Writing Challenge : Opposites

I am participating in a writing challenge set by Maggie from “From Cave Walls” You can read more about it from the link https://fromcavewalls.wordpress.com/2020/08/09/a-writing-challenge-opposites/ The challenge included writing two stories based on the following picture but with two opposite emotions. Here is what I managed to come up with

The waiting Room

The nurse came into Meera’s room with a wheelchair and said “ Its time to go”

Arjun helped Meera to sit on the wheelchair and they started walking towards operating room. When they reached, nurse said, “I will leave you two alone for a minute” Arjun and Meera held hands and Meera’s eyes wailed up. Arjun said ,“ don’t worry! Its all going to be fine” Nurse came back and wheeled Meera in the operating room and told Arjun he can sit in the waiting room. She will come to inform him when its all done.

Arjun sat in the waiting room thinking of their life of last eight years. Their hopes turning into disappointments, the anguish, the pain, all the self pity they felt for themselves. Arjun said to himself “ this is going to be a new chapter in our life! Hope everything goes well!

Arjun sat anxiously in the waiting room praying. The nurse came looking for him and said Congratulations ! It’s a girl and she is going to be fine even if she is premature! Hearing that Arjun just broke down!

Weekend is Yours!

The phone ranging the middle of the night. It was Ashwini, my sister, on the other side. “Aaryan, dad passed away! You should start for Mumbai.” I was shocked.

I knew dad was not well for some time. We spoke on the phone three days back and he pleaded “ you should come and meet me, I am getting weaker day by day” His voice sounded normal. I told him “this weekend is yours” I had few important meetings lined up this week and decided to visit Mumbai on weekend.I booked my flight from Delhi.

I reached home and saw his lifeless body. Something in me stirred up. I started feeling guilty. My mom, Ashwini, my family members, everyone was there. There was so much going around. Ashwini held my hand and took me to other room.

Ashwini said, “He was waiting for you. He knew he didn’t have time so he recorded this message for you” She took out her cell phone out and played the message from dad. “ Aaryan, when you were small you waited for me to come back from work and would end up sleeping on the couch. Next day I would promise this weekend is all yours but that hardly happened. Now I know how you felt. I wanted to see you, hold your hands and tell you how much I love you. I wished I had spent more time with you” Ashwini patted my back and said,“stop crying, gather yourself. We have a funeral to perform”