chapter 40
Sanyog - A Coincidence
Today is her birthday and why are you crying then⦠You must be happy that we are blessed with such a cute baby on this day ⦠I said â¦
Sameep ⦠she is not with us ⦠I miss her so much ⦠You wonât understand motherâs feelings ⦠I am moving , eating ⦠I am with you ⦠but each and every moment â¦. I am thinking about her ⦠and today ⦠God knows what she will be doing ⦠whether he ⦠Sumangal remembers that today is her birthday ⦠I really donât know what will be she doing alone in that hostel ⦠whether she has eaten something or not ⦠and here I am eating every day ⦠thrice ⦠I am bad mother ⦠very bad mother ⦠and started sobbing â¦
Ma ⦠came to my rescue ⦠letâs go for lunch ⦠what happened ⦠why are you crying again ⦠she asked Sanyogita â¦
Ma ⦠today is Suparnaâs birthday ⦠I replied â¦
Oh!.... letâs pray for her well being and health ⦠Ma said ⦠Sanyogita ⦠you have prepared that Suji halwa ⦠have you offered it to God ⦠come on â¦
She took the silver bowl and added halwa in it and poured home made ghee over it ⦠and shouted ⦠Mayank bring some Tulasi leaves â¦
We went to Pooja room and stood with folding hands â¦
Come here ⦠Ma ordered ⦠we both stepped further â¦
Do you believe in God ⦠she asked us â¦
We nodded â¦
She added ⦠then stop worrying and pray for your daughter and our grand daughter ⦠God is great ⦠He understands everything ⦠every small wish of his own children ⦠so donât worry ⦠see the coincidence in your life ⦠Sameep liked you , he was in deep love with you from the first day ⦠he saw you ⦠but he was never able to express it ⦠but see Godâs wish ⦠we say coincidence ⦠but in reality nothing happens without his wish ⦠not a single leaf of a tree can move ⦠if you believe ⦠so I am very much assured that our baby Suparna will be with us soon ⦠God .. Please convey our birthday wishes to her â¦
Sanyogita was watching Ma and the idol of Krishna with teary eyes ⦠but now she was ok ⦠I felt â¦
Sanyogita we will call her today ⦠Ma said â¦
Whom ⦠I shouted â¦
Mother answered calmly ⦠Suparna ..
How itâs possible ⦠Sanyogita asked â¦
Do you have his number ⦠Sumangalâs ⦠she said â¦
Yes ⦠I have ⦠Sanyogita replied â¦
Then you have right as a mother to talk with her ⦠she said â¦
Ma ⦠Ma ⦠I interrupted ⦠we have talked with the lawyer in the morning ⦠he will give legal advice then we can call him â¦
What will court do in the matter of affection of a mother for a child ⦠Ma added â¦
Ma ⦠I said ⦠case will become complicated ⦠if she calls him â¦
Nothing happens ⦠letâs go , we will eat first , then we will decide â¦
Sanyogita was looking at me anxiously , I felt â¦
Ma asked ⦠Sanyogita ⦠Does Sumangal know you are here â¦
May be ⦠she answered â¦
Then you have the right to take her phone number and wish her on her birthday ⦠she said
Yes ⦠I will call him after lunch ⦠Sanyogita said â¦
Sanyogita ⦠why are you multiplying legal complications ⦠we will talk with the lawyer ⦠I added
We have talked in the morning ⦠have you forgotten ⦠Sanyogita said â¦
But at that time ⦠you didnât mention about her birthday ⦠I stated â¦
I was stressed Sameep ⦠Sanyogita said â¦
Baba called from outside ⦠food is getting cold â¦
We went to the dining table â¦
Suddenly ⦠Sanyogita took the cell phone in her hand â¦
Ma and me were telling her to call him after lunch â¦
But she said ⦠she canât gulp the food without wishing her and she called him ⦠in the beginning he didnât pick the phone ⦠but second time he picked ⦠I instructed Sanyogita to keep the phone on speaker mode and to start voice recording ⦠so if we needed any proof to be submitted to the lawyer â¦
Hello ⦠why have you called ⦠arenât you happy making our life hell ⦠how many times I have told you to keep away from me and my child ⦠Sumangal shouted at her â¦
I instructed her to be calm â¦
Sanyogita said ⦠give her hostel phone number ⦠I need to talk to her ⦠today is her birthday as a mother I have right to wish her on her birthday â¦
Donât teach me anything ⦠I know today is her birthday ⦠but I wonât give her number⦠he yelled â¦
With these words ⦠Sanyogita burst ⦠and said ⦠Sumangal she is my daughter also ⦠whatever misunderstanding is between us ⦠why do you drag her in our fight ⦠I beg you ⦠please give her number ⦠I miss her â¦
With these words ⦠he cut the phone ⦠and the condition of Sanyogita was worst â¦
I have told you Ma ⦠now see what happened â¦
Ma said calmly ⦠letâs eat first ⦠then we can rethink about what to do â¦
I donât want to eat Ma ⦠Sanyogita said â¦
Sanyogita , Baba said ⦠we should respect food ⦠and how you can remain hungry on the day you became mother ⦠itâs the celebration of your motherhood also right â¦
I was shocked by Babaâs words ⦠I always thought ⦠Ma was more considerate and thoughtful ⦠Baba many times kept mum ⦠but today he hit the ball in the net â¦
Sanyogita smiled ⦠and said ⦠I never thought about it ⦠I always cursed myself for being bad mother â¦
No mother is bad in the world ⦠Baba added ⦠time is bad ⦠and you know very well the only permanent thing in the world is change ⦠and time changes ⦠please keep this in mind ⦠letâs eat now â¦
Dr. Archana Pandit