Cherished Date! Poem by Aarzoo Mehek

The shrill ringing of the phone broke the deadly silence of the room, intruding into her chain of thoughts that was troubling her. With a bit of irritation on her face, She tried to reach the telephone...Listening to the voice of the man on the otherside her face paled and was etched with pain, regret and helplessness, before she could even voice her words the phone was banged down and that sickening feeling of rejection consumed her. She fell with a slump on the bed her tired and drained body reflecting the rejection, the tears running unstopable down her cheeks. She didnt realised that her daughter stood by the door watching her plight a questioning look on her face when she raised her head. Her daughter slowly asked her, That was him on the phone right? nodding her head she summed up her strength and tried to smile through her tears.

As the quote says ' The show must go on' She picked herself up and immersed herself in the household chores. Couple of hours later she heard a voice behind her...'Mom will you come out with me..I've a surprise for you'...She immediately said No not realising that she was breaking her daughters heart...Her daughter left quietly just as she realised what she had done...She went and hugged her daughter and softly asked her Where are you taking me? She said 'Now thats a surprise, come on just go n freshen up and wear something beautiful which makes you happy'....She just did that inspite of her reluctance...As they left home the sun was setting and she wondered where her daughter was taking her.As the scooter turned into the highway surprised she asked her daughter 'now what are you upto? ..don't you know it's dangerouse to venture on this busy highway with heavy vehicles..' Laughing she responded 'thats the surprise mom...You just enjoy the ride..' Moving ahead in the dark she could feel the loneliness engulfing her allover again, as the soft breeze played with her hair, she could see her life passing by. As the darkness filled the horizon, the eerie feeling of two women riding alone on a two wheeler on a busy highway increased. A soft voice broke into her thoughts '.Mom this time I'am taking you on a ride in scooter but InshAllah next time will take you on a four wheeler just let me complete my studies..then we will have a gala time ' Soon she started sharing all her dreams, her desires, her wishes with lots of promises to take care of her.With moisten eyes realisation suddenly struck, she realised that even in her loneliest moments, there was her daughter with her, a daughter who cared genuinely...She stopped her scooter at a highway restaurant and said 'Mom I'am dating the most beautiful woman on earth.'.She took her for dinner then pampered her with a cd as she knew music was her salvation..she made her laugh with her school and college anecdotes, so much till tears rolled down her eyes.

When she asked her daughter, 'where did you have the money for all this? ' She replied ' I have been saving to to get you a gift but watching you breakdown, I thought I should pamper you with a date to perk you up.'

A most cherished date that made a mom feel the most gifted in life...The begining of a new friendship, where she realized her daughter is sensible and grown up enough to
understand her pain.


© Aarzoo Mehek