“Tell her, classes are more important. She is anyways coming home for Diwali.” Mira said while leaving the room.
“I heard her Dad” said a disappointed voice from the other end of the phone.
Vinayak gave “the looks" to his wife and put on his “I am your friend not Dad” hat to console their daughter. “I know this semester’s subjects are not that interesting. But don’t miss collage for this party. It is going to be boring. Mom’s colleagues and friends. All adults, you will be bored. Not worth the trouble that’s all. Listen, I am getting late for work. I will call you later. Take care beta.”
He picked up his shoulder bag, car keys and left the room to join Mira at the breakfast table. Next thirty minutes were dragged with trivial small talks, tip toeing around the topic of the hour.
“Vinu, I just think a little distance would do good. Of course I want her to be around. But she needs to learn discipline and get more serious about studies. Boarding school decision was ours, not mine alone” Mira spoke defensively.
She had rested both her elbows on the table with hands clasped. “I am not saying anything” Vinayak said without looking up at her. “Exactly. You not saying anything, has said a lot. You are stirring your coffee from past five minutes. I can read your face” said Mira getting up from the table.
Vinayak looked up, their moist gaze met with with each other. “Miru, we are not bad parents and not at all bad people. We are doing it for her own good. Stop beating your self. You are not guilty of anything” he said, stressing on each word.
“It sure doesn’t feel like that” said Mira while picking up her stuff and storming out of the kitchen.
“I heard her Dad” said a disappointed voice from the other end of the phone.
Vinayak gave “the looks" to his wife and put on his “I am your friend not Dad” hat to console their daughter. “I know this semester’s subjects are not that interesting. But don’t miss collage for this party. It is going to be boring. Mom’s colleagues and friends. All adults, you will be bored. Not worth the trouble that’s all. Listen, I am getting late for work. I will call you later. Take care beta.”
He picked up his shoulder bag, car keys and left the room to join Mira at the breakfast table. Next thirty minutes were dragged with trivial small talks, tip toeing around the topic of the hour.
“Vinu, I just think a little distance would do good. Of course I want her to be around. But she needs to learn discipline and get more serious about studies. Boarding school decision was ours, not mine alone” Mira spoke defensively.
She had rested both her elbows on the table with hands clasped. “I am not saying anything” Vinayak said without looking up at her. “Exactly. You not saying anything, has said a lot. You are stirring your coffee from past five minutes. I can read your face” said Mira getting up from the table.
Vinayak looked up, their moist gaze met with with each other. “Miru, we are not bad parents and not at all bad people. We are doing it for her own good. Stop beating your self. You are not guilty of anything” he said, stressing on each word.
“It sure doesn’t feel like that” said Mira while picking up her stuff and storming out of the kitchen.
Mira came back from her clinic at around five. She saw, Vinayak’s car was already parked in the garage. He had planned to come home early, to prepare for the party which was to be hosted over weekend. Vinayak was in the back yard, clearing up some old boxes. She froze at the door when she saw him holding the old racket set and getting all choked up. He and Aarna used to play badminton a lot. It was their Sunday routine. Aarna was really good at it.
“Aarna would have been twenty this year.” thought Vinayak. He looked over at the frisbee they had bought for her. Just like her parents, she was fond of all these outdoor activities. “But Aadya, well, she barely comes out of her room. Always with her headphones. I don’t even remember when was the last time I spent quality time with her. She is nothing like either of us. How can she even be?” Vinayak laughed at his own thoughts. It is difficult for human beings to accept the truth especially if it is putting themselves in the bad light. That struggle of acceptance manifests into different emotions, for Vinayak it was anger. In the next split second he threw away the rackets and kicked that box of old stuff. Mira came rushing towards him.
She had always been the stronger of the two. She hugged and held him close, “It’s all right.You only said, we are not bad parents. We will get it right.”
Poonam came early to help Mira and Vinayak with the set up. “Hey there birthday girl, looking good. Blue again?” Poonam hugged her friend lovingly at the door as Mira welcomed her.
“Girl?? I am fifty today, Pu. And you are late.” Both of them walked inside the common room. “Speaking of girl, where is yours? Is she coming?” Poonam asked.
Mira just made a face and Poonam realised she had touched a nerve. After all, their friendship went back to school days. They had been by each others’ side through all the ups and downs. When Aadya’s reckless and rebellious behavioural traits became visible, Mira requested Poonam to counsel her. Poonam was a psychologist, but child physiology was not her expertise. She still agreed as they all wanted to keep this matter discrete. Mira and Vinayak had been through a lot, they did not need another episode of people in their social circle gossiping around. Aadya’s tantrums at few of the social events had already given people enough to talk about. “Look Mira, I am speaking to you as her doctor now and not your friend. I have been telling you this, pushing her away will not help. You need to be with her to help her though this. She is showing real progress.”
That sparked a little heated discussion between the two friends, Vinayak also joined the conversation. It was not new; they had been having this discussion for months now. Poonam struck a final blow. “Don’t punish her for not being Aarna”. Immediately realising that she went a little far, Poonam apologised.
A door bell saved the heaviness in the room from further thickening. As the guests started pouring in, mood lightened. And then just before they were about to start dinner, door bell rang again. “I will get it” said Vinayak and opened the door. “What a surprise beta. How did you? Why didn’t you tell us?” Aadya entered with a small bag-pack and her guitar; wearing a nice blue dress and heels. With a big smile on her face she went and hugged Mira, “Happy 50th Mom. Liked my surprise?” Mira was happy and startled at the same time, she did not know exactly how to react. “Did you take a flight? When did you book? How did you manage?” She asked while giving a questioning glance at Vinayak. “Ofhoo. Questions later. I have one more surprise for you” she said, while taking out a pen drive from her bag-pack.
Aadya gathered everyone near the TV and started the video. First picture popped up on the screen; It was of three of them, taken on the day they brought her home. Aadya was barely three years old. It was received with awws and gasps in the room. Then there were series of video messages from Mira’s friends, family and colleagues at the hospital. There were few recent photos of Aadya and Mira; both of them were posing with the head tilted sideways a little. Some one even commented, “Look at her Mira, she has picked up your trademark pose”. Mira and Vinayak were standing in the middle of the room with their hands held tightly. Aadya was standing near the TV, looking at everyone with the same big smile. Mira observed her. She was looking tall today in that blue dress, nicely cleaned up, hair falling on the shoulder.
Mira was seeing her after almost six months. Suddenly she felt Aadya had grown up and no longer was the teenager who had give them a hard time for the last one year. Interesting how human mind is; when you notice one small thing about some one, suddenly it starts a chain reaction and you start picking on all those finer things which you had missed earlier. Mira realised how Aadya’s wardrobe was also in the shades of blue like hers, how she also wore an anklet in one leg and rolled a hair strand softly behind her ears while reacting to compliments, just like Mira. After the video screening, Aadya played a small self composed song on her guitar, dedicated to Mira. Every one was all in praise for her. Aadya was clearly the show’s topper of the evening. She even mixed up and socialised with the guests over dinner.
Vinayak was sitting next to Aadya when desserts were served. He was asking her about how she booked her travel, how she managed to contact everyone for the video messages. He observed she had taken out resins from the custard at the side of the plate, just like he had. “Aadu, you too?” He pointed at her plate. “ Yah. I don’t like them in the custard.” she said with her typical bunny rabbit expression. Vinayak chuckled and said encouragingly, “I know, right? Me neither. By the way, don’t tell your Mom.” “Of course. It is our little secret Dad. I have enough of lectures in collage, don’t want one on food habit” Aadya replied excitingly.
Party was at the fag end; “must get going” and “what a lovely party” conversations were building up. Srikant was discussing with Poonam about one latest article in the Medical Journal. The article was about the role DNA plays in shaping up personality traits and human behaviour. “So Mira, what’s your take? Nature or Nurture? Don’t you think Dr. Sriram’s sample set was not completely representative?” Mira was looking past their shoulders. Aadya was showing her Guitar to Vinayak and explaining some thing. Their smiling and happy faces was all the data point she needed. “They always find a way to balance each other” Mira replied. Srikant didn’t understand the comment, but Poonam did.
Some one called in for few photos and selfies. Poonam volunteered to take the family photo of Mira, Vinayak and Aadya. That photo did look like three different pieces fitting together, strikingly different shades giving rise to a beautiful modern art. “Great job with the video, dear. And you have a lovely voice. Your parents are zero when it comes to Art and Music. You are so different than either of them.” One of the guests commented. Everyone laughed at the light leg pulling. Some one took the opportunity to take a jibe, “These two are so quiet and simple folks. I hear you are the chatterbox, the drama queen of the house.”
While the laughter continued, Aadya’s face lost it’s colour. “You are not their daughter” is what she read through those comments. Mira quickly wrapped her hand around her, pulled her closer and said lovingly, “Well, she is still her parents’ daughter”.
That three year old, from the picture which was still paused on the TV screen, was smiling in the comfort of having found new parents.
“Girl?? I am fifty today, Pu. And you are late.” Both of them walked inside the common room. “Speaking of girl, where is yours? Is she coming?” Poonam asked.
Mira just made a face and Poonam realised she had touched a nerve. After all, their friendship went back to school days. They had been by each others’ side through all the ups and downs. When Aadya’s reckless and rebellious behavioural traits became visible, Mira requested Poonam to counsel her. Poonam was a psychologist, but child physiology was not her expertise. She still agreed as they all wanted to keep this matter discrete. Mira and Vinayak had been through a lot, they did not need another episode of people in their social circle gossiping around. Aadya’s tantrums at few of the social events had already given people enough to talk about. “Look Mira, I am speaking to you as her doctor now and not your friend. I have been telling you this, pushing her away will not help. You need to be with her to help her though this. She is showing real progress.”
That sparked a little heated discussion between the two friends, Vinayak also joined the conversation. It was not new; they had been having this discussion for months now. Poonam struck a final blow. “Don’t punish her for not being Aarna”. Immediately realising that she went a little far, Poonam apologised.
A door bell saved the heaviness in the room from further thickening. As the guests started pouring in, mood lightened. And then just before they were about to start dinner, door bell rang again. “I will get it” said Vinayak and opened the door. “What a surprise beta. How did you? Why didn’t you tell us?” Aadya entered with a small bag-pack and her guitar; wearing a nice blue dress and heels. With a big smile on her face she went and hugged Mira, “Happy 50th Mom. Liked my surprise?” Mira was happy and startled at the same time, she did not know exactly how to react. “Did you take a flight? When did you book? How did you manage?” She asked while giving a questioning glance at Vinayak. “Ofhoo. Questions later. I have one more surprise for you” she said, while taking out a pen drive from her bag-pack.
Aadya gathered everyone near the TV and started the video. First picture popped up on the screen; It was of three of them, taken on the day they brought her home. Aadya was barely three years old. It was received with awws and gasps in the room. Then there were series of video messages from Mira’s friends, family and colleagues at the hospital. There were few recent photos of Aadya and Mira; both of them were posing with the head tilted sideways a little. Some one even commented, “Look at her Mira, she has picked up your trademark pose”. Mira and Vinayak were standing in the middle of the room with their hands held tightly. Aadya was standing near the TV, looking at everyone with the same big smile. Mira observed her. She was looking tall today in that blue dress, nicely cleaned up, hair falling on the shoulder.
Mira was seeing her after almost six months. Suddenly she felt Aadya had grown up and no longer was the teenager who had give them a hard time for the last one year. Interesting how human mind is; when you notice one small thing about some one, suddenly it starts a chain reaction and you start picking on all those finer things which you had missed earlier. Mira realised how Aadya’s wardrobe was also in the shades of blue like hers, how she also wore an anklet in one leg and rolled a hair strand softly behind her ears while reacting to compliments, just like Mira. After the video screening, Aadya played a small self composed song on her guitar, dedicated to Mira. Every one was all in praise for her. Aadya was clearly the show’s topper of the evening. She even mixed up and socialised with the guests over dinner.
Vinayak was sitting next to Aadya when desserts were served. He was asking her about how she booked her travel, how she managed to contact everyone for the video messages. He observed she had taken out resins from the custard at the side of the plate, just like he had. “Aadu, you too?” He pointed at her plate. “ Yah. I don’t like them in the custard.” she said with her typical bunny rabbit expression. Vinayak chuckled and said encouragingly, “I know, right? Me neither. By the way, don’t tell your Mom.” “Of course. It is our little secret Dad. I have enough of lectures in collage, don’t want one on food habit” Aadya replied excitingly.
Party was at the fag end; “must get going” and “what a lovely party” conversations were building up. Srikant was discussing with Poonam about one latest article in the Medical Journal. The article was about the role DNA plays in shaping up personality traits and human behaviour. “So Mira, what’s your take? Nature or Nurture? Don’t you think Dr. Sriram’s sample set was not completely representative?” Mira was looking past their shoulders. Aadya was showing her Guitar to Vinayak and explaining some thing. Their smiling and happy faces was all the data point she needed. “They always find a way to balance each other” Mira replied. Srikant didn’t understand the comment, but Poonam did.
Some one called in for few photos and selfies. Poonam volunteered to take the family photo of Mira, Vinayak and Aadya. That photo did look like three different pieces fitting together, strikingly different shades giving rise to a beautiful modern art. “Great job with the video, dear. And you have a lovely voice. Your parents are zero when it comes to Art and Music. You are so different than either of them.” One of the guests commented. Everyone laughed at the light leg pulling. Some one took the opportunity to take a jibe, “These two are so quiet and simple folks. I hear you are the chatterbox, the drama queen of the house.”
While the laughter continued, Aadya’s face lost it’s colour. “You are not their daughter” is what she read through those comments. Mira quickly wrapped her hand around her, pulled her closer and said lovingly, “Well, she is still her parents’ daughter”.
That three year old, from the picture which was still paused on the TV screen, was smiling in the comfort of having found new parents.
