My Plus One

It lay on the table, my worst nightmare. I gathered myself and with a heavy breath picked it up. I sat back in my recliner and started opening the envelope. It was not just any wedding card, it was ‘The Wedding card’ of my best friend Radhika. It read ‘To dear Seema, Plus One’. I went on reading it. ‘Varun and Radhika are tying a knot’ along with the usual description of the program.

What the hell was plus one? I thought to myself. It meant that I could not go alone and that everybody will bring their spouses, dates or partners. I had a very uneasy feeling in my stomach. I did not want to go through that again. Glaring looks of people, some with sympathy and some with curiosity. I closed my eyes and the thoughts of my cousin’s wedding, which happened last year flooded in. “Beta where is your husband? Oh! Well, actually Aunty I am not married. Really! You are in your thirties and still not married?”

Hi! I am Seema, yes I am 33 and single. The truth is that I am not even dating someone. I work with best law firm and I am very passionate about with I do. I am quite content with my life. It’s not that I don’t feel lonely, sure I do. I never planned my life to be like this. At some point back in time, I wanted to settle down and have kids. Let’s say, I have not been so lucky in the matters of heart. But kids, that’s something I definitely want. I had explored adoption, IVF, surrogacy and what not. Last year, I even had a conversation with my mom and dad regarding this. For them it was just a matter of joke and the concept of me having a kid without getting married was just like “Ye sab to foreign main hota hai, ye humari sabhyata nahi hai”. Engrossed in my thoughts, I looked a

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t the watch and it was about time to sleep off this day.

The next morning, while I was jogging back home after my routine workout, my eyes caught something unusual. There was someone waving at me across the street. I stopped to catch a breath and see who it was. Just then some cars went by and he vanished in thin air. I looked around and there was no one else besides me. He had the most adorable smile I had ever seen. I continued with a brisk walk to my house.

More than a week went by but I did not see him again. I would pause at the point where I last saw him and wait for him to show up again. But there was no sign of him, maybe I had just imagined it all.

Few more days went by. I could not get him out of my mind. Those eyes and innocent smile made me wonder what my life would be with him. I don’t know if I was feeling too lonely or desperate or just the thought of going to my best friend’s wedding all alone, this morning, I decided to make the move. I thought to myself, that I deserve to be happy and I was willing to take this shot at my life.

Since I was a lawyer, I knew about all the formalities and legalities involved. It took me some days to get the paperwork done and that day finally came. I reached the place where I last saw him, ‘ASHA Orphanage’. I had already called and explained everything to the NGO founder and all necessary arrangements were done. I went inside and there he was, Jai, shining bright as life. I bent down and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me calling out ‘Mommy’. I had always longed to be a mother and today I was.

Few days later, I arrived at my best friend’s wedding with my son Jai…’My Plus One’!