Beautiful Infatuation

Chapter 26

And, no matter how many times, Ananya wanted to discard the truth as a lie, she couldn't.

"You are my ma!" She insisted.

Meena gave a meek smile to her.

"I am. But, I can never take my sister's place...your mother's place." She said but before she could elaborate, Ananya interrupted in frustration.

"Giving birth does not make someone a mother! You took care of me and bhai when our mother left us for another man! The one who takes responsibility for the child is the real mother. For me, you are my mother. Not that woman who abandoned her own children!" Ananya fumed.

"Don't talk about your mother this way, Ananya." Meena added sternly.

"Why not? Tell me. Did I say anything wrong? Maasi?" Ananya asked to which Meena sighed.

They had this conversation a few years back, too. But, no matter what Meena would say, Ananya would always hate her mother. She couldn't blame her either.

"I am sure that my sister had her reasons." Meena again tried to justify her sister.

They were silent for a while before Ananya spoke again.

"I am not a mother, yet. But, I know that I'd never abandon my child in any case! I'll fight for it till I die. How can I then accept that woman as my mother who left me and bhai...that too for another man? I don't even remember her face! But, I know, bhai does. And, I know that he still misses her. He still carries her photograph in his wallet, for God's sake! He loved her so much! But, she left him too!... How...how could she leave me behind? She clearly knew that her husband would kill me if she'd leave me, since everyone knew that I was illegitimate. I am a product of her infidelity, after all! But, she left me! She left me when she knew that I'd be tortured forever. But, still...she left me." Ananya's voice choked as tears fell freely now.

Meena quickly hugged her and caressed her head to calm her down.

"Then, you took our responsibility. Papa married you to punish my mother. Despite knowing everything about him, you married him. You left all your dreams and freedom...for us. You took care of me and bhai as our mother would never have. I have only seen you. I only have your memories. Even though you live away from me, I only think of you. You are not just my maasi, you are much more than my mother. You are my ma." Ananya completed slowly.

Meena sighed before giving her an explanation.

"When you call me 'ma', you link me with Viraj's father. But, when you call me 'maasi', you relate me with my sister. I want to be related to my sister...and not that psycho person." Meena explained.

Ananya looked at her in confusion.

"Why do you love her so much? She ruined your life when she knew everything. She knew father would hurt you to take his so-called revenge. Why do you still take her side?" Ananya asked.

"Because, I know my sister. I know everything about her life. I know that she was tortured every second that she lived with him. His love for her was her poison...her shackles. Why wouldn't she try to run away?" Meena said while referring to Viraj's father.

"Then why did she conceive me with another man? Why did she complicate things for herself, bhai, you and...me? She would have just run away somewhere and never come back!"

"Love is not easy to ignore, my dear! Your father showed her the life that Viraj's father never did. She loved your father..."

"And not her own children? No matter how much you justify her, maasi, I will always hate her."