Family Short Story – The Unbroken Promise
Photo credit: rachjose from morguefile.com
The air around was still filled with stifle dryness, which couldn’t be set cool even after the blazing sun left the blank sky an hour ago. It was a long summer day and the moon took ages to occupy it’s place that evening. The dampness of Soumya’s eyes contrasted the parched atmosphere. She was sobbing terribly, her head dug inside Sindu’s chest; who was gently running her fingers through her hair, in order to silence her cries. They have been sitting on the rugged bench of the terrace since the past one hour and evidently there was no support from the nature to calm down Soumya. The leaves of the surrounding trees were as still as their trunks beneath, and there was no other sound audible from around than her dismal weeps. The pain inside her, faded down after ten long dreary minutes and she slowly composed herself.
It was then Sindu who broke the silence. “Why don’t you apply for a divorce mom?”
A wry smile furrowed the quinquagenarian’s face, on seeing her daughter’s reaction at her depressing gesture. She blew her nose with the edge of her saree. The wrinkles around her wheat complexioned petite face, were clearly visible with the appearance of the weary smile.
“What’s so funny mom? I’m saying it for your better being.”
“Better being?” smirked Soumya.
“Yes, of course mom, I have been seeing you both endure bitter fights very often. And I have seen you undergo so much pain every time dad says a word to you. You always end up crying like this every time something happens. If the relationship is so tough to get going, then why do you still continue it?” said Sindu, reasoning her earlier statement.
“Oh, so want me to leave your dad just like how you left Raj?” was her immediate retort to the monologic discourse of her frustrated daughter.
Sindhu shut herself up from the conversation and made a face. This was the first time Soumya had brought up this topic to Sindhu, ever since her engagement broke with Raj. Neither Soumya nor her husband uttered a word against their daughter regarding this matter, in order to not hurt her thereby. When she was asked why she wanted to discontinue the relation, all Sindhu said was “he isn’t correct for me”. There was no more discussion on this, from that incident and both the families understandingly end their engagement. The end of their three year successful relationship, had left a huge question mark even on the minds of their acquaintances. And when her mother asked her about it today Sindhu was totally perplexed.
“Forget it Sindhu. I didn’t mean to go there now.” but it was too unsettling for her, bringing up that discussion.
“Mom it isn’t the same with me. But I see you and dad fighting on almost every silly thing. If you are so unmatched with dads, then why don’t u give up? I know there isn’t love between you both anymore. So just try to get a life mom.” said Sindhu in a disdainful tone.
Soumya gave a long sternly stare at her daughter and said “I don’t hate your dad Sindhu. I may not be loving him like I did earlier but I know from inside that I don’t hate him like u think”
Sindhu just tilted her head facing her mom, looking directly in the eyes
“I agree we have our differences and I agree that we are not the perfect couple on this planet. But 26 years back, we both promised each other that we would be together whatsoever. And even today I struggle to keep my keep up my promise.”
Sindhu and her mother were close enough to share all possible things that a normal mother-daughter does, but there was always a void that left its place unoccupied. A void of expressing to one another about each other. But today the empty space seemed to be occupied by their open hearted talk. There was a different Soumya today, opening herself to clear her daughter’s queries.
There was a long break before she reeled back to her past “I didn’t know about your dad before my marriage. In fact, I didn’t even know what a marriage meant when I was tied a knot to your dad. But all I knew was that I was being put under a great commitment of life which must be preserved till my last breath.”
There was a little pause and she continued. ”And after I got married to your father, I understood what life is to share with a complete stranger. You don’t know Sindhu, it’s not very easy to start a living relationship with a person who didn’t even seemed to exist till then. But eventually I have learnt how to love my life and so your father. And there came the bigger responsibility later in your form. Then my bond with him became even stronger.”
She kept staring at the rough floor beneath and spoke her heart out “Every night before I go to sleep I keep praising myself at the success of being in a relationship, to which I was committed to be once.”
There were tears again in her eyes, but now they constituted of a feeling of pride and content. “It need not always be only love that binds two people together. Commitment plays a better role sometimes.”
Sindhu kept listening to the new verse of her mom. This was a side she never visualized. Even though it was late enough to realize this nature of hers, she loved her mom in this angle too and was euphoric that the void was being taken away. A joyous smile augmented her pleased demeanor. They both lay silently, neither of them speaking a word for a fifteen minute pause, but both feeling sated inside for each other. Sindhu placed her hand on her mom’s cheek and wiped away the just formed tear. Soumya caught her hand and looked at her watch.
She had a close watch at it and posed “Sindhu, what would u do if your watch gets a malfunction? Will you throw it and get a new one?”
Sindhu suddenly raised her head from her mother’s shoulder. She pulled her hand away and made a gesture pointing the other hand that had her watch. “Mom! This is a branded one! It costs 5000 bucks. How will I just throw it off?”
“Then what would u do?”
“Of course I would get it repaired mom!” and she shrugged, gently giving it a slight caress.
“Thank God! I thought you would dump it off, just like u have dumped Raj; saying this watch isn’t the right one!” mocked Soumya making a teasing smile.
Realization hit Sindhu like a huge wave hitting a rock on the shore. She was flabbergasted at her mom’s discerning words. She suddenly felt very foolish on how she had given so much importance to an inanimate thing rather than a person whom she once considered the best.
Raj and Sindhu shared a beautiful and very intimate relationship at which any person could be jealous at. It was Sindhu’s fault on changing her priorities, so it didn’t take long to get a break in their love. If only she could mend a watch and use it again, why can’t she mend her relation with Raj and get him back again? Sindhu had finally comprehended the hidden fact behind her mom’s words.
It was her turn now to feel pain in her heart. Heavy tears were welling up her eyes and she couldn’t control them anymore. Her mom on realizing her daughters mind, held her tight around her shoulders, with all the care for a long moment and let her cry.
Soumya got up from the bench, wiped her daughters face with her saree’s edge and said “Chalo Sindhu, dinner time, your dad would be waiting at the table. One fight in a day is enough” she gave a wink on saying this and gestured her daughter to get up.
Sindhu just smiled and said “You go mom, I’ll spend some time alone.”
Her mom left the place asking her to get down soon. Sindhu took her mobile and dialed a number. After a few rings it was answered and she said “Raj……..”.
__END__
