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She could also see her father, Jeewan Malhotra, a tall, stern figure looking father has left for the heavenly abode. He had been very sick after you left.
straight at her. For the first time, she had seen him happy that day. He had Yuvraj had gone abroad for higher studies and got married to an American girl.
always wanted a son but after Maya was born her mother had given birth to Your sick father desired to see him but he had no time”.
two still born boys. That was precisely the reason that her father hated her. He Maya cried even louder. She, amidst stifled cries, asked her mother, "Maa! Did
thought she was a curse to the family and would discuss it with her he ever remember me"?
mother…audible enough for Maya to hear. Maya was too young to fathom
how she was the curse but she always felt unwanted. Malini spoke very softly, "Yes dear! Many a time, I saw him sitting alone with
your picture in the study. He would be murmuring something to himself.
Her father did not permit her to touch her brother and remembered how one Perhaps he wanted to talk to you."
day he had slapped her hard when she tried to kiss her baby brother. Many a
time, her father would hurl abuses at her mother Malini. Maya ran to her father's study. She saw the picture of her father in a glass photo
frame on the study table. She picked it up and her tears fell on his eyes in the
"I have time and again asked you to keep Maya away from this boy. She is a picture. She could see tears in his eyes running down his cheeks in the picture.
curse walking this home," he would say in utter disgust. It seemed as if both of them were crying. She cried and sobbed. She had

Malini would cry in solitude but she was a timid lady who would feel sorry for forgiven Jeewan. Perhaps Jeewan was not a person but a patriarchal mind-set
her daughter but had no control over the situation created by her husband. in a feudal Indian home.
Maya had an unhappy childhood so she sought love outside. When she was Maya wiped the picture with her veil when she saw Malini standing just
twenty five years of age, she fell in love with Gaurav, a boy from Maharashtra behind her.
who was working in a nationalised bank in Shimla. Malini putting a hand on Maya's shoulder said, "Maya, he left a sealed
Her father was not happy with her choice but her mother wanted to see her envelope for you and told me that only you would open it. It is in his drawer".
happy so she encouraged her to marry Gaurav secretly. Maya hurriedly opened the drawer. She took the envelope and ran to the
Maya had no choice. She did not want to lose the love of her life. She married terrace. It was drizzling but she didn't care. She thought it was the last letter
My Daughter Maya from her mother. "Come home Maya";The most disturbing fact was that this Gaurav secretly against the wishes of her father. After mustering much courage from her father and she wanted privacy. She opened it very carefully and was
was the only message she had received from her mother after her marriage. She they came home to seek the blessings of Jeewan and Malini. But Jeewan surprised to see that it was her picture.
had immediately booked her tickets and checked into a hotel on reaching refused to meet her and asked her to leave the house forever. So her father loved her. She was crying both in sorrow and in joy. As she saw the
Shimla.
Maya was sitting in the cafe on the Mall road. It was raining heavily outside Sitting in the cafe Maya could not decide on the next step. Home was just at a Maya had left for Mumbai after marriage and she was coming to Shimla after back side of the picture, she could not believe her eyes. There were three words
but that was nothing unusual in Shimla. ten years now. Malini had also never tried to contact her as she knew that Maya written by her father.
short distance from the cafe and yet she could not muster the courage to get up was happy in her own small world and that was all she desired.
Maya picked up her mobile and after some deliberation kept it back on the and go home. She read them again and again and came running down to Malini. Both of
table. She picked it up again but seemed a little nervous. She was looking She suddenly got up, wiped her tears, cleared the bill and walked out. The rain That one message from her mother after ten years was like an emergency call them read the three words with eyes turned red due to profuse weeping.
visibly disturbed. She ordered another cup of coffee and chose to sit on the sofa had stopped as suddenly as it had started. and Maya could not stop herself. She had great respect and love for her mother. The three words were,
near the window. She was seeing her house after ten long years so she was more nervous than "My Daughter Maya"
Maya started walking downhill and soon reached a palatial white house. She anything else.
Maya looked outside. Tears started running down her cheeks. She longingly
looked at the same shops that she had frequented with her mother in her opened the gate and sat on the bench in the front lawn and froze there. The Maya slowly opened the front door and saw Malini sitting in a white saree on ~ Harinder Cheema ~
front wall of the house became a screen and she could clearly see some scenes
childhood. She was the mother of two girls now and was visiting Shimla after a from the past. She could see the scene of the family function celebrating the the sofa. She ran and hugged her tightly crying her heart out. For some time
gap of ten years. only sobs could be heard from both the sides.
birth of her brother Yuvraj Malhotra. Then Malini clasped Maya's hand tightly and said sorrowfully, "Maya, your
She was living in Mumbai with her family. She had received an urgent message

78 | Dr. K.C. Sethi & Sunita Sethi Never Cease to Amaze | 79