The Sacrifice


That morning, she woke up, without having the slightest idea what awaited her. The time by the clock was 5:30 AM, and it was time for her to start her day. Her son would be at home, and she knew by experience that he wouldn't be up before 8:30. "Plenty of time," she thought to herself, and rolled out of bed. Following the same everyday routine, breakfast was ready by 7:30. That was when she got the call, from a friend. A concert was scheduled at her old school during the day, by her favourite artistes, and she really wanted to go listen to them. She woke up her son, since she didn't know how to drive.

Grumpily, he got up, groggy after a hard night's work. He got ready, and had his breakfast, all the while thinking why his mother didn't learn how to drive. She, however, was feeling excited at the prospect of going back to her school, to those familiar corridors, that seemed to belong to her at one phase of her life. She hoped that her son would hurry up, but her son missed the sense of urgency reflected on her face.

Finally they left, and drove down the roads that had carried her for the best twelve years of her life. She was beginning to feel like a little kid again, on her first day of school after the summer vacations, wondering how much her friends had changed and grown over the summer. Finally the car shaped school bus halted at the stop in front of the big, intimidating, grey school gate.

"I'll be back in the evening, around 5. Have fun," he said to her, before he sped away in the opposite direction. She was left there, at the gates of her school, feeling oddly out of place without her uniform and her school bag slung over her shoulder. She took a few tentative steps towards the gate, and found that every step was a thrill, taking her deeper and deeper into her childhood days. She wanted to run like she used to, from the drop off point of the bus till her class, but she couldn't run with her saree. So she walked briskly, towards the old building where her classes used to take place. The concert, her favourite artists performing – all that had gone into the background of her head. Right now, she just wanted to take in the memories that were coming at her from all sides.

Her first classroom – how tiny it looked now. She remembered how big it had seemed to her the first day that she had entered there, and how she had to sit in the first seat. How terrified she had been the first time when the huge, bulky teacher had walked into the room. It made her laugh now, thinking about her silly little insecurities of the past.

Walking down another familiar corridor, she stumbled upon the music room, the heart and soul of the school for her. Right from the start, she had known that she wanted to be a singer. There was something about that room that made her heart skip. She couldn't help but hum one of her tunes, and soon, found that the words of that first song she learnt in this room were all coming back to her. And so, she started singing that song, her voice rolling over the notes effortlessly, just like it did all those years ago.

"Veena, is that you? Wow, your voice hasn't changed at all, even after all these years", said Rittika, her best friend from a long, long time ago.

"I think it's just the song that makes it seem that way Rittika," said Veena with a smile, "How have you been? It's been so long since we met."

"I'm fine. I heard about the concert happening, but ever since I've come here, I've not been able to leave the building. All those memories, remember our music classes here? You were the favourite of Mansi Ma'am."

"I wasn't! I never had the dedication and the discipline!"

"Still, she used to always believe that you would make it big in the music world some day. What are doing these days?"

"I teach music," said Veena, realizing for the first time how near, yet how far she was, from what she had really wanted to do in life.

Rittika didn't say anything, seeing the look on her face. She wondered why Veena was sad; she was more in touch with music than Rittika had ever been.

Veena walked slowly to the auditorium where the concert was happening, her heart heavy. She was thinking about all that she had sacrificed in her life for her family, for the security that she had now – a family life, a secure job, a regular paycheck at the end of the month. A family that was hers, that loved her so much, and she loved them in return. However, she couldn't help but wonder what her life could have been like, had she continued with her love for music. She couldn't have had the family she had now, but she thought she would have been happy nonetheless. She would be surrounded by the one thing that was most important to her – her music.

She couldn't focus throughout the performance. All she could think was that if only, she hadn't left her music the way she had, she would have been happy, and with the thing that was, at one point of life, the most important thing in the world for her.

At 5, her son came to pick her up from her school. While she was walking towards the car, she had the feeling that she was leaving her heart in the corridors of her school, in the music room, among those notes she used to play with as a child, and as an adult. She didn't want to leave that world… somehow…

She opened the car door, and saw that her whole family was waiting for her there – her daughter smiling at her, and her grandson trying his best to clamber onto her arms with a gleeful smile. She got into the car, and found that it was here, more than anywhere else, that her heart belonged. Her son looked over at her with a smile too. "Surprise!" he said.

But he saw that there were traces of tears in her eyes when she got into the car. He didn't understand at that point of time why.

Thirty years passed before her son completely understood why, on that special day, his mother's eyes had been moist.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dedicated to Ma, for all the sacrifices – big and small – that you've made through your life, to make our lives the way they are now.

***

Image Courtesy CW Ye

34 comments :: The Sacrifice

  1. Such an heart warming post dude... Anyone who has realised such sacrifices made by their parents would be really moved by this post...

    and there is a good message there.. one shouldnt wait 30 years to realise it :)

    loved this mate...

    have a nice day... cheers...

  2. Hi Arnab Majumdar,thanks for sharing.WIsh all the Mom's around the globe a joyful MOther's day.

    Cheers!!
    Send gifts to chennai|Send gifts to Bangalore|Send gifts to India

  3. What a beautiful post...

    It just made me think abt my mom and I know she always wanted to be someone she is not coz she sacrificed her dreams for us.

    I wonder if am gonna do the same...

  4. very touching hey!!
    loved it!!
    did u write it??

  5. Some stories bring tears to your eyes. This was one of them.
    And a very nice message to send too.
    Good work!
    PS: I really liked the narration.

  6. @ Arv... Thanks a lot man. Cheers, and Happy Holi.

  7. @ avagdro... Thanks a lot.

  8. @ Harshita... It's completely because of the sacrifices that our parents have made for our sake, that we are what we are today. I can tell you this, even if you have to do this someday, I'm sure you won't regret that.

    Cheers, and Happy Holi! :)

  9. @ Blue Eyed Soul... Glad to know that you liked it. And yes, all the stuff that you'll find on this blog are written by me. Feel free to browse around... cheers :)

    Happy Holi!

  10. @ Netika... Thanks so much for the comments. Glad that you liked it. :)

    Happy Holi! Cheers...

  11. I hate you !!

    You almost made me cry...this was such a touching post...straight from the heart...loved it. :)

  12. @ bondgal... Thanks a ton. Will forward all the feelings in the comments to Ma, something tells me she'll like it :)

    Cheers, and Happy Holi...

  13. And once agin a delightful one..
    impressive! :)

  14. @ Ishi... Thanks a lot, happy that you were impressed by this one. :)

  15. Actions aren't appreciated 'til they form memories. Something eerily similar when it comes to understanding parents.

    A very endearing composition... Emotive and beautifully narrated.

    Peace.

    ---
    Holi greetings to you and yours.

  16. Real stories hamesha hi touching aur senti hoti hai...
    You inspire me sometimes...

    While reading this post, my mom was sitting in front of me( my imagination u see) and i was trying to figure out how long she has been sacrificing just for the sake of her children..
    The next time i go home, i will ask her about it and telling you honestly i will try my best to bring her childhood memories back in some way..

    Too good man..simply too good..
    Jug jug jiyo mere lal :p

  17. @ Kartz... You're right, we're always too late to acknowledge the good things that come with the actions, almost till it's a bit too late.

    Thanks, and Happy Holi to you and your family too.

  18. @ Mahesh... It's always good to let your parents know how much you appreciate everything they've done for you. This post was my way of doing it :)

    Happy Holi, Cheers...

  19. Hey
    Very touching...
    Throughout out the post I could not help but ponder about the million sacrifices ma made for me. Mother's are so self less - This has struck me so many times .
    I think the Biggest Gift given to god is "MA" . Without her life would be so meaningless .
    They give up almost everything just for their family...
    Your ma would be proud of you when she read this , as the greatest gift one can give to his ma is acknowledgement - realizing the sacrifices made by her and love - thats all she wants.

  20. beautiful post!

  21. @ Arnav... Thanks for the wonderful words :)

  22. @ Akanksha... Really good to see you back here. Happy that you liked it :) Thanks, cheers...

  23. Arnab...I know i should not write but i m unable to control.... seriously this brings tears to my eyes.. it touched..it is so emotional..i think nw ur mother will have proud on u..if we understnd wht our parents has done for us, i think we lived upto thr expectation.
    From the begining this has thrown me in my past..i have now words to express my feelings and show my gratitude towards u...
    Today i m proud on me tht i m following ur blog..
    Every word is expressing the expressions...
    I can easily relate thsi wid my life..n i knw how many sacrifices my MA has made for us..i dnt denie abt my father sacrfices but u knw mothers always does which noone can..
    i regret first time why i m so late...why i have not read pehle...
    thank u dude....
    Hats off to uuu...
    i donno hw to gv blogger award but yes frm my end today u got it....

  24. simple words and great narration!!!seems you are a master in this:)

  25. @ Pallav... Thank you so much for the things you said. I'm really happy that you liked this, and I'm hoping I can continue writing like this...

    Cheers...

  26. @ Kunjal... Thanks so much for reading. Cheers...

  27. Really liked this one!!
    I'm so glad you like my poems. I think I'm no longer a good writer like I was earlier...But guys like you really build up my confidence ! You Rock! Keep Blogging! :) Tc :D

  28. @ Cursed... Thanks for reading this one. The confidence factor works both ways actually :) Keep writing, and you'll find that you're writing just the way you want in no time at all. Cheers...

  29. As opposed to you, I find it easier to write abt myself (which isn't strange). Writing fiction is definitely much more challenging.
    Keep writing :).

  30. @ BrownPhantom... Thanks a lot for reading the blog, will try to keep writing as much as I can. Cheers...

  31. man..i love it....its fantistic and touchin........though i know its a fiction....keep it up....straight forward and great....still one thing cud have ended little bit better....but still was kindda a abrupt....i guess cant......still havta leave ur traits somehow...

  32. @ Ratul... I wanted to keep it a little abrupt, real life somehow is like that. It's one of the fictions that's based quite closely on reality actually, so probably that's why.

    Nice to see you here, cheers...

  33. loved this one..

  34. @ Aastha... Thanks a lot :)