chapter 11

SerendipityEpisode-11Megha was arranging Aarya's sweater, scarf and other warm clothes neatly in the travel bag... She asked Radha tai to put the medicine box properly ... packed Maa’s diabetes medicines and asked dad to keep their  identity cards which were necessary to gain entry into the Jim Corbett Park.Maa packed a few dry snacks .... While talking to everyone, Megha was ticking off each and every packed item in her carefully curated checklist making sure that nothing was left behind...Checklists ... they were a habit of Sameer ... she was staring at the paper in her hand while thinking of him.*@*@*@*@*“Megha, Where's my navy-blue tie?” Sameer asked while packing his office travel bag.“I don't know, why are you going again?... You came back only ten days ago and now you have another trip?” She complained, a tone of displeasure clearly evident ion her voice.“Madam! You are married to a program manager... Travel is inevitable in the I-T sector” He tried to explain..“Aree, but why are you travelling for three weeks? What do I do here all alone? It doesn't even feel like we are married... Out of the 6 months that have passed since our marriage , we have only been together for 3 of them, the rest is just you roaming around the world.” Her voice was mingled with hints of sadness.“My shona, I understand... but what should I do... three projects are going on all at once... Since I am manager, I have to be focused right now.. Plus, you are also busy in the office.... If your new assignment wasn't that important , I would have definitely taken you with me” He consoled her, gently cupping her crying face and placing a light kiss on her forehead.“I know... its ok... give me that checklist... I’ll pack the bag... you go and get some rest... you have an early flight in the morning” she snatched the checklist.He pulled it back from her hand and threw it away"Sweetheart, my packing is done... we have 6 hours more and I plan to use the time properly... " he hugged her and turned off the lights.*@*@*@*@*Aarya's soccer ball hit the bag, startling Megha and bringing her back to reality... The checklist fell from her hand.Megha unknowingly smiled realising that Aarya was trying to stuff a football into her bag...‘This girl is a strange character. Now, she wants to travel the entire Uttarakhand with a football’...“Aarya!!! What are you doing? Why would you want to carry a football?” Megha’s called out.“Mamma!!! how can I miss football practice? I am the captain of the school's girls' football team” Aarya said proudly.“Aarya... you will be visiting so many places in Mussoorie and Nainital, You won’t have any time to play...and there is an indoor sports facilities at the resort along with a  huge swimming pool.. Leave the football at home..”Aarya's face was filled with anxiousness. Leaving her soulmate 'Football' was like removing one's kidney. How would she survive?In the end , giving in to Mamma’s wishes, she eventually placed the football in the corner.“But mamma! Why aren’t you joining us for the tour? If you don't go, I won't go either" Aarya said angrily.“Aarya!!... You are a big girl now... You have grown up... Don't you know how much work momma has right now?.. Plus, you have Radha Aunty with you... Promise me, you will take good care of Aajji and Aajoba...And we are going to talk on the phone every day... have fun... send me lots of pictures." Megha hugged her and explained.After all, what else could she do?... In the race of work and leisure, work always emerged victorious.“But mamma!!! Promise me that you will join us for the next tour" Aarya was persistent.Megha held out her hands for their special handshake saying “Yes, yes, for sure ... next time, mamma will come with you ”...'Best- Friends Handshake'... Yes, Aarya-Megha's friendship was one of kind...Megha's attention went to her maa, who was standing at the door, shaking her head in dismay at the promise Megha had given Aarya a while ago. With a deep sigh, she went to her room...She didn't say anything to Megha but Megha had understood...Maa's eyes were saying 'You will never listen to me'...Maa rarely consented to Megha's decisions...'Megha you don't know anything... we are your parents... we have seen the world... we obviously understand more than you'  was Maa’s favourite lecture that Megha had listened to time and time again till class 10th.According to her mother, Megha had been an obedient and intelligent girl till the class 10.However, the moment Megha decided to challenge Maa's decisions... she was labelled  a 'Rebel'.It was evident that she was capable of making her own decisions overruling many of Maa's decisions and although Maa realised it, she just didn't want to accept it....If maa would have written a book on how Megha's life would have been much more beautiful...the Maa would name the book as...'Megha, if you had listened to me...'Some important parts of the book would have been as follows...'Megha, If you had listened to me, you would have become a great scientist, doctor or engineer today, but no! ... despite getting 92% in 10th you opted for Commerce...''Megha, If you had listened to me... you would have done the CA course... but suddenly you wanted to do MBA'.'Megha, If you had listened to me, you could have gone to US to do your MBA ... you were a university topper in TYBCOM but you decided to go to IIM-Bangalore ... and there you met 'Sameer'.'Megha, If you had listened to me... you could have got a job in Mumbai... but you decided to get married to him and get a job in Bangalore.''Megha, If you had listened to me... you would have been happily married again but you insisted on living alone lost in his memories''Megha, If you had listened to me... Aarya would have got a great dad... but after Sameer's death, you decided to be a single mom'.Megha remembered all these incidences as if they were yesterday... she still wondered ‘Why doesn’t maa understand that my decisions were never wrong...If taking a decision with conviction and carrying it out, and taking complete responsibility for all of its consequences, whether they be good or bad was called 'rebellion', then yes, she was a little rebellious...Maa had immediately rejected Sameer upon hearing his last name... ‘Iyer’ was not acceptable...There had been a huge ruckus in the house on Megha’s choice a South Indian partner..."Megha, is there a shortage of grooms in Maharashtra? I have selected many eligible grooms for you" Maa had shouted when Megha mentioned Sameer for the first time."Maa!! He's from IIT, IIM.... Program Manager in Silicon India... He owns a 3 BHK house in Bangalore...Has a car...Next year, his company is going to send him to US with a promotion, what more do you want?... Plus. we love each other.... Is there any other reason to reject him apart form his ‘Iyer’ surname? " Megha countered.."I was telling you. Don’t send her to IIM-Bangalore to study... But you didn't listen to me!...Always taking her side!..." Maa expressed her anger to Baba…."Kavita, we sent Milind to America to do MS.. how can we stop her from going to Bangalore?" Baba ,once again, gave a simple explanation..."Kavita... let's meet Sameer and then decide... don't get so angry... I believe in Megha's choice..." Baba calmed Maa down somehow...But, as luck would have had it, Sameer won over her parents heart on the first meeting...His cheerful personality made it impossible to nto fall in love with him.  The only unfortunate thing was ... fate was against Megha!!!To be continued....© ®️ Meghana_Yadav 2021Special Thanks to friend Gayatri and my loving daughter, my buddy.Hello Readers,Illuminate the five stars of ratings with your gentle touch. Do let me know your thoughts via comments..Thanks and Regards,Meghana Yadav...