Roshni: The Light Of Illusion

| Prologue |

"Ma! Why is it Night here and Morning there?" A little girl enters a kid's room where a woman is busy picking up some children's story books from the bed. 

The girl rushes towards the woman as her dark brown coloured eyes reflect doubts and questions. Seeing her mother's ignorance, the girl holds her mother's busy hands with her small, soft fingers. Her mother stops working and looks at her with a smile which is crafting two beautiful dimples on her cheeks. Her dark brown eyes glitter with happiness seeing her four-year-old daughter.

"What happened, baby? Is Roshni feeling sleepy? Just give me a few minutes and your bed will be ready." The woman's soothing voice spreads like a cool breeze in the room as she starts preparing the bed.

"No! Roshni is not sleepy. Roshni is asking a question." Pulling her mother towards the open window, Roshni gazes at the night canvas of sky where few stars are twinkling here and there and a full moon is smiling happily.

The harmonious breeze touches Roshni's white and red floral printed frock as the moonlit night makes her black coloured two pigtails glisten. Her mother kneels down to her level making her reddish brown hair glisten as well in the moonlight. 

"What question Roshni?" The woman looks into her daughter's eyes where various questions are floating.

"You said that the moon is night's friend and the sun is morning's friend. And you also said that morning and night can never be seen together. Then how come it is night here and morning there?" Roshni looks at the moon with a hope of getting answers in her eyes.

"What are you talking about baby? It is night now. Remember what I said... black sky, twinkling stars, the white moon makes a night sky. See, everything is here. The moon, stars, black..." The woman points towards the open window to make Roshni see the night sky but before she can complete, Roshni cuts her off.

"Yes, Ma... I know. But in their world, I saw the sun. It means it is morning now. But how can night and morning be seen together? That is my question." Roshni asks in her childish voice as her eyes search for the answer in the night sky.

"Which world are you talking about? Where is it morning now?" The woman asks with confusion clear in her eyes.

"T.V.! Their world is very confusing. Sometimes it matches with our world. But sometimes, it doesn't. Just like now. A few minutes back I saw the sun in the T.V. But in our world, there is no sun right now. Why is it like this Ma?" Roshni looks at her mother with expectant eyes but in return, she gets surprised seeing her mother laughing.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Roshni asks in an offended tone.

"No... haha... nothing. Haha... Sor... sorry baby. I can't explain this to you right now. You are too small for that. Once you grow up, you'll know." The woman palms her daughter's cheeks and gives a peck on her nose. She gets up and starts spreading the quilt on the bed while Roshni trails behind her. 

"But I want to know now Ma." Eagerness is audible in Roshni's sweet voice.

Giving a small smile, the mother takes her daughter in her arms and makes her sit on the bed.

"Well... that's because your T.V. world is not real. Everyone in that world is simply acting. No one is real. That's why, sometimes by chance it matches with our world and sometimes it doesn't." The woman says gently with love pooling in her eyes.

"But why are they acting?" Roshni asks innocently. 

"For us. So that we can have fun. Now go inside the quilt. It's time for you to sleep." Roshni lies down while her mother covers her with the quilt.