This story is a tribute from my side to all the wonderful mothers around the world. They are just the best, wherever they are. They are the best thing that ever happen to people's lives... I love my mom a lot, and she will always be the most special person in my life. Please forgive the mistakes, if any, in the story... Hope you like it...
--Souvik Gupta
Ayush stands on the Lake Gardens bridge, looking at the setting sun. This is the place that he has always been whenever he had felt alone. In these 22 years of his life, Ayush Sengupta has passed through many phases which have taken a toll on him everytime. He still remembers the day when his mom walked out of their house, carrying her suitcase and all her costly items except him. How much had he hated her! He remembers how his dad cursed her saying, “She fell in love despite being married, what kind of woman is she?” He remembers his mother’s moist eyes when he stood at the court and said that he wanted to stay with his father…
It has been years. His mom had married another man and now has a daughter, half his age. She visists them sometimes, and though they are always nice to him, he could never bring himself to accept either his mom’s second husband or their daughter.
He brings out a photo from his shirt pocket – it had his mom and him, hugging each other. It was in Class II, a clear memory, when he stood first in class. He had just returned home, still in his uniform. He smiles at the photo as a drop of tear slowly rolls down his cheek and falls on the photo. Ayush brings out his handkerchief and slowly wipes the tear drop from it. He keeps back the kerchief and brings out his cellphone from the trouser pocket. He ponders for a while and dials a number. A man receives the call. It was his step father, Wriddhiman.
Wriddhiman: Hello…
Ayush: Hello, I’m Ayush. May I talk to Mom?
Wriddhiman:Yeah sure, hold on. (calls Ayush"s mother) Priyanka, it’s your call, Ayush on the line.
Priyanka: Who?
Wriddhiman: Ayush, your son…
Priyanka: Oh, wait.
Wriddhiman tried to entertain him until his mom arrived.
Wriddhiman: How are you?
Ayush: I am fine.
Wriddhiman: It’s been a long while since you last came.
Ayush: Hmm… I’ll come soon.
Wriddhiman understood the cold vibes from Ayush and decided not to stretch the discussion further. He turned and saw Priyanka reaching up to him. He handed over the phone to her and went off to the dining room.
Priyanka: Hi beta.
Ayush: Hi, how are you?
Priyanka: I am fine. How are you?
Ayush: I am fine too.
Priyanka: Good, and your college? Is it going nice?
Ayush: Yeah.
Priyanka: Good!
Ayush:You were busy?
Priyanka: Yeah, actually your sister gave me a cake. We were only eating it.
A rush of tears fills the angry red eyes of Ayush. He felt so humiliated. He hadn’t wished his mom on Mothers Day but she didn’t bother about it as she was having fun with her daughter.
Ayush: Ohke. Fine, I will talk to you later then.
Priyanka: No, no, you can tell me. What’s the matter?
Ayush: No nothing, I just felt like talking to you once.
Priyanka:That’s it?
Ayush:Yeah.
Priyanka: Ok, take care.
Ayush:You too… bye…
Priyanka: Bye.
Ayush cancels the call, wipes his cheek and turns to go home. As he turns, he sees a little girl walking up to him. Meethi, the young girl, was approx 8 years old. She was wearing a school uniform, with a school bag strapped on her back and a water bottle in her hand.
Meethi said to him, “Do you know how I may go to Golf Club from here?”
"Yeah, this way,” Ayush said and pointed towards the way but suddenly it struck him by surprise that the little girl was alone on the street and he said, “You are alone?”
Meethi:(smiles) Yeah.
Ayush: (kneels down to the little girl) Where are you going? Your home?
Meethi: No, to my mom’s home.
Ayush:She doesn’t stay with you at your home?
Meethi:No.
Ayush: (pats the cheek of the girl and smiles faintly) Come, I will take you. You know where in Golf Club it’s located?
Meethi: Don’t bother; I will be able to go.
Ayush: I’m not bothering myself. Come along. You will get lost on your way and its getting late. By the way, I am Ayush.
Meethi: I am Meethi.
They shake hands.Ayush gets a taxi and they sit in it. They stay silent as the taxi goes on towards Golf Club. Ayush starts the discussion.
Ayush: How come you are going alone? You return alone from school everyday?
Meethi:No, I return by school bus.
Ayush:Your father knows that you are going to meet your mom?
Meethi:No, then he wouldn’t have ever let me go.
Ayush:Won’t he be tensed if you are late?
Meethi:I will just wish Mom and go home. I will reach home much before he returns from office.
Ayush:You will be able to go home from there?
Meethi:Yeah, I know the route.
Ayush sighs and stays silent. The taxi crosses the Anwar Shah traffic signal and moves towards Golf Club when Meethi pops out.
Meethi:Did you wish your mother ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ today?
Ayush purses his lips and shakes his head.
Meethi:Why?
Ayush:Because she doesn’t stay with me.
Meethi: Why?
Ayush: Because she doesn’t like my father anymore. (Smiles) You are too young to understand.
Meethi: So what if she doesn’t stay with you? Even my mom doesn’t stay with me, but I am going to wish her na? You should also wish her.
Ayush smiles at her and nods his head. Meethi goes silent too.
Ayush:Do you miss your mom?
Meethi:Obviously! How can you ask such a dumb question?
Ayush smiles out and nods his head.
Ayush:Do you talk to her everyday?
Meethi:Yeah, every night I tell her about what I did at school that day.
Ayush slowly nods his head.
Ayush:Which class are you in?
Meethi:Class III, Section B, Roll number 31.
Ayush: (smiles) You tell all that together everytime?
Meethi:No, but since you ask so many questions, I thought you would ask them all one by one, so I answered them at one go.
Ayush laughs out loud. He nods his head and says, “Okay, now I won’t ask any more questions, sorry!”
The taxi moves on as they sit side by side silently. Suddenly Meethi remembers to tell something.
Meethi:Left, left!
Ayush: (to the taxi driver) Bhaiya, take left please!
Meethi: (Looks at Ayush with curious eyes) Do you want to see what I will gift my Mom?
Ayush:Yeah, sure.
Meethi delves into her bag and brings out a plastic bag from it. One by one, she brings out two articles from the plastic. One was a beautiful rose and the other a small greeting card. On the cover of the card, there was a picture of a little girl holding a lady’s hand. They were both dressed in red – the girl in a red frock and the lady in a red sari.
Ayush:(Looking at Meethi) You drew this picture?
Meethi:Yes.
Ayush:It’s beautiful.
Meethi:Thank you, it’s really kind of you.
Ayush again giggles and pats the little girl’s cheek. He flips the cover and finds a small message written by Meethi.
Ayush looked at Meethi and said, “May I read it?”
Meethi gleefully nodded her head, “If you wish!”
Ayush smiles and reads the small message.
“Dear Mom,
I know you that I tell you all of this everyday. But, you don’t ever listen to me. So, I am telling this again because today is mother’s day and my friend Saakshi says that if we give some presents to our mothers on this day and ask them for something, they won’t say no. So, I have made this card for you and brought a rose too. Now, you will have to listen to me.
Please come back Mom, I miss you a lot! Even papa does. Please please come back.
I love you Mom.
Yours Meethi.”
Ayush feels a drop of tear rolling down his cheek. He quickly wipes it and is about to hand over the card to Meethi when she shouts,“Right, right!”
The taxi turns right. And almost immediately, Meethi shouts again, “Stop, stop!”
The taxi stops.
Ayush looks around but there are no houses to be seen.
Ayush:Where is this?
Meethi grabs the card from his hand and says, “This is where my mom stays.” She points her finger and quickly gets down the cab. Ayush looks where she had pointed. For a moment, his breath stops. He can’t believe his eyes. He sees a graveyard across the street. Meethi gets down from the taxi and rushes into the graveyard. Ayush gets down from the taxi too and goes towards the gate of the graveyard.
He sees Meethi kneeling in front of a grave and saying something on her own. She places the rose and the card on the grave.Meethi kneels before her mother and spoke to her.
“How are you mom? It’s been almost 2 months since I last visited you. Dad doesn’t even know that I have come here… Do you see my new uniform? It’s for the students of 3rd standard. By the way, I forgot to say, Happy Mother’s Day Mom! These two gifts are for you. Now, you will have to listen to my wish. Saakshi says that if we gifts to our mother……”
Ayush fails to resist his tears which roll down like a stream down his eyes, as he stood at the gate watching the little girl talk to her mother as if she could see her.
Suddenly, the phone in Ayush’s pocket starts ringing. He brings it and sees written, ‘Mom’! He receives the call.
Ayush: Hello!
Priyanka:Ayush?
Ayush:Yes Mom.
Priyanka:Beta, are you free tonight?
Ayush:Yes… why?
Priyanka: Actually, your sister wanted to have dinner outside. So, I was wondering if you could join us tonight?
Ayush: Oh!
Priyanka: Will you be able to beta?
Ayush:Yeah mom, I will be.
Priyanka:Great, I will pick you up at sharp 8 o’clock. Be ready.
Ayush:Okay mom.
Priyanka:Take care, ciao.
Ayush:Ciao.
Ayush cancels the call and slowly wipes his tears.
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