He looked at his watch time and again ... the time was moving slower for him than everyday.
His estranged wife was coming to meet him with their daughter after 6 months of separation .He eagerly awaited their arrival at the airport.
The flight was delayed due to bad weather ,so he thought of going to buy something for the little one .
There was an announcement regarding the arrival of the flight ,which was about to land ...
The hours of waiting were almost over and his darling would be with him in no time ,he thought to himself .
Suddenly there was a loud exploding sound and all the window panes of the airport rattled and shattered.
The people were running frantically
hither thither , he overhead the plane had just exploded in an attempt to land .
He gathered himself and ran towards
the enquiry counter to enquire about his darling daughter and wife .They bluntly told him ,they don't had the information right then ,and he would have to wait .He struggled hard to control his tears and he felt like shouting loudly , why this had to happen to him only .Why him ?
He just sat down on his knees , someone from the back came and patted on his shoulder ,"don't cry ,we are in the same boat my son ,my son was also in that dreaded flight ."he heard an elderly voice .
Firefighters had gathered to extinguish the fire and rescue the people .
After waiting for three hours ,there was an announcement ,that there were no survivors except one little girl ,whose condition was critical and was in ICU .Both of them couldn't control themselves and cried inconsolably on each other shoulders and he wished that the girl was his daughter .He consoled the old man ,and ran to the enquiry counter ,
and asked about the identity of the girl .They showed him a picture of the girl, with a ring on her finger .He recognized her by the ring he had presented to her on her sixth birthday .He cried aloud , "where is she, I want to meet her ."
He drove towards the hospital to meet her and he was told that her condition is not stable and might take days to recover .
He performed the last rites of his wife and waited there in the hospital for days .The wounds healed but she slipped in a coma .
He took her to home ,and attended her himself instead of keeping a nurse.
He didn't want to take any chances ,and talked to her daily , reciting her favourite poems and stories .The girl was not responding ,and he was slipping into hopelessness , praying day and night for her .
He was sitting in the verandah ,when he saw a beggar girl asking for alms .
He took pity on that girl seeing the image of his daughter in that girl.He asked her about her parents.She told him she was alone and had no one .
He asked the maid to bring her inside and clean her and prepare something for her to eat .The maid did what was asked of her ,and brought her.He asked her to sit and told her that he would adopt her,if she had no one .
She smiled and enquired about his family .He told her about his daughter and the plane crash and tears trickled down his eyes .She said ,"I want to see her ,please let me ."
He took her inside ,She sat besides the bed and whispered some poem in her ears and kept looking for few moments .
Then she said ,"uncle ,I will go and bring my belongings and return ,please allow me to leave ."
He asked her to stay and said there was no need of any belongings but she insisted.
He said ,"okay ,go ,but return soon, will be waiting for you ."
She left and he went to the gate and saw her going in the direction of the big temple .
Then he went inside , to sit besides his daughter .He held her hands ,and muttered ,"wake up please ,how long will you sleep ,my dear ?"
He wiped his tears,and he heard ,"Papa,papa."
He saw her speaking after so many days ,and hugged her and said,"Where have you been, my dear ?"
She just said ,"At the temple , playing with my friend .Where is she?"
He uttered,"She has gone to the temple, my dear ."
The girl was never seen nor found .





© Neetu