chapter 10

Tara Mam told us her story,"I was a little girl when my parents got separated from each other due to a small misunderstanding. My mother loved my father but he was busy with his work. He came to our house only for my sake and would again leave on his business tour. My mother was tired of staying at home and she decided to join an art class in her neighbourhood. She felt that her art teacher who was an artist and a kind person could understand her feelings than her own husband. My mother started smiling once again as she finally found her passion for colours. One day, she organised a painting exhibition in which everyone was invited.My father was the last person to arrive. As he saw the main attraction was a portrait made by my mother, he immediately left the gallery and never returned back to our lives.My parents got separated over a little misunderstanding. He thought that my mother loved her art teacher more than him but the truth was that I loved her art teacher more than my own father because he loved spending time with me and my mother captured our parent child love brilliantly on her canvas.Her teacher always supported me and my mother. He taught me that giving birth to a child will not make us a father or mother, but loving a child will definitely make us experience the joy of parenthood.I became a teacher to give love and advice to hundreds of children whom I could not give birth but always have love and knowledge so that they could always carry my teaching in their hearts like a seed of light so that when they ever become hopeless and find themselves in dark, the seed of light germinate in their heart and become a wisdom tree which will show them their chosen path which will lead them towards their Destiny."I was deeply touched by the story of my Teacher, Taara Mam who was truly a wonder woman and a wisdom tree for all her students who sat under her protective shelter and learned their lessons of leading their lives   in the best possible manner.I was filled with guilt and shame as I reflected my own behaviour towards Sugandha. I said to Sugandha,"Sugu, I want to say...."Trin..Trin...Trin...(Taara Mam's phone started ringing...)As she got up to receive her call, I continued my conversation with my beautiful ex-wife, Sugandha,"Listen, I know you are hurt, I don't want to make you sad by recalling everything once again but I want to tell you one thing that my mother still misses you a lot. In fact, she is serious and bed ridden right now, if you can just come and meet her then maybe she can die peacefully...."Sugandha started crying and nodded her head in agreement.Taara Mam came back to us and said,"Pushpendra called me to inform you that his ex-wife Khushbu is admitted in the hospital. She is suffering from endometrial cancer and is under observation. He has requested me to ask Sugandha if she wants to stay with me..."Sugandha said to Tara Mam,"I will go with Palash as I want to spend sometime with Ma.."Taara Mam was happy with her decision and said to her,"You made the right decision. You are truly a woman of wonder, in my eyes, Sugandha!"I could not agree more with my teacher who gave the best description of my dear wife, my life!