Chapter 6: Chapter 6. ‘Am I hallucinating or are you being delusional son?’
Ethan's POV
As I am laughing, I hear the sound of door being opened. I turned my head only to Mom entering my room in a worried face. Mom, after entering the room froze for some reason after upon seeing me. I stopped my laugh and, in a concern, I approached mom while asking
'What happened Mom?'
To which mom, after regaining the senses replied.
'No, first you tell me why are you crying son?'.
I am taken aback by the question. slowly touched my face to realize, that my face is wet with tears and snot.
I said to mom.
'Nothing mom. I am feeling the pain in my penis, as the circumcised part is having sensations like 'itching and burning' mom. I am laughing so it can divert my mind as well as mitigate my pain receptors which is going haywire.'
Mom clearly not buying my statement again asked.
'Do you want some pain killers which the doctor gave Son?'
'Sure Mom'.
So, when mom went outside of my room to fetch the pain killers, I took the towel and begin blow my tears and snots into it as much as I can. Then as I saw mom, come into my room again with a plate of
Vegetable Khichdi and Chicken.
(A/N Combining lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats will properly fuel a healing body.)
And mom told to me to sit in my bed. And mom begin to feed the food to me by hands.
(A/N Food is most often eaten without cutlery, using instead the fingers of the right hand (not the left since that hand is used for cleaning oneself after a bowel movement). Indian culture dictates that eating with your hands is a pleasurable experience, activating a so-called sixth sense, rather than using cutlery.
It varies for different culture.
In Islam –
The right hand of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was for his purification and food, and his left hand was for using the toilet and anything that was dirty.
And
In addition to the importance of Islamic traditions in India, eating with your hands also can be traced back to Ayurvedic teachings. Ayurveda is an ancient medicinal practice based in the Hindu religion that prioritizes "a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment, and to Gove respect to food.")
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Ethan's Mom POV
As I am feeding my son the food. I begin to recall my past.
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I am Rani. 2nd Wife of my husband, Xavier Joseph.
I am an orphan abandoned by my dad when I was 1. And my mother also committed suicide because of some reason. I don't blame my mom cause if anybody was in my mother's place at that time, they would have done the same as my mother.
I lived in with my grandma. Lived in is a farfetched word the correct word should be the 'Survive'.
I was really treated like a slave from a young age in my grandma's house because of my late mother.
The society really treats the faults of a woman and man differently.
When I was on my 17, I got a matrimonial offer from a good family or at least better than my current family. But a man named Venkatesh who, once was a good friend of my late mother. Told about my mother's past to the groom's house. So, the engagement which was on the verge of its last phase cancelled. And again, about my late mother deeds got circulated in the family as the people only need some material to Gossip and nothing else mattered to them. My so – called family unable to bear the shame so they married me with my husband.
I had it rough during that time as my husband used me as some sexual release toy rather than a human. And in no time, I got pregnant, I was really happy as I fantasized that, I will raise and give my child, the childhood that I never had. As for My Two already existing sons, I took a really good care of them even during my late trimestral period I didn't take any room for negligence on raising my two sons.
As for my husband, well he lived his life as he pleased when he comes home drunk. If I said any words regarding for his own wellbeing, I get words like 'never teach me on, what should I be doing, You slut. With a lot of physical pain by but I am numb to it at some point as its nothing new.
When my Labor pain arrived, I was escorted to the nearby Government Hospital. And due to my malnourishment since my childhood, I wasn't able to give proper nutrients to my New Born son. And he born weak. My child got jaundice, but due to grace of God. He soon got recovered.
(Jaundice is one of the most common conditions that can affect newborn babies. It's estimated 6 out of every 10 babies develop jaundice, including 8 out of 10 babies born prematurely before the 37th week of pregnancy. But only around 1 in 20 babies has a blood bilirubin level high enough to need treatment.)
As any new born need to have only the mother's milk 6 to 10 months, but I gave him the milk till he almost finished 3 years old. My son was my last straw that had been keeping me from leaving this family.
When he was going to school for the first time. I cried to see my son leaving my side for the first time.
At that time the Indian educational system was not strict. So, I admitted him in school when he reached 4-year age. Now the mandatory age is at least 6.
My two elder sons were on the other hand already admitted in school when I became their mother respectively.
I then begin to put my focus on my two sons more and somewhat almost neglected my youngest son. I thought that I am doing my best as at least my son has his own mother. While my older sons will take care of their youngest brother in their school as all three of them attending the same school.
As the days passed, I noticed some problem with my youngest son during his 3rd grade. And I asked in school on whether he is having some problem or not. They just said that my son is having some problem mingling with the classmates as everyone in his class is older than him by 2 years. I bought their explanation. As I crosschecked their answer with my older sons as well.
(A/N No, Aside from Safa Nobody else will Know about MC's childhood experience)
As the days passed.
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My Ethan begins to become a quite kid and more acted like a matured and sensible kid way beyond his peers and his elder brothers. It was a quite good experience on having such kid I am proud of my son.
And my son is my pride. Even now, and will always.
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When I realized my elder sons were not quite like I imagined them to be,
I regretted that I pampered them a lot. In my naiveness as I thought that, they'll come to like me as their mother and act sensible.
I begin to be very strict with my Ethan as he injured on kid from his school due to the children's scuffle. He became withdrawn from me as he began have a stoic face afterwards. I knew that he'll hate me for me being really very strict with him. But I didn't want my son walk on the path of his predecessors.
I became pregnant again and during my 6th month of my pregnancy I got a miscarriage due to stress as my husband was caught by police and was sentenced to jail. I ran to various advocate and police station in my pregnancy and the unborn infant got died in my womb.
I, in my hospital period asked the doctor to do the child prevention operation. To which after me and my husband begin to live under the same roof again, we never had any sexual intercourse after that.
My husband finally said it to me. That I need to sell the 3 houses we owned and to give the
Official's so they can erase all of my husband's criminal record.
After my husband got released. He became very changed person. As the financial situation got tighter, I went to do the job. It was not easy but I somehow managed to pull it off. It's not easy for a woman to do the Job as some men literally wants to Fuck me with their eyes. While saving myself from such men and navigating in the world is not an easy task.
My sons were left on my husband's care.
After three years my husband began to change for the better.
After transferring my son to a new school as the government school is just had the classes till the 8th grade.
All these whiles being very frugal with money. As I didn't even had money for my youngest son.
As my husband's absence resulted in lack of deterrence to my elder sons, which resulted a strain the house. I didn't tell all these to my husband as I am afraid that he'll reverse to his old self again.
After my youngest son finished his 10th grade, we changed the house.
And after changing the house to an apartment, my eldest ran of and after running of he called us only once.
I called him home to come and talk but he clearly drunk called me a slut that I didn't raise him properly and he didn't never consider me as his mom.
After that my second son wanted to quit studies and wants to do a job
I supported him on his endeavor by helping him financially whenever he needed the money.
My husband and I talked a lot about our youngest son. My husband told me that if Ethan comes into the engineering line, he can get into the good work with his dad's assistance.
So, we denied his choice of study. After Ethan and his dad's private talk he agreed to study after 2 years.
And during his 12th grade Ethan begin to jog and was doing some weird movements.
And my husband came home one day and said to me to stock up at least 3 months of goods.
Suddenly after a week the India was put under lockdown. When my husband asked my 2nd son to come home, he said that he cannot as the region he was in a shutdown period.
And due to Corona Virus, we all lived in the same house it was a good moment as my son is as usual being quiet was reading some book in his phone. My mother-in-law who is 84 at that year her presence is lowest in our house.
Suddenly one day during lockdown, I felt that something terribly bad was about to happen. I checked on my son as he was sleeping in the bedroom.
I saw him hanging on the fan.
My mind went blank and I shouted towards my son his dad upon hearing the shout came to the room. I was crying at that time and his dad quickly pushed our son upwards and asked the knife so we can cut the saree that he hung himself with.
After 10 mins of trying our son woke up. We didn't say anything to him and hugged him for a long time, he started crying silently. We let him cry to his hearts content.
After that we again took care of Ethan like a child and he begin to open to us more and more of himself.
I occasionally took his head on my lap begin to sing the lullaby which I used to sing to him. His eyes always remained closed and silently cry.
After the college started, he begins to stay at home watching movies or cartoon.
After getting his principal's call, I after a long time kicked his ass. Such a cute memory.
After he got 20, we changed into a 2BHK apartment that he can get his own room.
Even though we are not financially stable we wanted to give him a good life till he with us as he needs to become independent.
And
Around a month ago he said to me and his dad, That
He got a Lover and the girl's name is Safa Banu
I am very happy for my son as he is slowly becoming an adult.
I hope my son gets his desired Life.
And when my son becomes a fine young man, he can remember her and say to us that we are the best parent for him.
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Today I woke up by the 5 to make breakfast and tiffin for Ethan.
After giving him the milk. I saw him picking clothes from the closet. I saw the clothes he wearing it's all old and worn out so I thought that I should take him to the mall to pick some sets of clothes.
Recently we bought a new laptop for our son, Due to that we were really in a tight pinch for money.
My elder son is already 25 but he still hasn't found a proper job and still asking us money. We are also trying for that. His father's age is already 55 but he still is not willing to work properly. And whenever he comes home, he takes all of the Ethan's new clothes. I, as a mother cannot say anything but I'll say to his dad and his dad will take care of him. As enough is enough now it's the time when he stops relying on his parents.
As I was thinking about the future
I got a call from an unknown number after picking it up. It's from Ethan's teacher.
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Back to present time –
When I saw My son when he was laughing. I felt that something big happened as he is laughing like a child after a long time its almost 14 years since I heard such laugh from him.
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As I finished my feeding session to my son.
He looked at me and told me…..
'Mom, I earned a crore worth of money'
To which I said while taking the plate with me to wash.
'Am I hallucinating or are you being delusional son?'
My son while following me showed his mobile phone.
On it was showing the Yono app
Showing the bank balance of
=1,00,00,241.45
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(A/N I should prioritize on quality more. so how's this chapter)