Happy Mother's Day
It was Mother's Day today and she wanted to make it special. This was the first Mother's Day she would be celebrating with her family in years. All these years she either unaware of a day like this or away in hostel for studies. Today she finally got her chance and she wasnt about to let it go waste wallowing in self pity. It was about time she really moved on and tried living her life to the fullest again, if not for herself then for the sake of those who had been there for her all this while, as a constant support. They had cried with her, been her strength, lend her a shoulder when she needed one, given her space letting her know that they were alaways available for her. They were the light in the darkness that had engulfed her all these days, the thread that connected her to sanity after the mind numbing incident. It was about time she worked towards achieving her aim which was fulfilling her aai's dream and then maybe, just maybe see a new dream for herself. Yes she was scared given that her dream was shattered on the most important day of her life by the very man who inspired her to dream and who was a part of that dream of hers. Yes those broken remains of her dream hurt her even today, but the pain had dulled a bit more, everyday thanks to the balm of love that had been showered on her since then. She had accepted that she would never be free of this pain, it would be a constant in her life, just like her aai chossing Pakhi over her always did. But she had learnt to live with the latter and with time and effort, hopefully she would learn to live with the former too, learn to leave without Raghav. Even remembering his name caused fresh bout of pain. She willed herself to not think about him and put her mind on the task ahead. It was noon and she had a few hours in hand to finish the preparations before everyone came out from wherever it was that they had gone.
She invited Tai and Sammy for dinner. She knew they wouod be happy to see the change in her. Strange were the ways of life. Raghav's decision that day had left her broken and it was his mother and best friend who had played an important part in mending her back. Though she continued called his mother Tai, she had been nothing less than a mother hen looking after her in those inital days when aai used to go to Kapoors to take care of dadi and Baba reluctantly left for work. The bond they had forged while she was staying with Jadhav's had only strengthed with time. She had not yet regained her memory but was staying with Raghav after he had been shown a video of her, in very poor state by Kapoor's who told him her aai was responsible for the same. Of course he hadn't believed them at first, but his mother had always been a sensitive issue for him, and a manipulated video, few comments from the corrupt doctor and statements of a few chawl residents stating that they had seen his mother at Kamla's house convinced him.that she was somehow responsible for his mother's condition. He made a deal with Kapoors to marry Paakhi in exchange of his mother thinking that he would kill two birds with one stone; take revenge from Kapoors by torturing Paakhi after marriage and from Jadhavs by jilting Kalpi at the altar and rubbing his marriage with Paakhi in her face. It was too late by the time he realised that he had been lied to by the Kapoors. They had all decided not to tell Tai the entire truth till she had completely recovered mentally from the torture the Kapoors had put her through.
She set about cooking an elaborate meal for everyone and bakin a cake. Giving finishing touches to the cake she wrote a simple Happy Mother's Day on it and arranged it in the centre of leaving room. She quickly went inside to get ready as it was almost time for everyone to come. Just as she came out aftr changing, she heard the doorbell ring. Pakya, Sammy and Tai entering all happy to see the change in her. Sammy had take. Pakya under his wing and was grooming him for job interviews. They had picked Tai up on their way from Sammy's home. Her baba arrived a few minutes later and was surprised seeing the preparations. She told him that she wanted to celebrate Mothers day today. He had tears in his eyes seeing the will to live back in her eyes. He excused himself to freshen up but she knew that he had escpaed in haste before he ended up crying with the overwhelming relief. He was surprised when she asked him if he was ready to cut the cake, asking her if she didnt want to wait for her aai; after all it was Mother's Day. He called aai asking her the reason for being late aand when she would be back home. Her answer must have disappointed him for he was no longer smiling. He silently heard whatever her aai was telling him only to reply that she shouldn't bother getting them food from out and that they would manage. He disconnected the call and looked at her helplessly.
She shook her head and told her baba that it was alright. He started apologising to her on her aai's behalf. She stopped him from doing so and told him what she had intended to, since the time she had planned to celebrate Mother's Day today, "Baba, everyone I really wanted to celebrate the day with is already present here. All of you here are the reason I am still standing here, scared but with hope to start living again. You all are the reason I want to try and be happy again, my inspiration and motivation. Of course aai would has been there too even though less often others. She would have been proud of me too and would have liked to be able to be here. But I she loves being where she is right now more. I guessed that Paakhi would have planned something for her and she would probably be late. So Baba I really didnt expect her to be here. You all are at a place that gives you happiness and she is at a place tha gives her more happiness. Thats how it is. I have learnt to live it. Lets not spend too much time over it. I never got the chance to celebrate Mother's Day since I was in hostel, and now that I have an opportunity, I want to celebrate the day with you. Baba, you have understood me when aai couldnt and always tried to do me right, in your own ways. You trusted me and tried to hear me out whenever questions were raised against me. Even with all that happened in the past few days, you have been an unflinching support in my life, knowing when to let me cry and leave me alone eventhough it killed you to see me in tha state, knowing when to try and make me talk, make me smile and when to silently just be there next to me. Usually its thought that a mother understands her children the best, but without a doubt in my case, it you who has almost always understood your Rajkumari. There were times in past when I felt that you didn't press aai enough to stay back for me but lately I am glad that you always let her take her own decisions, of who she wanted to shower her love on and spend her time with. Because if she would have stayed back because of your insistence, listening to her husband and fulfilling duties towards her daughter is what she would have been doing and not being with us because she genuinely wanted to. She would have been physically present but her heart and mind would have been with Paakhi. It might have given me temporary happiness to see her choose me but would have hurt me more when the illusion would have broken. So I am thankful to you for that and many more things. I am thankful to you for being you. I call you baba, but you have been both Baba and Aai both for me and that is the reason I wanted to celebrate Mother's Day with you cutting the cake.
Happy Mother's Day baba." saying so she hug her Baba cum Aai.
Life had dealt her many bad hands, but it had given her few gems too and she was going to make the most of it.
Note: The time frame between Kalpi's wedding fiasco and Mother's day is much more than that shown in the show. This is more of a cynical OS but I felt like it, esp after the new promo.
Arjun
Cricket
