Sunday, July 24, 2011

The magic mirror - Part I

Its a story about a small girl named Meera who lived in Chennai. She studied in class 9 and was 15yrs of age. She had many friends or I must say classmates because only Yashoda was her best buddy and only well wisher she thinks. All others came only in times of need. She was a little lazy and wanted to lead a different life than others. She had heard so many stories about princesses from her grandmother. But she misses her a lot. She only wishes that her granny would have been alive and told her more fairy stories with which she would associate herself. She always preferred to switch herself off from this practical and selfish world. She just feels and wishes that God would have given her a special power so that she could have lead a different life. She hated going to school and she hated studies because they forced her to think the way the world thinks.
"Oh God, are you still in bed Meera? cum'on get up. You are already getting late for your school?", her mother forcibly dragged her a bit.
"Mom, I am not feeling well. There are no good periods today. Let me sleep. I will go school tomorrow." , rubbing her eyes and making gloomy faces Meera said.
"I am not going to take all this all over again. I don't like to repeat lectures every morning. Now just get up and get ready for school quickly otherwise I will tell your dad and you will see in the evening.", she went away to fetch a glass of milk being quite sure that reference of her dad will surely end the fruitlss conversation.
Meera with that same gloomy face got up and said," You don't love me Mom. Nobody does. Only my granny would understand me."
But these words were only heard by the wall. She got fresh and quite reluctantly started getting ready for her school. She arranged her books making unpleasant and unnecessary noises. These were the signs of protest that her mother would understand but never showed she did. Her mom brought the glass of milk for her and with a smiling face she gave to her and said,"Thats my girl. My sweet beti. Drink that quickly and go to school."
While drinking the milk she complained in a low tone,"Why do you always send me school? Don't you like me around?"
Her mom was silent for a bit long and then she said, " You are my jaan beti. But if you dont go to school much, you will end your life like the way I am doing now. You will never be independent and lead a life on someone else's shoulders. You will understand all this when you become of my age."
Meera waved her hands and bid good bye to her mother. She partly did understand what her mother said and she had heard that a lot from her mother in the past too. Whenever Meera complains her of being strict or sending her school she would say those words and that would leave Meera speechless and she would have no other options but t follow her words. She knew that her mother had a tough life. Her mom would do all duties of a homemaker and would never ask her dad for something and her dad would be busy in his work. He never ever felt the necessity to ask her instead, of her well being. He thought food clothes , house and her daughter would suffice and she can not have any thing left to demand.But Meera's mom never complained of what she got. Her dad was quite strict and from the very childhood Meera feared him a lot. This was a blessing in disguise because her mom used this as a weapon to make things done. But she never came close to dad and never felt the need also. Her granny and mom were enough for her. Her dad would return from his office while she would be off to bed. Only her mom would wait for him, serve him food, eat herself and go to bed. So she did understand what her mom meant when she said those words.
But whenever she reaches school and spends the day in the building the effect of those words fades away and her own sufferings becomes bold lettered and of big fonts. She knows how she passes her time among the classmates and books and studies. Either they are too studious and talk nothing except studies or they are a bunch of hooligans running and jumping over the benches. Hardly she would find anyone except Yashoda with whom she can share her thoughts. But if Yashoda is absent her life becomes hell for that day. So she makes up stories and doesn't want to come to school when Yashoda is absent. Meera knew that Yashoda will not come today. So she was reluctant to come to school. She had the taste of ultimate boredom and punishment before. The teachers are supposed to teach and not discuss imaginations. They would only talk of homework and classwork. Meera can not concentrate for long. She would start taking notes but after writing 2 paragraphs she would be unable to keep up with the pace of the dictation and even while reading session she would suddenly realise she did not concentrate for a long time. She neither had the courage to tell her teacher or the brains to understand the rest part without hearing the last two pages and missing a subsequent part of the text.
Her school was over for the day. After a hectic unpaid tough work schedule she was going back home. She although loved this part. Going back home from the hell was sight of delight. She would walk a long way not taking the short cut. She would see the sky, the trees, the flowers, the birds, take the school bag in one hand and dance to the nature's music. This was the time when nobody told her what to do, how to do. nobody gave her homework for that. She would pick up things from the road beside the park and watch the people watching her enjoying life like a fairy. Today she was coming down the lane beside the park when her eyes came across something shining. She felt curious. She has a habit of collecting unique things at least the things she feels unique. She has a brown wooden box full of these precious collectibles which includes feathers, petals, designed broken pencil, shells, different coloured and various shaped buttons, used syringe, small barbie comb etc. But today she had come across something really precious may be. May be it would definitely increase her popularity as the proud owner of the Z BOX (as she would say). She went little closer to the place the shine came from. It was a mirror lying beneath the guava tree. The rays of light had fallen on the mirror and so it was shining. At first she thought that may be it was broken so it had been disposed by someone. But as she came closer she found it intact. It was a beautiful little mirror with shades of white and green in its border. 70 percent of her little face cam be seen in that and for the rest she has to tilt it a bit. She saw her face in that and before picking it up watched herself nicely. She had never watched herself so long in the mirror she had in her home which covered her whole body. But this was something cute and most importantly she found it so it belonged to her.
She picked up the mirror and gently rubbed her hands against the surface. The green border had a shining texture too. She told herself," This would not fix in my Z BOX. But where can I keep this thing. Mom would be angry if she finds out that I have picked it up from the street. She always does."
Again she told herself after a small pause," But all the previous things were not so beautiful like this. May be mom won't say anything if I told her the truth. But no, I can't take a chance. What if mom snatches it from me. I would say that its a birthday gift from Yashoda. She had wished me and gave me this two months before my birthday. Oh making up stories are so interesting."
"Did I see that right? The borders are not green. Its red. But I feel they were green before or had I seen that wrong. Whatever the mirror is too beautiful to leave. I don't mind getting a scolding if I am caught for this."
She put the mirror in the front side of the bag and said," I love my mom". A part of the green bordered mirror was shining brightly while she hopped down the street back to her home.

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