The Incomparable

Chapter 2. The reminiscences.

It was the late winter, 6 years ago, at the dusk after a really cold winter. Anhiti in her purple PJs with yellow socks on was in her room on the floor painting a picture, with her favourite set of crayons when father walked in and said,

"Hey Anhiti, do you want to do something interesting?"

She was nine back then. She smiled and said, "yes."

"Guess what I have in my hands?"

"A dinosaur?"

"No, it is a 'baby' mango tree" Sudheer said showing her the little sapling. "Remember the last spring when we went on a picnic together"

"yes, we went to that park and we carried orange juice, peanut butter and jelly sandwich my favourite"

That picnic was one of the first times when Anhiti had agreed to go somewhere. But when she did reach the place, she was welcomed with stares from the people around, that made her really uncomfortable. It took her father's reassuring eyes to lift her spirits up, to make her feel that she belonged.

Sudheer knew that place well it was his and Anita's favourite place to be and he was glad that he could take Anhiti there

To get her mind off the people he handed her the compass and told her to remember the trail so that they can find their way back home. Reassured, she smiled and focused on that compass and the road they were heading to. Soon, all the unpleasant gazes vanished away. They walked up the hill and found a mango tree standing tall. The view from that hill was breathtaking. Sudheer rolled out the old picnic mat that he and Anita used back then whenever they went out on a date. Anhiti helped Sudheer to unpack the food and drinks they had brought. "umm, I am hungry" Anhiti said smiling at her father excitedly. Unwrapping the sandwich and handing it over to her he looked at her and said, "did I tell you lately that you are my little princess?" They had a good time that evening, she really enjoyed the shade that the tree gave and she was amused with the fact that eventually those small buds would turn into fresh juicy mango. When it was the time to leave she wanted to take the mango tree home so that they could enjoy the shade in their garden and later that year enjoy the mangoes too. To calm her down he reminded her of the time they enjoyed together on the beach, where they wanted to stay forever but couldn't, so they got a few sea shells instead, as a memento.

''You can't always get what you want, but you make the best of what life has to offer" he had said breaking a branch off the tree and handing it to her. "Let's take this home for now and we will see what we can do about it later."

It took almost year for Sudheer to bring the tree, home. She was glad that he remembered. And in that cold late winter the father and the daughter went out to plant the tree.

He told Anhiti to hold on to the sapling as he dug hole and tilled the ground around it. It was when Sudheer was done digging; Anhiti finally gathered the courage to ask the question that had been bothering for some time now.

"Daddy, where is mommy?"

He paused, though he knew that one day he had to answer that question, he never found the right words to say. He looked at her and saw the pain and confusion in her eyes.

"Sometimes in life" said Sudheer, "we meet people and they go away but they leave a piece of them with you, and you carry it in everything that you do. Your mother she is right here he said pointing at his chest and right there pointing at her chest, now let's plant this tree and water it, it might be thirsty."

Gazing out at the now grown mango tree she questioned in her mind "Where are you now dad I really miss you.