Periods, Pyaar And Patriarchy

Chapter Eight

Seema is glowing different these days. With both daughters back home- this was almost the first time in three years that all three of them would be together for long. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed her daughters and how incredibly proud she was of them until she saw them that morning. It wasn't anything spectacular in particular. Shweta looking all groggy and sleepy still in her pyjamas, Shruti with her hair (thankfully black) and a little messy, lounging on the living room sofa.

With Shweta draping her legs lazily on the centre table- a habit Seema never managed to scare her out of. They had grown up to be such different women from what Seema had hoped they would be-but somehow, she realized she wasn't less proud of them. She was worried- without a doubt. Her eldest seemed so confident to spread her wings and land in a foreign nation, continents apart. Seema wasn't sure she shared Shruti's confidence.

All she saw was a skinny little girl whose image overlapped with her vision of her daughter now. Maybe it was a mother's vision- may be a mother's vision is always faulty. And then there was Shweta, her little rebel- her once extremely angsty teen who has softened down so much. Seema wasn't sure if she should celebrate Shweta turning mature or lament losing her fieriness.

When she realizes that the girls have no intention of going to a yoga class before she pushes them to do so, Seema sighs. Carefully she arranges her expression to look slightly stern and says, "So, no plans for exercise today, then?"

"Maa." Shruti drawls. "Sit down, na. Let's hear what's going on at the hospital."

"Shruti," Seema says, with a little smile and shake of her head but then catches herself softening. "What's going at the hospital is sickness and death! Two things I wouldn't want my daughters to have. So, will you go to the yoga class now? For god's sake, I've already registered you both and paid for it!" She manages to guilt them effortlessly; the Asian parent in her rising.

"We will, maa." Shweta smiles lazily. "Why don't you join us?"

"And who will put the bread on the table if I loiter around in yoga classes?" Seem asks and Shweta laughs. "Maa, don't you want to join us?"

"Stretch around in different asanas?" Shruti adds along and Seema laughs, despite herself.

"No." She says, after a while and shakes her head. "Get ready, girls. If I don't get you out of the house myself, you both never will."

Sighing, Shweta and Shruti get upstairs. There's a little bit of drama that unfolds right after Shruti dresses up for her yoga class as is prone to happen when you mix words like pink sport bras and mothers. When Shruti walks downstairs only in her sports' bra and yoga pants, Shweta's eyes widen and Seema almost faints. "You're not in Europe, yet! And no, my daughters are not going to walk in the streets in their underwear!"

Shweta muffles a laugh as Seema admonishes Shruti- it felt nice to not be at the receiving end of her mother's scolding for once. She herself was clad in an oversized t-shirt that covered her buttocks and was clothed enough to go for a walk in a conservative regime.

"Are you happy now?" Shruti asks, a little miffed having changed into a t-shirt similar to Shweta's.

"Very happy. I think I've received enlightenment now." Seema says, sarcastically and Shweta giggles.

"Have a great day ahead. Here are the keys." Seema says, as she gets into the car. The girls had decided to walk to the yoga studio. It wasn't very far and they had decided they wanted to become 'healthy'.

"Don't stop for juices and street food." Seema warns and the girls nod their heads. "And Shruti, please keep your t-shirt on!"

"Maa!" Shruti exclaims and Seema laughs as she revs up the Chevrolet and heads for work.