Not Just a Knot

Part-1

" Hello, ma..."
"Annu, how was the meeting beta? Did you like Charan?" Ananya's mom asked, enthusiastically.
"Can I have a glass of water, first?" Ananya muttered, collapsing on the couch.
"Okay, wait..." she went in and came back with a glass of water.
"Now, tell me" she enquired.
"Let me have it, na "Ananya made a face.
"Answer me first, you can have it after that" she latched the glass back.
"Who does that mom? No mom would ever do that to her daughter. Give it to me first." Ananya mumbled, fighting for water.
"God, this girl!" She inhaled long and gave her water.

Ananya gulped the water and wiped her mouth with her mom's dupatta.

"Now, tell me" smiled, Ananya.
"I was asking about the meeting with Charan. Do you like him?" She asked yet again.
"Charan? Who's Charan?" Ananya asked twitching her nose.
"Charan, Kashish aunty's son, who was supposed to meet you for the marriage proposal today. Didn't you meet him?" She asked.
"Oh, yeah! Charan... yes, he is nice and the meeting was good." Ananya said shortly.
"I wish this goes well. His father is an Engineer too. They own a company. They are a Good family, you see. I so wanted you to be their daughter -in-law." She muttered, caressing Ananya's hair while Ananya faked a smile and went to her room.

"Freshen up and come down beta! We will go to the temple. "She crooned.
"Ma, I'm tired and we will go in the weekend na, please," Ananya shouted back, before latching her door.

"I've asked panditji to perform a special puja on your behalf. I want this proposal to workout,"she mumbled.
"Ma, please... Let it go na. Not a big deal."Ananya squeaked.
"What do you mean by not a big deal? Of course it is a big deal. It's your 22nd proposal Ananya, and I wanted you to settle down soon." She yelled.
"Mom, I've got a job, I can earn my money and I've got good friends in my life and why do you think that I'm not settled yet?"Ananya questioned.
"Stop that nonsense Ananya. You knew my answer very well. In our society, marriage is the only way of settlement for a woman." She stated.
"I don't bother about that," Ananya squealed.

Just then, Ananya's mother gets a phone call and after that, she straight away goes to the kitchen.

Ananya could hear the crackling sounds of the cutlery from the kitchen and goes there.

"Ma" Ananya mumbled faintly.
"Don't talk to me."She yelled.
"Ma,but..."
"Why are you doing this to me Ananya? It feels like a revenge on me." She raged.
"Ma, what did I do?" Ananya was very polite.
"What did you do? You've successfully ruined this proposal too. I don't get this. How come everyone rejects you? It was all my fault. After all it has got something wrong in my upbringing." She burst into tears.
"Ma, please don't say that. You are the best mother in the world." Ananya tried her best to convince her.
"Maybe I'm a good mother but, you? You are not a good daughter Annu. You failed me again. "She mouthed, wiping her tears and went to her room.

Ananya went back to her room and the sad face of her mom is flashing again and again.

After an hour or so, her Dad came home and Ananya told about the past incidents that took place.

"Hmm... I'll talk to your mom beta! Go and take some rest." His dad muttered calmly.
"Thanks, Papa," Ananya mumbled and smiled a little.

Later that night, she held her wish list in her hand and sat at the window, looking at the star studded sky and mumbled in her mouth,

I'm hurting my mom for myself. Maybe I'm not a good daughter but, I'm not a bad person either. Every person has a dream and I'm not indifferent. One day, All my wishes would come true.
Just then, a star twinkled bright in the sky maybe granting her wishes.