Illegitimate

Charulatha Panigrahi posted under Flash Fiction QuinTale-55 on 2023-09-16



Trupti  had absolutely no idea that her birth secret would reveal in such a dramatic way.  That fateful evening, she was waiting for Aditya’s return from his tour from Damanjodi . It’s almost a 9hours journey by road. From 4 in the afternoon she was busy preparing crispy pokodas, the favourite of her husband.  The door bell rang. She went to welcome him. Instead of a smile, Aditya gave her a baleful look. He took out an old news paper from his bag and threw it at her. She felt offended. “Read it”, you will know, how your parents have cheated me.”Cheaters, he mumbled and went to the washroom.  With apprehension she looked at the underlined news in that one page old news paper dated February 2,1997. ”Two Forest guards on duty heard a baby’s cry and found a new born girl abandoned in the jungle. They brought the baby to the District Forest Officer’s bungalow.  Necessary medical care was taken of the baby in the hospital. Instead of giving the baby to any child home the noble DFO Nityananda Mohapatra and his wife brought her back from the hospital to their home. She became their darling daughter. “ “Who gave you this news paper? “,Asked Trupti.  “I found it on my office car seat today. Why your father had not mentioned us, you are not his child? I feel ashamed to have married  an illegitimate girl ,  thrown in the forest to be devoured by the wild animals. ” Those words , she felt as if her heart was pierced by an arrow. Trupti’s  face was distorted with rage and hatred. “ How dare you call me by that name Aditya. We have been married since one and half years. Now you feel ashamed of marrying  me? How scurrilous thoughts you have. I haven’t excepted this type of words from a brilliant engineer, a NIT pass out. Now I regret marrying you. Your father had gone to my loving parents begging  my hand for you.  I am leaving you for them. I can’t live with you anymore. “ She went to her bed room. She took her mobile phone and the car key and drove to her parents house.  “What a pleasant surprise Trups. Where is Aditya? “asked the elated father.  She embraced her papa and cried her heart out. Her mama too had joined. Trupti  told everything. She asked, “why none of you had told me the truth? “ “The truth is, you are our child and our bundle  of joy,” assured both the parents.  “Don’t worry dear. It’s the fire lit by some mischievous mine workers against whom Aditya must have taken action at Damajodi,  or any old anemy of mine, as I worked there as forest Officer in that area long ago. Whatever  Aditaya told, he spoke it in anger. Forget and forgive. Look at the road. He is coming by his office car to take you back home."   Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!