My Mother (Two Shots)

Part 1

'Ring! Ring!' my alarm clock rings. I angrily stop the alarm clock and get up from my bed, still drowsing. I go in front of the calendar hanging on the opposite wall and see that today is First October.

Mom! It's your birthday today.

My sleepiness vanishes and my eyes widen as it flashes upon me that today is my mother's birthday. Suddenly my face turns pale as I remember the incident which happened before one month. And for which my mother doesn't talk with me properly till this day:

*Flashback*

I ring the doorbell on the big brown door with intricate wooden carvings of our elegant bungalow. The door opens with a squeal and I see the most beautiful face of the world smiling in front of me affectionately. That's my mom. I feel rejuvenated even after the tiring day in college.

I jump in to hug her, "Mom! I am back. Yay!"

Giggling softly my mother breaks the hug and says, "You're rejoicing as if you are coming home after a long time. Drama queen," she rolls her almond shaped dark brown eyes.

I too roll my big hazel brown eyes and scrunch my nose, "Drama queen and me! Oh yes! Your ever cute Drama queen,"

She arches her eyebrows, "Okay, okay. Now end your acting and freshen up. I am preparing the food,"

"Coming mom!" I yell as I head upstairs to my room.

I change into a pink top and tracksuit and rush towards the bathroom. I am always rushing and that's why 'Clumsy' is my middle name.

Anyway, I open the tap water and as the cold water from the faucet rinses and soothes my hands and then face, I think, Today I will tell you mom. Today is the day to break everything forth to you. Yes!

"Mom!"

My mother looks up at me as I pull a chair from the dining table and place myself on the plush violet cushion.

"Hmm...I guess my Drama Queen is about to tell me something. What? Another test and another great show of numbers," she wriggles her eyebrows playfully at me and places a chapatti with my favorite mango pickle on my plate.

Resisting the urge to attack the delicacy, I sigh and bit my lip, "Uh! No mom. It's something... something..." My hands sweat showing the nervousness building up inside me.

"Something what Anya?" she says as she pulls another chair and sits.

"W-well, I j-just wanted to say that...that...I am in love," I manage to speak the words and close my eyes in anticipation of the following events.

"And who is it?" My mom had gotten up again to arrange the other plates, but hearing my confession she stilled and anxiously looked at me.

A pang of shock and fear takes over me as I notice the change of expression in her tone. Won't she accept my love life? Will she not agree?

Controlling the rush of questions in my head, I take a deep breath and face the white marble floor saying, "Akash Roy, my classmate."

Crash!

Hearing the crash of a plate falling on the floor, I look up at her with utter shock in my eyes. Her eyes reflected the shock as she knits her eyebrows into a deep frown.

"Anya!"

A shocked baritone startles the both of us and we turn our heads to our sides to face my father standing on the doorway with expression of shock on his face.