Bella

Bella sat on the only chair near her favorite window in the rickety house and murmured to herself, "It all seems like a nightmare". Outside the moon hid behind the dark clouds emphasizing how lonely she was, the sigh of her little one on the cot made her realize not that lonely anymore. Bella jogged down the memory lane as well thought how enmeshed her life was.

A teenager Bella wanted to pursue travel journalism, yet one fine day her father came home and announced he had found a suitable match for her further the groom's family wanted to fix everything within a couple of months. Bella protested she had her senior secondary examinations lined up next week onwards. Father declared, "I very much want to have you married at the earliest, can't take your burden anymore". Bella rose from her perch and walked towards her father with teary eyes looked gravely into his eyes, "Please let me finish my senior secondary examinations at lest".

Finally the day after her examinations, she was attired in bridal costumes and married a man she had just seen a photograph of. All her dreams which she dared to dream rolled out from her eyes in tears.

Six months glided by one morning Bella discovered she was expecting. Both families blessed her to bear a male child, she was astonished. The families took her to a temple near the river for veneration. The male members went into the water to bathe. Bella's husband waded further in the water lost his balance slipped, he made a few vain attempts to stand but sank. Others who could swim tried to reach him saw only bubbles rising and when finally got hold of him he was stiff and lifeless. Everybody cried and cursed her, for days she sat long in silence deprived of food, water, and sleep. She put her hand on her belly and assured her unborn child who was her purpose to live, "All will be good, don't worry", while tears coursed slowly down her cheeks.

Days passed by her little one came to the world, her In-laws refused to see the little ones face and allow her again to their home. Her own parents hated her misfortune for delivering a girl child. When Bella took her little creation in her hands was flabbergasted to see the tiny strawberry pink bundle with the cutest eyes and lips the color of pomegranate seeds. Bella kissed her little one's forehead and held her close to the bosom. Bella at long last smiled for the umpteen times she had pleaded for a doll in her childhood, now she had the most beautiful one.

Bella's parents too were reluctant to take her home with them but had no options. Four months rolled by Bella did all the household chores taking care of her baby, still, nobody showed any mercy. One morning she saw her baby sleeping still for a long time without crying or moving. She called her, moved her little hands and legs nevertheless no reaction. Bella held her baby in arms and raced to the dispensary tears streaming down her eyes. She pulled and pushed everyone in the doctor's chamber in gasps told that her child was neither moving or crying. The doctor took the baby in one hand and pinched its eyebrows with another. The child gave a huge cry, Bella sat on the floor weeping perhaps for the first time happy to see the child cry. The doctor and the spectators were all overwhelmed. The doctor took pity on her and offered her a cooking assistant's job. Bella got the platform she needed, left her parent's place for good and stayed in rented accommodation with her little one. She did her job earnestly and sincerely plus helped others too.

When her daughter turned one all the dispensary staff blessed her, the doctor's wife gifted her a frock and a cake was cut. For Bella, this was far from dreams as she had ceased to dream. She was offered to pursue the nursing course, she patted her little ones back and smiled, "Look dear I had promised all will be good, the happy time has come you are my blessings the reason to live the purpose of my mundane life".

The clouds in the sky drifted away and the moon shined. Bella got off her chair kissed her sleeping child and caressed her forehead. It's been three years since she pursued nursing and her little one is four years old has started school too and dreams of becoming a doctor. Bella encourages her to dream because she is there to give foundation and base to those dreams.