Hey Dad! Meet My Mom (16 page)

‘Database’ had wanted to inform me about something but maybe Ashish was stopping him. ‘Database’ was taking a lot of interest in our life. I never bothered to pay attention to it but I did have a doubt in my mind too. Her random disappearances from college, her attitude towards random people, towards studies, her mood swings, all this had given me reasons to doubt her.

“Do you know what the best thing about you is?” Roshni was keenly listening to me and had a continuous sweet smile on her lips. We were sitting in the cafeteria and were lost in each other’s eyes.

“The best thing about you is everything.” The moment I said that, she slapped me playfully.

“Oh, come on Puneet; you are such a flirt!” We both giggled and then her phone rang. She saw the name on it and got a bit tense. She left the table and went to attend the call. I was at first reluctant to hear the ongoing conversation but then couldn’t control myself. I went closer to hear her.

“Okay baby, I am coming in an hour. Don’t worry Okay, I’ll bring........ Sure...... I love you too..... Muuuuaaahhhh.... ”

Her conversation left me with so many questions but I didn’t let anything out. My mind was shouting out all the words which seemed so obvious but my heart still had some hopes.

I knew that she also loved me, but either her ego was much bigger than her feelings or there was something else. I tried all possible ways to get her love but couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind her “No” for me. Anyway whenever love decided to happen, fate was always there to play its game, and in our case it was Ms. Roshni’s diary, which somehow reached me.

On the last day of college, Roshni fought with me over a very silly matter. I knew that it was all fake. I was trying to push her hard into revealing all her secrets but the conversation ended with her statement that she hated me and never wanted to see my face again. I knew the fight was just to heal her own wounded soul. I could see her moist eyes.

But that fight was not totally regretful because it did give me a precious thing that belonged to her. I somehow found her diary titled ‘My Life’. I knew it was unethical to read someone else’s diary but sometimes you have to forget ethics and perform for your love. I wanted to know her secrets. I knew there were many waiting to be revealed.

Chapter 17

Roshni’s Diary-1

The “World of Glamour” is not defined by walking in high heels; it is defined by walking with high dreams in front of thousands of people.

Roshni’s World through Her Eyes....

I had a dream; a dream to be on the ramp and show the world my attitude. I had a wish to be on the top and show the world, how to walk with dreams keeping them in one’s heart and showcasing them on the tip of one’s heels. I never shared my dream with anyone, as I even felt afraid to share it with myself. The only one who knew about it was ‘My Diary.’

For my parents, it was never a concern to know my dream. They had their own dreams for me. They wanted me to excel in the field of engineering. They never asked me anything; they laid a path for me and wanted me to tread it.

Both of them had left me with my grandmother when I was around 8 years old. They lived in Mumbai to earn their bread and give me a royal life. I didn’t know what was so ‘royal’ about my life though. But they said so, and I accepted it. Earning money was pretty difficult and that was the first lesson I learned from my parents.

So following the path of engineering, I took admission at St. Xavier’s. I just wanted to finish my course with flying colors and get a job as soon as possible. After all that, if possible, I would think about my dream. I had no other plan from my college days but one person changed everything.

Puneet. Why did he come into my life? Why did he have to make things so complicated? I didn’t want to fall for anybody but he forced me to do so. Yes, I loved him. I never expressed my love to him; but I did all this for him only. I knew that, I couldn’t force him to live my secret. Yes, I had a secret.

“Mom! Why areyou crying?” A sweet fragile bud, about five years of age, saw me crying and tenderly rubbed her hand, wiping off my tears.

“I am not crying, my baby”, I lied because she was not the person who I wanted should lend me an ear.

“Mumma, then why is water coming out of your eyes?” Her innocent question made me smile and I grasped her in my arms controlling myself from bursting out with emotions.

“Baby this is not water, these are called tears, andyou know they are very precious. God didn’t give this to everyone, but He said that He would give a prize to those people who will not waste it. Promise me that you won’t let this precious thing come out from your eyes ever. ”

“Mumma, have Adi bhaiya and Riya di also got this precious gift with them?”

‘Yes, all are gifted with this precious gift, but God always sees who is the best at keeping it safe in the locker of their eyes.” I concluded kissing her on her cheeks.

Suddenly I heard a quarreling noise coming from the next door. Kiara and I rushed from the balcony to the room, and there they were, my two other kids, Adi and Riya, creating a ruckus.

Adi and Riya, my elder children, were twins and Kiara was my younger daughter.

“Stop it both of you,you have again started fighting?”

“No mom, please you stay away from us.” said Riya.

“Riya, stop it, please. Adi, 11l slap you, you are fighting with your sister. She is a girl, and what have I toldyou about girls? You must always respect them.”

“Mom, Riya is a girl but that doesn’t mean that she ll always show me her stubbornness! Tell her to give me my gift”. Adi put forward his point.

“Gift? Which gift? And who gaveyou the gift?”

“No mom, it’s my gift, tell Adi to give it to me.”

“First of all, both of you shut up, and answer my question! From where did this gift come? Who gave it to you?”

“Mom, you can’t be so silly, haveyou forgotten? Tomorrow is my birthday”, said Riya with a fading tone.

“Bhoot, it’s not only your birthday, it’s my birthday too.” Adi’s voice filled with an excitement.

“Mumma, tomorrow is also my birthday.” Kiara said with a gleam in her eyes.

“Chhutki,you stay away from all this, it’s only our birthday.” Adi said harshly to Kiara.

Dear Diary, you saw how much my kids fight with each other, but it’s always fun to watch them. I too become a kid with them.

“Enough, all three of you! First of all, Adi and Riya clean the whole room and come to my study room after that. Kiara, baby you come with me, let them clean up the mess.”

I was so happy, tomorrow, Adi and Riya will be turning ten. Every year I get much more excited than my children, for their birthdays.

“Mom, Adi has not swept the floor, tell him to... ” said Riya making herself comfortable on the couch.

Dear Diary, I am sorry for not lettingyou know about this secret of mine. Yes, you heard it correct. “MOM”.

Just a few years back, today on the same day I found an angel wrapped up in black cloth,

Sleeping peacefully in nature’s lap under that old banyan tree,

I looked around for your guardians, but I never knew that you were kept as a gift for me from Almighty.

I thought not to take you in my arms, but that smile on your face was all I could see,

A letter from your womb mother gave me pain, the pain of inhumanity

Maybe I can’t replace her, but for me you are more than my daughter without whom I can’t even inhale a single breath.

I strive for every moment just to give you all the happiness, working day and night ignoring some weird and lusful sights placed on this clayed human.

Today it’s been 9years 8 months and 15 days that you’ve been with me like a soul to my body,

You are turning ten but all these years of togetherness have taught me the lessons of life, to which grownups fail to pay heed.

The purity of love or the innocence of feelings is what kept me intact and today the thought of being apart from you scares me so.

And this was the reason for my hesitation to accept Puneet’s proposal. I was the mother of three kids, and that was the sole reason I was living and working for. Except my grandmother, no-one else even knew about them. They were the reason why I entered the world of modeling. I started to get a few opportunities but hadn’t yet bagged a real big chance so far. Even I was not ready for all the fame. I had to make few decisions before that and one of them was Puneet.

Dear diary, today I am feeling very low after letting Puneet go from my life. I know he won’t ever come to me; he won’t ever look at me the same way again. I love him, I need him, I’m depressed but I know tomorrow I’ll be fine. Time will heal both our souls.

Chapter 18

Roshni’s Diary-2

Those chilly winds caressed the strands of emotions which were flickering in her thoughts. She turned pale when she had to part ways. She was quivering to pour down with ink but then finally she engraved, “Her Story”???....

I never knew that the world of glamour was a kind of trap. I entered it on my own will but there was no escape from it. It was a one way entrance with no exit route. I kept falling deeper into the pit. I never got the time to think of anyone; my graduation, my kids, my family’s dream, my grandmother or you, Puneet.

I had no one around me to hold me; I had no one around to shake me and tell me what was wrong and what was right; I had no one to slap me hard; I had no one to offer me a hand and pull me out.

Those parties, the cocaine, drugs and alcohol didn’t allow me to think of him. In this busy life, my love for Puneet started fading, and this was exactly what I had wanted.