When My Mother's Diary Revealed Her Well Kept Secret; I Decided To Get Her Soul Some Peace

( words)
*For representational purpose only.

This is the story of a girl- she was the only child to her parents. Like all daughters, she was dada’s girl but she loved her mom a lot too. Especially after she became a mother herself, she started loving her mom even more because that's when a girl realizes how much a mother sacrifices for her children.

Two months ago, she lost her mother. On one morning, she received a call that her mom didn't wake up from her sleep and that she was being taken to the hospital. She rushed there only to know that her mom died long back. It was a heart attack and she had died while sleeping. After all the rituals were completed, they reached home and she decided to stay with her dad for a month. After her mom's 16th day ceremony, she thought of giving all her clothes and belongings to an old age home, and that's when she found her mother’s diary.

On the first page of the diary, her mom's name was written in bold letters. She turned to the next page in which her mom had written a few poems about love. She smiled, and turned to the next page, where her mom had written “Today is the day I saw you for the first time and fell in love instantly”. She knew her parents loved each other a lot, yet became very curious.

The next thing she read was, “I thought of talking to you but I am too scared, I never find the courage to look into your eyes...”

Turning the pages, she found a leaf. Until then, she thought her mom had written about her dad but no, the leaf had her mom's name and someone else's name written next to it. She was shocked. How could her mom do this? She was disturbed but still, continued to read about her love for someone else. Her mother loved him deeply, admired him and dreamt of a life with him.

In one page of the diary, there was a sketch of a bride and groom in which she had written her name and his name. On the next page, her mother had written, "Today, I got to know you married someone else. I feel like dying. I don't know if I can still live in this world but I will live hoping one day you will know how much I loved you and I wish I can at least give this diary to you someday.”

After flipping through a few more pages, she came across one that read ”Today my marriage got finalized. Soon I am going to be someone's wife, and a new life is going to begin. I hope you are happy. I will never forget you in my prayers”.

Thereafter, it was only after her daughter's birth that she had written in this diary, about her daughter's arrival into this world and how happy she was.

But everything sounded like she was sharing it with him. The last time she had made an entry in the diary was just a month before she left this world. She wrote one last time, it said “how are you? I was thinking about you today and hoping all is well with you. I don't know why you are crossing my mind so many times today. I don't know if I will write in this diary again. Something is disturbing me. I don't know what it is. You take care.” And that was the end.

She closed the diary and hid it. She went around the house searching for her father. She finally found him looking very depressed. He still hadn’t recovered from the loss of his wife. She sat beside him and asked him about where he saw her mom for the first time and if it was love at first sight. He said, ”Yes, the day I saw her I decided she is the one for me”. She went on to ask him if her mother was his first love? He said, “Yes, she is my first and only true love”. She was hesitant but still went on to ask him if he was her mother’s first love.

He said "no".

She looked at him puzzled. He said, “Yes my child, I am not your mom's first love. She was in love with someone else when I approached her, but it was one-sided, she never told him about how she felt and he married someone else. Finally, I was lucky to marry your mother”. She asked her father if he knew anything about him... His name? Whereabouts? If he had seen him? Her dad confirmed that he knew exactly who it was.

That night she read the diary again. The first time when she read the diary she was upset, but now when she read as her mom's daughter she decided to fulfil her wish. The first thing to come into her mind was- 'is this person alive?' If yes, how would she find him? But she made up her mind to collect details about him.

With the help of some of her friends, she got his details and luckily he was staying in the same house as he had been all those years back.

She didn't want to meet him in his house. So on a Sunday, she waited for him at the end of the road and finally, in the evening, she saw him starting his scooter. She ran in front of him to stop him and he got so angry. He shouted at her but she didn't care, she was just looking at his face. He looked much older than her mom. He yelled at her, asking her if she was deaf. She said, “I am sorry uncle, I want to talk to you, that is why I had to stop you”. He was still furious.

He said “Why would you want to talk to me? Who are you?" She introduced herself and he calmed down the minute he heard her mom's name. He repeated her mother’s full name and in disbelief, asked her again “Are you her daughter?” she said yes.

He smiled, caressed her hair and asked "how is your mom doing?”

That second she didn't want to tell him about her mom's death so she asked him if he would like to have coffee with her. He agreed .She took him to a nearby cafe. He spoke nothing while they drove and she had only one question in mind; was her mom's love one sided? Why was he so excited when he heard her name?

The minute he sat in the cafe, he repeated “ how is your mom doing?” She ignored his question and ordered cappuccinos for them both. He said “looks like you are avoiding my question, is everything okay with her?” Her eyes welled up.. she said “uncle my mom left us all forever".

He was shaken. He couldn’t believe it… he asked her again ”what are you saying?”

She replied “yes.. mom is no more”. She could clearly see tears hidden behind his opticals. He wiped his tears and asked “did you meet me to say this? I would have been happy without knowing this.. why did you tell me about her demise?” She said because it was her responsibility to fulfil her mother’s wish. He said “I don't understand’.

She handed the diary to him and said “this is mom's diary, she has written about you only. If you read this you will understand”.

He started reading the diary and she sat there looking at his expressions. Each page he read he became more and more emotional. He kept wiping away his tears. Finally, after reading the diary, looking at her he asked "can I keep this with me?” She replied “it was written for you.. belongs to you”. But, she couldn't stop herself from asking him “until I met you I thought my mom's was one sided love but now I want to know if you loved her too?”

He said “yes I loved her too, very much… those days are so fresh in my mind even today. I remember looking at her everyday when she crossed my house. You know she was my first love, I had even decided to propose to her. But, I was scared for no reason. I still made up my mind to propose. But all my dreams shattered when my dad had a major heart attack and he wanted to see my wedding immediately. I was too scared of my dad, and now was worried about his health too. As a result I had to give up on my love. But there is not a single day in my life that passes by without her thoughts".

From his wallet he took a band (hair band) and said “look, this is the only thing I have in her memory, she dropped it while crossing my house once”. Tears rolled down her cheeks. He said “will you take me to her cemetery? At least there I wish to open my mouth and tell her how much I loved her”, she wiped her tears and agreed.

She took him to her mom's cemetery. She knew he needed sometime alone with her mother, so she left and waited for him a little further down the road. He stood in front of her mom's cemetery for an hour. Finally, she went to him and said “uncle let's go”. He wiped his tears, kissed on her forehead and thanked her.

She smiled and said "now I hope my mom's soul rests in peace".




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