Maa

So, Finally after a great hush-hush, we shifted from our old home to a grand new home, but I was not happy. My old home where I have lived years of my life, says a lot. My home says how I was, how we were, financially, socially. How my brother and I grew up. How my Maa and I created those warm, wonderful attachments. It says all or it said all. I cried that when I will go home, I won’t get the old charm, old smell, my childhood, and warmth again. Suddenly something made my eyes wet. That was a memory, somewhere hidden deep in my heart, the precious one. Maa and I were everything for each other. I never ever imagined a second of my life without her. Without Maa, there was no me. My world, my God, my everything lies beneath her. I am recalling one of my precious memories here. It was a winter’s cloudy evening. I was insisting Maa take me to the market and buy me one silver Anklet. Maa was busy with her stuff so she said that will go some other day. I started shouting no Maa, I want to wear an Anklet please Maa. I was 6 years old then. Maa was brilliant at making me smile in seconds. So she handed me over her Anklet and said take it till I don’t take you to the market. I was on cloud nine, I mean I just got a pair of my Maa’s chanchan Payal. The happiness within me was just overwhelming. I started running here and there in the whole house with the Anklet in my hands. I loved Maa's Anklet and that was the only reason I demanded one. Now that Anklet was in my hands and anyone can have a little idea about my happiness. Those tingling Anklets were charming enough to forget about the rest of the world, but I was unaware that in a second everything can be disastrous. It was almost 10 pm and after having dinner we were preparing to go to bed and yes, of course, I was still playing with the Anklet. Sometimes wearing it like a necklace over the neck, sometimes on the wrist like a bracelet. Then happened the blunder. Someone knocked at the door. It’s too late who it can be, said Maa. The doorbell was ringing constantly. The moment before we can think of something the door collapsed and there were the monsters, the evil ones, and yes the murderers. They were here to rob my house. They locked us in a room and one of them was pointing a gun at Maa's head so that we wouldn't shout. They were cruel enough to destroy everything and take whatever we had. Then they came to us and said that remove whatever you are wearing in jewelry, Maa gave them everything but what was this, they were snatching the Anklet from me and I was crying not to take that from me. Maa pushed one of them away from me and that was when he ended my world there. Maa was on the ground, blood was everywhere. The murderers were gone. I was there shocked, unaware of still what was happening and what happened just a minute ago. The pair of Anklets got separated and so am I. I was crying, shouting, trying to wake Maa up but she was not uttering a word. She was no more with me, with us. After that day I never heard Maa’s Anklets Chanchan again in the morning. Now sitting alone on the balcony of my new home and recalling those memories is like recalling 'Maa'. I still have that one Anklet from the pair I found later on the floor, I feel Maa around when I wear that.