Letters from a Father
Part 1
Here tiny arms were wrapped around her father's neck, as she clung to her daddy forcefully, not wanting to let go for the fear of being taken away from him. Two strong arms held her hands and she was now, being pulled away from the secure embrace of her father. She screamed while tears cascaded down her chubby cheeks. "Daddy" She cried out, her hand reaching out to hold onto her father while the distance between them only increased. She kicked her legs frantically, hitting her tiny fists at the back of the man who was taking her away from her DADDY.
"Please" she heard her father whisper in agony as he looked at her mother pleadingly.
"I am sorry" came her mother's curt reply.
Her mother walked over to her as she wiped her tears and spoke "Come to mommy"
The stranger who had been holding her handed her to her mother and then she saw her father run towards her.
"Rano please" her father said in urgency, as he held her mother's hand.
"Let go of my sister" the stranger held her father's hand as he yanked it off of her mother's wrist and ushered her mother towards the car parked outside by the road in front of her home.
"Please Rano, think of our daughter" Her father said as he stepped in front of her mother.
"Thus I am leaving" her mother replied as she walked pass her father and sat inside the car.
"Daddy" she shrieked as the car's engine roared and it started moving, while her father stood with his hands placed at the car's window, urging her mother to not leave him.
"He is not coming baby" her mother said as she cupped her cheek.
"Mommy daddy is standing outside. We can't leave him." she said as she looked out of the car window as the vehicle sped away. She saw her father's terror stricken face as he called out to her mother. She turned to face her mother as she spoke "Momma I want my Daddy."
Her mother pulled her into her arms, cradling her closer to her chest while she cried out for her father.
She bit her mother's shoulder as she screamed "I want my Daddy"
"GEET" Her mother slapped her.
"You hit me . . . I . . . I will complain to . . . my . . . my daddy and he will . . . he will scold you" She choked, midst the pool of tears streaming down her face.
"I am so sorry" her mother hugged her closer. "So sorry"
She cried as the car turned round the corner and she could no longer see her father. She had been taken away . . . from her daddy.
Geet shuddered as she woke up in a jolt. "It was a dream" she mumbled to herself as she took a few deep breaths. As the broken memories of that day sprung up in her mind . . . as the hurt she had felt that day came back to her . . . she could feel her eyes brim over. But as soon as hurt seeped in, she also remembered the day she had last met her father . . . the hurt vanished as quick as it had rippled in the first place, being now replaced with anger.
Geet had been a little girl of seven, when her mother had left her father and moved out of the country. She had accused her mother of keeping her away from her father. For three years she has behaved in an unreasonably rude manner with her mother. But as time had passed and when as a ten year old girl, she had learned the incentive behind her mother leaving her father, it had struck at her that her mother had been right. As she'd realised the reason why her father was not a part of her life, she had with every passing day, started disliking him for not being there for her mother when she had needed him the most. With each passing year, her dislike for him only increased and when one fine day, he showed up in her life, after all those years of absence, Geet had told him in clear words that he was no one in her life.
She threw the covers off of her as she stepped out of the bed and walked into the washroom. She opened the tap, as she splashed a handful of water over her flushed face. Taking a few deep breaths she rested her hands at the wash basin, and gulping back the lump in her throat, she closed her eyes. She hadn't had this nightmare in years. The last time she dreamt about it was when she was ten, for three years every night she had had this nightmare but then ever since she had known just why her mother had left her father, the nightmare no longer haunted her.
But then . . . Why? Why after all these years was she dreaming about that day again?
She jumped as she felt a hand sneak around her waist and instinctively she turned to her side. "Gosh! Maan . . . you startled me" She said as she saw her husband standing in front of her. She smiled as she felt him press his body onto hers, encircling his arms around her waist. "Good morning Mrs Khurana" she heard him whisper as he gave her a soft peck at her forehead. Sighing in contentment, and forgetting all the tension she had felt moments ago, she slithered her hands round her husband's neck as she placed her lips over his cheek, while she chimed "Good morning Mr Khurana, you're up early"
"Well I turned in bed and found my pillow missing . . . naturally sleep eluded me" he winked at her while she replied with a smile, "Liar"
He tucked a hand under her knees and lifting her in his arms he spoke, "I need my pillow". Placing her on the bed, he settled in next to her and his hand went under her head, pulling her half atop him. She eased in his arms as she placed her head over his chest and kissed him right over his heart. "What happened" she heard him say and she stiffened. At times like these, she hated the fact that there was someone who knew her every nerve . . . who knew her better than her own self.
Geet closed her eyes and tightening her hold around him, she replied "Had a bad dream"
"What was it about" he asked in a low tone whilst tucking the strand of hair which till a moment had been teasing her cheeks, behind her ear.
"My father" she said. "It'
She trailed off. Running a soothing hand over her back, he kissed the top of her head and silently urged her to continue.
"It was the day '
She started but was soon disturbed with the chime of the doorbell.
*****
"Geet" she heard Maan call out and by the sound of it, she knew something was wrong.
She hurriedly raced down the stairs and as she saw Maan standing at the foot of the stairs with an unreadable expression. She stopped in front of him as she asked him what was wrong. He instead of replying verbally handed a bundle of letters. Her brow rose in question but as she glanced at the letters, she froze cold.
"They are from your father"
She looked up at Maan and then back at the letters as she threw the letters away and strode back to the room.
*****
She did not know why she felt like crying . . . but she just stared out of the window as she cried. Tears streamed down her face, but she had no idea why she was crying. Her childhood flashed in front of her as she remembered the hazy memories of the time she had spent with her father and then there were crystal clear memories of the time she had spent away from him.
Geet felt two arms hugging her from the back and her husband held onto her in silence. She turned as she threw her arms around his neck and closed her eyes in pain . . . pain which had no reason. She couldn't draw a line on just why she was feeling so emotional. She had severed all ties from her father long time back, then why was she feeling so very emotional.
"Want to talk" she heard Maan whisper into her hair.
"I don't want anything to do with him" She said as she broke away from her husband.
She shook her head as fresh tears sprang up and she felt she would explode any moment. She gazed into her husband's eyes, silently comforting her, while his fingers wiped away the tears from her cheeks.
"I know" he said.
*****
She was sitting between Maan's legs, while he held her firmly. Her hands were resting atop his as her back was pressed against his chest. He kissed her cheek, placing his chin upon her shoulder as he mumbled "May be you should read them."
"He has been a non entity in my life ever since I was seven" she rasped.
She felt him place a soft kiss over her sleeve and that was all the strength she had needed to go on "When I was fifteen, he came to London and I broke all ties with him."
"You were angry at him"
"Yes . . . I was . . . I was so . . . so very angry"
"He was never there for my mother" Geet said. "He was busy with his job . . . with his DUTY."
"I'd always wanted to be an officer" He exclaimed.
"I know but lucky me you aren't one" she replied.
"I was the only son and my mother wouldn't allow me to join the forces"
"She did just the right thing"
"It isn't that bad"
She turned her face to her side, so she could see him and then spoke "It's not good either."
"You won't agree now, will you" he smiled.
"No" she replied. "This one thing we will always differ."
"You might not know what it was like . . . for him"
"I don't want to know"
"Just read them . . . once" He said. "For me, at least you will get a closure."
"I got that long time back" She stated coldly.
~Flashback~
~Geet=15, 1999 Melbourne~
She waved at her friend as she opened the wobbled through the garden of her house. She turned as she tripped over a stone and lost her balance. She squeezed shut her eyes as she awaited the fall but instead she felt two strong arms go around her and pull her upright.
Before she could even realise what was happening, she felt someone cup her face and she heard a worry laced voice "You alright doll"
She looked up to only to meet the eyes of the man who was her father. She was standing face to face with the man whom she had last seen eight years back. She was hearing his voice after eight long years.
"Daddy" she muttered as she hugged him lovingly. For a moment she forgot she was supposed to be angry at him. For a long moment she forgot she disliked him. For a long moment she forgot just what she was doing. At that point in time, she was hugging her father after eight long years. Now that was a long time . . . a very long time.
"My baby' she heard him rasp and she snapped back to reality. She pushed him away as she looked at him with pain and more so anger.
And she ran inside her house.
*****
"Mamma, tell him to go away" she screamed as her mother stood outside her room, asking her to at least talk with him once. She couldn't believe her mother was asking her to talk with him . . . with that man. NO! She did not have anything to talk with him . . . nothing whatsoever.
"Please Geet just once . . . For me"
"This is so not fair" Geet whined.
*****
"What" she said as she opened her room door.
"Hell baby doll"
"I am not a baby" she replied coldly.
"I see" he said. "You've grown up, you're pretty tall"
"You came here to talk about my height" She commented sardonically.
"Geet" her mother chided her.
"Rano . . . please" she heard her father.
"Why after all this time?" Geet questioned.
"I wanted to see my daughter" he replied.
"That after eight years" She smiled wryly.
"I missed you" he said.
"I missed you too" she breathed.
*****
"Daddy you came to go back again" she breezed into her mother's room after she overheard her mother and her father talking about his return to India.
"Duty calls" he smiled.
"Priorities haven't changed one bit. You job is still over your family. Why did you even bother coming here?" she spat angrily as she stormed out of the room.
*****
Burying her face into the pillow, she cried. He never cared about her, not when she was kid and not now. Why did he come here? To remind her of what she could never have . . . a father.
She felt him sit by her side on the bed, but she refused to look up. He had come only to go back.
"Go away" she roared into the pillow.
"It is important" he said.
"Yes I know, that is the only important thing in your life" she replied still refusing to look up.
"It's not like that, sweetheart"
"What is it like then?" she jerked up as she faced him angrily and demanded "JUST WHAT"
"I have to go"
"Then go, why you are even wasting your time on someone who carries no importance in your life" she bit out.
"I love you"
"No you don't" she yelled. "If you loved me you would have been there when I was born . . . on my first day to school, on the day of my first stage performance . . . when mom and I came here, when I would cry remembering you, when I . . . you were never there so just leave"
"You're no one to me" she said as she ran out of her and outside the house.
That night, when her anger cooled down she came back home with a hope to find her father waiting for her, with a fleeting hope that he might have decided to stay back. But she came back only to find him gone.
"He's nobody" she mumbled one last time.
~Present~
"I would still say you should read them" He whispered into her hair.
"Only for you" she said as she got on her feet and lifted the letters which Maan had placed over the bed. She then tore open the first letter as she then started reading letters from by her father.
******************
Luckily while writing this my laptop only crashed onceđ otherwise i don't know how long would i have taken to complete this
Edited by 7thHeaven - 13 years ago
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