The Idea-
Yes. The fiction is about love. Not just that ephemeral
string of amber tones between the lovers themselves. It is about the tight
bonds that are strained between the parents and their kids involved. A youngster
in the final year of her engineering graduation gets caught red handed by her
mother while chatting with her lover in skype.
Of course, she is placed in a well reputed MNC. Her career
is secure.
Of course, she has always been given ample freedom to make
her own decisions.
Of course, her parents have always been more friends
and guides than the conservative meaning of the word.
Of course, the boy she loved is a senior executive working
in management sector, is a responsible guy earning handsomely, not just loved
her but cared about every aspect of her and her family.
Their love was heartfelt.
But, all that’s for naught, when her mother confronts
her with the raw fact that she had to find out about her daughter’s love like a
third person. Just by accident.
What Makes This Story ‘Real’
The first serious problem lovers face, confrontation
with their parents. It’s inspired by my own friend and her parents – as they
try making sense of the spiraling realities of love.
Extract-
“What were you doing?” her mother’s crisp voice prodded
“Nothing” She said staring at her mother standing at
the doorway.
“Do
you want me to believe that” her mother asked as she came into the room and sat
down on her bed.
The clock stuck two; its chimes ringing across the
silent room, jumping from one blank wall to another slowly dissolving into the
darkness of the night. The fan continued in
its merry go round, a dull creak with every other round, probably just not merry
enough. And
despite all those swirls of air,
that it threw forth, she started to sweat.
“Who
were you chatting to” her mother’s voice was eerily calm.
“No one” She blurted out, the words tumbling out of
her and slipping into open.
“No one??”
“Yes,
no one”
Her mother sighed. “You forgot to switch off the modem and the web camera. The computer itself is still running.” She
paused and looked at her
daughter’s widening eyes.
“Was
it in Skype?? Who was he? You were chatting with”
“Who??” she mouthed back. The actual words never
crossed her throat; they just suffocated themselves rather than lying to her
mother again. She looked up at her mother, tearing herself up into pieces, not
knowing what to say. She felt her fingers through her loose hair, caressing
with all the love and then a stifled tear shot across her cheeks.
“It’s okay. Please don’t lie” her mother shifted
herself to hold her head to her bosom.
“It’s just that ” her mother paused “after all the freedom I gave you, after all the open
environment I provided, after
everything” her voice wavered for the first time “I ….. I had to learn it like this.”
