CHAPTER 14

Since Larry had gone, Cathy was sitting at her usual place. She was in deep thought for some time and then sleep entered silently and closed her eyes and snatched the faculty of thinking from her.

She might have remained like that for about an hour. Then sleep vanished, promptly returning the faculty to her.

She shook her head and looked around. None was there.

What happened to him? Why he has not come back so far?

The happenings of the last evening returned to her. She looked at the floor where the fight had taken place. Nothing. No sign of it anywhere. Was it all real? Or my imagination? What a dangerous friend Larry has got? He won\'t hesitate even to kill Larry, if necessary. He wanted me to thank him that way. Shameless fellow. Suppose Larry had come then? He would have killed the bloody rascal.

Her chain of thoughts broke there. In its place, terror entered. She could neither understand the source nor the structure of it, but was sure that it was something deathly.

Like the intuitive wisdom of the presence of a poisonous snake somewhere around.

Her sixth sense had invoked it in her.

And the entry of it was quite unexpected that it paralyzed her, forcing her to continue sitting there.

Then her maternal instinct commanded her to awake and do something to save her son.

She got up and came out of the house, undecided as to what she should do.

But about one thing, she was sure.

She has to see Larry immediately.

She did not know where Rakesh\'s house was, but something forced her to take that forlorn route, which Rakesh had taken yesterday. She walked so fast as if she was quite sure of her destination, but the fact was that she was being taken ahead by some strange force.

And it was probably the same force which made Larry too to take the same path. By now, his clothes were dirty and so drenched with Rakesh\'s blood and his own sweat that they looked totally red. But he was not aware of those matters at all. He too walked fast since a feeling of cold made him do so.

He was not thinking at all, but she made up for that also, by thinking intensely as to what would have happened.

Did he do my child any harm? Is not there anyone else at his home to stop him?

It was she who had started earlier. She knew her destination, but was ignorant about the route. And as far as he was concerned, he was conscious only of the chill, which rose from his within and traversed throughout him, numbing his senses and forcing him to move fast.

There was nobody on the path since it was deserted almost always.

She was not habituated to such a fast walk and was panting heavily. But her determination pushed her forward in such a hurry that she had no time to think of herself or about the correctness of the route.

And then she saw someone hurrying from the opposite direction. Towards her.

The person looked like Larry. But Larry never walked with his hands placed across his chest.

And the man was wearing red dress!

Larry had no such dress.

They were nearer now. She could see the face now.

It was her son!

She cried out aloud and ran towards him.

He heard the noise and raised his eyes. At first, he had difficulty in concentrating them upon the oncoming face.

Then he saw her. A flicker of recognition shone in his eyes and it removed all stillness from his brain.

He remembered everything now.

Weeping, he ran towards her and submitted himself into her pure divine hold.

The mixed smell of blood and sweat penetrated into her nostrils and she knew instantly as to what had happened.

Without speaking anything, she clutched him to her bosom. She kissed him on his head, forehead and cheeks. Now she was not feeling any repugnant smell, but the most lovable smell to a mother.

Her son\'s smell.

And he was having the pleasantest experience.

The absolute peace of timelessness.

And Like a child he went on cooing.

â€œMom. My dear, dear, sweet mom, my god mom.â€

She had the strange sensation of her breasts filling up, with the energy to revive the lost spirit of her child.

She pressed his head to her bosom, while patting his back fondly. Affection flowed from her fingertips like nectar, cooling and comforting him.

He felt like sleeping.

â€œLet us go.â€ She said.

They walked towards their home. Their abode of tranquility.

It was the happiest journey they ever had. The mother and son. Son and mother.

On the way, he found a wild rose. It had flowered all over.

He released himself from her hold, went to the plant and plucked the most beautiful flower from it and returned. Then he took hold of her hair with great love and care and made a beautiful knot of it. All the while, he held the flower between his teeth.

Then he decorated her with the big, beautiful, smiling flower having a soft, sad smell.

And all the while, she was smiling like another flower.

Destiny had made them forget all the worries and happenings of the past and fears of the future and had let them live the moment as the most happy time of their life.

The single moment was enough to fill in any imperfection of the past in them.

And with rays of hope.

They walked towards home. But now the moment of fullness was over. Now sorrow bound them together.

The sorrow of separation.

â€œMom, will you not feel lonely during my absence? He askedâ€ I will be in jail â€œ

â€œNo. I will come and visit you there. And I will feel your presence ever at home.â€

Thankfully, the hangman\'s noose remained away from their thoughts.

At home, they were welcomed by a team of policemen.

She politely handed him over and they retreated.

When they left, she went inside. She went directly to his photograph, sat in front of it and wept.

â€œWhy did you do it, my son? Why? He could not even touch meâ€

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ADAM\'S Sons(English Novel-Chapter-14) By Krishna