Take Me Away

Chapter 4

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….”
Heer barged inside her home and turned her head both sides before storming into the kitchen. She spotted her mum tasting something at the kitchen counter. Heer rolled her eyes and grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her towards the dining table. She then squawked, “Spiti??”
Her mother giggled at her tone and shook her head in mirth. She then asked, “Yes very nice place. What about it?”
“Ma, are you going to Spiti?”
At this, her mother rolled her eyes and said, “No. Although I might try it after you. This time, it's for you.”
Heer leaned back into her chair, as though exhausted. She was exhausted though. She had been living in a haze of exhaustion for…well she didn’t know how long. Her work and being there for her mother were the only two things in her life and she gave it her all. But sometimes giving her all would drain her out. She knew she had to battle it out and keep moving forward though.
Her mother leaned forward and clutched her hand. She said, “I think this will be good for you.”
Heer leaned forward and looked into her mother’s eyes to say, “Ma! Do you even realize what you’re saying? I can’t go anywhere! Look at the system! We are full for the next two months and we still have enquiries. So no. Just no.”
Her mother shook her head and looked heavenward. She then looked down and took Heer’s hand into her own.
“Heer. You have not taken a day off since you graduated and started working here full time. It’s been 5 years. Since we moved here, you have not gone anywhere unless it was for work. You have not tried anything new. You don’t even know if this is what you want to do with life. And you will never know if you don’t go out and explore a little. I am done with this stubborn behaviour. You need to get out. I am not asking you to do something crazy. It is only a holiday. A small one. You will do this and I REFUSE to take no for an answer. Enough is enough. Do you understand me?”
Heer sat back in shock. Her mother was not one to use harsh words with her. She had barely heard ultimatums in her childhood, let alone now as an adult. It was highly disconcerting for her to watch her mother outright tell her what to do and refuse to hear her out once. But it was not in her nature to say no to her mother. But she was scared. And tired.
She took a deep breath, got up and made her way to her room. She didn’t know how to deal with this today. She chose not to. Her mother had said her piece. She decided to say hers through silence.