Pain in the heart
She was screaming hoarsely. "Why can't I go out with my friends? Why do I have to be a part of this bogus family get-together? You guys don't even get along, then why do you meet every year, and that too when I have to so go out?"
Her eyes were closed, and she did not see her mother's face. A mix of disappointment and daze. She was evidently very disturbed at her daughter's sudden outburst. It was so unlike her.
She had been a dream come true. Seema & her husband had tried to have baby unsuccessfully for 6 years. There was a history of miscarriages, tears, sleepless nights, unspoken, yet understood, pain. And then, all changed. Her wail, that Monday morning was the end of all the deathly silence.
She just could not stop talking. Her teachers, grade after grade, had only one complaint with her; she just could not stop talking. But, you could not not-want to hear her talk. She would fill any room with her joy-de-vive; she was like a breath of fresh air.
She was the most loving daughter, in fact more like a friend. She never withheld anything from Seema. Whereas other mothers & daughters fought and bickered, she was never the one to pick a fight, let alone throw a tantrum like the one she was throwing today. And she never raised her voice at her dearest Ma... up until now.
Seema could judge something was wrong. But she just could not decipher what had made her flair up like this.
"I am not going to be tied down for something so fake! No way!" she said and stormed out of the room, and out of the house.
Seema was too shocked to even call out after her. She felt a deep hollowness inside. Her eyes moistened. Her head was pounding with unbearable pain.
-----------------------------
She had been the most difficult child. The youngest of the lot, she had been welcomed into the family with love showered from all directions. Perhaps she knew that all too well. She was the apple of everyone’s eye, the baby of the family, her daddy's jaan...
And she had been a fighter. Seema would find herself at the receiving end of most of her tirades. Being the mother she had to discipline her, but how? It was an impossible task. One would think that her being the fourth in line, Seema would have been seasoned by the time she came. But Seema had never been prepared for the mood swings, the tantrums, the tears.
And today was her Birthday. Seema knew this day she could not afford to go wrong; even if her head ached and her legs were killing her. To top it off, her husband was out of town. And the dearest daughter was already upset at that. So she dragged herself out of the bed to get ready. She had to bake the cake, follow up on all the invitees, make sure the flowers were in order, decorate the hall, and wrap the presents. Phew! A mammoth task lay ahead.
She freshened up, and went downstairs only to be greeted by a huge cake in the hands of her daughter. "Thank you, Ma! For my birthday.” she said aloud and thrust the cake forward.
"Thank you to the best mother in the world", read the cake. Seema could not believe her eyes. Was this her daughter? Could she be this thoughtful? She quickly checked herself for thinking so for her own daughter, but still could not withhold her surprise.
She put the cake down, hugged Seema tightly and planted a big kiss on her face.
"Cut the cake, Ma, it’s my birthday and only you should do it", she said softly.
Seema's eyes moistened. She felt no pain... No pain! After ages!
-----------------------------
Seema looked at the clock. 7 00 PM.
She had been gone all day and had not returned. She had not returned phone calls. Seema had called all her friends, the local library, even gone up to Sweet-Tooth, her favorite hangout. But there was no sign of her. It was dark now, and Seema was now on the last edge of worry. She could not reach her father as he was in a flight, returning home from an official tour.
Seema's mind was in a whirlwind. She was sobbing with fear for her only child, and did not know what to do.
She finally decided to call the police. There was nothing else she could do, her husband and brother-in-laws will not land by late evening, and she could not afford any further delay.
Seema picked up the receiver, and was about to dial when the bell rang. She dropped everything and ran to the door.
She was standing at the door, red-eyed. All of a sudden she looked so much older.
Seema pulled her towards herself and hugged her tightly.
"Where were you? I have been so worried... my shona beta, where have you been?” she whispered.
Nothing. She just stood there, blank.
-----------------------------
Seema did not remember when she had been so happy the last time. After her three boys grew up and left the house to get on with their lives, it had been so different. She was the only child left, and dealing with her, the youngest, had been so very difficult.
And now here she was paying tribute to her mother, on her own birthday!
Seema cut the cake, and fed her with the first piece.
She could hear her say, "Ma, you have been my strength, and now I want to be yours. I know, I have
been such a pain to you always, but now not anymore." But she could not believe her ears. She looked
at her, puzzled; where was all this coming from?
-----------------------------
She went and sat of the sofa. Her head was in her hands, and she was shaking. Although she could not
hear anything, but Seema knew that her daughter was sobbing.
Seema sat down beside her and said, "Beta, what happened? Why are you so upset? There is surely
something you are not telling me..."
She suddenly sat up straight and looked straight into Seema's eyes. Her reddened eyes glowed with ire.
"Not telling you something! ... Why should I, Ma? Do you tell me everything?"
-----------------------------
"I had picked up the phone when you were speaking to the doctor, Ma", she continued. "You should
have told me the very first day. I would not have gone to Bombay with my friends. Three weeks... I spent
three weeks there... away from you. I'd have rather spent those here with you, Ma, looking after you,
being there for you."
Seema's face went pale... the pain was throbbing, like never before. But this time it was not her head, it was her heart.
Not my first attempt at fiction and hopefully not my last.
Her eyes were closed, and she did not see her mother's face. A mix of disappointment and daze. She was evidently very disturbed at her daughter's sudden outburst. It was so unlike her.
She had been a dream come true. Seema & her husband had tried to have baby unsuccessfully for 6 years. There was a history of miscarriages, tears, sleepless nights, unspoken, yet understood, pain. And then, all changed. Her wail, that Monday morning was the end of all the deathly silence.
She just could not stop talking. Her teachers, grade after grade, had only one complaint with her; she just could not stop talking. But, you could not not-want to hear her talk. She would fill any room with her joy-de-vive; she was like a breath of fresh air.
She was the most loving daughter, in fact more like a friend. She never withheld anything from Seema. Whereas other mothers & daughters fought and bickered, she was never the one to pick a fight, let alone throw a tantrum like the one she was throwing today. And she never raised her voice at her dearest Ma... up until now.
Seema could judge something was wrong. But she just could not decipher what had made her flair up like this.
"I am not going to be tied down for something so fake! No way!" she said and stormed out of the room, and out of the house.
Seema was too shocked to even call out after her. She felt a deep hollowness inside. Her eyes moistened. Her head was pounding with unbearable pain.
-----------------------------
She had been the most difficult child. The youngest of the lot, she had been welcomed into the family with love showered from all directions. Perhaps she knew that all too well. She was the apple of everyone’s eye, the baby of the family, her daddy's jaan...
And she had been a fighter. Seema would find herself at the receiving end of most of her tirades. Being the mother she had to discipline her, but how? It was an impossible task. One would think that her being the fourth in line, Seema would have been seasoned by the time she came. But Seema had never been prepared for the mood swings, the tantrums, the tears.
And today was her Birthday. Seema knew this day she could not afford to go wrong; even if her head ached and her legs were killing her. To top it off, her husband was out of town. And the dearest daughter was already upset at that. So she dragged herself out of the bed to get ready. She had to bake the cake, follow up on all the invitees, make sure the flowers were in order, decorate the hall, and wrap the presents. Phew! A mammoth task lay ahead.
She freshened up, and went downstairs only to be greeted by a huge cake in the hands of her daughter. "Thank you, Ma! For my birthday.” she said aloud and thrust the cake forward.
"Thank you to the best mother in the world", read the cake. Seema could not believe her eyes. Was this her daughter? Could she be this thoughtful? She quickly checked herself for thinking so for her own daughter, but still could not withhold her surprise.
She put the cake down, hugged Seema tightly and planted a big kiss on her face.
"Cut the cake, Ma, it’s my birthday and only you should do it", she said softly.
Seema's eyes moistened. She felt no pain... No pain! After ages!
-----------------------------
Seema looked at the clock. 7 00 PM.
She had been gone all day and had not returned. She had not returned phone calls. Seema had called all her friends, the local library, even gone up to Sweet-Tooth, her favorite hangout. But there was no sign of her. It was dark now, and Seema was now on the last edge of worry. She could not reach her father as he was in a flight, returning home from an official tour.
Seema's mind was in a whirlwind. She was sobbing with fear for her only child, and did not know what to do.
She finally decided to call the police. There was nothing else she could do, her husband and brother-in-laws will not land by late evening, and she could not afford any further delay.
Seema picked up the receiver, and was about to dial when the bell rang. She dropped everything and ran to the door.
She was standing at the door, red-eyed. All of a sudden she looked so much older.
Seema pulled her towards herself and hugged her tightly.
"Where were you? I have been so worried... my shona beta, where have you been?” she whispered.
Nothing. She just stood there, blank.
-----------------------------
Seema did not remember when she had been so happy the last time. After her three boys grew up and left the house to get on with their lives, it had been so different. She was the only child left, and dealing with her, the youngest, had been so very difficult.
And now here she was paying tribute to her mother, on her own birthday!
Seema cut the cake, and fed her with the first piece.
She could hear her say, "Ma, you have been my strength, and now I want to be yours. I know, I have
been such a pain to you always, but now not anymore." But she could not believe her ears. She looked
at her, puzzled; where was all this coming from?
-----------------------------
She went and sat of the sofa. Her head was in her hands, and she was shaking. Although she could not
hear anything, but Seema knew that her daughter was sobbing.
Seema sat down beside her and said, "Beta, what happened? Why are you so upset? There is surely
something you are not telling me..."
She suddenly sat up straight and looked straight into Seema's eyes. Her reddened eyes glowed with ire.
"Not telling you something! ... Why should I, Ma? Do you tell me everything?"
-----------------------------
"I had picked up the phone when you were speaking to the doctor, Ma", she continued. "You should
have told me the very first day. I would not have gone to Bombay with my friends. Three weeks... I spent
three weeks there... away from you. I'd have rather spent those here with you, Ma, looking after you,
being there for you."
Seema's face went pale... the pain was throbbing, like never before. But this time it was not her head, it was her heart.
Not my first attempt at fiction and hopefully not my last.
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