The whole market was shining with different colourful patterns of lights. Outside each and every shop, there were lanterns hanging which were giving more light and a beautiful look to their shops. People were busy in shopping and running from one shop to another, buying lights, decorative items, wall hangings, door hangings, rangoli colours and designs. There was a separate place for hand made diyas and decorative diyas. Ladies were dressed up in beautiful sarees and suits holding two to three bags in their hands full of different stuffs. There was a shop having all the pooja needs decorated in a beautiful way. It was looking like thousands of stars twinkling together on earth.
The traffic was horrible as many vehicles were parked on both sides of the road and others were slowly moving between those vehicles. Suddenly a glaze attracted her. It was a garment shop, full of clothes for kids and elders. Diwali was coming up in two days. She remembered that in the morning while going to school, Mohit asked her “Mumma this time, we will also buy clothes for myself and for Nana, Nani and Trisha Didi. Last time, Didi was not well. We could not celebrate the festival and you promised me to get a new dress and crackers this time”. She was in a hurry and just said “Yes beta for sure”. She gave him his lunch box and a kiss on his chubby cheeks and waved bye with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, her father came and told her “Kiran, your mother’s condition is not improving and the Doctor has told to get her operated within 15 days otherwise her condition will become worse. Beta, will you be able to arrange the money in this short frame of time?. Kiran smiled and said “Don’t worry Papa, I will arrange and you please book the appointment after 15 days”. “Thanks mere bacche” he said and started walking towards his room. Kiran noticed that his one slipper was torn. She looked towards the wall clock. It was 8:00 A.M. and she had to reach office by 9:00 A.M. She said to herself, “Today, I will speak to sir about my loan approval”.
She went to Trisha’s room to feed her. Trisha was lying on the bed and her bed sheet was wet. Trisha was her bedridden daughter. She picked up the diaper and changed the sheet, fed Trisha and then made her lie again on the bed. She explained everything to her maid who had just entered the house and went to her room in a hurry to get ready for her office. Trisha was born like a normal child but one accident changed her life and she was bedridden since then. Kiran was trying her best to handle everything on her own as after some years of her marriage, her husband Mudit had left them saying he is going to Dubai for work. Since then, he didn’t come back. They couldn’t get any information about him and with the passage of time and responsibilities mounting on her, she became deeply involved in work and home. She didn’t let anything break her. Maa, Papa, Trisha and Mohit, she was the only one who had to take care of each one of them. She had wanted to study more in her teenage days but her parents always used to say “Zyaada padhogi toh shaadi nahi ho paayegi” and that’s when she was married off to Mudit even before completing her 12th standard.
Kiran looked into the mirror, arranged her saree pleats and picked up her hand bag. She had got a job in a company as a receptionist. The owner of that company was Mudit’s maternal uncle, Mr. Mehra. He gave her the job to help her in taking care of her family. First she was not comfortable but seeing the condition of the house, she agreed to do the job. When we are left with few options, we have to compromise and this happened with Kiran too.
She reached office as it was not much far from her home. She checked Mr Mehra’s cabin and arranged everything as he had given this duty to her. She thought “Today I will definitely get the loan approval”. She went to her reception counter and started her work but somehow, she was eager to meet Mr Mehra. At 10:00 A.M, Mr. Mehra entered the office. He was on a call laughing loudly. Kiran thought “He is in a happy mood and her loan will be approved today”. She went inside his cabin 10 minutes later. “Come kiran come” said Mr. Mehra and offered her a seat. He was aware, why she came as it was the 5th time Kiran had come to him for the loan approval. Kiran said “Sir, I wanted to know about the loan approval as amma is not well and we have to get her surgery done in the next 15 days”. Mr. Mehra said “Kiran have you thought about my offer?”. Kiran was taken aback. She stood up silently from her chair and started walking towards the door. “My car will come near Sadar Market at 8:30 P.M and you will get your loan without any interest, inside an envelope in that car. She walked outside the room without even looking back.
In the evening when she came back home, Mohit came running and hugged her and asked her “Mumma, shall we go to the market today for buying clothes and firecrackers?”. Kiran looked into his eyes. She could see so many expectations inside them. She said “Let’s see beta”. She went to her parents room and her father looked at her. She smiled, went near her mother and kissed her on her forehead and said “Everything will be fine”. She went to her room and lied down on her bed emotionlessly. Today she felt, she is broken, helpless and all alone. She prayed to God to help her. She was missing Mudit like anything. Suddenly her phone beeped. It was a message saying “Be on time there”. Kiran stood up, went to the washroom, washed her face and after 15 minutes, she was ready to go out of the house. Mohit came close to her and said “Mumma, are we going to the market today”?. He asked with so many sparkles in his eyes. “No beta, I will be back in a while. We will go for shopping tomorrow morning and will have lots of fun” and after saying this, she stepped out of the house.
A Navy blue colour car came and stood in front of her. Seeing the car, tears rolled down her eyes. Kiran wiped her tears and said “Tomorrow will be “Diwali“ for my family”. She sat inside the car with so many tears and emotions hidden inside her.
“Beggars are not choosers” but if we support someone wisely, no Kiran will have to give up on her needs.
Trance Series 