A rare flower

When Trishna shifted to her new home in Calcutta she was a little worried. A little scared, how will be the life in a new city on her own. No sooner has she settled down in her drawing room some one rang the bell softly, she went out to meet a plump, motherly looking lady of short height. She introduced herself shyly as her neighbour.

Trishna invited her in, and she noticed with surprise that the lady was carrying a tray in her hand. She placed the tray on the window and comfortably sat down beside it, and softly said that as she did not knew what Trishna prefers hence she had brought tea, prepared in the traditional way, with sugar and milk. After a little chit chat she left but not before making Trishna commit to have the lunch with them.

When Trishna knocked Maya aunty’s door the door was answered by a young person of about her age, a strikingly handsome guy, he opened the door and innocently smiled at her, that very moment Trishna realized that he is slightly autistic.

She smiled back and entered the room and handed him the flower and sweets. Maya aunty came from the kitchen and introduced Trishna to her son Prabal.

Within one month Trishna became very close to the family, Maya aunty’s husband has left her for some other woman when he came to know about Prabal’s autism. Maya aunty was illiterate, she prepared papad, pickle and started a lunch delivery service to bring up Prabal. Prabal’s autism was very slight, for that he could not become a huge success in life but Maya aunty’s affection made him a very sweet person and a self dependent human being. He earned enough for the survival of both of them luxuriously and yet had enough to save.

Trishna has lost both of her parents, and her siblings chose to turn their back on her because she was a burden to them, they all have been well settled in life, whereas Trishna who was born late was completing her class ninth when her father passed away and 11th when her mother. Her only mean of survival was her share in her father’s pension and the room in the house built by him. But within five years her brother and his family made her life miserable and she shifted to her work place on her own. After seeing the true faces of her siblings she has formed a disrespect for human beings at large. But after mingling with Maya aunty and Prabal, especially Prabal her allergy slowly started to simmer down.

Prabal and Trishna became inseparable friends, slowly Trishna started to realize that she is falling in love with Prabal, she was very fond of children and Prabal was more like a full grown child, full of a divine purity. Their love was not hidden from Maya aunty, one day she discussed with Trishna and Prabal in details and gave her consent.

After discussing it with them she asked Trishna for a few private minutes, Maya took Trishna for a stroll in the near by park and sat down on a bench, then she told Trishna a thing about which she did not had a faintest idea. She loves some one, that guy is four or five years younger than her, came in to her life when Prabal’s father went away, Maya could not marry her because she wanted Prabal’s happiness more than any thing else. That guy did not married because he loved Maya madly, he comes to the flat when Prabal leaves for the office and leaves before he returns. No body thinks any thing because he helps her in her work. Even if they did they never bothered them because she was loved by the entire housing society.

Trishna firmly held Maya’s hand and told her that when her application will fall in the registrar’s office for Court marriage Maya’s application will also fall. She will convince Prabal. And Maya hugged her daughter in law with moist eyes.