Chapter 1

Saturday

Ravi Chopra was cruising 10,000 feet above sea level in the Boeing in which he was traveling from U.K to India. It was about to land in a short time. He was daydreaming about his mother whom he had not seen since past three years. It was a long wait and now that he was so close his apprehension was growing by the second. He was getting impatient and was biting his nails. His joy knew no bounds when he heard the voice 'fasten your seat belts' and he jumped into thin air when he felt aircraft landing on the tarmac.

Mala short for Malathi Chopra was also in the same frame of mind, waiting for her son at the Airport. She could not believe herself when she saw the Boeing landing. She too could not believe she would be seeing her son in a few moments. Three years? Three years was too long a wait for her and now when the time had come to see her son, it was like seeing God.

It was not just three years that Mala had suffered. It was three years and three months precisely since the tragedy fell upon her, when her dearly loved husband died from a cardiac arrest. Mala was just 36 years old when that happened and her son Ravi was three short of 18 years.

Her husband Chopra had left behind a business which kept Mala busy the whole day, leaving no scope for her to give any time for her son. It was this pain of not able to look after her him that she had decided to send him to U.K. Today after a lapse of 3 years she was staring at the blue sky waiting for the steel bird to make its appearance.

At last the plane landed and Ravi who had managed to rush out of it was the first to enter the Airport lounge. And upon seeing his mother who stood looking at the open doors curiously, his eyes started dampening. By the time Ravi rushed to meet his mother a few eye drops slid down his cheeks. The mother and child hugged other in such a manner that the passer bys stood rooted to the spot admiring them. Everybody was overwhelmed to see the pure affection and love between a mother & her son.

After collecting the luggage, Mala drove Ravi home. Ravi was so much engrossed in telling her about London that within no time they reached home. The whole evening passed off with each other telling their stories and as Ravi was tired; he retired to bed early.

The next morning as Ravi got up; he was surprised to see the note his mother had left behind before leaving for work. He was surprised to see her not at home. He had thought she would be there to listen to his adventures. He was taken back a little. Ravi had to wait till 8.30 pm before his mother returned back. Then as she was tired she retired to bed early. This jolted Ravi even more.

The same sequence of events occurred for the next 3 days and Ravi who was longing to be with his mother could not digest what was happening. This Friday as Mala came home late she was shocked to see Ravi slumped on the sofa. His half closed eyes had turned red and he had stretched down on the sofa without changing his clothes. Mala walked over to him and as she did not want to wake him, she brought a rug and draped it over him. She felt sorry for him.

Later in the seclusion of her room, recollecting the past three and a half years, it became clear as to what she was doing at present was wrong. She was repeating the same mistake, which she had committed three years ago. It came to her as a rude shock that Ravi needed her company and love and she was failing to give him. It was then she decided that the day after being Saturday she could take him out. She sat up on the bed and scribbling down a few lines she left it on the table for Ravi to see.

The next morning Ravi was pleased to see the note his mother had written. It brought him much relief. He was glad to note that his mother was free and not going to office. Light heartedly as he finished his morning chores, a beaming Mala hurried in preparing sumptuous breakfast. At the breakfast table they decided to go out in the evening and eat out in a restaurant.

Soon it was time for them to get ready to leave. As Ravi dressed in casuals his mother took her time in dressing up. It was after three and half years she was going out, and she wanted to deck herself in the best of clothes. She was careful in picking her dress. She wanted to maintain her stature of a mother and on the same side she wanted to look elegant. At last she went for a dark green black border silk sari with a black sleeveless blouse that coordinated her figure and complexion.

After getting ready as she walked down the garage, she was pleasantly surprised to see Ravi at driver's seat. She quietly perched by the side of her son as he expertly drove the car into the streaming crowd. Mala was amazed by the way Ravi handled the big car and in no time he maneuvered the Sedan into the parking lot of the Restaurant.