"Ma, happy birthday to you. May God always makes you happy." Aryan wished his mother.
His mother Rita smiled brightly at him and said, "I am happy, you know. As God gave me you as my son."
"OH God ma! You're flattering me. Now...now, make a wish. Although I know what you are going to wish. I just hope that it'll come true this year." He said genuinely.
"I hope so too." Rita smiled with a glint of sadness in her eyes.
She then blew out the candles and made her wish. They cut the cake and eat together while watching TV. Suddenly Aryan shot up from his seat and looked at her mother. She got startled too.
She asked her eyes widened in shock, "What happened to you suddenly?"
"MA, I FORGOT. Today is your meeting with dad. Aren't you gonna go? Its 8pm alreay." He asked.
"No! Never." She said in a deadpan manner.
"Maa!" Aryan whined and slowly sat down beside her mother. "It's been five years since you two are divorced, are you still angry with him?"
"Yes, I would never be able to forgive him. NEVER EVER!"
"Whoaaa...look at your anger. How much damage did he caused to make you this angry?"
"Too much. He didn't tell you?" She asked surprisingly.
"No, never once he uttered the main reason for your divorce. I want to know too."
"Then nevermind. If he didn't tell you then I also can't tell you...sorry."
"Maaaa!" Aryan again whined helplessly. "Leave it then. Go and meet him. He must be waiting for you at the restaurant. Then after you came back I will listen to your story about how you met dad and the friend of yours."
"Ohho! Aren't you a little to eager to listen this old woman's story?" She joked.
"Ma, you're not old. You're still pretty like a young maiden. But yeah dad is pretty old."
They both laughed at the joke.
"OK, but seriously ma...go meet him, I'll give you the address. Please! For me. I want you two to have a friendship relationship together. Please, please, for me. Please maaaa." Aryan said and looked at her mother with puppy eyes begging.
Looking at her son Rita stumbled over her decisions. Looking at her precious son's puppy eyes, what would she say? No? Definitely not. She would never be able to say no to her son. So, ultimately she gave up.
"Okay, I'm going. But this will the final."
"Yes, yes, I understand madam. Now please get ready and go quickly." He pushed her mother to her room to get dressed.
As his mother entered the room he shouted, "Ma, wear that white dress that father gifted you on your birthday previous year. You never worn it."
"NO." His mother shouted back.
After awhile Rita came out wearing a beautiful floral white dress. Her shoulder length hair tied into a small bun. A light shade of red lipstick and black kajal made her look ethereal.
Aryan looked at her mother in awe. He slowly got up and walked towards her mother who was standing awkwardly.
"Ma! You look really beautiful today. No wonder pa regrets divorcing you."
"Of course, he should regret."
Aryan laughed at his mother's comment.
"Anyways ma, pa's gonna fall in love with you again today."
"You, shut your mouth before I shut you up. I'm going."
"OK ma, bye! Have a great date night."
"It's not a date, idiot." Rita said while sulking cutely at his son and waved him a bye.
After his mother left Aryan was left all alone in her house. His parents were divorced for atleast five years. At that time he was only thirteen years old. He doesn't know the actual reason till now. It was very hard for him at first cause he wanted to live with his mother. But because his mother was not financially stable he had to stay under his father's custody. For almost one year they didn't got the chance to meet. It was the time when his mother was busy searching for a job and a house to live in other than her family's house. It's not like his maternal grandparents are not well off. They are very wealthy, but his mother chose to not have a contact with them because of some complications. For this period of time he was almost depressed. Not wanting to study, not having interest in anything. He loved music but stopped playing it too.
After a year when Aryan and his mother started to meet again, he started to enjoy his life again. He wanted to ask his parents many questions about, why they decided to separate, even though their marriage was a love marriage? What are the complications that kept ma away from her own home? What did pa actually do to make ma so angry with him? etc.
Basically he knows nothing about his parents life mostly about his mother's life. But one thing he knew was that his mother used to have a friend name Phurmit Lepcha and she was so grateful to have her as a friend that she made her a part of her life. But later she went missing for some reason and his mother still wished for her to come back. It's been almost sixteen years since that incident occurred as per his mother. Different police operations were took place to find Phurmit but to no avail. It's like she vanished into thin air. Everyone believed her to be dead but only his mother and her family didn't believed it.
Aryan being bored started looking around the house. Earlier he didn't got the chance to explore because of his studies. But now, as his vacation is going on, he got enough free time.
There were many photos of him and his mother. Maybe one or two photos included his father, the whole family. He noticed that his mother didn't had any childhood pictures and he knows the reason too.
Walking around his mother's room he noticed a letter half written lying on the study desk. He didn't wanted to read it, he just wanted to take a peek. But the name to whom the letter addresses made him stop. Moreover it looked like a love letter.
Is his seeing someone? But why her?
Rita arrived at the restaurant. It was an Italian restaurant as she likes Italian dishes. As she enters the waiter asks, "Welcome mam, do you have a reservation?"
"Yes! Sunil Bhattacharya."
"Okay mam, follow me I will show you the table."
"Thank you."
Seeing Rita coming towards him, Sunil who was sitting at the last table of the restaurant stared at her with longingness in his eyes. He got up from his seat and made Rita sit down. Still he was looking at her.
Rita asked, "What are you looking at?"
"You!" Sunil said without wasting any time.
"You wore the dress I gifted you. I'm so happy." He said enthusiastically.
"God! It's nothing to be happy about. Anyways, why do you wanted to meet me?"
"Can't I meet you without any reasons?"
"No, cause I'm busy."
Sunil laughed lightly.
"What? You're laughing? What are you laughing about? I'm serious." Rita rumbled in annoyance.
"Fine, fine! How have you been?"
"I've been good. How about you?" She said asked.
"Let's light up the mood shall we? The wine is coming."
After a minute or two the waiter poured them drinks. Sunil looked at his ex wife raising the glass in his hands.
"This is a toast to the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life. Miss Rita Chakraborty."
"Aren't you a little to exaggerating?"
"No, I'm stating the fact."
"Oh God! I can never win against you when it comes to these stupid corny things."
Sunil laughed out loud. "It's true though, admit defeat already."
"Yes sir."
The mood lightened up a little bit. Few minutes later food arrives too. Rita's eyes gleamed with joy cause it's her favorite dish macaroni. Sunil just watched her. He smiled softly watching her took a bite of the food. Her eyes closed immediately and a smile fromed in her lips.
"Wow! I haven't had this for a long time." She exclaimed.
"Then eat till you're full."
"Of course, it's your money."
"Pff..." Sunil couldn't help but laugh.
'She really is one of a kind.' Sunil thought.
"How have you been? What about your job in the daycare? Is it goingwell?" He asked after they finished eating.
"I've been well. I left that job by the way." She said while wiping her hands.
"Why? Wasn't the job good? You said it was refreshing to play with kids."
"Actually I'm a working as a librarian now in the towns library. I realized it later that I need some peace environment to process myself. I've been suffering from insomnia lately."
"Again insomnia? Are you having nightmares lately?"
Rita hesitantly nodded.
"Oh God! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Have you seen a doctor?"
"Yes, I took some medicines too. He said it would be better if I work in a silent place. So I took the job as the librarian."
"You did a good job there. But from now tell me if you have any problems regarding this. I have seen you at your worst. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir." Rita smiled at him.
"Rita, I was thinking of sending Aryan to the states for his higher studies. What do you think?" Sunil brought up the topic about their son.
"Why states? Why not India?" Rita retorted.
"He wants to study as a sound engineer. I don't think there would be any good chance if he graduate from India. It's an underrated course here. Also he already filled up the application for the college."
"If it's like that. Then I'm good with anything. I just want him to be well and healthy."
"Of course he will be."
"What about you?"
"Huh?" Sunil exclaimed as if he wasn't expecting the return question from her at all.
"Why are you shocked? I asked how is you life going without me?"
"OH! Without you?" He smirked. "Without you I was so lonely my lady. I'm still lonely everyday. But today's a gift for me, like today it's my birthday."
"Can you please stop exaggerating?"
"No I can't, when this beautiful lady is sitting right in front of me."
'Hah!' Rita sighed loudly and engulfed herself into the dessert.
Sunil looked at her attentively. She sure looked a little thin. Maybe because of the insomnia she lost weight. It happened before too, when they were dating in college and started to live together. It was also the reason she started having hallucinations in broad daylight. For this reason she got fired from her job in a IT Company where Sunil is also working. It was worse at that time. She hallucinated and pushed a colleague from a terrace of a first floor which led to a broken leg and a broken arm. It was fortunate that the man was bulky and he got a grip on the ground before landing head first. After that she was traumatized that she insisted on not having a proper job at all. She would do part time jobs. But after they got married and Aryan was born the she gradually got well. Then again something triggered her and she was sleepless for about a week which started her hallucinations again. And this time it was Aryan. She accidentally pushed him hard from the bed which made him landed on the wall and hit his head.
This is the actual reason why she got divorced. She was afraid that maybe one day again something would happen and it could be much worse.
Sunil always thought that the fate is cruel to her. Still she accepts it like a gift from God even it is taking her dreams away from her.