Missing Daughter And "Angry" Dad

Shreya was lost in thoughts crying. Vishnu did not realize his wife was crying, as Shreya's tears dried up from crying all night. Saumyaa, their daughter, was missing close to a week now. They were trying all ways to find her until then nothing seems to be working. Shreya was affected by the missing more than Vishnu. It is natural for the mother. But for Shreya, the fight she had with her daughter the night before she went missing added to her agony. 

Vishnu said he was doing everything to find their daughter. But, seeing Vishnu cooking breakfast that morning angered her. Why does he feel okay to have breakfast instead of searching for Saumya? She was about to shout at him for the same but had no energy. That was when Shreya's mother's sense started tingling. There were footsteps outside the house. The footsteps were familiar, and the rattling sounds coming from the key chain on the purse just confirmed her doubts. She ran out of the bed, only to notice Vishnu locked the door.

Shreya shouted loud, "Vishnu, open the door. I need to see her."

"No, I am going to punish her for leaving without telling us", said Vishnu.

"You can punish her later. Let me talk to her."

"I am not going to let this happen again. You will keep protecting Saumya. Till I talk to her, stay put", he said to Shreya.

Shreya was scared of Vishnu's reaction. She, in a loud tone, kept asking Vishnu to open the door. But Vishnu did not respond to Shreya. Shreya hugging the door, listened to what was going on in the living room. She heard the steps of Vishnu heading to the door and the click sound when Vishnu opened the door. She then picked up the sound of someone coming in, and it was Saumya. She wanted to hug Saumya, tell her everything is all right. She expected Vishnu to do something in that line.

But Vishnu said, "Stop there. Who said it was okay to come inside the house?"

"Dad, what are you saying?" asked Saumya.

"You heard me right. It had been a week you did not tell us where you went. Not even a phone call. Now, you walk in as if nothing happened?"

Shreya could only hear what was going on. She does not know how her daughter was reacting, the outburst of Vishnu. She wants to hug her daughter, pacify her, and calm Vishnu down. She was helpless. She already assumed that Saumya was in tears as Saumya never saw the anger of her father ever. Before marriage Vishnu was a short fuse, he calmed down after Saumya was born. 

"Dad, I tried to ask you and mom about going. You did not accept", said Saumya.

"But that did not give you any right to do whatever you want."

"You and mother keep telling me the adventures of your childhood. Traveling in buses and trains alone. How come I am different?" 

"The days are not the same."

"Don't be a hypocrite, dad. You and mom keep saying I should be brave."

"There is something called brave, and there is carelessness."

"But I was careful. I came back home safe."

"That is not the point. You did not take our permission."

"Dad, but I informed..."

"Stop ... No more talking," shouted Vishnu and continued saying.

 "I am going to punish you now. No phone for a month, no going out or anything."

"Dad, please."

"No, go to your room. I am locking it outside."

Shreya hugging the door, realized something, and the longing she had for her daughter changed to anger for Vishnu. 

Vishnu unlocked the bedroom door. Shreya was already sitting on the bed and browsing the phone. 

Vishnu, hardly looking at Shreya, said, "She is in her room. Go after some time."

"Hmm.." said Shreya.

"I know I was tough on her. But if you go now, she will cry, and you will accept whatever she asks."

"Hmm..! Okay."

"Don't be like that. I am not the villain here. I am trying my best playing the role of father."

"Is that what you are doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"All this shouting and punishment."

"How else she will learn?"

"Don't do that?"

"What?"

"You and your daughter forgot that photos on her phone are uploaded to google automatically inside home wi-fi."

"What that got to do with anything?"

"See this picture", said Shreya showing a picture.

Vishnu realized his mistake. 

"You knew from day one where she went. Is that why on Saturday full day you were missing. Both of you met at your mother's house. You guys don't need me."

"It was not like that."

"Then what? What is this. I can see the laughs and smiles. Your mom will laugh at me when I go next time to your house."

"She wanted to have an adventure alone. You were worried, and we had to make a plan like this."

"I was desperate for a week and crying. You did not even think for a moment about what I was going through. Now, you are making the villain."

"No, that was not the intention."

"But, you did it anyway. What part of the adventure was your mom's house. Is it the part making me angry and surviving of it?"

"I am sorry."

"I don't need your sorry. Get out. Don't talk to me."

Vishnu knows his wife very well. When she says to get out, it means she needs time to accept the stupid thing Vishnu did. He was a little relieved, but this phase sometimes lasts days. He was hoping it won't go into weeks. After all, he did something she strictly said no to do.

Shreya started going through the rest of the pictures and saw how Saumya was very happy. Instagram feed of Saumya was all the adventures she had the week. Shreya started to mellow down. A few more pictures, and she noticed something. All the quotes had one thing in common, a hashtag missing mom. That got her attention, and she opened to read all the comments. One comment dragged her attention.

"If not for my father's word, I would not have taken this adventure. I wanted to wait till my mom said okay to the trip. Now, I am in a place where I cannot even share the happiest moments with my mother."

The comment had two-three crying emojis at the end. Shreya's eyes welled seeing her teenage daughter's words. The next photos were the picture of Saumya holding an image, "Mom, miss you", with the place name of the city she visited. That made her too emotional. 

She said to herself, wiping off her tears, "If she loved me so much, let her come to me."

That was when Shreya's WhatsApp dinged. She checked it, and it was none other than Saumya. Saumya sent a sorry message to her mother. Shreya read it but did not reply. A few more seconds, a second notification dinged on her WhatsApp. This time it was a small video. In the video, Saumya was holding her ears and doing Gunjeelu (Uttak-Bettak, situps). As if punishing herself. Saumya was doing all this to get her mother to forgive her. But what dragged the attention of Shreya was something else. Saumya looked famished to Shreya's eyes.

So, Shreya messaged, "Your father made some breakfast. Go and eat".

"He brought that to me. It is not tasty at all", messaged back Saumya.

"I don't know why he keeps making bad food and throwing it away."

"I keep telling him I only like what you make. But he does not listen."

Shreya quickly goes into the kitchen and makes her daughter's favorite dosa and sambar. Before the dosa was ready, Saumya walks into the living room and puts on the TV. Shreya brings the dosas and starts feeding her daughter. 

Ten minutes later, Vishnu walks in and starts shouting, "No TV or anything for you. Have the dosa and go to your room."

Shreya turning to Vishnu, says, "Enough of your games. I know all the messages are your plan."

Vishnu and Saumya look at each other. They thought they planned everything well. But, they stand caught in the act by Shreya.

Saumya hugs her mom and says, "All Dad's plan, I wanted to listen to what you said."

Vishnu, acting as if hitting his daughter, says, "It took hardly ten minutes to sell me off."

Shreya protecting her daughter in her embrace says to Vishnu to stop. 

Now Shreya and Saumya start discussing the adventure.

"Mom, I walked to the top of the hill all by myself. As-is, it was not a big hill. But the path was dark at places. I did not feel scared at all. I was ready for the adventure." 

Mom feeding one more piece of Dosa nodded to say okay.

"There was a lake in the village. Same as the one you used to talk about. Do you remember mom, the one you used to swim as a kid?"

Shreya nodded again.

"I wanted to swim. But Dad messaged not to as I was alone. Next time we will all go Mom, I can swim then."

Hearing all her adventures, Shreya felt how dangerous was the journey, and her eyes teared.

Noticing her mother's tears, Saumya said, "Sorry, Mom. I know the journey was scary, that was why I wanted to do it. I wanted to feel I can do it. Also, I was careful too. If I was in doubt, I messaged Dad. I will never again go anywhere without you."

Shreya, wiping off the tears, gave her daughter one more piece of Dosa to bite on. After having a bite, looking directly into her mother's eyes, Saumya teared up and said, "Sorry", one more time. 

Shreya turning away, wiped off the tears with her saree. A sorry from the heart has that power.

P. S. 

Shreya, at night, "Vishnu, how did you gathered the courage to send her alone."

"I was scared and worried too. I don't also want Saumya to be losing out on living her life. But, I kept an eye on her with continuous messages throughout the trip. A few of my friends also helped in some cities with accommodation and other things."

Shreya turned to Vishnu, "Don't ever do something like this again". 

Vishnu said, "I will not. But tell me how and when did you find out."

"I thought you are angry. But when you said no going out for months, I got a doubt."

"Why?"

"Due to the pandemic, she is stuck at home for months now, and the school will not open for many more months. That made me realize you both planned this."

"Anyway, everything is okay. You also forgave us both", said Vishnu to divert the topic.

P.S.: Vishnu was about to sleep when Shreya asked, "Why did she go to your home?". The new adventure for Vishnu started.