Page 130 - Musings 2022

A Slice of Love

Nishika Pradhan
2020A5PS2033P

It was a warm summer afternoon when Reva was busy baking a cake. She loved baking as it
made her feel good about life in general. The pandemic had her cooking three meals a day and

frankly it was a little exhausting. But baking brought back happy memories from her childhood

with her mother. Reva had inherited her mother’s love for baking and her wicked sense of
humour. They would even actively compete over who baked the best pie for Thanksgiving. But

that was in the past now. When Reva’s mother, Leena decided to remarry, they became distant.
Reva felt as if she didn’t fit into her new life and maybe it was because she went off to college.

The geographical distance didn’t help bridge the emotional void of not having a maternal figure

in her life. “Let bygones be bygones.” said Reva whenever anybody broached the subject of
her mother. It had been a few years since Reva’s marriage and it wasn’t a surprise that she

didn’t invite her mother to it. Aren’t celebrations the perfect way to mend old wounds?
However, today she felt conflicted about this belief as she stared at the positive pregnancy test.

She wanted her child to grow up with grandparents and maybe this time around she felt she
wanted her mother as she began her journey of motherhood. But she was weary of her past.

The feeling of abandonment washed over her once again but this time around she didn’t want

to suppress it the way she had been doing for years. For once, she didn’t put Leena on a pedestal
and came to a conclusion that mothers are humans too. After contemplating for a few months,

she mustered up the courage to show up to her mother’s house unannounced.
She drove down to a beautiful house in Vasant Kunj. She vaguely remembered that her step

father loved gardening, so she did bring a plant with her. The florist told her that it symbolises

new beginnings. She internally laughed at the irony. As she rang the doorbell, she felt a little
anxious. The door swung open and there stood her mother. A decade later and just as beautiful

as she remembered. The wisps of grey and crinkled eyes but her smile was just the same.
Leena’s eyes sparkled with tears of joy as she saw her daughter after years. She hoped that they

would reconnect when she had heard the news of Reva getting married. Nevertheless, she was

glad to have her daughter back. She hugged Reva and looked down and saw her daughter’s
baby bump.

Leena’s emotions were all over the place as she hurriedly invited her daughter in. Leena
explained hurriedly, “Sorry, the house is such a mess! I am glad you’re home now.”

130