Chapter 25: Cardiac malfunction

"Acceptance is not forgiveness but it is an act of trusting someone again"

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[Don't worry about me. I haven't eaten anything since the morning, so I am a bit tired.] Noworry comforted Severus.

Severus knew that noworry was hiding something, but he didn't expose him. It wasn't suitable for them to talk right now.

"Is the poor bird alright?', the old lady asked in concern.

"He is alright. Don't you worry", Severus assured her.

"So, you are the daughter of the second survivor of that massacre. But didn't you resent your dad for hiding this truth from you and tricking your mother?"

"Does it matter? Earlier when I got to know about the truth, I resented him and despised him too but later as I thought through I found out that in this world it doesn't matter whether you are honest or not. The only thing that matters is what people think about you. If they think that you are an honest man, then you are an honest man and if they don't feel the same then you aren't. So simple but too painful. I am sure that if he had revealed this secret earlier, he wouldn't have gotten married to mother back then. Whatever it was it can never change the fact that he loved me and my mother very much and we too did. All the resentments and anger vanished as soon as I realized that the love which he gave us, was far greater and blissful than the secret. So, I don't care anymore." The old lady explained.

"What great thoughts you have grandma", Severus praised her.

"However, if you were a loved and pampered child from childhood then why did you choose to be blind for your whole life?" Severus asked the odd question. It truly baffled him, why would a healthy lady opt to live as a blind.

"Well, I am not blind, but I do have weak eyesight and moreover the one who I loved married someone else, so I chose to live as a widow" The old lady explained with a straight face.

Severus"...."

Severus was speechless but nonetheless, he didn't want to comment on someone's personal matter, so he tried changing the topic.

"Tell me about that book"

"Aah yes, that book isn't mine. I mean it belonged to my dad, but my dad never told me anything about it. As far as I remember my father used to treasure it and didn't let anybody touch it."

Severus"...."

"So, there wasn't any backstory about it? Why did you become so hyper when I snatched that book?", Severus asked grimly.

"You know that verse was actually a folklore song. My dad taught me that and its meaning, but I never truly understood it's meaning but later when that monk came and told me about it, I was shocked. Everything which he said made sense. He was the one who told me about the importance of this book and asked me to keep it safe."

Severus lost count of how many times he was shocked today.

"You mean you saw a monk and he told you about this secret?"

The old lady looked embarrassed but still answered him. "Yeah, I too recently got to know about this secret too"

Severus had no words.

"Wow! You are truly amazing" Severus taunted.

The old lady just pouted and didn't say a word.

"Tell what did that monk tell you?"

"Oh yes. That old monk showed me some proof and made me aware of my father's secret. He also made me understand that being angry and despising wouldn't solve anything. Acceptance and forgiveness are the only things which we can give to the deceased so I forgave my father."

"Are you sure? He didn't say anything?', Severus asked in suspicion.

The old lady tried hard to recollect if she missed anything when suddenly she remembered something.

"Yeah, yes I remembered. He asked me to safeguard this book and also told me that someone will come here to take it from me. But then I asked him, how will I know who is the one you want me to give this book, to which he replied that 'He would be that man who would be able to calm my heart '"

"You see I suffer from a disease called try cardiac malfunction. From birth I have a heart that beats faster than a normal heart."