Forget-Me-Not : Bound by Secrets

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Eight hours later

Vidhi woke up to the rays of the sun and enjoyed the feeling of just being in bed. It wasn't often that she got to relax herself-she was always working. But today she didn't feel like doing anything. She felt like taking a day off, just for herself. She wasn't sure whether it was the physical stress or the emotional turmoil that was affecting her life, but whatever it was, she had to resolve it, and fast. She was thirty two, she was successful, and she planned to keep that up in future. With resolutions of spending the day at home and with her father, and forgetting work for a bit, she got out of bed.

It was a warm October morning, smoky and hazy as was typical of the city. Sunlight filtered in through the kitchen windows, and she watched the birds soaring in the sky. She was entranced, because it was so long after she'd consciously paid attention to little things happening in her surroundings. Things like watching the sun rise, like taking a walk in the park, or even looking out of her window. She hadn't had time for anything like that, and she wondered where she'd taken her life. All she could remember about the last few years was her struggle to become the best. Had it been worth it now, she asked herself? Was she happy?

Of course she was happy, she thought. She had a great home, she had money, and she had a successful career. Her dad was with her. What else could she want? She had everything that she didn't have before. Now she was no longer haunted by payment of bills, exceeding her budget or not being able to afford luxuries. She was better off than ever before and that meant she was happy.

However, she couldn't completely accept that, and the fact bothered her. Just then, she heard her father come into the kitchen and turned to greet him.

"Morning, dad," she smiled, and he smiled at her.

"Morning, honey. You're up early."

"I'm always up early," she reminded him. "I've put on coffee. You want some?"

"Yes, thank you."

"So, how's the headache? And the cough?"

"Much better now, thanks to you. I can't imagine what I'd do without you." There was pure fatherly affection in his statement and expression, and Vidhi smiled at her dad. At seventy, he was weaker than ever before, struggling with diabetes, but not quite defeated. Though years had aged him, his spirit still remained young and robust, and he appeared to be the same person who'd someday carried her on his shoulder and shown her the world. Shown her that there was no distinction between them and the other people in the world. Just because they were growing, didn't mean they weren't part of the crowd.

Their early life had been filled with struggles, and try as she would, Vidhi could never forget it. How could she? Her past was the sole reason for what she had become now. She would never forget how they'd gone days wondering if they would ever be able to sustain themselves. She would never forget how hard her father had had to work to support their family. She would never forget how hard times had taken her mother away from her forever.

She hadn't meant to remember all this now, but sometimes you could never forget. You just learned to move on, and start fresh. That's what she had done-she'd left everything behind and started fresh. She just hoped she could stick with it.

"No, dad. We both couldn't do without each other," she said. "I'm going to take today off. Why don't we do something together? Spend some quality father-daughter time?"

He smiled. "I'm too old for anything, Vidhi. I'm afraid whatever you have in mind must be done indoors."

"Done. We can play carom, like we used to when I was small. I'll make something special for lunch, and then we'll watch some old classic movie. How about that?"