Blood Moon Prophecy Part-1
Coming out of the exam hall Sharon heaved a sigh of relief. It was the anticipation of this moment which kept her going through the gruelling exam weeks. Like most of us, Sharon too despises all kinds of examination and fervently prays for it to end soon whenever she is faced with one but this time her prayers had an unusual sense of urgency.
Her exuberance and conviviality slowed down her progress towards to the home to such an extent that when she reached her home she found her mother sitting at the front gate with a sullen expression.
Martha, Sharon's mother also shared the convivial disposition of her daughter but any transgression of her rules by Sharon or her dad pushed her into an abyss of gloominess. And Sharon, for one was too familiar with the ebbs and flows of her mother's moods to exacerbate the situation. So, as she reached the threshold of her home her mother launched her blitzkrieg attack and Sharon had the better sense to keep quiet and let the storm pass.
"So you think this is a park with no time restriction, whatsoever?" Martha launched her first missile.
"From where have you got the notion that you can flout the rules just because it's the last day of your exams?"
"Or have you written your paper so exceedingly well that you don't think it's necessary to come back home?"
And on and on went the missiles Martha kept reserved for such occasion. Finally, when she was satisfied of having completely assailed her opponent did she order Sharon to get inside and resumed her usual affectionate demeanour.
Having had survived the ambush by her mother, Sharon was in no mood for another surprise attack. But as she entered the living room, Sharon was once again thrown off her guard, albeit this time it was in a way more pleasant manner. The dining table was laden with a sumptuous menu all of which featured high in Sharon's list of favourite food.
Seeing her daughter petrified in the middle of the living room Martha spoke in a nonchalant manner, "You think that mom is here only to scold you. Neither does she cares for your happiness nor about the fact that today is your last day of exam. Also, mom is blind to your excitement about the trip. So, you decide to celebrate your freedom yourself. Though I don't blame you, after all an abandoned girl with no one to care for her is expected to look after herself and etch out her own happiness."
Sharon found her cheeks reddening and burning with shame. This sarcastic reminder of her mother's love and affection was more effective than the blitzkrieg attack which she survived at the threshold of her home.
Sharon does not usually transgress her mother rules. But she had been praying intently for so long for her exams to get over that when they finally got over she couldn't control her elation and went to a movie with her friends. Of course everybody wants their exams to get over soon and this universal fact does not elicit any explanation, however, Sharon had an added reason to do so. Sharon's dad had booked tickets to the picturesque Mizoram which also happens to be her maternal grandparents' home. It has been 5 years since Sharon and her parents shifted to Mumbai, and during these 5 years they had not visited Mizoram even once.
When Sharon was a little girl and her dad was posted in Kolkata, she used to visit her granny's home during summer vacation each year without fail. Her granny's home which is nestled among the tall, formidable mountains whose peaks are shrouded in clouds and the sleepy village which is tucked inside the lush green blanket are embedded deep in her psyche. When the fast-paced metro life wrings out the essence from Sharon's being, she turns to seek solace in the far flung, mystic, serene rural Mizoram which had a profound influence on her formative years and for which she is extremely grateful because unlike her rootless and anxiety-ridden friends she has the solace of having a firmly rooted identity. Despite her cosmopolitan culture and urban upbringing, Sharon is deeply connected to her roots and is extremely proud of it, too.
So, one day during dinner when her father dramatically informed Sharon and her mother that they will be going to Mizoram during Sharon's semester break, Sharon was rendered stunned quite true to the literal meaning of the world. It was a few minutes later that the full implication of her father's words dawned on her and it was then that she shouted her lungs out in joy and was reproached mildly by her mother, for Martha too was as excited as her daughter at the prospect of visiting her maternal home after 5 long years.
After having the sumptuous meal prepared by her mother to her heart's content, Sharon started helping her mother in packing the bags for they had their flight tomorrow early morning. At evening when her father returned from office the whole family busied themselves in packing, loading and ticking the items off the lists they had prepared. By dinner time they had managed to complete their packing and were left with three gigantic baggages. That night they went to bed early partly because they had their flight early next morning and mostly because they were tired to death after the hectic chore of packing.
As the next day dawned, Sharon and her parents left for the airport and boarded their plane which took off at its scheduled time. Fortunately, Sharon got the window seat. Looking out of the window she saw the fluffy, white clouds floating in a clear blue sky and was reminded of a similar blue, opalescent sky looking down on a sleepy village nestled among tall, snow-capped mountains.
............. To be continued
Her exuberance and conviviality slowed down her progress towards to the home to such an extent that when she reached her home she found her mother sitting at the front gate with a sullen expression.
Martha, Sharon's mother also shared the convivial disposition of her daughter but any transgression of her rules by Sharon or her dad pushed her into an abyss of gloominess. And Sharon, for one was too familiar with the ebbs and flows of her mother's moods to exacerbate the situation. So, as she reached the threshold of her home her mother launched her blitzkrieg attack and Sharon had the better sense to keep quiet and let the storm pass.
"So you think this is a park with no time restriction, whatsoever?" Martha launched her first missile.
"From where have you got the notion that you can flout the rules just because it's the last day of your exams?"
"Or have you written your paper so exceedingly well that you don't think it's necessary to come back home?"
And on and on went the missiles Martha kept reserved for such occasion. Finally, when she was satisfied of having completely assailed her opponent did she order Sharon to get inside and resumed her usual affectionate demeanour.
Having had survived the ambush by her mother, Sharon was in no mood for another surprise attack. But as she entered the living room, Sharon was once again thrown off her guard, albeit this time it was in a way more pleasant manner. The dining table was laden with a sumptuous menu all of which featured high in Sharon's list of favourite food.
Seeing her daughter petrified in the middle of the living room Martha spoke in a nonchalant manner, "You think that mom is here only to scold you. Neither does she cares for your happiness nor about the fact that today is your last day of exam. Also, mom is blind to your excitement about the trip. So, you decide to celebrate your freedom yourself. Though I don't blame you, after all an abandoned girl with no one to care for her is expected to look after herself and etch out her own happiness."
Sharon found her cheeks reddening and burning with shame. This sarcastic reminder of her mother's love and affection was more effective than the blitzkrieg attack which she survived at the threshold of her home.
Sharon does not usually transgress her mother rules. But she had been praying intently for so long for her exams to get over that when they finally got over she couldn't control her elation and went to a movie with her friends. Of course everybody wants their exams to get over soon and this universal fact does not elicit any explanation, however, Sharon had an added reason to do so. Sharon's dad had booked tickets to the picturesque Mizoram which also happens to be her maternal grandparents' home. It has been 5 years since Sharon and her parents shifted to Mumbai, and during these 5 years they had not visited Mizoram even once.
When Sharon was a little girl and her dad was posted in Kolkata, she used to visit her granny's home during summer vacation each year without fail. Her granny's home which is nestled among the tall, formidable mountains whose peaks are shrouded in clouds and the sleepy village which is tucked inside the lush green blanket are embedded deep in her psyche. When the fast-paced metro life wrings out the essence from Sharon's being, she turns to seek solace in the far flung, mystic, serene rural Mizoram which had a profound influence on her formative years and for which she is extremely grateful because unlike her rootless and anxiety-ridden friends she has the solace of having a firmly rooted identity. Despite her cosmopolitan culture and urban upbringing, Sharon is deeply connected to her roots and is extremely proud of it, too.
So, one day during dinner when her father dramatically informed Sharon and her mother that they will be going to Mizoram during Sharon's semester break, Sharon was rendered stunned quite true to the literal meaning of the world. It was a few minutes later that the full implication of her father's words dawned on her and it was then that she shouted her lungs out in joy and was reproached mildly by her mother, for Martha too was as excited as her daughter at the prospect of visiting her maternal home after 5 long years.
After having the sumptuous meal prepared by her mother to her heart's content, Sharon started helping her mother in packing the bags for they had their flight tomorrow early morning. At evening when her father returned from office the whole family busied themselves in packing, loading and ticking the items off the lists they had prepared. By dinner time they had managed to complete their packing and were left with three gigantic baggages. That night they went to bed early partly because they had their flight early next morning and mostly because they were tired to death after the hectic chore of packing.
As the next day dawned, Sharon and her parents left for the airport and boarded their plane which took off at its scheduled time. Fortunately, Sharon got the window seat. Looking out of the window she saw the fluffy, white clouds floating in a clear blue sky and was reminded of a similar blue, opalescent sky looking down on a sleepy village nestled among tall, snow-capped mountains.
............. To be continued
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