The old man

“Dada, you remember Suhas?” Ratri asked her, Madhav could see she was visibly disturbed.

 

A pang shot through his heart, “Of course, why not?”

 

“Why are you talking about her after so many years?” he asked.

 

“You remember how ruthlessly dad rejected her when you wanted to marry her? Even though every one wanted it?

 

“I think I have discovered the truth behind it and its disgusting, absolutely repulsive.”

 

Madhav and Ratri were siblings, their father Mr. Jaiswal was a man of easy morale. His wife has separated from him because of that and lived in a separate house. Ratri lived with her and Madhav with his father till they both attained their maturity. Mrs. Jaiswal has passed away a few years ago. Ratri is married with one kid and Madhav lives in USA, he has snapped all terms with his father since the episode of Suhas.

 

Madhav has seen Suhas for the first time in his cousin’s marriage. She was his cousin’s sister in law. It was love at first sight and there was no problem in marriage. His father went to see her and refused any further talks.

 

Madhav tried for a few years to make his father change his mind then he discovered from his father’s mails and phones that he was having an affair with Suhas. He left the country without telling the truth to anyone. His heart was filled with disgust for Suhas and his father.

 

“Anubhav works with Suhas. He told me every thing, and believe me, I felt like killing myself.” Ratri said with utter disgust.

 

“It seems dad had his eyes on her from the day he went to fix your marriage with her. He was even planning to marry her. So he befriended her pretending as you.”

 

“All these years she has been refusing every amorous advances thinking that you love her and will marry her.”

 

“He even calls her up and smses her using your name.”

 

“When mom passed away he befriended her as himself and packed up your identity, that is, he pretended that you are done with her and want it over.”

 

“In one hand he kept on insulting her as you, on the other hand he applied balms on those wounds as himself, hoping she will fall for him.”

 

“He is still keeping her hanging on to you so she does not marries any one else. May be he is waiting for her to grow old so he could again propose to her.”

 

“Very frankly speaking I don’t know what’s in his dirty mind and why he is playing this game but he is ruining my life.” She almost sobbed.

 

“Just wait for a while. Will you?” was Madhav’s only answer.

 

A month later he entered his sister’s flat with Suhas. “Can we have some tea sweetie? Meet your future sister in law.” He said smiling hugely at her.

Mother

31.10.2009
The twosome:

It was an early winter morning, the sunlight was yet to show up. But there were people out on the street already. Though too little in number but there were..

Mahesh opened the main door of his small flat and came out. He was a tall, fair a little plump guy. His wife Uma was as pretty as a painting. Tall, slim, brown eyed, her hair hung below her knees, it covered her whole back and a lot of her arms and chest when it was open, so she had to keep it in a tight bun most of the times. Mahesh loved playing with it when they were together.

Their union was the most blessed union in the world.. that’s what their friends, neighbours and relatives said. Two persons deeply loving each other for twenty years. Mahesh was twenty and Uma was barely fifteen years old when they married.

Every one present in that marriage said that God Shiva has come down to marry his Parvati. May be God wanted to deprive them of something, to save that blessed union from evil eyes..

Twenty years after their marriage they both know that they will never be blessed by a child of their own. Mahesh had some serious physical problems.

It did not changed Uma’s love for him an inch. She knew all the while that she was blessed to have him in her life. Whenever her friends used to share their agonies of being beaten up by their drunk husbands or their other amorous affairs she used to count her blessings and her love for her husband used to swell even more.

“You will be coming back for lunch?” she softly asked him. “Please do, I will prepare poori and gajar ka halwa for you.” She said, as if she was trying to lure a child. Her love for her husband was a purest blending of all types of love.

“I will certainly try to come, you know I cant eat unless you serve me with those lotus hands of yours…” Mahesh answered equally softly, none of them wanted the neighbours to hear their parting words, every one teased them for their undying love.

He started to climb down the stairs after soaking her with his gaze full of deep love. She closed the front door and started her chores one by one.

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The surprise:

Mahesh reached his parked taxi within five minutes. The sky has started to fade into grey. Birds were waking up one by one.

He dusted the taxi and opened the front door. He was about to turn on the ignition key after performing the puja when he heard something in the backseat. It was mewling of a kitten. He switched on the light and saw that he has left the window open last night.

“Oh God!!!!” he muttered as he descended and opened the back door to shoo the cat away.

He saw a small baby lying on the backseat, a beautiful girl dressed in neat and costly clothes. There was a gold chain in her neck and a letter requesting to keep the chain and leave the child to some decent orphanage.

He scooped up the child, locked the taxi carefully and rushed back home.

They contacted the local police station showed them every thing and requested them to let them have the girl. The girl was handed over to them officially. They adopted her and named her Esha.


Twenty five years have passed by. Esha was a young girl now. Studying in university, pursuing doctorate in Economics.

The weather was lovely that evening, Durgapuja was round the corner. The weather was pleasant, the sky was full of white, dazzling clouds. She came out of university and started to walk towards her home. It was hardly fifteen minute from her campus.

She was lost in her own world of young dreams when she heard the screeching of the car’s brake. She lifted her startled eyes and saw a car standing still a few metres away from her and the driver of the car following it cursing his heads off.

She saw a lady looking out at her from the window of the peassenger seat, staring would have been the correct word. She ignored her and went her way.


She reached her home and turned to check the traffic before crossing the road, just then she noted a car stopping near her. The same lady came out of the car and approached her with a slight hesitation.

“Do you live here?” she asked.

Esha did not feel any alarm because the lady was too sophisticated and motherly looking to be menacing in any sense. So she simply nodded.

“Are you looking for some one?” she asked politely.

“No, you look like someone I know. You have a very strong resemblance with him.” The lady said. “Would you mind telling me your father’s name?”

The lady handed her over her visiting card, which said she was the wife of one of the biggest industrialist of a nearby town.

Esha told her father’s name and bade goodbye to the lady. She turned to see before entering her flat, and as she has assumed the lady was standing and watching her.

She said everything to her parents and handed them over the card.


The parents:

Next evening when she returned from her college she saw that her father’s taxi was standing outside.

She was happy and worried. She took two stairs at a time and rang the bell a little breathless.

She was very childish even at this age, she hugged Mahesh and sat down beside him. “Are you okay baba? Ma I am famished, give me something to eat.”

Then she noticed an eery, uncomfortable silence. Her parents were sitting there silently and were visibly upset, almost morose.

“Whats wrong?” she asked.

“The lady you met last evening is your true mother.” Uma said softly.

“You are my true mother, you mean to say she is my biological mother.” Esha said. “From where has she appeared now after these years?”

Uma repeated the story told to her by Kaushalya, Esha’s biological mother. Esha was abandoned because she was a girl child.

Kaushalya was initially told that she was still born but later, years later her husband told her the truth.

They have shifted to USA just after abandoning Esha, they had another son, who is living in USA right now. They have returned because they were missing India.

Kaushalya saw Esha accidentally last evening, she is a replica of her brother Kaushik. The locality is also the same so she took her chance. They want her back to them.

“Okay, story finished, but I am still hungry ma.” Esha said. “When Kaushalya aunty comes next time tell her that if she wants to meet me she will have to come here.” Esha got up to change her dress.