Teri Meri Kahaniyan

Dua

Mallika Singh as Dua

"DUA"

Dua knew it was not going to be easy. But she had to confront him. She took a deep breath and entered her parents room with a paper in her hand. Her mother was away for a kitty party. And her father was just randomly singing a song when she entered and when he saw her enter, he gave a flushy smile and sang the song looking at her.

"And if you ask me to, Daddy's going to buy you a mockingbird
I am going to give you the world
I am going to buy a diamond ring for you, I'ma sing for you
I'll do anything for you to see you smile" her sang.

The song made Dua's lips flicker into a smile, she almost forgot about the paper which was more of a document actually.

"What brought you to my room Dua?, I thought you were cleaning the store room."
Her father casually inquired.

The paper's content just flushed infront of her eyes and her lips became a straight line.

"Are you hiding something dad?"
She asked with a suspicion drawn eyebrows.

"Yes. I lied to you."
He said.

"About what?" She was being extremely patient when her heart was about to blast.
"I failed in science when I was in 9th grade, I did not top as I told you. You found my marksheet, right?"

She gave him a death stare.
She handed over the paper to him. His face became tensed. He took off his glasses after he read the document. His eyes shot up to Dua. His face could prominently express the shock and fear the piece of paper gave him, especially because Dua had found it.

"Is it true, dad?"

The tremblence in her voice shouted how badly she wanted the answer to be 'no'. She was the only child and they say 'The only children do not take a no for an answer' but not in this case. Her father could not lie. He stood silent, did not even make an eye contact. They say 'Silence speaks more than words' It really does. Dua got her answer. She could not belive it.

"Adoption papers? My adoption papers!. Am I adopted Dad.?" She asked holding herself together.

Collen Hoover was right when she said 'Naked truths are not always pretty' Every part of Dua knew the truth but a bit of her wanted the truth to be a lie.

"Yes" her father confessed after making a eye contact.

Dua dropped herself on the chair. Her tears were of disbelief and shock and not grief and denial. She looked up to her father who was standing like a criminal stands in jail infrot of the most fierce officer...helpless.

"No, how? I saw my pictures as a baby. You just sang a song to me. You guys love me. Parents do not love adopted children." She spoke,

her father kneed in front of her and spoke with utter concern in his voice

"No, who told you Parents do not love adopted kids?"

"I read in books, I saw in moives, I heard people say."

She said in speed of Rajasthani express because of the anxiety that she was burying inside her and even though she felt her life was crashing down, she was trying to act mature.

"It is all fiction Dua. Bollywood and books are not life. People are just not worth listening to. Me and you mother after three years of marriage, could not conceive. I remember you mother praying to Santan Lakshmi everyday for a child. Someone left you at our doorstep exactly they day after we performed a holy fire prayer for a child. You were one month old. We named you Dua because you were the answer of our prayers. And Dua, we love you my princess. We really do. You know it."

He dad explained with sheer calmness in his voice.
Dua was trying to process it.

"We did conceive four years later but we wanted to give all our attention to you. Truth is like the sun Dua, it will always be there. We were going to tell you once you were old enough to understand all of this."

Dua felt overwhelmed as she looked at the family photos on the wall.  She gave her dad the tightest hug. She was not sad about being adopted. She was grateful.

"I am grateful of you and mom, dad. And others get their children in a normal way but God chose me for you both. I am happy about it. Despite of being adopted, you both gave me everything ever wanted. A perfect school, perfect environment, a perfect family for fifteen years. Why should I cry over it? Come one now, make me tea!"

She said giving a bright smile. Her dad laughed with tears in his eyes.

Dua's mother came home. She had brought cupcakes for Dua. Dua told her mom that knows she is adopted. First her mom was about to cry. Dua stopped her by saying she was happy about it. Then her mother cried because she was happy that Dua was happy about being adopted. Mothers you know! Dua comforted her mother.

"Women" her father said taking sip of his tea.

They hang the adoption papers in the hall. Accepting that Dua is adopted and there is not a need to hide it from her or from society. Society looks down at the adopted children. Why? Because they are not their own blood. Their blood is their pride they say. But how badly the pride crushes down when their own blood disowns them when they grow old.
Accepting adoption is a real need in India and in the world today. Its a taboo in must of the communities.
It just needs heart full of love someone unconditionally, and parenthood is not come with blood relation, It is about loving, valuing, neutering and cherishing a child.
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