“Wow!!! It’s such a beautiful place. Isn’t it Dad?” asked Sushma, while her dad was busy reading the newspaper. She got a cup of hot coffee for him, the usual in the morning. It did not change today, just because they were on a vacation.
Sushma, got her laptop, wherever she went. She wanted to note any new idea that stuck her. She couldn’t let these idea go away. She was a writer after all. She lived her life with her dad and her characters. When her mother, Latha, was with them, life seemed like a fairytale. Her mom told her so many stories. That’s how Sushma inclination towards writing started. She always wanted to write about her parents’ love story.
“A few girls were on a vacation, to this beautiful hill station. One of them was the blue eyed, Lalitha. She was not very fair, or very tall, but there was something which was prominent in her. You could just feel the warmth when you set your eyes on her.”
The alarm rang. It was time for dad’s breakfast. Sushma, got 2 plates of Semiya Upma and hot coffee. She loved tea, but she drank coffee just so that she could give company to her dad. They always came to their farmhouse for vacation. The three of them had so much fun here.
“Lalitha had finished her final year BA, and all the girls wanted to have one last vacation together. They never knew if they would even meet each other after an year and wanted to make the most of it. Just as the girls were walking around, they came across a beautiful estate. They did not see the “trespassers will be prosecuted” board and went in. The estate manager saw the girls enter and reported it to the owner. Just when the owner came out, his eyes met Lalitha. He was speechless, his anger vanished from the face, and he gestured the girls to come in.”
The bell rang, Sushma did not get up from her chair. Dad tapped her chair twice, but she just did not want to leave her story. Finally, after 3 rings, she went to answer her door. It was her dad’s friend, Ashok. She got him a cup of tea.
“The owner offered the girls coffee and some snacks. He asked them about their background, studies, vacation, duration of stay. He offered to show them around. He then called his youngest son”
Sushma, you really shouldn’t have to got your dad here is what Ashok told her. She had tried a lot, but then dad never agreed to go elsewhere on their vacation.
“It had been 2 years since Lalitha and Sumant got married. They had a beautiful daughter and they just adored her. They were staying in the outhouse of the big estate. Sumant was still the manager in the estate. He loved Lalitha, just as much, since the first time he saw her, when she came there with her friends. He always thought, the owner had good plans to make her his daughter-in-law. The youngest son Deepak, tried his level best to woo her. But destiny had other plans. Everyday, the manager accompanied Deepak and the girls and secretly impressed Lalitha.”
Sushma was called by the cook asking, what they wanted for lunch. Then, she helped dad go back to his room, to get a short nap.
“Deepak, was all set to propose Lalitha. He had gone to the city for a few days to get a beautiful gold ring. Sumant knew about the plan, and decided to propose Lalitha before Deepak came back. The evening before Deepak was supposed to be back, Sumant asked Lalitha to join him for dinner. She secretly wished that he propose to her. Instead of taking her to a fancy restaurant, he invited her home. He had cooked all of her favorite dishes. After some time, Lalitha declared that her stomach was full and she could eat no more. He offered her butterscotch ice cream, as she was eating the ice-cream, she saw a ring in the bowl.”
Sushma, kept her laptop aside. She dint want to continue with the story without her dad’s approval. She went to the room to see if dad was awake. He wasn’t on his bed. She then saw his lying on the easy chair. That was the chair, his mom had got him, so that he could sit in the balcony and relax. She went near him and called out to him. Latha’s photo was on his chest. She could see a tears in the tip of his eyes. He had a smile on his face. His eyes were closed. But he looked content. She shook him a little and his hand dropped down.
Sushma understood, she lived with her dad and her characters. Her characters never spoke to her.. Neither will her Dad.
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