Aalekh Sir, good evening, Sir, a lady in her late 50s came to welcome him at the entrance. Good evening, Mrs. Smith, Aalekh replied with a smile. She greeted both the girls too. Mirs. Smith showed the girls the whole place while Aalekh was meeting the staff.
Mrs. Smith, how long have you been working here? Tara asked casually while admiring the beauty of the place and Vidha was busy in taking selfies. For 6 years. Aalekh Sir started this restaurant with some of us destitute women 6 years ago and also got us trained. Then gradually the work and staff kept increasing, Tara had seen the respect and the admiration in her eyes and gestures for Aalekh that was not just for the Boss and now she understood why.
Both the ladies were talking about the beautiful gate artistry of the restaurant when they saw Aalekh coming to their direction. Now we should get something in our stomach too, Tara nodded before turning towards Vidha to call her, who was busy in taking selfies with each kind of flower and each adornment present in the garden. Miss Smith bowed a little to her boss before leaving. Aalekh smiled looking at the girls, Tara was insisting Vidha to come for dinner but Vidha isn't ready to leave the place, well the garden is actually wonderful.
Aalekh chuckled when he heard Vidha saying, you both go inside and place the order, I will reach 5 minutes, just before the food is served. Vidha threw her bag to Tara and she couldn't catch it. Vidha made a sorry face and mouthed please before getting back to taking selfies with different kind of flowers.
Aalekh came to help Tara in putting Vidha's things in her bag back. He frowned there is different ID and visiting cards of every place she had worked before. Why is she still keeping these cards in her bag, he asked. Well, I don't know, she likes to keep all these cards with her, Tara replied. What kind of obsession it is, Aalekh's remark making her chuckle.
This place is so peaceful, Tara said looking around. Yeh, it is far away from chaos of city. People come here when they want space from the busy life of the city or want some peace, Aalekh said and Tara wondered if he was already tired or his mood got off after coming to this place, well in both cases, what's the need to come here if he wasn't comfortable. Well, he owns this place idiot, Tara reminded herself.
How come this location is yet to be used by other hoteliers, umm I mean I didn't see any other hotel or restaurant near it?, Tara asked after a while. Because the area around this restaurant is mine and quite enough that no one can make anything near it and its beauty and peace can remain like this, Tara made O face and Aalekh chuckled at her expression.
Hey guys see the food is yet to be served, Vidha said in a winning tone, she was gasping as she had come running so that she would not be late.
So, what's the plan for tomorrow? Alekh asked as next day is Sunday. They were taking a walk in the garden after devouring the delicacies. But he frowned when Tara's happy face has changed to stoic. Bhaiya, I have to go to my friends tomorrow as they also asked me for party, Vidha was too excited for herself to feel the sadness of others. Tara, you also come naah, Vidha said excitedly. Umm Vidha what will I do there. You go and enjoy naah, Tara said convincing her. Hmm, Vidha knows she will feel left out with her friend circle so she didn't push her further.
Tara, you okay naah?, Aalekh asked as soon as she picked up his call. Aalekh did not ask about her inner turmoil in the restaurant as she was reluctant to talk perhaps one reason was, he didn't want to ruin the Vidha's joy and excitement today. He can sense that mention of the next day date made shift in her mood. Yeh I am fine, what would happen to me, Tara awkwardly laughed. What is tomorrow, Tara?, Aalekh asked directly without beating around the bus and Tara sighed. It's my birthday tomorrow, Aalekh noted the date in his mind, 28th December. But wait, shouldn't she be happy for tomorrow? Or she is sad to be here on her birthday without her friend or family, Aalekh thought, although she never talked about her family but he knew she was new to this city and only knows the people she works with or members of orphanage. Oh, wow, we will celebrate naah, we'll party in your place, as Tara doesn't like to go outside much. I think you should...., He just kept talking before Tara interrupted him. I don't celebrate my birthday, Tara said little harshly and regretted within a second. I am sorry, I was just......, Tara said apologetically after few seconds of silence, Aalekh was shocked to react anything as this is the first time Tara's tone was so bitter to him, Tara has scolded him many times before but it has always been her caring nature. Umm it's ok, I just..., Tara I'm here if you want to share, he understood that the bitterness in her voice was not for him but something else. He wanted her to let him enter her past life too just like he was doing, slowly yet steadily but he cannot force her to share things with him.
Tara was used to keeping things inside all the time. She was always told to do things but never asked about her wish about her pain and she did, she always did what she was told to do, as society expects an ideal girl or woman to do. She had been taught to accept everything elders says. But when she couldn't accept anymore, she left them she left her whole past life. She wanted to start a new life with new memories and she buried those memories whether they were good or bad in her heart to start a new journey but one cannot completely move beyond the past. One question about a day, her birthday, opened her buried memories. One can run away from place, people, situation but can't run away from memories.
Umm, my second birthday, I was..., she was struggling to find right words. Hmmm, he hmm-ed to encourage her to talk further. I... I was.. I was told that I was the ca...cause of my mother's death, her voice was shivering due to unknown fear, perhaps her fear is actually her acceptance of what was told to her or maybe she's just afraid to talk about those memories. It was hard for her too to discern the actual reason of her own fear. He could feel the anger rising within himself that how could someone blame a 2-year-old kid for her mother's death. It shows the cruelty and inhumanity of those, by whom it was told to her.
Umm, I was insisting, crying and screaming for some doll. Mumma said she will bring me that in next day as it was raining cats and dogs. But I was so stubborn to understand, eventually she had to go to the market but she had gone through a terrible accident. Papa did everything to save her. She was in a coma for 6 days before going to another world.... well, that's all I heard about how I pushed her to death, Aalekh heart pricked by her words, she was so small to understand all the things going around and was punishing herself for the crime which she actually never did and was too young to remember anything. But the thing shook him was her extreme calm voice which showed no pain nothing just an emotionless voice. It seems she said all the things just to sake of saying.
Tara, his trembling voice made her astonished as his voice shivering because he was feeling her pain. It's so long, it's not hurting anymore, she said as his cracking voice did something in her heart. He let out a deep and heavy sigh to compose himself. Tara please don't do this. Even Mumma's soul will not be able to be in peace seeing you blaming yourself. Wherever she is, she just wants to see you happy. Being happy, it is the only thing you can and should do for her, Aalekh desperately wanted her to believe his words and wanted to see her happy without any baggage of self-loathing. Tara only hmm-ed at his statement and Aalekh let out a sigh.
Aalekh somewhere felt happy as this is the first time Tara was talking about her family, her past with him. Tara on the other hand also felt the warmth that Aalekh is someone she can lean on. He not only felt her pain but he also made her feel her own pain, which she kept inside for years and it made her rigid towards everyone. Sharing things with others is a very big thing for Tara, she never did it, Aalekh is first person who wanted to listen to her. Although she didn't cry, she couldn't let her emotions out through tears but still talking about her past is enough to make her feel lighter than before.
It was a Small Yet Firm Step to release her rigidness towards the people. It was her Small Yet Firm Step towards the path that connects her heart with the heart of Aalekh.
Aalekh didn't want her to avoid her birthday anymore. He wanted to make her feel special on this birthday. He wanted to replace her painful memories with the new pleasant, joyful memories. So, he wanted to plan something special for her on her special day, which was not so special for her till today.
Tara was in deep thought after talking to the Aalekh. She knew that what Aalekh had said was true. Nor did she blame herself for the death of her mother. Yes, she used to blame herself in childhood but after an age, she understood that a 2-year-old girl cannot be responsible for harm not only to her mother but to anyone.
But what stops her from celebrating this day is her bitter childhood memories that engulf her mind by just a thought of celebrating this day. Tara did not want to remember those bitter memories but could not stop them from constantly roaming in her mind.
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General FictionSo the story is revolved around 2 alone and broken individuals, both were all alone since their birth but one's loneliness was visible while other's was not. The Story is about the girl who was once all about obedience but only once she didn't obli...
