Avatars at Forty

Chapter 1: Mother

“Maa where is my book that I had kept on the table last night?” Palash shouted from his study room. ”How should I know that beta? It's YOUR room, you said that YOU kept it last night, so YOU should know where it is right now. Exercise your brain cells a little bit. Just like your body, your brain is also getting lazier day by day”, Pia retorted. She thought to herself, “These boys are becoming good-for-nothing day by day, all because of my pampering. Everything needs to be served to them on a platter, be it 13-year-old Parag or 9-year-old Palash. As it is morning there’s so much rush with the school bus coming at 7:30, on top of that, these boys can't even pack their bags properly the night before. “She was already at her wit’s end. The cook had not come in the morning and the breakfast was taking its own sweet time on the gas stove.

Parag came behind her and peeped over her shoulders. He was fully dressed up for school, for a change, before time. “I will give you a good idea mumma. You don't have to work so hard for us early in the morning. Just give me 50 bucks and I will get some food from the canteen.” He was smiling cheek to cheek. Pia knew his intentions quite well.

“You are not getting a single penny. I know what junk you will be buying with that money. You will have to eat the same boring food that I cook.”

“But Mumma…”

“No arguments anymore. Go and help your brother if you have time. And for heaven’s sake, don't start a fight before boarding the bus.”

Pia put a full stop to all benevolent suggestions that were flowing in freely. Being a mother of a teenager is not easy. They have so many distractions these days. They find interest in everything other than studies and money is so trivial for them. “I was so different when I was his age”, she thought. She drifted into her childhood memories. During Durga puja, her best friends would eagerly discuss how many dresses they had got from Aravind, the costliest store in town. She would be a silent spectator to those conversations. She did not even feel like asking anything costly from her mother as she knew very well how difficult it was for them to make ends meet. One dress from a cheap local shop was all that she got and that itself would make her feel like a princess. Money was like water in the desert, only to be saved as much as possible.

“Mumma, the bus will leave in 4 mins. Are you done?” Parag’s voice brought Pia back to the present.

“Yes, yes, am done. Come lets go.” They rushed out of the house to catch the bus.

A few kids were waiting at the gate with their parents. A few others were running like Parag and Palash to catch the bus. It's everyday routine for them to get late and the ones who come early enjoy the 100-meter sprint race every day.

Pia felt relieved finally when they boarded the bus. She kept waving at them till the time the bus left her sight. This was a habit she developed when Parag was 3 years old. He used to feel very angry and sad if Pia stopped waving till the time he could see her. And look at him now – he feels so embarrassed. Palash, though, likes it a lot, at least as of now.

“Hey Piya, do you have a minute?” Pia was startled by a voice from her back. She turned around and saw a familiar face. It was Ritu, Ninad’s mother. Ninad was in the same school but 2 years junior to Parag.

“Yes, sure. I have some time before I start for office. Do you want to take a walk and talk?” Pia asked.

“Yeah, let's walk,” Ritu said.

The two ladies started walking slowly on the jogger’s track around the apartment. Pia rarely gets time to walk in between her busy schedule and whenever she gets one she does not miss it.

“Hey Piya, I think the boys need to be counselled a little. I know Parag is a very good boy but it's his age. He does not understand the repercussions of his actions perhaps.” Ritu started slowly.

Pia’s heart skipped a bit. She was not ready for such a talk. She had thought Ritu simply wanted to do some chit-chat, but this sounded serious.

“What happened Ritu? Please tell me clearly.”

“It's nothing much. You know Smitha from Tower 4? He went and told her daughter Saheli that my son Ninad had a crush on her. Since then Ninad has been quite embarrassed. They go to badminton classes together and it becomes very difficult for him to face her there. Can you please talk to him?”

“Of course, I will let him come back home.” Pia was fuming in her head already.

Throughout the day she could not focus at work. How could Parag do that? Throughout her life, her mother only got to hear praises about her from everyone. And here she has to listen to all this just when he is thirteen? Has she failed as a mother? Is it because she is not able to give enough time to the kids? Is work affecting the upbringing of her children? She must talk to Parag in the evening. Somehow she wrapped up all her meetings by 5 and rushed back home.

Parag and Palash were happily watching their tablets and eating chocos. Pia told herself, “Calm down, not now.” She freshened up, prepared her tea and went to the kids’ room.

“Parag, beta can you please come with me? I need to talk to you.”

Parag’s eyes popped out. “I hear danger mumma. What’s the matter?”

Pia did not know whether to laugh or to be angry. Somehow she stifled her smile and called him again. “Come quick, and don't joke.”

“Ok, sure, I’m coming.”

They were seated in the master bedroom. Pia did not know how to start. Then she gathered her vocabulary and started, “Today morning Ritu Aunty spoke to me.”

The moment he heard Ritu’s name, the ever-smiling Parag’s face lost all colour.

“I am really sorry mumma. I will not do that again. I did not ask Ninad to tell anything to the girl. It was just that I felt good when I saw Saheli. I think she looks beautiful. I only told that to Ninad once and he went and told the same to Saheli. Trust me mumma, I did not ask him to tell Saheli. And I will never look at her again. Please forgive me this one time!”

Pia sat there - speechless, motionless.