MY DAD'S TRUE LOVE

For the last few years, I watched or rather noticed that my mom took three hours of her life and was spending time with someone. Who was he, I was always intrigued. But never had the guts to ask anyone.

Now that I am 23 and going to be married soon. I felt responsible and mature enough, moreover, I felt I can question my parents easily.

One day, I waited for mom to leave the house and went to her bedroom, to talk to dad. To my surprise, my dad was standing near the window and watching her leave. I was surprised, I always thought mom was meeting someone without dad's knowledge. I couldn't stop myself, I asked dad about whom she was meeting. With a smile, he asked me to join him on a trip. I was even more filled with curiosity. How can a man act so cool when he has seen his wife leaving him to an unknown venture. Yet I was silent and we went to the destination he took.

He took me to a lake where I saw my mom sitting with someone. They were into each other. My mom's laughter touched my soul. I have never seen her like this before I felt cheated.

My mom was everything for us. Words were not enough to describe her. I have seen her smiling and laughing but I have never seen her childish, dirty and enjoying. Here she was that. She was herself. She was playing with the man. She was even joking. Her hair was open and she was just living.

I searched for my dad's expression. He was peaceful. He was silent. Then he took me to a garden.

And said something that made me question myself.

"Adi I know you would be angry, confused with what you have seen. But I am not." I married your mom long back when she was just a teenager and forgot to love her more than just a body. She became the best wife and mother but never my lover.

By the time you were around three or four, I was never around. I never listened to her silence. She was turning into some furniture. I felt it but she was in my last priority list. For me, the office, friends, you, responsibility and many other burdens were way more important than my wife's smile.

We were both under the same roof but two poles apart. Do you remember any fight between us? Never, she had stopped reacting. We both started the new phase of life called adjusting to each other.

This continued for around fifteen years, the timetable life. Then one day I saw something which made me feel extremely jealous and curious.

She was dancing on the songs of an old Hindi movie song and laughing. I was quite taken back. I started to watch her. She was changing. In place of a tired housewife, I started seeing a lady with beauty, grace and shine. Her eyes started to fill with love and expressions. All this added up and I was sure she was seeing someone.

So I followed her and saw her meeting someone.

I was so scared and angry. My sleep, my manhood, my upbringing all were laughing at me. I felt cheated. Do you know I decided to confront her and break all relationships with her? I went to meet a lawyer too.

That night when I was going to tell her about all this, you were sick and had to be taken to the hospital. I forgot all about the divorce. You were in the hospital for a week. We both took care of you but I saw your mother taking a breath with you. She was just living for you. Her eyes lost its shine and life. Slowly as you regained your health she too came back but she stopped going out. Your mother turned into a mechanical human being. I wanted my childish wife but she was lost. I wanted her to change into the girl who loved dancing, singing. But with me, she was just a wife. A role she played.

So, I decided to give her more time. Took her to movies, museums and many interesting places. Wherever I took her I never could understand how to break the wall around her. I came to know I didn't know much about her. On the other hand, she knew almost everything about me. I fell in love with my wife after seventeen years of our marriage but I knew I was not her love.

Adi after one year of this incidence one day I found your mom singing and cooking. I knew she met her lover.

I was scared that she would leave me.

But she never said any word. She used to be refreshed and alive after the meetings. So I too decided to share her with that man. My love for her started to respect her and live with the simple truth that I am not her lover.

I love her so much that I am happy that she is still with me and family. And I feel one day she will fall for me."

Saying this he asked me to take him back home. At the dinner table, I found my parents acting so natural. Somewhere during this whole journey, my mom found a true friend in my dad. I couldn't decide how to see my mom. Maybe love for me stopped her from taking any drastic step and here she was with us.

I hope my dad gets his true love.

Love you both.