Arpita's mom
Arpita was so
happy when she received letter from her father. She smiled sweetly. She felt
for first time that her father cared for her. She always stayed with her
grandparents or Aunties. Her father kept sending her in their houses. She was
not certain how much her father paid to them or what did they get in return but
she knew one thing that it was not willing transaction. She felt that they all
felt that they were getting paid less. None of them showed much emotional
attachment to her. In fact, their children always loved bullying her or just
ignoring her. She was burden for all. From the day her mom died she was burden.
She knew that she needed to remember her mom since she was in school when her
mom died but she just didn’t remember. She didn’t feel any emotional attachment
to any face of album when she saw them. All other people cried in her mom’s
memories she was only one who didn’t remember. She kept seeing them for hours
sometimes. She worked so hard to remember that face. But it was impossible. She
didn’t understand why. She knew that people always remembered their favorite
people & incidence. But she remembered those incidences without her mom.
She was stuck in some way in mental block. She wanted to tell it to someone.
But she didn’t find anyone who had time for it. After Mom’s death she
remembered first her grandparents took her to their home. Her grandfather was
smile kindly but her grandmother started immediately “Why does he needed to
keep his daughter here? She is his responsibility not ours!” “He will take her
away tomorrow don’t be so pushy.” “You don’t understand. He will just leave her
behind & marry to another woman. They always do that.” Now that managed to
scare Arpita so much. She slowly looked towards her grandfather. Her
grandfather smiled & said “Your Grandma is just overreacting. Your dad will
not do anything like that.” “Really? So, you are giving guarantee about your
son-in-law?” Her grandfather didn’t say anything. He just gave one video game
to Arpita to play on their computer. Normally Arpita used to enjoy it but, on
that time, she hated it. She just ran inside to cry. In that house they just
had small kitchen. It was house of one hall & kitchen still her dad kept
her there for some time. She still hated that memories. Her grandmother was so
angry. She managed to make every day worst for Arpita. Her grandmother just
wanted Arpita to go away with her father. Finally, one day her father came.
Then she was shifted in house of her Auntie. She kept shifting. But she was
going in college soon. She was in her 8th std so she hoped that she
could stay in her house on her own. She was waiting for her father’s letter
& that came. She was so happy. She opened it with hopes.
Arpita began to read it & she was
shocked when she heard mention of her new mom. It was clear that she was not
going to live alone. Her dad was planning to marry someone. She felt so sad.
She wanted privacy & her own house but she didn’t get it. She kept shifting
from one house to another. Now she was finally returning to her house but it
was loner belonged to her. She wanted to cry. But she didn’t. She knew that her
relatives were expecting her to return back with smile after tolerating for
such long time. She called her cousin & said “I am going back.” Cousin
smiled happily. It was clear that cousin was on top of the world. After all
their house was small & she was occupying lots of place. She tried to help
in cooking & cleaning but it was not useful in their eyes. They just wanted
her to go back. She was finally doing it. Cousin asked “When?” She sensed that
they needed confirmed date. She looked today's letter & said “I call dad.”
Her cousin didn’t left room as always but decided to wait. After all her
confirmation was important. It seemed as if her cousin was feeling that she
might change her plans. Then she sensed that it was not about her but about her
father. Her father changed his plans many times. She called. She asked about
date. It was after two days. Her dad gave her date & disconnected call. She
felt so helpless but she told date with smile. Her cousin smiled happily &
went out running to tell entire family. After all it was occasion of happiness
she was going home. Finally, her father was accepting her inside home. She
tried hard to hide her tears. She felt so rejected. She began to pack her
things one by one. She knew that she supposed to feel happy but she was still
uncertain if she was wanted by her father or her father called her just to
attend his wedding. She was unwanted forever. She began to put her things back
one by one. She didn’t sense that she totally forgot to talk about her father’s
marriage. So, she went out to tell but it turned out they all knew. It was
already known that her father was getting married for second time. They just
confirmed one thing now that her father was including her in his new family.
They were glad to get rid of her. That was something they didn’t say but
indirectly they all said same thing to her on that day. She just nodded. She
kept planning in her mind how did she would pack all. She needed to pack
everything.
Arpita was hoping to feel happy on
the moment but she was having negativity in heart. She was not going in her
home. She was going in that house which belonged to her stepmother now. She
packed all her stuff & waiting for Taxi to arrive. On that point she saw
one woman. That woman was so beautiful in her eyes. She was just enchanted by
her beauty. She didn’t understand what was so special in her but there was
something special. She knew that it was not exactly facial beauty of that
woman. She tried her best to see faults in that face but she couldn’t. She just
wanted to talk to that woman. She ran towards that woman & asked her “Who
are you?” That woman didn’t seem to please when she came towards her. That
woman didn’t answer. Arpita tried to talk but woman just looked to other side.
Arpita felt so nervous. On that point suddenly she heard voice of cousin
calling her. Taxi was waiting for her. She wanted to talk with that woman but
it was too late so she ran back. She began to load luggage to sit in Taxi when
suddenly her cousin asked “Why you were watching those bushes? I even felt as
if you were talking to them!” Her cousin smiled. It was clear that it was joke
in her cousin’s eyes. She didn’t understand. She said slowly “I was talking to
one woman.” “Which woman? There was not any woman there. There were bushes.
Look there.” She turned to watch. There was not any woman there. She felt that
this woman might had left. “She was there but now she went away.” Her cousin
was about to argue further but driver began to tell them to hurry up. So, she
sat in Taxi. Cousin smiled & said “We will meet on marriage functions.” She
nodded. Cousin “Don’t worry it will be fun. You will get lots of expensive
gifts.” She smiled but she couldn’t able to hide her sorrow. On that point her
cousin took hold of her hand & said once again “Don’t worry. She will be
nice mother to you.” She didn’t nod this time. She just said in low voice “But
I had one mother & I didn’t want another.” But her cousin could answer
driver started car & she began to move towards her house to meet her step
mother for first time. That woman kept coming in her mind. She didn’t
understand why did that woman looked so familiar to her. But she knew one thing
that this woman looked very familiar. She didn’t understand where did she saw
this lady. She tried to think hard but it was impossible to understand.
Arpita returned home. It was looking
beautiful. She sensed that her step mom already managed to do interior. She
wanted to criticize that interior but she didn’t. She knew that each person had
different tastes but sadly those were not her tastes. Still, she couldn’t
complaint. She knew that this house would belong to her step mom. As soon as
she complete graduation her dad would find one nice suitor & she will get
married. She was not supposed to decide anything inside house. She was not told
this by anyone but she knew. She felt so sad. She didn’t have any home for
herself entire life. She looked around. She suddenly saw that same woman in one
window. She was so shocked. She ran towards that woman as fast as possible. But
she couldn’t catch her. When she was running suddenly, she bumped in one lady.
That lady screamed loudly “Who are you & why you are running in my house
like that?” She felt so sad. She knew
that it must be her stepmom. She immediately apologized. She felt so nervous.
Her step mom immediately started to talk sweetly. Her step mom “Sorry It's you.
You can surely run in your house. I don’t mean it that way.” She gave nervous
smile & said “I saw one lady in window.” “Lady? No one can come in this
window!” “Why? I saw it.” “Honey, you didn’t sense that you ran on stairs &
you are one first floor of house!” She felt so shocked. She looked towards
stairs. She ran on those stairs & she didn’t even sense it. She felt so
upset. She gave nervous smile & said “Oh! It must be some shadow.” Then her
step mom showed her one room. That room was decorated in style which her step
mom felt she would like. It was her room. She nodded & sat there. She was
now just concerned about that lady she kept seeing. She began to sense that
this lady was not actual one. She didn’t understand whom she supposed to tell.
Then she suddenly remembered her cousin. Her cousin might dislike her but still
she could get help from cousin. She called her cousin & told all. Cousin
“Don’t tell this to anyone. I will tell this to mom. We will arrange one secret
appointment with psychiatrist. You must not let anyone know about this. People
will consider you mad & it will create problem for you when you need to
find a husband.” She felt so nervous. She didn’t want to lie to her husband
about her mental state. But she didn’t want to argue so she kept quiet. She was
so scared. From that time, she went in her room & kept staying there. Her
step mom just sent servants sometime to tell her lunch dinner or breakfast was
ready. She went down. She saw that her step mom was there on kitchen table. Her
step mom served her nicely. She always thanked & talked in most sweet
voice. She sensed that her life was not so hard. Slowly she began to even
admire her step mom who did all household chores & never utter word against
her. She began to admire her. When her dad asked about her step mom, she also
talked just positive then her step mom gave her nice laptop next day costly one.
She sensed that if she kept admiring step mom would keep showering her with
small gifts. She was happy to do that. But she was shocked when one day her
step mom asked about her mom. She was not interested in discussing. She slowly
said “I don’t remember my mom.” “What?” Her step mom sounded shocked. Her step
mom asked “Why?” “ I just don’t.” She was so upset. She screamed those words.
Her step mom looked angry. She sensed that they were going to start one
argument. But then they both decided to change subject. One day suddenly her
mom introduced her to one Uncle who was her friend. Arpita started to chat with
him. Slowly she got friendly with that uncle. She began to tell all to this uncle.
He was so nice. She felt that he was more like father to her than her actual
father. She began to chat with him. Then slowly that uncle began to come once a
week. She felt odd but she liked him so much that she didn’t question. She just
accepted him as friend of her step mom. One day finally she told uncle about
that woman. Her uncle smiled & asked for old album. Her Uncle took out wedding
photo of her parents & pointed towards her mom. Then he asked “Does that woman
look like her?” That woman was exactly like her. Arpita was shocked. She asked “Do
you feel that my mom is ghost or reborn?” “No…no you are just getting back your
painful memories. It is not bad at all.” Then that uncle explained her that he
was psychiatrist. Her step mom told him about her. She felt so relaxed. She
never thought that it could be so easy. She slowly understood that she was just
brining back her memories of mom. She wanted to remember her mom. Slowly step
by step she began to remember all. She started to feel normal. At wedding she
was dressed beautifully & smiling whole time. She told her cousin that she
was just joking. They were angry with her. But Arpita didn’t mind. They were
never exactly nice to her. She enjoyed wedding & she started her life
nicely with her dad & step mom. She kept one picture of her mom & dad
in her room & another of her step mom & dad. She loved her mom but she
respected & admired her step mom too. She knew that step mom couldn’t
become her mom but still she was wonderful lady so she admired her from heart. Finally,
she got one home & family in which she could live peacefully. She was happy
about it.
The End
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