Graduation Day

It was a momentous day for Aparajita. Finally, one of the biggest dreams of her life was going to come true.

She had always been fascinated by the lure of a graduation degree. It provided an opportunity for the less privileged like her to live a life like her more fortunate brethren. She had spent a considerable part of her earnings on earning the black cap and gown. For the past few days, she was living the graduation ceremony every time she opened her tiny closet.

As Aparajita waited for the ceremony to begin, her thoughts went to her mother. She had always been the pillar of support for Aparajita and her three older siblings. A high school pass-out, an early marriage, four children and household bills had gotten in the way of her mother's educational dreams. Her father had abandoned them soon after Aparajita was born. Aparajita's mother had raised her siblings and her on her own.

Her mother had toiled for three shifts every day and sewed clothes during the weekends every day for the last fifteen years. Aparajita and her sisters had grown up listening to paeans of a good education from her mother. She wanted a better life than herself for her children.

A thunderous approach broke Aparajita's reverie. She got up. Like her, most in the audience cheered the loudest for the oldest ever pass out in the college's history.

She looked straight at the audience. Her eyes searched for her youngest child in the crowd. Aparajita waved to her even as tears of joy caressed her cheeks.

She had seen the yearning in her mother's eyes a few years back while ironing the black gown of her oldest child. It was then that Aparajita decided to pause her education after high school and work odd jobs. Instead, she was going to support the college education of her mother.

Aparajita's chest swelled in pride as she looked at her mother. She had put one of her dreams on hold for another. Today she was sure that she hadn't made a mistake.