Aftermath

It was just another weekend for Martha. The only difference she felt was the absence of John. He was on a business trip and he has planned to spend that weekend with their children who were studying in the missionary school in a hill station. John was very particular about their education. He wanted his children to have the best training available in the country. So he admitted them in a school which was too far from their home. More over according to him if the children grow in a hostel they will become more independent and self-reliant and it will help them to make a better future.

Though it was painful for Martha to leave her cute sons Rex and Emil, she had to agree for that proposal for their better future. The only condition she put forward was that he should allow her to spend the weekends with Rex and Emil. Unfortunately that weekend she was not able to join them as she had to attend the marriage of her colleague next day. As John had a business meeting in a nearby town he promised her that he will give a company to Rex and Emil in the weekend.

Though she woke up early she had nothing to do. So she decided to lie on the bed. She laid closing her eyes and dreaming about Rex, Emil and John. Whenever they were together, the moments were fun-filled. John was really mad when he is with the children. She used to tell him that he was naughtier than the children. John always accepted her comments with a wild laugh. She really enjoyed those moments though she pretended to be angry and scold John for creating troubles.

"That idiot must be playing with the children now..." she smiled dreaming about the meeting of father and children. "Stupid, let him come back.... I definitely make him to compensate for my lost weekend."
Slowly she got up from the bed and went inside the washroom. The phone started ringing. Though she was inside the washroom and could not see the displayed number, she was sure that the call is from Elizabeth. That was for an advice. Wiping the face with the towel she smiled. Liz had some problems in her personal life. Her husband is an arrogant guy. It was difficult to adjust with him. Whenever she had altercations with him and depressed she used to call Martha for her valuable suggestions and advice.

"I should have started some consultancy or counseling in family matters." She thought and again smiled at the joke. But it was a truth. Most of the people in her circle regarded her as a matured person and it was their habit to take her advice before taking any serious decisions. Though she did not studied psychology in her college it was her practical wisdom that helped her in giving such advises.

Changing into a new pair of dresses she lifted the phone. The poor girl will not stop crying unless she hears from Martha. As she was about to dial the number a call came and from the number she could make it out which the caller is. It was John.
"Hi sweetie..."
It was the voice she was eagerly waiting for. Still she pretended as angry.
"Hey... Don't talk to me. I know all your sweet words are just bogus."
Hey, come on darling. Don't be so hot. I really miss u.
"Me too... Still you left me here alone...
"Hey hey ... Don't be silly. This is a business trip and you are engaged for the weekend. Do you think I can be without you for a day?"

As John's tone changed, she understood that he has taken the joke as a serious matter. He was a Sentimental idiot. He cannot bear a small change in her face. He will go to any possible extent to make her happy.
"Stupid, I was just joking. Still I am angry with you that you were not here last night. It was too chilled."
Please bear with me for tonight too. I will compensate for it tomorrow night. I promise you that I will not sleep."
"Stupid!" her face blushed into red. "So how are Rex and Emil?"
"I talked to them over the phone. Now I am going to their hostel to take them for a drive and lunch."

Okay darling. Take care. I miss you"
"I too miss you."
As soon as she put the phone back it started ringing again. I was Edwin. He was her colleague and friend. It was his wedding anniversary and he called to invite for a dinner.
"I decided to keep it strictly as a family affair and don't want to invite anybody. But you are special to us. So we decided on you as our only guest."
That relation was almost in the verge of collapse. It was the timely intervention of Martha and her sincere suggestions made them to continue the relation. Now they are a happy lot. Even a week before also his wife called her to express her thanks for advises which saved their family.

She accepted the invitation as she was alone that night too. She finished her urgent works and went outside. Road was crowded with weekend shoppers. She parked her car in the parking space and went inside the mall. If she can finish her week's purchases she can spend the evenings next week inside home. She really wanted to spend the coming few evenings in company with john. She was about to came out of the mall after paying her bill, heard a terrific noise with high intensity. Even before she could make out what had happened some object fell on her. To her shock she identified it as a body of a boy. There was no head. Rest of the body was there intact covered in blue jeans and red shirt.
"Emil..." She screamed in pain. But it lasted for a few seconds only. As the darkness covered her eyes and she lost her balance the plastic cover containing new blue jeans and red shirt for Emil fell down. So she too fell down.

She slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a coat. The four walls of the room were made with thick glass and there was a dim light inside. She overheard some people murmuring. She just turned her head and shocked to see a number of cables attached to her body and connected to various monitors. She understood that she had been admitted to a hospital. The pungent smell of medicines supported her belief. She was trying to recollect what had happened to her. But she could not recollect anything. Some vague pictures have come and gone as if in a film. One blue Ford car was coming fast on a high way. It entered in a congested parking place. Then a big mall appeared. A short Chinese man with a pony tail offered her a blue jeans and a red shirt.

"Emil..." She screamed.
Two nurses appeared in front of her. One held her hands tightly and the other one went to the table where the phone has been placed. She might have passed the information to the doctors. Two doctors too came there immediately.
"Emil..." She was keeping on screaming and the doctors and nurses tried to console her.
"Nothing happened to you. You escaped miraculously. It was a bomb blast aided by some terrorist outfits." The senior doctor told her rubbing his finger on her forehead.
"But doctor, Emil..."

She stopped her conversation as John entered the room. He came near her bed and stretched his arms to touch her forehead. Suddenly she jumped from the bed and hugged John tightly and started weeping.
"Don't be silly sweetie." He tried to console her by caressing her brown hair and kissing on her chin. "By God's grace you escaped. Now nothing is there to worry darling. In a day or two we can go home."
"John..." It was a roar. "But our Emil..." before finishing her words she fainted. Nurses, with the help of John lifted her and put her on the bed. As they finished it Doctors asked John to come out. Once they are out of the room the much worried John went near the senior doctor.

"Doctor, anything serious..." Before he could finish his question the doctor answered.
"Physically she is alright. But..." after a pause he continued. "Anyway, don't get upset. Let her sleep now. Later on, we will have a thorough check up." They walked away on the long corridor.
As the doctors moved there echoed a screaming. All of them rushed inside the room and saw Martha sitting on her coat with folded legs and dipped her face in between her knees. As she raised her face she saw John. Suddenly she jumped out of the bed and hugged him tightly and started weeping.

"John... our Emil... Those bastards killed him..."
"Hey Martha... What are you talking about? Emil is well and safe. Nothing happened to him." John did not understand what Martha was talking about. Still he tried to console her. As he was rubbing his palm slowly on her back she went back to unconsciousness. Placing her on the bed they came out of the door.
"Mr. John, She is mentally troubled. Who is Emil? And what happened to him?"
"Doctor, Emil is our second son. He is studying and I put them up in a hostel. He is quite well. I don't understand..." Intervening in their discussions one hospital helper came there and handed over a packet to John.

"Sir, this packet is your wife's. She was holding it tightly when the rescue persons brought her in unconscious stage."
John opened the packet and there were a blue jeans and a red shirt inside that. It must be for Emil. John was quite sure. This was the thing Martha was planning to present him on his birth day which is on next week. He remembered Martha was talking about this a number of times since she saw Emil in her dreams wearing this dress once. She repeated a thousand times that Emil was looking so sweet in that dress and she will present him one on his next birth day. Wiping the tears John kept them back in the packet. Seeing his face expression doctor inquired about the packet and he explained it in detail.

Doctor went into a deep thought caressing his salt and pepper beard and after a few seconds asked John to accompany him. They rushed through the crowded corridor. As it was the nearby hospital, most of the blast victims were brought there. The portico, verandah and corridors were with thick human blood. Cleaning staff were in work to clean it. Still the foul smell of the blood was filled in the atmosphere. Passing through a world of pain and agony they reached in front of the hospital mortuary. As the doctor instructed, the watchman opened the doors and they entered in.

They walked past a number of mutilated dead bodies covered in polythene bags.
"Fate...!" Doctor murmured in a sympathetic voice. "They may not have thought about such an end even in their worst nightmares. I don't understand what these bloody terrorists are going to gain by killing these innocent people."
"These people went to the mall for purchasing something for their family and loved ones. Not for purchasing arms and ammunitions to use against the terrorists." Doctor continued cursing the terrorists who have planned a bomb in that mall as they were examining each body opening the polythene covers."Were they the obstacle in achieving their goals whatever it may be? Will they get what they want if they kill these innocents?"
Suddenly doctor stopped talking. They were standing in front of the body of a small boy. No head was there in that body and he was wearing a blue jeans and a red shirt.
"See..." Doctor pointed his fingers to the body."This could be the reason. This body might have felled in front of her. Deeply immersed in her dreams about blue jeans and red shirt she took it as her son Emil."

"But Doc..." Stopping him unfinished the doctor continued.
"She was very fond of her sons especially the little one. So she took a dream in her heart and purchased this dress for him. She was eager to see him in this dress. Or in other words she was eager to make her dream a reality. Thus she wanted to express her love to her son. So when she saw a dead body that too without head in blue jeans and red shirt, suddenly she might have taken it as her own son."
"Doctor, you mean a psychic problem?"
"Exactly... and we should find it out how deep it has gone. What I could understand from what you told is that she is a soft-hearted person and highly sensitive too. Especially in the matters related to your children. So..."
"So...?"

"So the density of the sock she is suffering stands on a higher level in the scale. This is quite dangerous. Sometimes...." Without completing his words the doctor held John's hand tightly.
"Mr. John, be brave. Be positive. Let us hope for the best." Leaving John's hand he suddenly turned back and walked out of the mortuary.
John could not move a step. He stood there itself looking at the boy's dead body. He was sure that it was not that of his son Emil. Still he could not move away from it. He looked at it again and again. He felt a head was rolling in from somewhere and approaching the body. Suddenly the lights went off. He stood alone in the darkness. It was raining outside. A lightening flashed into the mortuary through the ventilator. And in that light he saw the boy's body had a head. He heard Emil calling him in that darkness. In the next lightening he could see the boy's face. It was Emil. Martha was too with him. They were inviting him to go somewhere.

"Martha..." John's screams went unheard in the noise of thundershower. He sat on the floor holding his head in between his knees. Another lightening flashed inside the mortuary. And he saw Martha flying up in that light holding the hands of Emil.
"Martha..." He screamed again loudly. Then another lightening flashed with a heavenly message saying the gates have opened for him.