Karma

Her moist eyes continued to flow oceans of tears as she hurriedly tried to run away from the airport. A police officer came in her way at the gate, not letting her go.

“Ma ji, where are you going? Please go back or you’ll miss your flight.” Kamala knew that he was speaking for her well-being but what he didn’t know that she didn’t have an option.

“It’s an emergency! I’ll come back in a few minutes.” She ran from the airport as fast as her legs could take her. Passers-by stared at her for a minute, wondered what was going on and then made their way towards where they were going.

Kamala thought for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. All of it felt like a bad dream. If only she could wake up from it right now. She was all alone and she had nowhere to go. The only house which she could call hers, the one in which she lived with her husband Suresh, had been sold by her son Manav. The one who had betrayed her and brought her in this situation. Left with no option, she decided to go at her younger sister’s place and think about everything else later.

She didn’t eat anything all day. As the night crept in, she couldn’t sleep. Bad memories haunted her. When she closed her eyes, flashy images disturbed her. They reminded her of her past, what went right and what went wrong. Kamala knew, in her mind and her heart, that she was paying for the sins she had committed. If only she had listened to her husband when the time was right! In his lifetime, he tried his best to make her understand that she would have to bear the consequences of her actions. Had she paid heed to his warnings, maybe her life would have turned out differently. If only she hadn’t supported him in all his wrong decisions and desires! Maybe Manav would have been a better son. What if's and what not's captured her mind, not letting her go.

Manav was Kamala and Suresh’s only child. Born after almost 15 years of marriage, he was loved and adored by everyone in the family. He was blessed with his father’s and paternal grandmother’s good looks, especially their hazel eyes. Kamala never got along well with her in-laws and never allowed them to get closer to her son. As Manav grew up, Kamala started filling his innocent mind with negativity against his grand parents. Just like her, he too back answered them and disrespected them. When Suresh opposed this, Kamala never listened to him and took her son’s side, indirectly encouraging his wrong behavior.

Suresh’s parents were disturbed and hurt by Kamala and Manav’s behavior but they chose not to utter a single word. Anything they tried to convey to Kamala fell on deaf ears. She avoided any conversation with them and even if she did, it would end up in a fight or argument. As a young man, Manav became a junior version of Kamala. Brash, rude and arrogant. Selfish and manipulative. After his grand parents were gone, he started disrespecting his own parents as well. All he cared about was his wants and desires.

After completing his graduation, Manav wanted to pursue his Masters’ from U.S.A. Even though Suresh was reluctant to send him, Kamala supported him in all his decisions. However, he never cared for her. She was blinded by her love for her son. Once he was gone, he became even more distant from them. He rarely called or inquired about them. When Suresh tried to contact him, he barely picked up. Most of his calls were transferred on his answering machine to which he never replied. At times, he didn’t speak to his parents for months. Later, he expressed his desire to settle in U.S.A and marry his Irish classmate. A distraught Suresh decided to break all ties with him, fed up of his rebellious behavior.

Even though his father opposed his marriage to Stacy, Kamala felt he was being too harsh on his son. Despite the arguments with his father over the phone, Manav got married to Stacy without his parents’ blessings, promising to never return back. Even though Suresh refused to speak to him, Kamala continued speaking to Manav in his absence. He warned her every single day, to stop all ties with him. He had realized by now that his son couldn’t be trusted at any cost. His behavior over the last few years was enough proof for him. Yet, Kamala refused to let go of her only son.

Both husband and wife spent three years arguing and fighting over their son, till the day Suresh breathed his last. He passed away in his sleep, not waking up the next day. Even though Manav couldn’t reach on time for the final rites, he did come home three days later. He consoled his mother and wiped her tears whenever she remembered her dead husband. As far as Kamala could remember, Manav had played a perfect son these last few days. He had changed completely. He took good care of her and ensured that she took all her medicines on time. Her joy knew no bounds when he told her that Stacy was pregnant. She felt as if it weren’t her grandchild but it was Suresh who was returning back in her life. One fine day, Manav asked Kamala to make a decision. He wanted her to settle with him and his wife in the United States permanently. Even though she was reluctant before, she agreed eventually days later after too much of coaxing and forcing. Mutually, they decided to sell off the flat she was currently living at before travelling to the States.

At the airport, Manav ensured that he kept his and his mother’s passport and tickets with him. When she asked about it, he told her not to worry. Kamala felt he seemed too hasty than usual. Maybe, he was missing his pregnant wife and couldn’t wait to go back. After they were done with the baggage check-in, he asked her to wait till he came back from the washroom. And that was the last time she saw him. She waited and waited. She tried calling him on his number several times, but it was switched off. A worried Kamala searched for him as far as she could, but there was no sign of him. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, her eyes fell on her wrist watch and the time. It had almost been the time to board the flight and there was no sign of Manav. She realized that she didn’t even have her passport and tickets with her to go on her own.

Kamala couldn’t control her tears, as she discovered Manav’s true intentions. His purpose of returning back to India was not at all what she had thought all these days. He had come back not because he cared for her or wanted her to stay with him but because he wanted his share of his father’s property right after his death. But there was no one she could blame. He had become what she had made him. Her own karma had hit her right back at her face. Her moist eyes continued to flow oceans of tears as she hurriedly tried to run away from the airport.