Last Night With My FatherA Story by ZeEsHa ShAfIDedicated to my FATHER: If tears could build a stairway, And memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven, And bring you home again.
“Father is every daughter’s first love. My father was my first love.” Everything was going right with Naina, the second daughter of Mr and Mrs Mujoo. She belonged to a family of five members- her father, Mr Mujoo, who was having a well-job; mother, Mrs Mujoo, housewife; elder sister, Rabia, mentally disabled from birth; and younger sister, Batool, Which was her best doll. Just 16 year old Naina was a cheerful girl. She had no worries, just to study. A girl with so many dreams never thought life would have such a turning point. On a beautiful autumn day, she was sitting with her mother and sisters in the evening as usual waiting for her father at tea. Suddenly a kitchen door opened and her father came in. Seeing her father depressed Naina asked him, “Abu, is everything all right?” Her father burst into tears and said’ “I am serious ill. I had done some tests and I think it may be cancer.” Naina had already heard the word cancer but experienced it for the first time. Her heart was broken into pieces. She never thought, the person whom she loved the most, will someday utter such words from his mouth. Her uncles, aunts and cousins came immediately to their house. They decided to take Mr Mujoo immediately to Delhi. Next morning Naina left for the school, first time with tears in her eyes. As she reached the main entrance, her father called her and said, “I will drop you as usual.” Naina burst into tears. Her father said, “Naina I don’t know what will happen to me. But I am only saying you have to prove yourself a boy. You always said you are a boy, prove it now. It is the time.” The strength which Naina wanted was given to her by these words, not only strength but also hope that everything will be alright. That was the last day when her father came to drop her. Two days after, Mr Mujoo was shifted to Delhi for treatment. It was declared that he was suffering from cancer but it was his first stage. Naina was happy, giving hopes to herself and her family that it was just a first stage. Her father was given the first therapy. When her father returned, she gave him a big hug and tears started rolling down her cheeks. It seemed the tears were of happiness but she never imagined of the coming danger. The cheerful winter was waiting. By the last of December, Naina had completed her exams and her winter break had started. That winter was the best winter for her. Her routine was waking early in the morning, going to her father’s room, giving her a cup of tea and then going for tuitions and on her returning back she used to sit with her father till late nights. It seemed that life was becoming normal once again. After giving three therapies, her father had to go for a check-up. Doctors said that he was getting better day by day. Therapies had responded 90%. Once again everyone got hopes. It seemed that everything would be fine in the coming days. Winter passed away happily. Spring brought new life to plants same as the cheerfulness in Naina’s life. She started new classes in school. She again became as she was. After other three therapies her father went for a check-up again. But the life changed again. This time the doctor said that the medicines didn’t work, they must change the line of therapy. But the new therapy was more harmful. On giving the first new therapy, Mr Mujoo became very weak, he couldn’t eat anything. Naina first time in her life made a dish for her father and he ate that. She tried to make new salads, dishes which her father could eat. Naina again felt depressed. She didn’t know what to do but didn’t lose hope. After second new therapy, her father had a serious coughing. One night his coughing was so serious that Naina and Mrs Mujoo didn’t slept whole night. When Mr Mujoo said to his daughter, “Naina, go and sleep. You have to wake up early in the morning.” She answered, “If you being a father cannot sleep for so many nights when I was a kid, why can’t I being a daughter be awake for one night.” After few days, he was taken to hospital and was admitted for one day. Doctors advised to put him on the artificial oxygen at home and not to take him to Delhi. For few days he was at home. In that one week he said everything to Naina. He told her how to live after her father and asked her to promise that she will take care of her mother and sisters. Even though so much happened, Naina never lose her hopes. After one week, Mr Mujoo’s conditions became so worst that he was taken to hospital in an emergency at 12’O clock. It was second of the holy month Ramadan. After that he was shifted to another hospital. Naina went to see her father. On seeing his conditions she stopped hoping for the best. On her way back home, with her mother and cousin, she got to know such a thing which left her scattered. She got to know that it was not the first stage that her father was in, it was last stage. In the next week, her annual exams also started. On returning home after her first exam, she got to know that her father will be returning back from hospital. They reached home at 9’ O clock in the evening. Naina wanted to cry loudly but was stopped by all. On entering the room where her father was, she went close to her father. Her father was not able to utter a word. She sat beside her and started reciting Quran. That night she was with her father. She didn’t close her eyes even for a second. Her eyes were fixed on her father. Neither she nor her father turn heads from each other. After eating sahri she was again with her father. At 7’O clock in the morning she started studying for exam and till 11’O clock she was done. For the rest day she was with her father. Thousands of people came and thousands of them left, she didn’t care, she was with her father. Then she had to face the worst moment. At 4’O clock, her father was on the bed, Naina and Mrs Mujoo sitting next to it. He turned his head, looked towards the main entrance, then towards the garden, then at Naina, then at Mrs Mujoo and suddenly he started getting suffocated. Naina got up at once and went near her father’s feet. She held his hand and called him. Her father pressed her hand and left it at once. Looked at her and closed his eyes forever. Naina kissed her feet and fell down. For the next few hours she didn’t know where she was. Still, when Naina leaves for school in the morning, she says good bye to the door of the room where her father was on the last day. Because she thinks that it was her father’s body that died, his soul is still there. Still, she says, “Father is a blessing for everyone; he was a blessing for me.” © 2015 ZeEsHa ShAfIAuthor's Note
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1 Review Added on September 11, 2015 Last Updated on September 11, 2015 AuthorZeEsHa ShAfISrinagar, Islam, IndiaAboutI am 16 year old crazy. I am from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. I am a student at Delhi Public School, Srinagar. I like playing basketball and reading books. I am very mad! more..Writing
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