6.A MOTHER'S FEAR

Elena was in the middle of her daily routine at home when her phone rang, interrupting the quiet. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was from her children's school. Her heart immediately skipped a beat. A call from school usually meant trouble. Worry gripped her as she answered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Elena Rivaan?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, this is she. What's wrong?"

"Ma'am, we need you to come to the school immediately. There's been an incident with your children," the voice sounded grave, not providing any further details.

Her breath hitched in her throat. An incident? What kind of incident? Were her children hurt? Panic surged through her as she tried to keep her composure. She was home alone, and no one else was there to help. Grabbing Ansh, her youngest, who had been peacefully napping, she quickly gathered her things. She didn't have time to think—her mind was racing with terrible possibilities. What if something serious had happened to Aarav or Reyansh?

Ansh, sensing his mother's anxiety, began to stir. His small voice whined as Elena rushed him into the car. "Shh, baby, it's okay. Mama's here," she whispered, trying to soothe him, but her hands were shaking. She instructed the driver to hurry to the school, her chest tightening with every passing second.

As they sped through the streets, Elena couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Her fear overwhelmed her, and the tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably. Seeing his mother cry, little Ansh, who had been quietly sucking his thumb, began to cry too, his small body trembling in confusion and fear.

"It's okay, Ansh," Elena whispered, though her voice was shaky. She tried to comfort him while her mind raced with horrifying thoughts about her older boys. Aarav's mischievous ways often led to scrapes, but Reyansh was more reserved—what could have gone so wrong that the school needed her to come immediately? The unknown gnawed at her, filling her with dread.

She tried to reach Rivaan, dialing his number with trembling fingers. The phone rang and rang, but he didn't pick up. She tried again—once, twice—still no answer. Her frustration mounted, and her panic grew. Where was he? How could he not be answering his phone right now, when their children might be in danger?

Elena took a deep breath and called Rivaan's brother, Arjun, hoping he would answer. Her voice cracked when he picked up, immediately sensing something was wrong.

"Elena? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Arjun's voice was full of concern.

"Arjun," she sobbed, "I got a call from Aarav and Reyansh's school. They said there's been an incident, and I need to come right away. I tried calling Rivaan, but he isn't answering. Can you tell him? Can you come to the school? I—I don't know what's happened, but I'm scared."

"Calm down, Elena. I'm sure it's nothing serious," Arjun reassured her, though his own worry was clear in his voice. "I'll leave right now, and I'll get Rivaan out of his meeting. Don't worry, everything will be fine. Just stay calm."

Elena thanked him and hung up, but the knot in her stomach only grew tighter. The drive felt like an eternity, every minute stretching out unbearably long. Ansh had fallen back into a restless sleep, but Elena could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. She wiped away her tears, trying to steel herself for whatever was waiting for her at the school.

Finally, they arrived at the school gates. Elena stepped out of the car with Ansh in her arms, her legs trembling beneath her as she hurried towards the entrance. Her eyes scanned the crowd of children and parents until she spotted them—Aarav and Reyansh.

But the sight that greeted her sent a fresh wave of horror crashing over her. Aarav's forehead was bleeding, and Reyansh had a gash on his knee, blood trickling down his leg. Both boys were standing with their teachers, looking shaken but trying to stay strong.

"Aarav! Reyansh!" Elena called out, her voice breaking as she ran to them, pulling them into her arms. She held them tight, tears streaming down her face as she knelt in front of them, clutching them close. Ansh, now fully awake, clung to her, confused but sensing the tension.

"Mama," Aarav mumbled, his voice small as he wiped at his own tears. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. It's okay," Elena whispered, her heart aching at the sight of her injured boys. She kissed Aarav's head, careful to avoid the wound, and then turned to Reyansh, gently inspecting his knee. Her hands shook as she dabbed at the blood with the hem of her dupatta, trying her best to stay calm for their sake.

"What happened?" she asked, looking up at the teachers with wide, fearful eyes. "How did this happen?"

The teacher sighed, her expression sympathetic. "It seems there was a scuffle during recess. Aarav and Reyansh got into a fight with a couple of older boys. Aarav tried to protect his brother, and they both ended up hurt. We've already called the doctor on site, but they need to be taken for proper medical attention."

Elena felt both pride and anguish hearing that Aarav had defended his younger brother, but the sight of their injuries was too much for her to bear. "Thank you," she managed to say, her voice thick with emotion. She gathered her boys close, kissing their heads and reassuring them that everything would be okay.

Moments later, Arjun arrived, his face creased with worry as he rushed towards them. "What happened? Are the boys okay?" he asked, crouching down beside Elena and examining the injuries.

"They got into a fight," Elena said, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt exhausted, emotionally drained from the rollercoaster of fear and relief.

Arjun gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be fine. Let's get them to the doctor and then home. Rivaan's on his way. Everything's going to be okay, Elena."

But as Arjun helped her to her feet, her heart still felt heavy. Despite the relief of seeing her boys safe, she couldn't shake the sense of loneliness that had gripped her for so long. In moments like this, when Rivaan was absent and unreachable, she felt the full weight of their fractured relationship. And even though she knew Rivaan loved their children, his emotional distance from her was harder to ignore with each passing day.

As they drove home, Elena kept one hand on Aarav and Reyansh, who were resting against her, and the other on Ansh, still cradled in her lap. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of worry and longing—wondering when, if ever, Rivaan would be truly there for her, not just as the father of their children, but as her partner in every sense.