First Day Of School

Breezy summer nights gave way to pouring monsoons. Empty playgrounds greeted relieved dog walkers. Children dressed to their T's balanced school bags that stooped their shoulders. Sita, regally standing in her balcony observed the happenings in Gokul Complex. Her children would be starting school today. Decked with fresh gajra in her hair, she savored the smell of the mud drenched by the first rain. Seasons changed and in an hour her babies would leave her door. Her wait for this day is being overshadowed by the melancholy of an empty nest. Her father, usually stern and reticent, warned her to brace herself for this day. Disregarding his advice, Sita remained confident in her ability to remain calm in emotional situations. Being a teacher, she felt she could draw from a myriad of experiences handling nervous parents. Now one such parent herself wondered why her temperament wasn't helping her brace this moment. With a swift motion, she left her glass on the ridge and ran towards the source of shrieks! It was time. 

She almost stumbled on the teddy bear of Rama, her youngest. Drawing the toy aside, she braced herself for the incoming tantrums. Her twins, Nani and Rama, never known to disappoint, stood ready rubbing their eyes. As she counted to ten underneath her breath, her children ran towards her and clutched her legs tight. Running her hands through their newly growing hair, she soothed them with umpteen promises of surprise treats and new bedtime stories. Knowing she had their abreast attention, she wriggled out from their hold and sat down on her knees. Making eye contact with them, she hugged them close to herself. As they sat in silence, she could her heartbreak and the butterflies in her stomach flutter. Glancing at the brass clock, she got up and dragged her sleepy creatures to a bath. They were behind schedule. 

Three people sat in a car parked in front of Rainbow Children's School. Grumpy Rama and Tearful Nani, from the backseat, looked at their mother with hopeful eyes. It was as though they wanted to never leave the car. Sita shuffled through her handbag and landed on a picture of her husband, the one who must never be named. Regret and Anger gushed through her face as she shoved it right back and brushed off the tears. Rama reached out to her mother demanding her attention. Glad for a distraction, Sita handed each of them their ID cards and unlocked the back doors. Suddenly compliant Rama assisted her mother in cajoling Nani to give the school a chance. Hearing the bell ring, Sita picked up her son and walked her daughter towards the gates. 

Sita looked on as Rama tightly held Nani's hand, walking away from her. She felt a sudden urge of kissing her children harder, telling them how loved they are and her pride in them. Words failed as the world around her grew faint and distant. Horns, smoke, parents waiting at the gate long after their children left, street vendors setting shop... she walked in a trance to her car. Struggling to buckle her seat belt, she burst out crying on her steering wheel. Her birdies have left the nest!