ArHi FF: Mera Geet Amar Kerdo Chapter 3 page 6 - Page 2

Chapter 1 ' Veerta is for valor

There are some nights when
sleep plays coy,
aloof and disdainful.
And all the wiles
that I employ to win
its service to my side
are useless as wounded pride,
and much more painful. Insomniac by Maya Angelou

Veerta mounted the window seat and gathered up her legs to sit cross-legged as she sipped at the steaming cup of coffee in her hands. It was in this alcove that she found comfort whenever a sleepless night descended upon her. The window panes on her left separated her from the moonlit, scenic stretch of the sea shore, a few hundred meters from her apartment at the eighth floor. The sea almost never failed to calm her down, to ease her rattled nerves, to gain back the sanity she had built up again shred by shred after her life had been strewn apart.

"Why tonight?" she grumbled, for she couldn't afford to stay awake tonight of all nights. Tomorrow was the beginning of another chapter in her life and she had decided she won't let any demons from her troubled past, mar the prospect of the new life she had planned to embark on.

"Mommy! I need to go poo!" a voice, groggy with sleep, broke her train of thoughts. Roja, her five years old daughter was standing at the door of her room that opened into the living area. She was sleepily rubbing her eyes with her nose scrunched up and her raven black hair a mess. "And Maa why are you up so early?" she asked, suspicion edging her voice, her lips making a pretty pout.

An affectionate smile flitted across Veerta's face at seeing her daughter walk to her. This round faced, big black eyed girl, was one reason why she had wanted to live again and had decided to welcome life with open arms and heart. Getting off from the window seat, she placed her empty mug on the coffee table and extended her arms to pick up Roja. With an easy swing she perched Roja up on one hip carrying her with one arm while with the free hand she tried to bring some order to the mop on her head as she walked towards her own room.

"Well, Maa is just so excited about her new job that she couldn't sleep," Veerta said trying to keep her tone light, "Remember, when you had your recital at school last week? Could you sleep?", she tickled Roja playfully whose chuckle brought instant peace to her mother.

"I am also excited about your new job and," Roja said elongating the 'and' and gave Veerta an open mouthed wet kiss, and added, "I love you lots!"

"I love you too baby, I love you too!" said Veerta softly her eyes misty as she returned her kiss.

Some ten minutes later, Veerta had again tucked Roja in her blanket, where she instantly fell asleep. Kissing her on the forehead, Veerta started to collect the clutter that Roja had spread. While doing so, she happened to catch her reflection in the mirror and stopped to watch herself. Her long dark brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail accentuating the cheek bones on her round yet delicate face. The most riveting feature was her eyes on either side of her royally straight nose. Flanked by thick lashes, her eyes were brown, neither dark, nor hazel something in between, they had a mesmerizing depth that affected whoever looked into them. She was at the pinnacle of health; her flat tummy, long shapely legs shown to the hilt by the fitting tracks she wore and her bare toned arms, all were the result of her love for the contemporary form of dancing she indulged in. However, she wasn't pencil thin, she had curves at all the right places, something she hadn't liked as a teenager when she wanted to walk the ramp.

"Teenage!" she grumbled as she rolled her eyes remembering how nave that age is and how clueless teenagers are of the life that lies ahead. She could never figure out whose fault it was that she carried such unrealistic romantic notions about life, the books she read, the movies she watched, or the TV serials. With a childlike, unreasonable disgust she banged Dr. Suess's book on Roja's study table.

"No one gives you an ounce worth of information about life, then hurl you headlong into it and asks you to face it and make the best of it!" she thought angrily, "and to top it all they have the audacity to ask you to not let them down! Bull Shit!" she cursed silently as she left Roja's room to head for the kitchen and make another mug of coffee accepting that sleep will not knock at her door.

With her cup in hand she plopped down on the swivel arm chair. As she rotated it, her gaze fell on the wall hosting a number of family pictures, Roja's, her own childhood's, her parents'; and an avalanche of past memories came rushing down on her.

Mr. Prateep Singhia, her father and Gayatri Singhia her mother, were both as good as any parents are supposed to be. Her father owned a chain of music stores with outlets in 5 cities and that kept him more than busy. Therefore, it never was a surprise that he, more often than not, had no idea which class she was in or exactly how old she was. His motto of life was to earn money and as far as he was concerned his duty was to make sure they were well provided for. Beyond that, whether his daughter required his attention and involvement had never entered his mind. Staunchly sticking to the values passed onto him by his parents he had followed a strict parenting style expecting his wife to do the same.

Fortunately for Veerta, Gayatri didn't agree with Prateep but never found the guts to openly oppose him also. So, whenever he was away, which was quite often, the daughter mother duo indulged themselves. It was Gayatri who encouraged Veerta in her dancing ambition by making sure she attended dancing classes.

Veerta sighed as she remembered her carefree ways back then, dancing wherever and whenever she got a chance. As a result of her many dance classes she had learnt so many of the traditional Indian dance forms. But what had always got her blood pumping and feet thumping were the more modern and western styles. Watching Michael Jackson videos she learnt break dance, she remembered Moon walking through her school corridors that had often earned her the ire of the straight backed stern teachers they had.

She remembered how her dad had scolded her when one of her teachers had reported about her 'misbehavior' and had cancelled her name from the classes she was then attending. In protest she had locked up herself in her room and refused to eat, something her father took no notice of.

"You know why I named you Veerta?" her mother had asked, "because you are my very brave daughter. You will not let this affect you. You will be brave and continue normally." She had continued when she had received no answer. Veerta knew she wasn't being given a talk on bravery, rather, her mom was very nicely asking her to give in just the way she had. Her mother had never confronted her husband on any of his injustices, neither about his girlfriends, nor about his affairs.

"Why?" she had asked when she first found out about it and had been left numb at her answer.

"If I do, he'll divorce me. How will I face the world then? Who will marry you?" her mother had stated and Veerta had wondered if she was still living in old times and not the much touted 21^st century.

"Veerta!" she took her name and banged her fist on the arm rest, "name me for valor and ask me to subside, to bow down to the fake standards of society. Veerta!"

She rested her head and closed her eyes as the sun rose bringing a new day and perhaps a new beginning for Veerta.

Chapter 2: Arnav is for Ocean - deep unending and full of rage