Trivia: Kalpana’s mother died when she was yet to season from her teenage. Being the only daughter, she was left with none, but her father who had actually lived his life with a soft heart, which needed someone always. Hence, he remarried, and Kalpana got a step mother, for a cause.
It was the prideful morning of Republic day, Jan 26, two days after her birthday. The morning was bright & sunny, as if the last drops of mist were leaving the coast. Another day to begin her 23 years of life, free thoughts, free dreams but her realms were struggling to break the sharp fringes of autonomy that her step mother Jiya ran in the house. Kalpana didn’t mind entertaining people, even if they are the ones responsible for her losses. She considered herself a stronger person, and patient. All I have to do is tie a life-jacket around my chest & jump ‘HOLA’! They all planned another belated birthday celebration: which means another mannequinnic Kalpana rising outta her road-maniac look. In short, she dressed up and not to forget the fake smile that she bought from the weekend sale, to make her people happy. Although, she was fed up of dreaming, she was fed up of cutting fake giggles and serving as apples, she was fed up of thirst till her tongue turned white, she wanted to break free, but the basic guts were seamlessly loosing the sight.
Anyway the day had to be kicked-off hence Kalpana helped Jiya in the kitchen. While Jiya kept a swollen-neck face & a taunting eye for being part of the courtesy, Kalpana sighed again. She went out with her father to buy the vegetables & groceries. It was raining like usual and Kalpana loved rain. Rain was something that made her day as she exclaimed happily each time, the drops of rain soaked her rough hair as she splashed her toes! She again blotted off the harshness of the ones she loved. She smiled & walked into the kitchen, warmly holding Jiya & persuading her to relax. Jiya reacted impact-less & tightly hostile. A tiny line of pain scratched Kalpana’s smile. She helped out in cooking with scare & anguish, though failed to scream-out the frustration. She kept waiting for her father to look at her once & feel bad for her, though failed. The relatives came in by seven & sprinkled their expensive gifts quoted with price tags (Oh my god, I forgot to remove the tag) & social formalities of mentioning RSVP of the evening, several times. The kids loitered around the house as Kalpana played with them tirelessly but joyously, rubbing their little feet, kissing them several times & grabbing them in her arms as each time she felt numb! The evening went off, with Kalpana wearing the expensive clothes & forge smile.
Again the darkness took over and Kalpana looked around the dark corners of her room. Dead-tired, she dropped into her bed & pulled out her laptop. As the black LCD reflected back the Kalpana-self, whom she hadn’t met since the last night, her throat yelled for water. She drags herself to the refrigerator & freezes momentarily. Another night nested, with not a single drop of water for her, while she looked at the empty water jug lying ruthlessly on the table as her step mother lies cozily in her bed bordered with the last four water cans.
