"What if the ugly duckling turned into a ugly swan?"
"Maybe she was never ugly to begin with."
✿-✿-✿-✿-✿
Fed up with the way she looks, Mira takes a drastic step of opting for cosm...
[DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains religious and cultural references. If you cannot handle that respectfully, I'd suggest you to leave-kindly and promptly.]
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E p i l o g u e
(part 1)
93 days later in Kolkata, India
If her mother hadn't urged her to leave the house, Mira would have never stepped out today. It was the biggest festival of the year-the whirling colors, spinning wheels, clouds of red color floating through the air were all really enchanting.
Momentarily, Mira forgot all her worries.
Had the streets of Calcutta always been this exciting? Mira had forgotten what it had felt like – to be standing with a feverish crowd, in-front of the poised, regal statue of Goddess Durga, chanting along the crowd– the glories of Durga. Letting herself drift away in the crowd's vigor, letting her bloodstream absorb every ounce of positivity, letting her mind, soul free itself- unwind deeper and deeper.
The past twenty-one days had been hurdle to get past- her mother was growing frailer by the day, the doctors were doing their best. They were staying in their old home- which brought too many unpleasant memories that she squelched painfully. Though her mother had been kinder, gentler- cleaning the house even when Mira told her not to, staring at her father's photograph endlessly, cooking meals for Mira- Mira couldn't forget the past.
It hurt immensely. The guilt-ridden expression of her mother, her worrying for Mira, her endlessly effort-even in her frail state- to make Mira feel better.
Running her hands through her always knotted curly hair, Mira found herself crying. No-one paid heed to her desperate sobs because she wasn't the only one. It was easier here- to be free, to grant all your worries to the glimmering statue of the goddess.
She would take care of her. She always did. She was a mother to her when the world called her an orphan. Though her blessing weren't apparent, Mira felt them- in her heart, keeping the fear at bay.
When she had lost hope, she brought Yudishter into her life. She watching over her and had granted the loveliest gift life could offer- love.
Yudishter.
Mira hadn't heard his voice, not a single phone-call or message had been exchanged. She didn't know that love could make you feel desperate- so hopelessly desperate yet strangely happy.
She missed him.
And somewhere in her heart, she knew that he missed her too.
Wiping her tears with back of her hand, she hummed the prayer with priests.
