- "Is she dead or alive ??" Anny said.
- "Uff !! Anny what is this behaviour !! Sorry Doctor !! Please don't mind her but how is she now ??" Tara said.
- "She is getting consciousness slowly....but sad to say possibly she will be bed-ridden from now on." Doctor replied.
- "What !! Then why is she alive ??" Anny's voice was getting choked due to anxiety. Anny almost ran away without listening any more word.
- "Sorry Doctor !! Please don't mind.....She has some problem with anxiety. Please don't mind." Tara said.
After trying her best to manage her daughter's fault, Tara ran behind Anny. She ran through the hall, but Anny wasn't there. It was almost night time. And the hospital premise was empty compared to the day time. Tara reached near the stairs. The stair was going to third floor. She knew Anny must had gone in this way. No matter there was a slight distance between them in recent years but afterall she was her mother and she knew her very well. Tara climbed the stairs. As soon as she turned left from the stair ending. There was an extended hall heading to balcony and cabins on two side of the hall. Anny was standing on one corner of the balcony. Tara knew why her daughter was sad. It was because she loved her mother too much. But the situation was so contradictory that this love had become barrier between this mother-daughter duo.
Tara slowly stepped in the balcony and put her hand on Anny's shoulder. Anny wasn't surprised. She was sure that her mother would follow her. Anny turned to Tara and heaved a sigh. A long exhausted sigh. Tara clearly understood what the sigh denoted. But she tried her best to ignore it and tried to console her.
- "Why are you doing this, Sweetie ??" Tara said.
Anny didn't answer. She just kept looking on some random trees outside the balcony.
- "You know you're a warrior." Tara said again.
- "You must be thinking what a devilish girl you've given birth to ! But the truth is I was saying it all for you." Anny said in a shivering tone. Some emotion gathering on the corner's of her eyes were tending to stop her voice. Tears rolled down her cheek. Tara wiped off the tears from her daughter's soft cheek with motherly affection.
- "No ! Sweetie, No ! I never thought something like this. I knew you're an angel. You did best at your age. And whatever I did was all possible because you're there along with me. I knew I had shoulder to put my exhausted head on. I have a daughter." Tara said.
- "What you did, Mom ?? Bringing nee troubles into your life. Serving your evil just to establish your image as "ideal daughter-in-law" in front of the society. And what about you, yourself ?? Have you ever thought that what you get in exchange of all this nobel work !" Anny said.
Tara lowered her gaze to the floor. She didn't have the answer because she herself knew it very well that her life was a total void. It was all filled with duties. No one ever cared for her dream, her wish, her well-being or anything. She was entrapped in this slavery years ago and now after twenty-five years, there was no new start.
- "Listen, Sweetie ! God is watching everything. And he always pays for honesty." Tara said in a lower tone.
- "What is he watching ?? Watching that how some sinless gets tortured by some evil ?? And when the sinless are trying to save themselves, he is tagging them as Sinner !! Wow !!"
- "Then ?? then what is he doing, tell me ?? Did God came to save you when this woman used to cheer his son to beat you ??"
- "I admit. But things were different back then. But now the scenario is totally changed. Do you think I am liking all these ? But there is no other way. We have to do it for the sake of humanity !" Tara said.
- "Humanity !" Anny gave a mockery smile. "Did they ever treated you like a human ?"
Tara was again running out of answer. In recent years most of the time Tara had no answers to Anny's question. Because Anny's each word was true. But rationality doesn't work always. Situation makes people to do things they don't want to. She totally ignored the question.
- "Come Anny ! Let's go home. Morning's leftover fish curry is still there in fridge, isn't it ?? I am gonna fry some potatoes only." Tara left the balcony and headed towards the stairs. Anny kept looking towards the shadow of the trees created by the dim street light of the road and mild breeze was palying with her hair.