Opening her eyes forcefully, she looks for
her phone. After finding it under her pillow, she checks the battery. It’s
dead. Jumping off the bed, she goes to the window and takes a glimpse of Paro
valley. It’s sunny and bright outside. She has no idea, what time it is. Then
walking out of the room, she goes to the next room, where her parents booked
the room for last night. Going to the door, she finds it latched. Does this
mean, they have left her in the hotel?
She walks down the staircase, eyes looking
for her parents. As she lands in the lobby, there is no sign of them. She goes
directly to the receptionist.
“Ashim, did my parents check out?”
Opening the log book, flipping through the
pages, the receptionist says, “Nope.”
“What?”
“Maybe they are in the swimming pool.”
Thanking her, Shaycham walks towards the
swimming pool walking past the parking. She has not even washed her face.
Hiding her face from the people on the way, finally she is in the swimming
pool. There, she finds her parents. Today, Euthra and Tshegyel are arriving
from Bangkok. Euthra had eyes surgery, five days ago. Her mother has been
crying for last one week after she knew about Euthra’s eye surgery decision.
She begged Euthra, but Euthra does not listen. More than her, her mother loves
Euthra. But she is not jealous of that, though at times, she feels
disappointed. Sometimes, you need to accept the fact that it’s okay to be loved
less.
Without going to them, she walks back to
her room and gets into the bathroom. Taking bath, she gets out. Switching on
the phone, she opens her Messenger. It’s a message from her boyfriend, Khamsum.
Today is their second anniversary. She graduated six months ago. Khamsum wants
to marry her and go to Australia but she is not being able to tell this to her
parents. What if they reject Khamsum? So, she decided to seek help from her
sister, Euthra when she is back. After knowing Euthra being adopted, their
sisterhood bond has become even closer. Euthra never insult her by calling her
Nalay. On vacations, she did help her with charity works.
She admires her. People know that Euthra
has donated only one of her kidneys but actually, she gave both. That’s why,
she has become very weak and her body changed totally. She always stays in
pain. The eye surgery decision was a thunderstorm to our family. Actually, some
patients become blind without kidneys, so she wants to donate it before she
becomes blind. So, was the case with her late mother. She, too, donated both
kidneys and was blinded. Euthra got inspired from her mother’s charity work.
So, no one was able to stop her.
The ring of her phone drives away the
flashback bringing her back to the hotel room. It’s her Apa. Answering the
call, she says, “I will be there in a minute.”
After a few minutes driving from the hotel,
as the Paro Airport zooms in, parking the car; her father looks at her.
“Shaycham, your sister will be different
now, so be nice to her.”
She nods. Her mother stays stuck to the
seat, eyes swollen and reddened. Having waited for a few minutes, the plane
lands. Getting out of the car, her father walks to the entrance when her mother
does not move an inch from her seat. Standing beside her father, Shaycham asks,
“Apa, why our mother is so attached to Euthra?”
Her father does not look at her. Looking
away far into the green valley, he starts, “Your mother was at the verge of
going mad, when we didn’t have children even after five years of our marriage.
So, getting Euthra from the roadside, she considers her as a lucky charm.
Literally, Euthra saved your mother’s life. Thus, she never wanted to lose her.
Thus, she is so lost in Euthra and sometimes she even forgets that you are her
daughter. I am sorry, but she is not doing that intentionally.”
Knowing the truth behind her mother’s
immense love to Euthra, she thanks her father for sharing. She always wanted to
ask about that but she could not. She did today and she feels happy after
knowing the truth. Finally, as Tshegyel walks out from the entrance, with his
hand holding Euthra’s. Her eyes are bandaged. She walks slowly as Tshegyel
helps her. Behind them, Yethro walks out with luggage. Standing in front of us,
Tshegyel says, “Euthra, your father is in front of you.”
He says softly to her ears, when my father
stands there silently, eyes drowned in tears. He stays stuck like a statue.
“Oh!”
Stretching her hand out in the air, she
waves looking for father. Looking at her, Shaycham goes in front of her and
says, “Welcome home, Ashim.”
Holding her hand, she hugs her. Her fingers
running through her hair, Euthra says, “Shaycham.”
Getting away from her chest, Shaycham grabs
father’s hand and takes it to Euthra’s. Wiping tears off his face, her father
hugs her.
“Welcome home, Euthra.”
After half an hour of driving, finally the
Thimphu City comes into their sight. Parking the car in the garage, Tshegyel
helps Euthra to get out of the car. Her mother has not even spoken a word.
Walking her into the house, Tshegyel takes Euthra directly towards her room.
Standing in front of the door, Tshegyel says, “Euthra, this is your room.”
Pushing the door slowly, she walks inside.
Supporting her hand on the walls, she moves her legs forward slowly. She smells
something bad. Her nostrils fighting back the smell, she runs her finger on her
bed. The smell gets strong as she gets closer to the bed. It’s smell from an
old people. Now, she is used to such smell. Then, she sits down slowly on to
her bed. She listens carefully and she hears as if someone is breathing. Taking
her hand, she slides her it on the bed towards the pillow. Suddenly, her hand
meets something solid. It’s like a human body.
Then she says, “Who is this Tshegyel?”
“Euthra, you know who he is.”
Tshegyel walks into the room. Going closer
to Euthra, he says, “Euthra! I want to tell you something. You may not like it
or you may hate me for doing this to you but I have done something which you
will not approve of.”
“Tshegyel, what are you talking about?”
Catching her hand, he says, “Last month, I
met an old man sleeping in the vegetable market. On seeing me he said, “Please,
take me to my daughter.” By that time, I didn’t know what to say. So, I left
without even talking to him. Then, the night before your operation, I saw the
same old man photo being posted on Facebook. The status read, “This man seeks
justice after staying in the jail for last 50 years.” Then, I read comments and
one of the people, commented, “I know him and he was wrongly accused of the
kusung-thungten theft.” Then, I contacted that person who commented that. He
told me everything about the man. I sent people from my office to look for that
man. They found him. Your dream was to help one hundred people before you
donate your eyes, so I just wanted to help you with your last person.”
“Thank you, Tshegyel. Where is he now? Did
you take him back to his children? Does he have any children? Did they accept
him?”
As Euthra starts to throw these questions,
Tshegyel takes his hand on her head. Catching the edge of the bandage, he says,
“I am removing your bandage.”
Taking the bandage off her eyes, he
instructs, “Please, try to open your eyes.”
“What?”
“Try that!”
Tshegyel insists.
“I am blind and what difference does it
make?”
“Euthra, just try to open!”
Taking long breaths, she tries to force the
eyes lids apart. Firstly, everything looks blurry. Then, as she opens her eyes
fully, she sees an old man sleeping beside her, on her bed.
“Tshegyel, what is happening? I am not
supposed to see,” says Euthra, looking confused.
With knees on the floor, catching her hand,
he says, “Actually, I lied to you about the eye surgery. If I told you the
truth, you would not come back home.” Looking at the man on the bed, he
continues, “He is your father.”
Turning his face back to her, eyes angled
at hers, Tshegyel says, “You didn’t get opportunity to be with your mother and
feel guilty, right? If you are blind, how can you help your father? This is
your opportunity. It’s a blessing. When I went to find you at Trongsa five
years ago, on the way, I met an old man. He stopped my car. He asked for lift.
It was dark and I was frightened. But, I took him in my car. On the way, he
narrated about a family in his village, whose father was wrongly accused of
kusung-thugten theft from their village Lhakhang. The man was jailed. That
night, his wife gave birth to a girl. Villagers chased her away and so she
decided to give her child away. Thus, standing at the roadside; carrying the
new-born child, she waited for the vehicles. Fortunately, a car came and a
couple took her child. They named her Euthra. Actually, the woman sought
justice but no one helped her, therefore, she was out casted and villagers
threatened to kill her. Nevertheless, staying at the village temple; she
prostrated day in, day out, seeking blessing. She donated both of her kidneys
and even her eyes.”
“Was he wrongly accused or did he steal the
kusung-thugten?”
“The man in the car, said that he was one
of the thieves. He was the last thief to be living. Others died vomiting blood.
Some died in accidents. Some died going mad. So, living in nightmares for
decades, finally, the man in car told the police about your father’s wrong
accusation a few months ago. Thus, police released your father from the prison.
Now, I believe that you have reason to be strong,” says Tshegyel standing up,
as Euthra sits down awestruck by his words, looking at her father sleeping next
to her.
He walks towards the door and as he is at
the door, Yethro walks into the room shouting, “Tshegyel, this bill is a
mistake. It’s a not a bill of eye surgery but kidney.”
Looking Euthra, Yethro goes dumb.
After hearing about the bill thing,
catching the edge of her T-shirt, Euthra pulls the shirt up. She finds a fresh
cut.
Standing up immediately, she shouts,
“Tshegyel, stop!”
As he stands at the door, Euthra rushes
towards him. Catching the edge of his T-shirt, she pulls it up. She finds a
fresh cut.
Story by: Phurpa Dorji (PJIKKS)
Thank you all for being part of this story
and see you soon with another story.
