Fitoor | ✓

EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

"So, it turned out we didn't have twins after all."

Pari groaned and face palmed herself, "I know, maa. You've told me a hundred times." She shook her head and covered her ears with the cushions as Tara started reminiscing other stories from her childhood. Pari was twenty today and in twenty years she had heard her mother's stories more than twenty thousand times.

"Maa, I am pretty sure I know everything from my childhood and your childhood and papa's childhood by heart. Please don't make me hear them again."

Tara smiled at Pari whimsically. She knew her daughter secretly loved to listen to these stories but would never admit it. She kissed Pari's cheek and tapped her head and then pulled the sheets over her. Pari was visiting home from college. Both Lekh and Tara always made sure they celebrated Pari's birthday together. Today, when she had turned twenty, Tara also had another reason she wanted Pari with her.

She got up and turned off the lights and put on the small lamp and went back to lay next to Pari.

"There's another story that you might want to hear about."

"Do I know it already?" Pari asked, yawning. She was slightly exerted, the three of them had gone out to celebrate and had a gala time. Lekh was already asleep in the next room.

"No, not this one." Tara smiled, looking at her.

With piqued curiosity, Pari raised her brows, "Really?"

"Really."

"You know your father had an elder brother."

Pari nodded excitedly, immediately sitting up to listen about him. Throughout her life, this brother of her father's was a big mystery to her. His photo hung in their home and her grandparents' but they all seldom spoke about him. She knew he had died before she was born but they never told her much more. They always changed the subject or averted their gazes if Pari ever tried to bring him up in conversations casually.

She assumed his death was too painful for them to talk about but was always curious why her own mother never talked about him. As far as Pari was concerned, she hadn't even met him and so why bringing him up affected her mother so much was lost on her.

And so today, when Tara had finally brought him up herself, Pari was beyond excited.

"Tell me about him!"

Tara smiled sadly.

"His name was Kartavya and he was in the army."

"Oh! I guessed so, but shouldn't you all be prouder? I don't get why everyone refuses to talk about him."

Pari's questions about Kartavya, while innocent, always pained Tara. Ever since she was a little child, Pari was always inquisitive just like Kartavya and she seemed to have a particular interest in knowing more about him.

"I was married to him." Tara voice was a whisper, almost gone unheard. Almost.

Pari's eyes widened in shock and she was momentarily left speechless. "You were married to him?" she repeated, unable to digest it.

The Rajputs had always hidden this part of their lives from Pari, not wanting to burden a child from a loss she hadn't really endured. Tara always knew one day she would tell her daughter the truth but when she did, she wanted to tell her the whole story. Things that till date only some people knew. Even Ranjan hadn't found out the truth after twenty years.

Pari deserved to know that she was a daughter of a fallen soldier and Kartavya's memory had to be commemorated. Tara gently ran her hand on Pari's head, getting close to her as Pari put her head on her mother's shoulder for support.