The Nuptial Chain | Short Story | ✔ |

5.

The room was all silent, till I crumbled the note that my so-called "FATHER" left for us as a favor and opened Mumma's almirah, knowing this that he hasn't left anything there I still rechecked it in a hope that not as a husband but, as a father he'd have left something. And, yes, that man, Mithilesh Upadhyay, took away only the ornaments he got for Mumma, he did not take away the ornaments Nanu gave to Mumma for me when I was born, they were all baby ornaments.

"My birth was a festival to them and, it was a pair of silver anklet and two pairs of silver bangles. My Papa only made me wear that after 1-2 months I was born. This was told to me by my Grandpa when I was 8-9."

All these thoughts sharply flashed in my mind until my mother got me a glass of juice, "no, I don't want anything," I protested and shook her hand away from my shoulders which accidentally caused in breaking off her Nuptial Chain, the black pearls shattered on the floor and, Mumma bent down to gather them up, "leave it, Mumma, no use of it now," I said and went to my friend, Urvi's room, she lived alone there. It was a single room with an attached bathroom and the gas stove was kept on a wooden table. I straight away got into the room without knocking and, oops I spoilt her and her boyfriend's moment. I wasn't sorry, I never liked Rudra, her boyfriend.

"You... why are you here?" I yelled at Rudra, "I've told you so many times to stay away from Urvi," after seeing so many failures in love-relationship my faith in men was broken, "get out of here," I ordered him and Urvi and he exchanged glances, he was out of the room in 2-3 minutes.

"What did uncle do?" Urvi asked passing me a bottle of beer, I took a sip of it and gave the crumbled letter to her. She has been knowing me since 11th grade, we were in the same school then, the same college.

She spread it out and asked, "so, what's wrong in this? Why are you so pissed off, Vaidehi?" she added and I kept the bottle down, "see, you only used to say, your father creates a huge problem for your mother, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I said.

"So, he left you guys, it's okay," she said, "now, you don't have to worry to leave your mother alone. You can come here any time as you came just now, it's alright Vaidehi, what happens; happens for good."

"Yes," I nodded and sipped a little beer, I was a little convinced by her. Mumma was never so much fond of ornaments, she used to say that I'm her real ornament.

"I'll let auntie know that you're here, she must be worried," she said and called Mumma and told her that I was there.

The next day when I went, Mumma kept my favorite breakfast ready, she smiled, but her eyes didn't look as if she's happy. I gave her a tight hug and started crying, "I always say, you cannot stay without me even for one night," she said and ruffled my hairs, "keep visiting Urvi, now, he won't come," she said and detached me from herself, "c'mon go and get changed and have breakfast," she said and took the letter from my hands and tore it and threw it in the trash can, "from today onwards let's eradicate all the tears, we've seen a lot, let's not do that again."

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