On his way home, he stopped at
the market to buy flowers for his mom and just like every other Friday he
dismissed the thought and headed home. He saw his mother at the door
waiting for his arrival. He noticed the sigh of relief on her face and asked
himself, “When would she change?”
“Where have you been? Was there
too much traffic?” her mother asked just like every other day curiosity looming
all over her.
“I cannot be home early every
day”, he snapped and disappeared into his room, leaving her stranded at the
door. She walked back to the kitchen and resumed what she was doing - preparing
his favorite dish.
He knew he had been selfish all
his life, he knew he didn’t give back the affection, love and at least few
moments to cherish to people who loved him the most. Even worse, he never let
this realization take over him at any point in his life, for he knew he would
then be weak and like most of the humans be dependent on someone and that would
haunt him every single day, till the day either of them gives up on someone and
he was too stubborn to go through that ordeal. He soon realized he would then
be on the receiving end, on the end where his mother and sister currently were
and no one better than him knew what it was like to return unrewarded from
there.
“Do you like the curry?” his
mother asked at dinner, eager for a bout of affection.
“Seems fine to me” he said, not
being too rude.
“Can you not be a little more
affectionate and subtle while replying to her?” demanded his sister sitting
next to him.
“I just did” he snapped got up
from his chair, and declared “I am full” and disappeared into his room, letting
the bowl full of his favorite dish - the Halwa go unnoticed!
One day, his sister came home from
school exhilarated and her smile which he admired the most, but never revealed
it to her etched from ear to ear.
“What’s the matter sweet pea?” inquired her mother.
“I secured the First rank in the
class and was awarded the best student in the school”, she said smiling letting
most of the words go blur.
He didn’t react to her exhilaration,
instead he said “That is not a big deal, go to your room and complete your
homework”.
Her mother noticed the smile on
her face fading and gave a look of admonishment to her son, who without
acknowledging either of the reactions continued reading the book he has clung
on to since morning.
Later that night, he checked in
on his sister who was busy reciting a poem from her book. He noticed her head
go back and forth and her eyes darted on the empty wall and her little fingers
counting the number of times she had recited a single poem.
“Here you go, this is for you”,
he said. Not letting his happiness exploit his facial muscles. It was her favorite book of cartoons and a Mickey Mouse toy which he promised to buy her on
her birthday a year ago.
He could see her face beaming and the
smile etching on her face from ear to ear.
“Thank You Bhaiyya, love you!”
she said jumping excitedly on the bed and hugging him.
He responded back perplexed, by
hugging her like never before, a drop of tear rolling down his cheek and a
smile that brightened his face.
Earlier that evening, he was in
his room and when he overheard his mother talking to his sister.
“You know what, bhaiyya loves you
a lot and he wants you to carry the same ranks and grades in the following
year, so wants you to work hard and not be overjoyed by this result, okay?”
“He could have said that too, why
be so rude?” she said sobbing.
“It is for your own good and he
is not rude, he is a little stressed”, she said reassuringly.
“He is on leave for the past 3
days, from what is he getting stressed?” she demanded in a way that made her
mom give up on the conversation. There was no point in making her daughter
understand her sons behavior, which even she failed decipher all her life and
had been a victim of.
The next Friday, he stopped at
the market, only this time, he bought the fresh roses his mom loved and a box of
chocolates his sister devoured and headed home.
Unlike everyday for the past 2
years, he didn’t see his mother at the door. His face turned red and his
selfishness took over him, he thought the change he wished for came too quickly,
came before he had his chance of atoning his sins. By the time he reached the
door, his mother came out, worry written all over her face, which disappeared at
the mere sight of her son, and she let the same sigh of relief.
And, at that moment he shed all
his inhibitions, the fears which he dreaded. He never told why he was like
this, why he was harsh and afraid to love back until that evening when he did,
after briefly crying on his mother shoulder while hugging her.
Later that evening, he joined her
mother and sister in preparing the dinner, he exclaimed that this was the best
food had ever tasted. He noticed the beaming faces of his mother and sister and
their smiles, he then realized what they had been missing, and surprised that
it was so little of what he did that made them love him more than ever, and in
that realization lay a happiness he had not known earlier!
