Loving Mirror!

It was their last day as husband and wife. Tomorrow they would meet in the court for final appearance and signature.

.... The memories just flashed by like a film. How much has life changed in these 8 years?  Thinking, she looked at the mirror. The mirror was very quiet, it did not want to discuss the stress lines and grey hairs she had grown... and that double chin too. The face had just been washed, so it could not differentiate between the water and the tears.. it did not want to also. It had started loving her, the way she was.

“Mummy”..”Mummy, aap kahan ho?” She quickly wiped her face and saw herself again in the mirror, there was something missing, something which made her face look very empty, she could not trace what it was. “ Mummyyy..”..”Coming beta” ..! She came out and suddenly, was taken aback. Chirag was with that same guy and little girl... How could this guy dare to come home like this, he did not even take my permission. Do they all think that I am available because I am alone and single;  so many thoughts cropped up in her mind within fraction of a second..

“I am sorry to have come like this”  He said politely. “Actually it was very late and he was standing alone, crying. I did not have your number. I waited and then I thought it was best to bring him home, he knows the way so well, he is smart..” he stopped to get an acknowledgment. She looked at the wall, the clock said it was 3 pm. She was half an hour late for Chirag’s bus stop.

“I don’t know how I missed the timing, it has never happened before. I am so sorry for the trouble. And, I am so thankful you brought him home.” She said hugging Chirag with tears in her eyes. She wanted to say more, but could not. Chirag was the only reason to live now, how could I miss his bus.. The guy just smiled and left.. Oh, I did not even ask him for a glass of water. He was sweating, it was very hot and humid, I could have atleast asked him to sit for some time under the fan... she said to herself realizing that he had already left with his daughter.

....

A week passed by. Mira Minhal was back to Mira Shome, she had always liked her maiden name more, she felt.

....

...I would put up a strong face. I am educated and I have a decent job also. Atleast I can take care of Chirag and myself  and I don’t need so many things in life. So what if dad and mom are no more,  I can still go to Nani’s place and stay if I want. But Chirag would not have great schooling there, its a small town... the pitter patter outside interrupted her conversations with herself. It had gradually started raining heavily. She got up and went up to balcony to shut the window. There he was! riding the bike with his daughter behind. Even from the second floor, she could recognise him instantly.

The next day they met at the bus stop. “My daughter is in class III.. I need to be here to take her home” he said.  “Chirag is six, he is in class I”  she replied. The blare of the bus horn took the attention away. The children had arrived.

....

It was four years since they had been separated. Chirag was just two year old then. Rahul had offered to take up Chirag's expenses but she refused to take any help. It was not that she did not need any, just that she did not want to. She had made up her mind to take on the strife alone even though she never tasted the cruelness of the world before.  She remembered how her parents could not even imagine leaving each other, it was not that they agreed on all things, but they had always agreed on one, to live together no matter what...

She had done her post grads in advertising and also had two years of work experience. Rahul and she worked in the same firm before their engagement. That was where they had met first. She was ready to work again, just that she needed to start from scratch, muster up the courage to go to Bangalore as it was the only familiar city to her which had baby day-care centres, where she could manage to get a decent paying job for herself, and, where she would not come across Rahul anytime. Rahul did not want to keep much contact, he had made it very clear. He was of the idea that it would help getting both lives back on track.

She kind of settled down in last four years, Chirag and the job had kept her busy. There were days when she felt very alone, insecure, lost, worthless and disoriented but she managed to jump back each time, defeating the cruel world once again. She loved books and her all time favourite was The Bhagvad Gita, Dad had gifted her that when she passed class XII and had said “ This will always be with you, whether I or Ma remain or not. Love it and it will equally love you back!”, he was so right.

..She was always a quiet, simple girl with no plans for the future. Living in the moment and enjoying it was her mantra and she still abided by the same after years of struggle. She loved fairy tales, music and dancing before her marraige,  like other normal girls of her age then..dance still encapsulates her soul. She never understood  why Rahul was not happy with her, she thought that she made a good wife. She would always love him so much, would respect and take care of her in-laws, take out clothes for him, eagerly wait for him to come home, and then would listen to stories of stressful politics of his job without making any remark, cook his favourite meals on weekends, always wear what he liked and also had wine because he would want company. And, she invariably loved doing all that. Their upbringing and background were different, but she overcame those barriers and adapted to his society, now she was very much one of them. Rahul was her life, her future.

..“ We cannot live under one roof... We are not compatible... You do not attract me anymore... I have my plans in life and I want to pursue them... I am not made for marriage... I love Chirag but it does not mean that I should not love myself...”.. It took few months for her to understand that Rahul actually wanted divorce. She could not even think of it ever, the idea never crossed her mind, for her, marriage was forever, Rahul was forever and Mira Minhal was forever.... She was ready to do anything to put things back in order, but, nothing worked out. Her in-laws too, were just spectators....then eventually, one day, she gave in. “Krishna, you are my saviour!” is all what she said to herself then. Dad and Mom had died in an accident last year.

She did not demand anything from Rahul, she had only wanted Rahul in her life, without him it would all be the same. She  agreed on signing the papers on mutual application for divorce.

..Taking her father’s gift in hand, she gave a last look at the apartment gate where they had stayed together. She still did not want to leave any memory behind, she recollected all one by one and kept them safely in her heart. The dangling on the front gate still had “ Our Sweet Home :-)!" written on it.  From the gate of the lift, the doormat could be seen as well. She had brought both the things from "Lovely Homes" store when they shifted there after marriage. The writing on the mat had faded but was still very much visible, “Welcome“ it meant.

..Last she had heard of Rahul was one year ago, a common friend from Hyderabad was in Bangalore when she met him accidently in Junior Oxford where she had gone looking for children comics. He mentioned among other things that Rahul was getting remarried.

....


Ting Tong!! The wall clock chimed. It was 2:30 pm, time for the bus stand.

The bus had arrived but she could not find the guy anywhere. Chirag got down followed by the guy’s daughter.  She waited for two minutes before asking the little girl “ Would your mother come today?”. The girl replied  quietly  "I do not have a mother, she expired when I was born.”  but then she smiled and said again ” My dad will come for sure, he is never late.” ..zzhhkk... she heard the sound of bike’s brake. There he was. “ Your daughter is very sweet” She said to the guy. He smiled and acknowledged. “ Hey, come over my baby! I have got noodles for you at Lunch”, he said to his daughter and turned to Mira again while riding on the bike, smiled and appreciatively said  "She always wants to be like you, in the bus Chirag keeps telling her about you! ”

When she saw the mirror today, it looked happy. Something had changed, as there was no emptiness, in fact everything looked perfect..the mirror could trace the source..the lively sparkling in her grey eyes. It was more in love with Mira now!