Coming Full Circle

‘It’s really annoying that whenever I am trying to talk to you, you always put on those damn headphones.’ Shefali was almost loosing her cool with Trisha.

Trisha put on her headphones and walked out of the room, munching on her gum, blowing a bubble on her way out.

Ten years ago, Arun married Shefali out of convenience rather than love after his wife moved out under mysterious circumstances leaving a little girl behind without a thought. Shefali managed to bring the broken family together. She loved Trisha with all of her heart. For about a decade they seemed to have bonded amazingly well. But lately there had been something that was creating a rift. Shefali was clueless.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Shefali asked Trisha if she could walk her to her college. ‘Ma, please!!! Lay off’ Shefali looked at her quietly. Trisha realized she had stepped the line. ‘Alright’, she said. ‘Let’s go’.

On the way Shefali started a conversation, ‘Is it about a boy or you had a fight with your friend?’

‘No….ma, please let me be. I am okay.’

‘I know you, Trisha.’ Shefali gave long pause and stopped. ‘ Look, whatever it is, you can tell me, anytime you want. I am here for you’.

‘I know that ma’ Trisha muttered the words and walked away.

Shefali stood there looking at the slight figure dragging her feet towards the entrance of the college gate. Suddenly she looked up at a woman who approached her. The woman smiled at Trisha and they seemed to converse. Shefali was watching from a distance without a clue. Trisha touched the woman’s hand and the woman handed over a packet to Trisha, after which she walked inside the college. The woman turned around and walked away.

Shefali was astounded and started following the woman but soon lost track of her as she took a taxi and drove away. Shefali came back home with all sorts of doubts and question in her mind. The whole day spent in looking at the clock. At half past four, Trisha walked in straight into her room.

After a brief moment Shefali followed her. Trisha sat callously on her bed with her earphones plugged in, chewing gum as usual, holding a magazine.

‘Would you like to eat something?’

‘Nah’

‘Would you like to tell me something?’

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Trisha looked up from the magazine and could clearly see how serious Shefali was. Shefali waited for her to respond. Trisha put the magazine down.

‘Is there something I must know, Trisha?’ Shefali repeated.

Trisha was choking on her words. Shefali knew she had to handle this carefully and so she sat by her side slowly and helped her take off the headphones. Carefully she put the headphones back on the bed next to the CD case that read ‘Time Traveller’ By Rahul Sharma. Trisha’s eyes followed her hand and then met her eyes.

‘Ma….it’s like coming full circle. My mother is back.’ 

This post is written for That Tuesday Thingy Contest on Indiblogeshwaris based on the below video prompt: