Happiest New Year Day!

“Five, four, three, two, one – Happy New Year!”

Sumedha could hear the cheers renting the air despite her having closed all the doors and windows of the house. As usual, she was not able to fall asleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the scene play out in front of her eyes yet again. 

The metallic screech, the loud thud, the smoke, her own strange screams and then absolute silence as she passed out. When she came around, after what felt like ages, but was only a few seconds, she rushed out dragging her five-year-old daughter Palak with her. As she tended to Palak’s bleeding nose, she came to her senses and realized she hadn’t checked out on Amar. Calling out for Amar, she tried getting up but her legs gave away under her. From the crooked angle of Amar’s neck as he sat slouched in the driver’s seat, she knew instinctively.

She had mixed feelings for Amar. He was no doting husband, but he sure was a doting father for Palak. Amar and she had their squabbles but they were never that serious. There was no great love lost between the two of them. It was more of a marriage of convenience. They stayed in it because there was no serious reason not to. And then there was Palak, the apple of their eyes.

But even his love for his daughter couldn’t keep Amar away from the bottle. He never thought he was an alcoholic. Maybe he wasn’t. But all it took was one mistake, one misjudgement under the influence of alcohol to lose his life. 

It was the news year’s eve and they were on their way back home after attending a party at a friend’s place.

Looking back Sumedha always felt Amar hadn’t consumed too much alcohol that night at the party. As per her, it was his miscalculation while driving and his habit of never wearing a seat belt, that cost him his life. Fortunately, Palak and she had survived with minor injuries as they both sat in the rear seats that night.

The loss hit Palak more severely than it hit her. Maybe because she had to take care of Palak too. They slowly inched ahead, accepting their lives as they were. Palak turned into a beautiful young lady. She had inherited a sharp nose, slender fingers and above-average height from her Dad. Her eyes were like Sumedha’s, dark and large. But she evolved into a personality that was her own. She was way more stubborn than both of them.

Palak decided that she would get into a sports management course at a University in Pune. She worked hard to bag a seat and moved into the hostel while she was still in her teens. Though Sumedha felt her daughter had become way too arrogant for her liking, she knew she doesn’t have to worry about her too much as Palak knew how to navigate through life. Maybe it was the loss of her father. Or maybe it was the fact that she was a single child. Or maybe she was just like that. Tough. Capable. And yes. Annoying too, in many things she did.

Every 31st December, Sumedha felt very depressed. This year she felt it even more as her daughter was away and she was all alone for the very first time.

“She didn’t call me today.” Sumedha wondered why.

That’s when her phone rang. “Finally,” she thought as she hurried to pick it up.

It wasn’t Palak. It was a call from her friend Prameela who always made it a point to wish her post-midnight on every 31st.

“Happy new year you old bones,” Prameela said cheerily from the other end. That’s how she teased Sumedha for her exceptionally slow gait which over the years had been slowing down further.

“Happy New Year” Sumedha wished her back.

“Why are you so sullen?”

“Palak hasn’t even called me.”

“Oh, come on. This is her first year out of the home.”

“That’s my point, exactly. ” Sumedha said fighting her tears back.

“She must be in a party Sumedha. Cut her some slack. Would you?”

Sumedha tried talking to her friend normally. After the call, she could hardly sleep. “This generation of kids hardly care for their parents,” she thought generalizing the incident and applying it to the whole generation.

Finally, when she was in deep sleep, she heard the bell ring.

“I must have overslept.” Sumedha felt as she rushed to open the front door. On her way out she saw the clock showing 7.30.

“Maid doesn’t come this early. Who could it be?” Sumedha opened the door a wee bit keeping the chain still in the latch.

“Happy New Year Momma” shouted Palak from the other side.

Sumedha couldn’t believe her eyes. As she opened the door wide open, Palak held her mom in a bear hug asking “Did you miss me, Momma?”

Sumedha couldn’t help bursting into tears.

“Hey, Momma. I am here now. Am I not? I wanted to come yesterday itself, but I needed to finish some project work.”

Later on, when Sumedha told her about how she had felt the previous day Palak said “Momma, I don’t really express my feelings as often as I should. I am proud of the way you handled everything by yourself after Dad’s passing away. I know how difficult it must have been. The parents of some of my friends in college are so very demanding. That’s when I realized you were never like that with me ever. You let me do the course I chose in the college of my choice without cribbing even once. Thanks, Momma.”

Sumedha was speechless. After a long while, she whispered, “this is the happiest New Year day of my life Palak.”