Mirror!Mirror!Show Me Who Am I

S: Hey, hi Jyoti! (cheerfully)

Me: Hi Archana! (in a cold voice)

S: How are you doing dear?

Me: I'm doing good. How are you?

S: Me! I'm the same one whom you loved a lot; happy, enthusiastic, overloaded with madness and an explorer by heart. Hope you remember me!

There was a silence on the other side.

S: But you know what! You have changed a lot.

Me: No, I didn't.

S: You can't lie to me.

A pause.

Me: Change is a part of life, Archana. And one needs to change as per the circumstances, as the situation demands.

S: Agree with the first part. But changing as per the situation even it's not favourable to you is something beyond my knowledge. Well, it seems that you are happy with your surroundings. Or rather happy with the change(s)?

Pin drop silence.

S: Last time you told me that finally you were given a permission to restart your career after serving your duties as a daughter-in-law, a wife and a mother of two kids successfully for a decade. Right! Hope finally you are making a move.

Me: Hmmm..I don't know what to say.

S: You can always be clear with me.

Me: Let me tell you the entire story. I got a call for the interview. I was desperately looking forward to it. I've got a clearance from all that I can go ahead. But on the day of the interview, as I booked the cab and about to leave the door, my husband held back my hands from behind. He asked to sit down for a while. "I need to talk to you Jyoti. I know it's me who have given the permission to restart your career. But I feel something is going wrong somewhere. Do you think we would be able to manage the home, kids and my parents if both of us move out of the home for our respective careers?" I murmured to myself, "I'm getting late for the interview. We can discuss things later." But he continued persuading me with his emotional dialogues and I got melted again cell by cell. I cancelled the cab and once again closed the door.

S: How many times in your life are you going to close the door of opportunity? How many times are you going to give up your identity? Jyoti, I still love you!

Sobs.

Me: I miss you a lot beyond words.

S: Then, why don't you come back to me? And claim your life back?

Silence.

S: I know it's painful to leave me behind. But remember dear, things won't change just by changing the name on paper. It must have been difficult to change your name post marriage in order to match those so called kundalis. But remember, I'm the old you. You can still make me the new you.

I wiped my tears and looked cheerfully at her again. She/S smiled back from the mirror. To the new beginnings!