"What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to you later."

-Romans 8:18; The Holy Bible

___________

9th May

Satyaki's p.o.v.:

Anindita's voice quivered as she asked me how my little girl suffered through such an ordeal. Her reaction had been exactly what I had anticipated; hurt, anger, confusion, disbelief, empathy but no pity.

The first day that I had seen her at the airport, she had reminded me of my angel. I had been like a deer caught in headlights, my mind just on one thought, "Would my daughter grow up to be strong enough like her?"

Anindita's hand shook my slightly bringing me out of my daze. She repeated her question.

"Is it acid?" she asked me, her eyes pleading me to reply in the negative

"Yes." I sighed out, a tear escaping from the corner of my eye

...

I couldn't really say anything to her then but I know I need to. For the sake of my little princess. Anindita can help. She has convulsed through what my daughter did and I believe she can help. That day at the airport, when I looked at Anindita's face, ashen yet radiant, I couldn't help but feel inclined towards her. Almost like a moth attracted to a flame. In this case, Anindita meant the flame of hope, for the corpse me and my daughter have been reduced to.

The flight landed in Mumbai at precisely 2 a.m. IST. The two of us had exchanged very few words after it all. She had written her phone number and the name of an N.G.O. on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

"If not me, there are others who can always help. I know you are unable to say anything right now. I don't even expect you to say everything now but you can always call me if you want to share it all. Take care and I hope I get to meet the FIGHTER ANGEL someday soon."

These were her parting words and I knew when she addressed my daughter as FIGHTER ANGEL, that she was the only one who could help my Agamani.

...

Third person's p.o.v.:

Anindita reached home with her mind in a turmoil. Turning the keys in the keyhole anti-clockwise, she unlocked the main door and entered the house with her things. Her mother had fallen asleep by her father's side. She had kept food for her daughter on the table but Anindita simply stowed it away in the refrigerator, too exhausted, mentally, to eat. 

It was perhaps the first time in all these years that her maternal side had been awakened. She couldn't get the image of the little girl with a burn on her neck and jaw. It had pained her to even imagine what the child had gone through. Stepping into the shower, she allowed her rage, frustration and ordeal to flow freely, mixing in with the water. 

"How can someone do something like this to such a young child? What on earth has happened to everyone? Has humanity utterly evaporated?" her mind screamed these questions out, silently

Once out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her bodice and stepped inside her bedroom. Contrary to what she usually does, she walked to the mirror and began observing her own reflection; the sagging, uneven skin on her face, the discolored and wrinkled skin near her shoulder and collarbone. Her mind went back to the day that her face had been reduced to what it was today. She shuddered; partially due to the cold and partially due to the pain that she was reminded of. It had burnt her. 

Anindita couldn't even bear to imagine what the little girl had felt. She had shared her number with a man she had barely come across three days ago as she felt the terrific urge to meet his daughter. She wanted to know everything that had happened to her. Unknowingly, the little child had made her way right into the woman's heart, the very heart that she had denied strangers entry to. 

Anindita sighed to herself and walked to her closet this time, grabbing her nightclothes. Changing quickly, she sat herself down on her bed and took out her smartphone. Activating cellular data, she became aware of the lone message on her usually vacant message box. It was from an unknown, unsaved number.

"Hi. This is Satyaki. I did want to tell you everything about her and what had happened. In fact I'll admit I had selfish reasons when I talked to you. I need your help, Anindita. For my daughter. I need your help so she can come out of what has happened with her. I will be waiting for your response. Good night."

A small smile tugged at her lips when she felt the passionate and loving  father in Satyaki reach out to her, through his words. 

She typed out a response,

"I would like to meet you. From what I deciphered, you live somewhere near Worli. I go to Bandra -Kurla Complex twice a week for training younger pilots when I am in town. We can meet somewhere midway; say Bandstand or Linking Road? I am in town this week and I can manage any day except Monday. Will wait for a response."

Following this she switched off her phone and sank her head into the pillows. Slumber took over her and soon she was drifting away to a world away from all the chaos.

...

2 days later; 12th May

Anindita pretended to type away furiously on her phone as she waited at the Cafe Coffee Day near Bandra Bandstand. She did this often when she had to evade people's unwanted attention. There were tourists nearby who had come to see Shah Rukh Khan's house, Mannat and Salman Khan's residence at Galaxy apartments. They hogged over the narrow street along with fitness enthusiasts who were out for a walk. It was evening time. Satyaki had asked her to wait a while as he would be coming straight from the hospital after his O.P.D. hours. Someone was smoking. Anindita felt sick at the nauseating smell of tobacco but she had no choice. She had to wait for him.

 He finally arrived 30 minutes later. Locking his BMW with a click on the remote key, he crossed the road and walked up to the table which Anindita occupied.

"Good evening, Anindita! I am really sorry for arriving so late. It took me some time with the last patient." he explained

Anindita shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. She didn't really mind. The waiter came to the table to take their orders for an espresso and some green tea.

"Don't mind but I need some food. I am famished." Satyaki said before ordering a sandwich for himself

Anindita nodded. 

They began conversation right after their orders arrived, 

"Anindita, you have already seen my daughter's picture. I would like to clear one thing before beginning; she was not attacked by anyone, at least not voluntarily."

That made her let out a breath that she did not realize she had been holding. The thought of someone attacking a small, harmless child had been really disturbing. She took inhaled deeply before asking, "Ki hoechhilo?"        (What had happened?)

Satyaki took a sip of his coffee and then proceeded to tell Anindita everything, "It was actually an unfortunate accident. Not that I would actually care if someone informs me of the culprits. It happened in 2016 when my daughter was 2 years old. My wife, Tridhara and Agamani were in Kolkata."

This was the first time Satyaki had spoken about his wife and that made Anindita sit up straight in her place. She brought her cup of green tea to her lips, looking at him expectantly.

"It was shortly before the State Legislative Assembly elections in West Bengal. Tridhara had gone there in order to visit my mother and for casting her vote. She was an alumnus of Loreto College. They had a reunion there and Tridhara took Agamani with her to introduce her to her friends."

Satyaki paused to gulp. He dabbed at the sweat beads on his forehead, with his handkerchief. He was visibly overwhelmed. Anindita sat there silently, giving him his space and time.

"There was an agitation in Dharmatala that day. Things turned ugly when the representatives of the ruling and opposition parties clashed. With the involvement of the local goons, the disruption spilled out to Mirza Ghalib Street. Tridhara was waiting for a cab with her friends and Agamani in her arms outside the college gate. The riots and mob became out of control as slaps, kicks, punches slowly paved way to sticks, stones and even a--c-id." Satyaki's voice broke towards the end and Anindita's hand flew to cover her mouth, in shock

Things were gradually becoming clear to her. She realized why Satyaki had looked at her so intently that day. She knew now that her face had reminded him of his wife, daughter and this unfortunate mishap. She reached out to pat his arm slowly. He looked up at her, almost on the verge of breaking down. Anindita shook her head, willing him to stay strong. He took another sip of his now cold espresso, the bitter taste not really affecting his messed up self. He looked at the sea nearby and exhaled. Anindita did not ask him to hurry. Instead, she followed his action and focused her gaze on the waves of the Arabian Sea which calmed only after hitting the shore hard. 

* SENSITIVE CONTENT:

"... One of the acid bottles, hit Tridhara. The bottle broke spilling all its contents on her... and.... and... spl-ash-ing some of it on... on... Agamani.  Tridhara succumbed to her injuries but God left me with my Agamani. I was in Mumbai when that happened. By the time I reached Kolkata's NRS Medical College where they had been taken, she had already left us and my little girl had already undergone surgery."

He paused to gulp. Anindita's own eyes welled up as she realized what misfortune Satyaki and his daughter had been faced with. 

"... The doctors there... told me... told me that... it was a miracle that my baby's sensitive skin... had been able to... sustain... the... bur-ns. They told me she was lucky to have been spared her eyes and eyesight... but I felt... devastated as... a father... and as a husband. My daughter lost her mother, a part of herself and she..." he choked out

*

"We stayed in Kolkata for 7 days more, till she was discharged. Right after that I had Ma shift in with me and Agamani here in Mumbai. I haven't been to Kolkata since."

Anindita was silent. She felt at a loss of words. Careless political riots and mobs are quite common in West Bengal due to Communist influence and incessant rivalry, but to think that someone had lost her life for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. She felt disgusted at the people who play with democracy.

"Satyaki..." Anindita began at length, ".... This is unbelievable. I am at an utter loss. I don't know what to say. How does Agamani keep up? I mean, she is really a fighter. I wish I can meet her someday."

Satyaki looked up to meet Anindita's gaze, "Please. Please do meet her. She isn't like other kids. She is reserved, quiet and I am worried for her. I don't want her to grow up like an outcast. I want her to grow up strong. That day when I saw you, all I wanted and wished for was to see my daughter like you someday. She isn't very social. She doesn't talk to many people. What she has been through has taken a great toll on her and she is very conscious about her looks. I sometimes fear that she would grow up with a complex. I barely get to understand her. In fact I haven't met her in a month. I had to stay outside during the COVID-19 lockdown as I had to keep her and Ma safe. I am an emergency doctor, I had to be there at the hospital and away from my home and family. I have bizarre working hours, I am never there for her. She is all I have, Anindita! Please help her... Help her get out of this! I don't want my little girl to be crushed by the world." 

His eyes pleaded and begged her. The vulnerable and worried father exposed his helplessness to the woman who had conquered what his daughter was currently going through.

...

"Did you try consulting a child psychologist?" Anindita asked him as the two of them walked along the Bandstand promenade

 "I did. She was a friend of mine in Medical College. In fact she is the one who suggested me against therapy. She said that the medicines can..."

Anindita nodded at that, "I understand. I have spent a long time on those meds. They make you feel more depressed because you start feeling like you only have medicines in your life."

"Agamani isn't a very communicative child. She likes keeping to herself."

"How much time do you spare her each day, Satyaki?" 

"Around 4 hours excluding sleeping hours? I make it a point to spend Sunday with her though." he replied

Anindita was thoughtful for a moment, "Do you call her beautiful?"

Satyaki stopped in his tracks. His daughter seldom bothered to ask him how she looked. He shook his head, "She is beautiful for me. She has always been. O jigyasha kore na oke dekhte kemon lagche ( she doesn't ask how she looks)."

"You mustn't wait for her to ask you. Remind your princess everyday how beautiful she is and how precious everything about her is, to you.  She probably doesn't because she feels scared and nervous about what your reply would be. She is only 6, Satyaki. She will shape herself in the way the world would tell her to. You have to be inside that shell that she has already began building around herself. I promise you, I'll help Agamani in whatever way I can. But till then, I would request you to let your daughter know how much she means to you and to everyone around her. Don't make her feel conscious about her imperfection but make her feel like your beautiful, perfect and loved princess; complete with all her imperfections."

...

To be continued..

A/N: Life is never a bed of roses... and if it is, there are thorns too. Agamani is a little soul who faced hardships from the very beginning, but I hope the sun of happiness shines soon, in her little world.

I am sorry to have highlighted such a painful experience in a child's life in this story. However, I would also like to share with all readers that this is what the world has come to be... Infants are raped and even killed brutally and criminals don't really care for anything they do.
Mobs and riots are very common in our society but even in mobs, how many people do actually pause to see if any innocent men, women or children have been injured? 

Forgive me for picking on such a topic to write on... But this is indeed, something that isn't entirely outside reality.

Shubhadittya

PUBLISHED ON: 11th April 2020