Adwait

Is she really my mother?

I check the time on my phone. It's 4 a.m. Devisha would be awake. I should call her.

After a few rings, she picks up the call.
"Adwait, iss time par call?" (Adwait, a call at this hour?) Devisha asks.

"Tumhari bohot yaad aa rahi hai, iss liye so nahi pa raha." (I am missing you so much, that's why I can't sleep.) I reply, trying to smile, but she senses my unease.

"Arre, aise tho kabhi yaad nhi aati kya hua tumhari tabiyat thik nhi hai kya awaj bhi itni thaki hui lag rhi hai" (You don’t usually miss me. Are you okay? Your voice sounds so tired.) Devisha replies, getting worried

"Kyun, nhi aa sakti mujhe tumhari yaad." (Why, can't i miss you ) I reply, not wanting to make her feel sad. I will handle it alone.

After talking to her for a while, I felt a little good the heaviness in my chest subsiding.

I get up from my bed and make my way toward the gym. I need something to distract my mind, and this would definitely help me.

After spending two straight hours in the gym, I enter my room and got ready in my office attire after a long shower.

I glance at the clock in my room. It's currently 8 in the morning; everyone would be up by now.

I enter the living room to find my mom and dad deep in conversation, but they stop abruptly, sensing my arrival.

"Arre, Adwait, tu?" (Oh, Adwait, you?) Mom says, trying to sound cheerful as always but failing.

"Haan Ma, main aur kaun hoga? Mujhe aap dono se baat karni hai." (Yes, Mom. Who else would it be? I need to talk to you both.) I say, taking a deep breath.

"Kya baat karni hai tumhe?" (What do you want to talk about?) Papa asks.

"Woh uss din jo aurat mere cabin mein aayi thi, uske baare mein. Mujhe jawab  chahiye." (That woman who came to my cabin the other day—about her. I need answers.) I say firmly. I can sense the tension on my parents' faces, but I can't let my nightmares haunt me anymore like they have for the last three days.

I hear Papa sigh deeply. He was about to open his mouth when Mom placed her hand on his and gave it a little squeeze, signaling that she would speak.

"Adwait, actually, that lady was right. She is your birth mother, not me. But for me, you are my child. What if I didn't give you birth? That doesn't define my love for you. I love you a lot, my son," Mom says, tears slipping from her eyes.

Dad's eyes were also moist, filled with unshed tears. And me? The ache in my heart that is too much to handle. My mom is not my mom, and that unknown lady is? No, it can't be.

"Ma, I know aapka pyaar saccha hai. Don't doubt yourself." (Mom, I know your love is true. Don't doubt yourself.) I say, my voice low but reassuring, as I get up from my place and walk toward my mom, hugging her tightly.

"Beta, uss aurat ka naam Akriti hai. Woh mere bade bhai ki biwi hai aur tum un dono ke bache. Par mera bada bhai woh ek janwar se kam nahi tha. Uski wajah se tumne woh bachpan dekha jo kisi bache ka nahi hona chahiye." (Son, that woman's name is Akriti. She is my elder brother's wife, and you are their child. But my elder brother was nothing less than an animal. Because of him, you experienced a childhood no child should.) Papa says, his voice breaking with the pain.

"Papa, mujhe 3 din se bure sapne aa rahe hain. Woh aurat mujhe bohot maarti hai... bohot zyada." (Papa, I've been having bad dreams for three days. That woman beats me a lot... a lot.) I say, my voice sounding like a child seeking solace in his parents' arms.

"Beta, Doctor ne tumhari health ka dhyan rakhne ko kaha hai. Hum baaki ki baatein baad mein karenge." (Son, The doctor has asked us to focus on your health. We'll discuss the rest later.) Mom says, her hold on me tightening.

The anger I feel right now is overwhelming. I never thought I'd get thoughts of killing someone and find satisfaction in it.

But right now, I really want to kill my real parents for what they did.

I can't remember everything completely, but I have remembered enough to know what they did.

Author

Time Skip

It's been three months since Adwait's confrontation with his parents, and during this time, he has been getting nightmares. He knows now that they aren't just dreams—they're memories of his past. The past he wants to run away from, but he can't. He is fighting against it.

He did a background check on both his akriti and aayush, He found out everything properly.

His father was a regular corporate employee, and his mom was a teacher before marriage. She quit her job afterward because his father wanted her to focus on household work.

They were a happy couple, but after Akshay (Adwait's uncle) started his company and it reached great heights, Aayush (Adwait's father) began feeling jealous. He thought his younger brother was achieving success while he was stuck in a 9-to-5 job. Aayush then indulged in alcoholism. This was also the time Akriti became pregnant.

Aayush lost efficiency at work. which led to him being fired—unfortunately, on the day Adwait was born.

Adwait's mom, on the other hand, used to stay at home and enjoy her life to the fullest, without a care in the world, often spending too much money on unnecessary things.

His parents showed love and affection toward him only in front of other family members because they needed money.

After Adwait learned all of this, he suffered a lot mentally.

These three months have been the toughest for him.

Adwait's parents are also very tense, worried about his health.

But the question in Adwait's mind remains: Why are his parents back again? They hate him, so what do they want from him?

What's cooking in their heads?