The Last Letter

"Minakshi, a letter has come for you."

Hearing these words Minakshi rushes happily always to receive the letter. Every Sunday she would get a letter from her mother. Her mother has sent her to her aunt's home to study. Her father was a drunkard who always harasses his mother. He even wanted to marry Minakshi off when she was just a thirteen-year-old child. But one day her mother has secretly sent her to her aunt's home with a promise that she would study hard and return to her mother when she becomes successful. With teary eyes, both the mother-daughter parted away. They promise to see each other when Minakshi will take her with her. That was the love Minakshi's mother had for her.

Now it's been thirteen years since she has been living with her rich aunt who was a widow. Her aunt was fond of her and being childless, her aunt took care of her as her own child. Even if her aunt had a child, Minakshi would always be everyone's favourite. It is her kindness, her understanding, her care for others and her diligency as a person, as a student and as a daughter, she is the epitome of perfection. She was told that if she studies hard, she can look after her mother and that remained intact with her forever and she studied like crazy with a promise to pay back the limitless support that her aunt gave.

It's been twelve years since her mother sends it to her. Today she has received it again.

"Dear Mina,

 You are now twenty five. I hope you are doing well and always. Convey my warm greetings your aunt who is like your mother. Always thank her for the care and support she has given you which can never be paid. Treat her with respect and each and every people who have made your life successful. Eat well,sleep well and be always kind. Never let anyone's misconception of you get in your way. Be brave to walk on your life's path. In your life ,you will meet many people who will come as a curse and some will come to you as blessing,embrace both. Good things are not enough to teach us but sometimes bad timings and failures and people who had tried to disregard teach much more than good things do. Because this is what life is. If you have met someone you like,I hope you give your whole effort and not in halves because efforts make life beautiful. Loving people half heatedly is never an effort. I hope you make the decisions that are good for you. Take care of yourself . I am blabbering so much, right? Okay! I will finish up my last letterI am writing to you. I just want you to grow up into a bold yet kind https://t.co/vVRECK34Jr are always beautiful in my eyes and will be forever my beautiful daughter. Sorry for not doing anything as your mother . You have never disappointed me and I am always proud of you. Don't hate you father . Treat him well when you get a job. Bye. 

                                                                 

With love

 Your mother "

Tears come falling from Minakshi's eyes . "Why is she making me cry. Ma, I have become a professor which you have always wanted. Your daughter is coming tomorrow.This is only the last letter and we will meet tomorrow talking about the letter which are so much special to me because you have written them ."

In all these years,these letters have always helped MInakshi in every stage of her life. When things get difficult,she would read them. When she is happy, she reads them. In every moment of her life, these were the letters which held her close to herself. She never writes back to them because her mother told her to do so. Because she knew her father would beat her and will bring Minakshi to marry her off. In all these years, her father knew that she had run away with someone. Her mother never brought anything about her since the day Minakshi left the house secretly. Although her aunt knew about it,but she never told it to her,thinking it would only cause her pain.

The next day, Minakshi quietly left a note for her aunt and went to see her mother. She merrily walks out of her car with gifts for her family. Once she reaches,she sees her home. It is still the same and the same yellow curtains. Nothing has changed. Minakshi walks as she shakes and opens the door. No one is there. The home feels so empty. In one corner,she sees a bottle of alcohol crushing in half. She further walks to see and almost her gifts drop from her hands. She sees her father lying and the smell of alcohol coming from him. 

"Baba!"

He looks up ."Who are you?"

"Me? I am Minakshi. Your daughter."

"My daughter? Did I have a daughter? Oh….yes. The one which ran away." Her father tries to stands up but again falls back.

"Where is mother?"

"Your mother ? She died . You ungrateful child."

Before her father speaks again,she leaves everything she has and runs off to the post office.

"Uncle,did a aged woman come with a letter in her hand?"

"What letter? No lady came."

"Then I got a letter in this address . I have been getting letters constantly in this address for years."

A boy comes suddenly in the midst of the conversation. 

"Are you the one who receives those letters. Such a lucky child. The aunty was a very good person and sadly she died two years ago and in her place came another lady. I think she was a widow and she posts the letters after her death. Yesterday I asked with curiosity about how many she will be coming to post at such an old age and she told me this was the last letter. Did you get the last letter?"