 vanilla and 3 chocolates.

Arnav who had gone to the toy shop with his dad, when came out saw the little one crossing the road.

"Kuhuuuu!! " Arnav called out.

Anjali and Shyam had finished buying and was paying the vendor. When they heard Arnav's shout they too turned to the voice and saw little Kuhu running to them giggling all the way.

"Kuhu stop sweety" Anjali and Shyam shouted together.
Shyam and Arnav ran towards Kuhu from either side of the road. Jhas and Raizadas who saw all these stood shocked watching their kids. Mr. Raizada ran to Arnav and held him back..

By the time Shyam reached Kuhu and was to about grab her, a speedy car hit her. Shyam too got hit.

"Shyam,  Kuhu"...

Arnav saw his barbie flying in the air and then THUD! She hit back the ground and blood oozing out of her. Jhas and Raizadas ran to the kids. Manohar Jha took Kuhu in his arms while Mr.Raizada took a now fainted Shyam. Shyam got bruised badly by the peripheral hit. They took the kids and ran to the car. Mr. Raizada layed Shyam in his car and drove to hospital. Arnav was running after Mr. Jha who had held Kuhu.

He opened the car and layed little Kuhu in Arnav's lap who had already jumped and got seated.

"Kuhu...." Arnav called wiping his tears. Avinash checked Kuhu's breath and found her not breathing. He checked her pulse too. He turned to Manohar.

"She is no more."

Manohar took two steps back in shock and stumbled down. Avinash held Manohar.

Arnav who saw all these called out to them.

"Uncles what are you two waiting for? Come drive to hospital. Kuhu is bleeding."

"She is no more, Chotte".

"Shut up. Drive to the hospital now. Look blood is coming out of her head. We need to see doctor uncle." Arnav shouted in top of his voice.

"I said start the car!" He yelled again when he saw Manohar and Avinash not moving from there place.

 "Come on" he shouted again.

Avinash took the wheel while Manohar tried to take Kuhu from Arnav.

"No, you go and sit in the front. I will hold Kuhu." Arnav denied Manohar and held Kuhu more close to him.

When they reached hospital Shyam was already taken to the OP and Kuhu too was taken inside.

Aftersome minutes the doctor came out and annouced Kuhu's death. She was already dead when  brought to hospital.

When her small body wrapped in white cloth came out, everyone ran to the stretcher and cried their hearts out. Anjali had held a confused Arnav who had transferred the blood red from his clothes to Anjali's.

"Di what happened? Who is hiding under that white cloth? Why are they all crying calling Kuhu's name?"

"Chotte, Kuhu left us. It's Kuhu under the sheets."

"What? Then why are we siting here? Come let's go to her. Doctor uncle might have put band-aid on her head. Come Di.."
Arnav ran to the stretcher. 

Little Arnav could hardly reach the height and see Kuhu. He moved the cloth off her face.

"Look Di, Doctor uncle bandaged her. And she is sleeping already. It's good. Now by the time she wake up,  she will be alright. Right?"  Arnav sighed in relief and turned to a crying Anjali.

"Will you all please stop crying and shaking her. Let her sleep. Back off"

He pushed and dragged off everyone away from the stretcher.

Some stumbled down to the ground and countinued crying. Avinash came to Anjali.

"Anjali take Arnav to the private room by the end of the corridor. I will get some clothes for you both. Pray for Shyam's well being and Kuhu's soul. Handle Arnav somehow. Won't you dear?"

"Yes uncle."

She turned to Arnav after wiping her face.
"Chotte, come let's go and pray for Kuhu and Shyam."

"Kuhu is sleeping, I want to stay with her. And Shyam what happened to him? Where is he?" He asked looking around.

"He too got hit by the car. Didn't you noticed Papa taking him to our car and driving off from there?"

"No Di, I only saw Kuhu. By the way how did he got hit?"

"Like you tried to save her, Shyam too ran to save her. So he too got hit. Papa stopped you else you too would have been hit like Shyam and Kuhu."

"Uff Di, you only said that kids shouldn't cross the road alone. Kuhu is so small, so I went to help her."

"Don't ever do that again."
Anjali hugged Arnav in fear of losing him too. The sight of lifeless Kuhu came befoore her eyes. She closed her eyes in fear and shake out the images out of her head.

Arnav broke her tight hug complaining,
"Di you are chocking me."

"Oh sorry Chotte" more tears make way out of her eyes.

"Stop crying Di. Yuck! You look yuck.! " He again wiped out her tears.

"Didn't you want to pray. Take me." He said trying to distract his Di from crying again.

Hours later, Little Arnav was sleeping in his Di's lap. Shyam's operation was done. He was safe but with fractured hands and bruised head. Still under anaesthesia. When he woke up, they told him about Kuhu. Showed her last time and went to complete her last rituals.

Mr. Raizada and Mrs. Raizada stayed with the kids at hospital. When Arnav woke up he demanded to see Kuhu. When they denied, hell broke loss. How will they make a 9 year old understand about Kuhu's death?

Stating examples from the films they watched, they somehow told him.

"Oh no! You set fire on Kuhu?" He stood up in horror recollecting a scene he watched in a film. Aunty had told him then that when people die, they go to God. To help them go to God, theiy are burned.

"Di, Mom, Dad, Kuhu.... Fire... it will hurt her." He became hysterical remembering his pain when once his fingers got burned from the diya.

"Chotte, it's already done. Manohar uncle, Radhika aunty, Avinash uncle everyone went with her. She won't feel pain."

"Who told you it won't pain her? You know nothing. Di come na. And Di please stop crying. "

"Chotte calm down it's been hours they went. They will be back soon."

"And Kuhu?"

"Ha she too will. You sleep Chotte."

"Promise me mom."

"Ya, Chotte."

Everyone came back except Kuhu. As days passed by Arnav understood they all lied to him. His own brain filled up the dots with it's own story. In that story, everyone where evil except for Shyam who tried to save his Kuhu. And his Di who stayed by him and prayed for Kuhu. He have noticed how his Di loved Kuhu, how she pampered little Kuhu. Also his Di was with him when he woke up that night. So his Di by no chance hurted Kuhu.

He remember his Mom and Dad telling him who all went to burn her. So they hurt her. Mom and Dad lied to him, stopped him from saving Kuhu. So they both are also involved.

Slowly nightmares depicting Raizadas and Jhas hurting little Kuhu made their way to Arnav's dreams. He started to despise them. And finally left for boarding.

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Here it is.. 😆

I ruined it hena? 😁

Sorry it just came out this way.

Excuse me for this one more time

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LoVe AryaARshi 💕 💖 💖