Queen Alexandra's*

It was a bright and sunny Monday morning. For many, Mondays are generally accompanied with Monday blues however for me it was different, as I was entering a new phase in my career.

It was the first day in my new organization as a Project Leader and I was really excited about it. Everyone was new in that lift, having their eyes glued to their mobiles when suddenly one young girl with lively, twinkling eyes and a cheerful broad smile entered the lift. She greeted everyone with her mesmerizing smile and within seconds, the whole lift was filled with smiling faces greeting each other with warmth. She was like a butterfly connecting with all the people she met on the way.

It was my first meet with the team, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that chirpy girl in my team. After giving my introduction, I asked for a one to one connection. It was a small team of 8 associates, having a very strong team bonding and the bond was that girl. Her name was Sneha. It suited her but I felt “butterfly” will be a better name for her. 

Soon it was lunchtime and she asked everyone out for lunch including me, but I refused to cite some stupid excuse. The main reason, however, was that as a Project Lead I wanted to maintain some distance with my team. 

Every morning Sneha would come to the office with a cheerful smile, roam here and there like a butterfly distributing some of the other goodies. One day she came to my desk with “Modak” saying her Mom had made it for some “puja” the last evening, so she thought to share it with all in office. This was followed by a short and crisp story of how her Mom would make “Modak” while she and her brother enjoyed helping her. Intrigued by the interesting stories about her family, I too started joining them for lunch. Her small loving family comprised of her Father, Mother, and a younger brother. Every Monday she had a wonderful story to share with us – be it a family outing, playing pranks with her brother, her Mother cooking something very tasty which she made sure she would get for everyone in the office or some movies that they had watched together and many such other stories. A perfect family with no traces of grudges, worries or insecurities. Sometimes I felt jealous of her but at the same time, I was learning how to be happy and spread happiness all over. 

Soon festivities began in India and staring from Janmashtami till Diwali it was all full of colors, “vrats”, sweets as “prasads” and merry-makings. It was Diwali day and everyone in the office had decided that they would come dressed up in their traditional attire. The ladies in my team were dressed very beautifully and were beaming around in happiness. They were gossiping about their sarees, jewelry, hairstyle and many more. Only Sneha was wearing an old-fashioned traditional saree. She was looking damn beautiful in that but it was a surprise to see her in that attire. One of the associates asked her, “ Sneha, there is no doubt that you are looking very pretty, but don’t you think the saree seems to be very unfashionable “. She answered excitedly, “hai na , I knew that and I had told my Mom but she insisted a lot that I should wear this saree only as it’s our traditional saree and this bright yellow color would look good on me “. No doubt she was looking very elegant in that bright colored saree. 

The days were moving ahead at its usual pace and then it was her birthday on 3rd December. Not only my team but it seems the entire office had come to wish her. She had bought cake and sweets from home, very anxiously telling everyone that the favorite cake was baked by her Mom and how beautifully her family had been preparing to celebrate her birthday. Her Mom had given the beautiful dress which she

2 / 4

had worn, her father and brother had gifted her a watch and a beautiful bag respectively. She seemed to be like a princess surrounded by people showering love and affection in abundance on her. When I came to her desk to wish her, I noticed two receipts accidentally fallen from her bag. I picked them up and found it to be strange as it was the receipt of the cake she had bought and the gifts which she had received. 

It was hard to believe as the cake was baked by her Mom then this receipt and the receipt of the gifts, I mean who gives a present with the receipt of it. I was a little bit confused but handed over it to her thinking that it will be important for her. She was visibly disturbed while taking the receipts from me but didn’t utter a word. 

A few weeks later, it was Christmas eve and this time I thought to play “Secret Santa” with my team. It’s a culture in Corporate firms to give some gifts to each other secretly and make them smile. We made chits and asked each person to pick up the chits. Luckily, I got the chit for Sneha. That is, I am her Secret Santa and must buy a gift for her. By now, I was quite aware of her choice and gifted her a beautiful pink colored shrug as pink was her favorite color. After exchanging the gifts, everyone was eager to know their Secret Santas and it was eventually disclosed to all. With teary eyes, she came to me to thank for the wonderful gift. In the spur of emotions, she revealed that it been a long time since someone had gifted something of her choice. She seemed to be very happy and on top of the world. Her reaction surprised me as I believed she had a loving family who had gifted her so many things in the past. I was starting to get mysterious about her. At one end, she had a perfect family whereas at times her reactions left me perplexed and curious to know more about her.

Two months later, our firm organized a family day and everyone was excited to bring their families to the office. I asked Sneha with excitement, “So Sneha, finally we will get a chance to meet your Mom and Dad. They seem to be so loving and caring that I am looking forward to meeting them “. But she refused to state that they were out of the station and cannot make it for the event. I was surprised again because just a day ago she had brought some goodies which she had claimed to be prepared by her Mom. I was getting curious to know more about her family, to meet them but was not getting the opportunity. Days flew by and one day Sneha did not turn up in the office. On enquiring, I got to know she was down with viral fever and would take a week to recover. The office seemed boring without her and I could sense my team was missing the bubbly Sneha. I decided to visit her for the coming weekend. I found her address and took out the time to visit her place. 

An old lady opened the door, I greeted her and asked for Sneha. She asked me to sit and gave me some water. I asked her, “Are you Sneha’s Mom? We enjoy your delicacies - gujiya , modak ,laddoo and you are indeed a great cook”. She smiled and said, “I am not her Mother but her caretaker (Mercy Aunty) and I don’t cook the traditional food as I don’t know how to cook them”. 

I enquired about Sneha and her parents. She replied, “Sneha is sleeping and her parents are no more. 5 years back she had lost her whole family in a car accident “. 

I was speechless, there was darkness in front of my eyes and was unable to utter a single word. All the lovely stories about her family, the receipts of her birthday gifts and cake, her teary eyes when she had received the Secret Santa gift from me, the excuses for the family day all came flashing through my mind.

3 / 4

I was worried whether she was suffering from a psychiatric disorder “schizophrenia” wherein people completely withdraw themselves from reality and live in their own fantasies and delusion. I couldn’t believe it as she was my role model and can’t see her be in this mental state. Gathering a lot of courage, I asked Mercy Aunty, “Is she aware that her family is no more with her“. She replied with pride “Yes of course, she is a brave girl. She knows the reality and accepted the bitter truth of her life “. This answer was more shocking to me, if she is aware then what were those stories all about. Mercy Aunty continued. “I was taking care of her and her brother when they were very young. I would take care of them while her parents were out at work. They were very nice people and a loving couple. This family was really a happy family with no worries and grudges. On that unfortunate day, while she was in her office, the three of them were coming to pick her up and had planned a surprise outing for her. Their car had dashed against a truck and all three of them died on the spot. She had lost her senses when she had heard the news and could not cope up with the situation. She was then taken away by her relatives and for 2 years she was in despair. I don’t know what happened there, but she was moving from one relative’s place to another. One day she called me crying. ‘Mercy Aunty, I want to come back home, can you please support me. I need you. I can’t pay you as my Dad did, but I need you‘. She then returned to her home. In this age who need good pay, I just need a shelter to sleep, little food to eat and a little respect and love. My little girl is giving me all these things in abundance. We both are there for each other. We don’t need anything else.” 

I was stunned but at the same time felt proud of her courage and decisions. But my question was still not answered. “Why was she pretending in front of all of us about her family and their love and care “, I asked Mercy Auntie. Suddenly, I heard a weak sobbing sound in the room. When I looked around, Sneha was standing there with tears in her eyes. I went to her, consoled her, gave her some water and made her sit. I told her, “Sneha, I am proud of you and I am sure your teammates and friends will also be proud of you then why did you lie to us “. She replied, “I don’t want to gain sympathy from anyone. I want to live a life of self-respect. At the same time, I wanted to cherish the memories of my family which I have in plenty and I believe that’s the best way to remember them. Cherish them each day and thank them to make me self-sufficient to lead a happy and respectful life.” I was speechless with her answer. I asked her again, “How did you overcome this shock and what made you return to your home.” She continued, “I had completely lost my senses and was going through medication and therapies, but I was at the mercy of my relatives. I felt as if I was a burden for them. Taking care of me and my needs was soon seen as an overhead for many of my relatives. One day for some petty reason, my aunt cursed me saying that I too should have gone from this world like my family. I couldn’t take their abuses any further. That night, I saw my Mom and Dad in my dreams telling me that if God had given me life then I should not waste it but should value it, make it useful by living a happy life and making others happy all around me. They told me that they will be happy only when I will be happy. That very moment I decided to come back to my home, resume my job and live a life of pride and dignity. I wanted to cherish the moments of my family and didn’t want to be a burden on anyone or gain anyone’s sympathy.”

Her eyes were enlightened with hopes and dreams treasuring the moments of her family. I wished her speedy recovery and left her home. While traveling back home, I realized that Sneha didn’t have any problems, the problem lies within each one of us. We crib about unnecessary things, things that are not very relevant and try to be unhappy and discontented in whatever we see or do. Life is too short hence spend it wisely and cautiously. Be like Sneha who despite facing the harsh realities of life, has always tried to be cheerful, spreading positivity in whoever she meets.

* Queen Alexandra's is a species of butterfly rarely found and is getting extinct rapidly. The girl narrated in the story is also rarely found nowadays, that's why thought to have this name.

4 / 4