The Superstar

06

Pari was in a sour mood and it was visible on her face. Priya and Kabeer didn't dare to go near her. Pari was lethal and brutal with her remarks and with Kabeer, she didn't mind slapping him lightly when he misbehaved.

"Why is my gudiya upset?" Her father asked with his usual warmth. He was the only one who called her gudiya and knew how to deal with her tantrums.

"Papa, please! Not now." She turned her face away from her father. A little more pampering from her father and she angrily told her problem.

"We have a college project soon due and every time we go to someone's home and do the work after college. This time, all the girls in the group have something at home, and only I am remaining,  they want to come to our place." Pari said.

"Bass, itni si baat? (This is not a big deal!) Beta, call them here. We do not have any problem." Her father laughed but Pari was not relieved.

"But I have a problem." Pari said with a fire in her eyes. She was raging with anger. "I have been to their home. They stay in apartments in a nice fancy home. While we stay here, in chawl, in this room. They will make fun of me." Her mother looked at Pari and shook her head, knowing very well the pessimistic mindset she has.

Listening to why Pari was angry, even Priya laughed. "Ghar nahi, dil bada hona chahiye." She commented. (It's not the size of the home but the generosity of the heart that matters)

Pari gave a tight- lipped sarcastic smile and replied, "Priya, why don't you keep these filmy dialogues and 'thought for the day' to yourself? This doesn't help in reality!"

"Beta, she is right. We have enough space for you all to sit and work. You ask them to come, noone will judge." Her father said lovingly. He knew he can't deal with Pari in an angry manner, that will cause her to be a rebel. He should deal with her in a loving manner.

"No papa." Pari rolled her eyes at her father. "I am not calling anyone here, in this locality and making a joke of myself." While this home of theirs was much better than the last one, it was no comparison to her college mates houses.

"Pari, my child, nobody will make a joke on you. This is who we are. We earn respectful and honest living. You shouldn't be embarassed of what we have. Beta, some people aren't lucky to have what we have. And this family is our asset. Call your friends, beta." He made her understand.

"Papa, calling us your assets isn't going to make our living better. We struggle in the month's end. I don't want this, papa. I want a better life a better house." Saying that, she got up and left.

Her parents exchanged a look with each other. Both trying to understand why their daughter is so bitter. They are trying their best to provide her. They both came from little to no money and today, to have food on their plate, a stable house was more than what they dreamt of.

"Papa." She muttered and a teardrop fell from Pari's eyes. She dreams of her parents, their old house, their happy family, well, she was the only unhappy member there. When she wakes up, it is often with tears in her eyes.

A while later, she sits down with a diary and pen. Riya had told her journalling her thoughts would be better for her. She decided to write her unsaid words to her family or sometimes, she writes these things to her own self.

Today, she wrote the diary entry for her mother. She made it a point to write it in Hindi, so if her mother ever comes this, she would be able to read it.

Dear Maa,
I wish I was the daughter you imagined me to be. I wish I was your obedient child who gave you happiness. Much later in life I realised that your happiness lied in smaller things and I was not even able to give you those small moments to cherish. I wish I was not so self centred. I wish I realised the value of things when I had them. Truly like Papa said, family was our biggest asset.
There is only regret that I carry, Maa. I love you. Its funny how I have never said it but ever since I have started writing this diary, I write it everyday - I am thankful for everything you and Papa did for me.