Shoe Bite On Her Footprints

Her father was busy accounting the monthly budget in a diary. Her younger sibling was studying (but intermediately looking at each other and staring her). Her grandma had asked her to get fresh and to have dinner. She could feel the vibrations of the air at her home that night. Her mother came from the kitchen and asked her without wasting a minute, "Meera, you filled the form for study abroad?" Her mother asked her quite angrily.

"Yes." Meera confessed.

"He settled there, you also go. For him we have spent our everything even your grandfather's inherited land just to complete his M.S., But he has betrayed us. Forget about his responsibilities...not even calling a single time...enjoy your life. We are enough to run our home. We are aged by only hair not by bones.(Even though she seems to be tired)

Lord Krishnnnnna, (her mother said in air). You have shown us the symptoms of Kaliyug in epic Geeta, today I understand those lines, 'Ek kuye se char kuye bhar sakate hai par, char kuye milkar bhi ek kuye ko nahi bhar sakate.' Mother and Father only both of them can manage to grown up all children but afterwards their children together can't manage to help aged parents."

"Anandita, control yourself and stop being so difficult." Her father interrupted.

The moment Meera heard this line her heart broke down and tears were finding the way to come out of eyes but her past made her so strong to handle such situations, so instead of tears falling from eyes she took the enough long breath.(Her silence was digesting her pain)

"My organization thinks I'm well deserved to study abroad and with this opportunity and I have got a scholarship, I can work part time; then only things will run properly. That's the only reason I had filled the form and instead of inspiring me you are blaming me that I'm being selfish?"

"Inspiration? What is it good for? Huh...absolutely nothing" Her mother replied.

"Mom, just because Swaraj dada did it that doesn't mean I'll do it. Please give me one chance." Meera replied.

"I trust you Meera." her grandma said.

"Me too." Her father joined.

"We do trust you Didi." The unexpected voice from behind increased her confidence.

"Mom please." She tried to convince.

"I can't trust on anybody now. He was also my own child but after completion of education he forgot about family, home and his responsibilities. He build his own world where we are nobody. I will allow you to go abroad but on one condition."

"Okay. I'm ready for that Mom." She said.

"You didn't ask me which condition?" Mother replied.

"Shadow image should not ask anything to body, it just has to follow it." Meera replied.

"Life is very unpredictable you never know what it'll serve you next but you have to promise me in written that you will send the fifty percent of your income to your family, because your father is retired and I will also retire after couple of years." Her mother stated.

"It's all yours Mom. I'm ready."

The very next morning on Saturday the notification of mail arrived while she was still sleepy and with those blurred vision she had open her inbox full of messages but the one for which she had been waiting almost for last one month had finally arrived. The one from approval team. 'Rejection of study abroad Opportunity Application.'

She stared at the email message on her computer, her mind racing so fast that the words blurred together and no longer made any sense. Just three lines, but enough to make her life--the life she’d worked so hard and sacrificed so much to build--begin to crumble around her.

Thoughts sped like bullet trains and the brain felt as if it was in a pressure cooker. The purpose of her profession was not to make profit and to get rich but to run the house in a budget and then to help others to achieve the dreams. She had only one chance to go abroad and earn enough money not to live lavish life (like her brother did) or to live in western culture; but to educate her younger brother who wanted to pursue neurology, she had only one chance to send her sister for internship to Russia. She had that one chance to help her mother to pay for bone operation.

Everybody was lightning the homes after sunrise, she could see that light but couldn't feel it in her life. That morning, the world was awake to find the new day but for Meera, it was the end.

"Meera, Again you started your day with this box?" (Her mother said looking towards laptop.) Go and take bath. By the way Meera, will we have video call from this laptop when you will go abroad? The one which I used to had with Swaraj in his initial days in abroad ?" asked her Mother as she was blissfully unaware about the fact.

"Of course Mom. We will call Meera Didi and she will also bring some imported chocolates from abroad. Right Meera Didi?" Her siblings shouted excitedly.

She smiled and went to bathroom (probably the best place of peace to think about situations and life ).

Meanwhile her mother called her to pick up the call of Parth who was her best friend.

"Meera, come fast. Parth is calling you and I do like your ringtone." Her mother stated.

"Hello Parth. What happened?"

"What are you doing Meera? I called you several times but you were not picking up the call." He said quite angrily.

"By the way out of your several calls I just received two of them. What happened?"

"Meera, have you checked your mail box?" Your application to study abroad has been rejected."

"Hmm, I did." Meera replied.

I remember Shakespeare's sentence ,'If emotional wounds had a tongue, then they would have spoken about the pain.' "Why God is creating so much complications in your karmic account? Your brother is not taking his responsibilities, then why you want to take? " Parth countered.

"Why do I blame God? Why do I even blame luck? So what if my elder brother cut his connection with us just because he doesn't want to take our responsibilities? Parents are both the support system to pursue your dreams when obstacles are hitting you like anything and the one who help your life to live it's full. You know Parth, when I was going for typing classes the 65 year old lady was my typing teacher I thought that she was running the classes because she is passionate about it but beyond the fact that she loved to teach the typing; the fact was that, she had no other source of income at that age because her children left her alone at that age. I can't give up. I just can't think to give up and I don't want to give up. If whatever my parents have is mine why can't whatever is mine will be theirs?" She replied confidently.

"Parth, What if I apply for loan to purchase second hand cars? I do have some saving and by mortgaging jewelry which Dad has made for my marriage. I'll register those cars as night cabs in my small town only for women? Because I know there are so many girls out there who works so hard just for family or those who are doing night shift needs night cabs and if female drivers are present then they will feel safer and even for female drivers I will pay more than regular." Meera explained her plan.

"You know Meera, I was wrong to blame God. Actually God has made you from some other ingredients and your supreme elegance is your confidence; world needs so many Meeras. Let's go to check second hand cars and publish female drivers advertisement." Parth replied.

"Do you know, why even though the way Swaraj Dada behaves with us doesn't create slightest disrespect for males in my mind? Or I don't think all the sons or brother will do the identical with their family. It's just because of you Parth; that's why you are my best friend." Meera confessed.

She turn back and her mother was looking up at her proudly with tears in her eyes, Meera knew, 'Even though she had shoe bite on her footprints; she had taken the right decision.'