The cool breeze tried its best to refresh her face as she drew the curtains. The dawning sun as it spreads its first hues seemed like aurora had flushed into the sky giving it a mystical view. The dew drops on blooming flowers sparkled like pearls and the gentle zephyr swayed the beautiful windchimes like a stream of fine, euphonious notes similar to that of a mother’s lullaby. But none of these could fathom the level of despair, her heart was in.  With an exasperated sigh, she went to the kitchen to treat herself with her daily cup of hot coffee, and as she sipped it, the agenda for the day ran through her mind. This woman with simple demeanor was Mayuri. ***  “Krisha, wake up dear. It’s time for your school” “Ma, please five more minutes” Ignoring her daughter’s pleas, Mayuri dragged her out of bed. While Krisha was getting ready, Mayuri’s hands were busy preparing her favorite breakfast, school lunch and packing her bag. Dropping Krisha at the bus stop, Mayuri came back and threw herself on the sofa. The music from the windchimes was still echoing in her mind and she vehemently closed her ears as if she’s dreading the sound.  Her glance fell at the photo frame which was the proof of her nuptial nightmare that she relived every day.  Once again, the dreaded thoughts took hold of her mind and even if how badly she wanted to shout, her throat was coarse. Those seven hours till the time Krisha was in school were the most difficult ones for Mayuri to pass. It had been years since that fateful incident but the wounds seemed still fresh. Krisha was her only respite. Had it been not for her, she would have given up long back.  Her glance once again fell to the photo album sitting quietly in one of the corner table of her not so big drawing room. How desperate she was always to open it and dive deep down the nostalgia lane but again she chose to go the other way and left the poor album alone. “Ma, I am home” “How come so early, Krisha” “C’Mon Ma, its only thirty minutes earlier than the usual time, that too because bus left early from school. You are always so sweet”, Krisha chuckled as she gave her ma, a sweet peck on the cheek. “Now that you are early, how about putting this time to best of use. There’s still time for your dance class and I am thinking to drive you there today” “Oh, please ma, not today please. Can’t we just skip it today?” Krisha almost said in pleading way. One glance from Mayuri and Krisha knew she had to give in.  “Okay fine. God help me with your obsession for dance”  “Now come and let’s rest for a while so that you are fresh when you go for your class today”, Mayuri’s voice was firm.  “Okay beta, do well. Guru Ma told me that she’ll teach new mudra today. I will see once you get back.” Krisha, reluctantly started walking inside her dance school. The dance school was very simply architectured, the huge Natraj sculpture being the center of attraction. The décor gave the aesthetic vibes. The atmosphere was such that even a non-dancer would not have resisted dancing at least for once. But none of this could lift up Krisha’s mood and motivate her to dance. How badly she wanted to run from there, only she knew. Day turned into dusk. The darkening twilight sky and the setting sun were only making Mayuri’s pulse grow as she was waiting to see Krisha dance only to see her hopes going in vain once again. “Ma, please not now. I am tired. We’ll do it tomorrow for sure.” “But Krisha, how about just showing me little of what you have learnt.” Krisha, on the other hand, went to her room ignoring her mother’s requests as always. The next day Mayuri was quite than usual. Krisha well understood her mother’s silent treatment.   “Okay Ma, let’s dance when I get back from school”, Krisha tried to lighten the atmosphere. Mayuri just gave her a faint smile and waved her customary goodbye as she boarded the bus. While Krisha was away, Mayuri started contemplating her thoughts once again. “Am I really forcing Krisha to indulge in something she never enjoyed?’  “But I know this is best for her and she’ll get plethora of opportunities which I didn’t get”. “Yes…the opportunities I didn’t get. No no no I am not trying to relive my dreams through Krisha, or……..Am I?” She put all her thoughts at bay and assured herself that she’s doing right. This time Mayuri followed Krisha to her dance school but little did she know that she was in for the shock of her life. “Ma, I am back”, Krisha’s voice was like turbulence for Mayuri. “And Thud!” Krisha heard the loud slap on her face. With tears tickling down, she raised her eyes, only to find her mother’s eyes fuming with rage.  “You were not going to dance class since god knows how many days.” Krisha tried to say something while sobbing….. “Don’t you dare open your mouth.I have been toiling myself here only to see you excel in dancing and this is how you repayed me” “Enough Ma, I already told you I don’t like it. Why do you have to be so inconsiderate? Did you ever bother to ask what are my likes and dislikes? You were never a good mother” “You were never a good mother” the words echoed like thousand knives stabbing Mayuri. She fell on the ground, as if lifeless. While Mayuri was trying to fathom what just happened, Krisha again spoke, “You never seemed happy. Sometimes I see you like an expressionless and emotionless robot who’s programmed to do mandate chores. Do we even have a connection?” Mayuri was so numb that she didn’t even know when Krisha stormed out of the house. Mayuri picked her broken pieces and sat on sofa. Finally she dared to open her photo album and with tears trickling down, she restlessly flipped through the pages. With each photograph, she tried to relive the days when she herself used to be the best dancer of her time. She anxiously waited for Krisha to come back. “Krisha, can we please talk?” Mayuri tried to strike a conversation. “I am sorry Ma. I didn’t mean to…..” “No beta, I am sorry. I went way too far. But I want to show you something” Mayuri handed her the photo album. Krisha was bewildered as she flipped through the pages. “Ma……you…….this, I mean what’s this? “Words ditched Krisha. “Yes Krisha. This was me.” “I used to be the best dancer of my time. But as fate would have it, I got married at tender age of sixteen and bore you at seventeen. Of course, it wasn’t a happy marriage. I endured every suffering only because of you and secondly I didn’t know why, but he allowed me to continue with my passion for dancing, until one day, when someone told him that I could make even more than him, if I choose dance as a profession.” Krisha listened to her mother with shock. Mayuri continued, “That night he came home and beat me black and blue and tried to damage my legs, thinking that I won’t be able to dance anymore. As if that wasn’t enough, he laid his eyes on you and before he could do anything, I hit him with a rod and ran away with you. What happened to him after that, I do not know. But that day onwards, I dreaded dancing. Something that was about to take my daughter’s life, can’t be my life. But I also didn’t know when my passion turned into obsession to see you dance. I admit that I tried reliving my dreams through you and I am sorry.” Mayuri was actually shattered today. The storm she’d carefully been dealing with in her heart since so many days had now taken the fierce form and destroyed everything or so she thought. Krisha hugged her mother tight and together they cried as if washing all the miseries with tears. “Ma, it’s pretty evident that dance is like oxygen to you so it’s actually you who deserve to be a part of it and not me.” *** Today, as Mayuri drew the curtains, she allowed sun rays caress her ever so confident face. The chirping of birds echoed like a melody in the entire living room. The windchimes for the first time, gave her a new hope and the photo album boasted of the struggles followed by success stories of Mayuri and Krisha. It’s been three years since the mother daughter meltdown. “Ma, hurry up else we’ll be late for our own inaugural ceremony. Both Mayuri and Krisha reached the venue. It was the same Natraj sculpture at the entrance and the place had same aesthetic vibes as Krisha's dance school. The only difference was the board above, which read ‘Mayuri Loves Dance’.  “New dawn had knocked the door for us” Krisha was feeling proud watching her mother swaying to tunes and music of Kathak and her students following. “The struggle indeed paid off”, thought Krisha as victorious smile spread across her face.   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!