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A few days passed by.

Last night, she had a slight argument with Abhigyan and for the same reason, she was upset from him.

It was morning. Abhigyan was absent beside her. Well, she already knew he wouldn't be here. He had some meeting to be discussed.

She stood up from the bed with heavy heart. She took the bath as soon as possible and stepped inside the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Nupur was already there from before. When she saw her, she touched her feet and Priya blessed her.

They both started to prepare breakfast together. But one thing, she noticed was, Surekha wasn't around today.

She decided to prepare the breakfast first, then to go along with breakfast to her room. So they finished making it fastly.

Priya was about to step outside with breakfast when Nupur stopped her,

"Hum de aae didi?". Priya nodded and passed the plate to her.

She engaged herself in preparations of lunch, because she knew that Abhigyan was going to come late.

It had been just a few minutes since Nupur left, when she heard her loud voice,

"Didiiiii.... Diiiiidiii.. maa ji."

Priya left everything aside and ran towards her mother-in-law's room.

The plate was fallen down on the floor, along with the floor. Nupur's eyes were filled with tears as Priya asked,

"Kya hua? Kyu chillayi?".

"What happened? Why did you shout?"

Nupur gulped and pointed towards the bed,

"Maa ji- ...maa ji.. ki... Saansein...nahi..chal rahi...".

Priya stepped forward, in disbelief to check it herself.

And, Nupur was right. She wasn't breathing anymore. Her eyes were shut.

Priya's heart ached. Her heart felt heavy as she took unconscious steps back and Nupur held her shoulders to balance her.

Priya knowing Abhigyan wasn't around, asked Nupur,

"Abhisar ji kaha hai?".

"Hume nahi pata didi, woh toh subhe hi nikal gaye the."

She breathed heavily, tears rolling down, what will she do now?

How will she manage everything?

What will she do behind her mother-in-law?

Her chest heaved.

Nupur hugged her from behind, holding her shoulders, placing her head on it, her tears falling down too.

She wiped her tears off, controlling herself, knowing that she needs to calm herself. For her to find the brothers and manage the situation.

She ordered Nupur,

"Yahi raho, hum inhe dhundh kar aate hai."

She nodded.

Nupur went outside from the house. Asking everyone whether they had seen any one of the two brothers, but everyone seemed clueless.

She was crying too, still was searching them.

After searching for some ten minutes, Priya's eyes fell on Abhigyan, sitting under a tree on the chair, lots of village people/men surrounding him.

Without thinking twice, she rushed towards him. His eyes fell on her, her state. He stood up immediately and she landed in his arms as he wrapped his hands around her immediately to calm her down.

He noticed the people watching them, he cared less.

Caressing her back, he whispered in her ear,

"Kya hua baccha? Ro kyu Rahi ho?".

She shook her head and seperated herself immediately from him as she muttered,

"Wo-.. maa.. maa ji..nahi rahi."

He became numb. And stumbled back on his feet. Everyone heard it. Along with him. She held his hand to balance him. His eyes seemed in disbelief.

"Ghar chaliye," she murmured, holding his hand, and walking towards her home.

He followed her, holding her hand.

He wasn't in a state to talk.

They reached home, and moved towards Surekha's room.

His eyes fell numb.

Numb.

Only tears rolling down.

He sat there. Beside his dead mother's body. Nupur was standing on the gate.

Holding his mother's hand.

Didn't matter how strong he had built himself. Seeing his mother dead, he just cried. Cried and cried.

***

Losing a loved one is never easy, especially a mother who played such a big role in his life.

Abhigyan was sitting by his mother's side, tears flowing down his face, feeling so overwhelmed with sadness. And there's his wife, right there beside him, holding his hand, trying her best to comfort him.

People have came to visit her, to see her for the last time. The people from entire village, coming and paying their regards.

Abhigyan, wasn't in a state to talk to anyone. Abhisar was handling everyone, preparations of her last rites too.

As Abhigyan and Priya sat there, memories of Abhigyan's childhood start flooding back.

He remembered all those precious moments he shared with his mother, the times when she took care of him with so much love and dedication.

It wasn't easy for her. His father cheated on her when he was just 8 years old, but she never let that affect her love for Abhigyan. She raised him with so much care and made sure he had a good upbringing.

Despite the challenges they faced, they always found a way to be happy together. And even though Abhigyan's mother is no longer physically with them, her love and the memories they created will always be alive in his heart.

***

It was so difficult for him, so difficult to light the pyre of the woman who had brought him to this world.

His hands were shaking. Badly. And that was the time, when Abhisar came and held his hand.

Holding his brother's shoulder he looked into his teary eyes with his teary ones and muttered,

"Hum dono ki maa gujri hai bhaiya. Aapko yeh dard akela kaise sehne de hum."

Abhigyan hid his teary eyes in his shoulder while Abhisar have him strength. And they lighted the pyre of their mother.

And they hugged each other. Seeing their mother's body burning down in ashes. Their heart aching with ultimate pain. Stingy pain. The pain that could never be healed. The pain that will always remain in their hearts.

But atleast they had each other. They had each other's back. And he had his wife.

Still, no one would be able to fill that one gap in his life ever again.