Page 20 of One Hellish Passion

“Yes, why? Is there a problem?”

“You know I am taking a day off tomorrow. It’s the first session of my mother’s next therapy tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see. But then it won’t be at night, isn’t it? You can finish that session and then leave late at night.”

Maya was perplexed.

“Don’t overthink it, Maya. No one can handle this if not you. The coordination you had with this client was just beyond excellence. Please,” Vikram said.

Maya understood this was going to be a profitable deal for Blitz. She couldn't deny.

“Okay, I will leave tomorrow night for Hong Kong then.”

“Perfect.”

Vikram left, and Maya was already considering how to make alternate arrangements for someone to stay with her mother these 3 – 4 days as she knew Ritu could not stay overnight.

************

“Of course, I will come and stay with Garima” Pammi replied.

Pammi was Garima’s old friend. They had known each other for 15 years, almost since Maya was a teen. Pammi stayed on the other side of Delhi. She was a widow, and her son had settled in the USA, showing no willingness to return to India or take his mother along.

“Thanks, Pammi aunty,” Maya said, gripping her phone. “You know I cannot leave Mom alone for even a day.”

She recalled the last time that happened, and her mother had inflicted self-harm. Whenever she recalled that day, a shiver ran down her spine. She was so panicked that night seeing her mother lying in the bathtub with her wrist cut.

“Maya, you don’t have to worry about Garima. She is my best friend, and you both are my only family, considering my son has no interest left in me.”

“Hmm. How is Shyam?”

Shyam was Pammi’s son.

“He must be fine. The last time I talked to him was 2 weeks ago. Seems he has got a new girlfriend there. And they are living in together.”

Maya smiled.

“Aunty, that’s how people live there.”

“But without marriage, Maya? I don’t really appreciate that.”

Maya sighed.

“Shyam is a good man. He knows what to do with his life. And maybe this new girlfriend of his might be his future wife.”

“I hope not. I want him to marry a woman of my choice.”

Maya rolled her eyes.

“Alright. I will pray for that. So, I’ll send you a cab tomorrow night to bring you to my place. Pack some extra clothes. Stay with us even after I return aunty. It will be fun.”

“Yes, I am looking forward to it. You finish your work in Hong Kong without bothering about Garima. I will take good care of her.”

Pammi had always been sweet to Maya, and she liked this friend of her mother very much. They talked for a few more minutes, and then Maya hung up. She informed her mother about her trip and also started packing her bags. She was glad she was leaving the town for a few days. At least she would be able to shift her mind from the awful talks of Ranveer Malhotra.

************

The next day, Maya took her mother to Dr. Rishikesh’s clinic. Garima had been suffering from a serious nervous breakdown for quite a few years, leading her to practice some serious harm to herself in the last couple of months. Though her medications and a few treatments were never stopped, this time Maya decided to take some stern measures to treat her mother, with this therapy being one of them. Dr. Rishikesh was the best psychiatrist in the city, and after performing some tests on Garima, he suggested that this therapy could be useful for her to maintain self-control and avoid harming her body, like she did last time by cutting her wrist. The therapy would continue for almost 5 – 6 months with a visit to the clinic at least twice every month, involving face-to-face consultations with the therapist, playing some mind games, engaging in group discussions, and much more.

---