The step-mom

The colossal sun was shining with all its fury. Young Niharika was strolling in her large room on first floor of her palatial house. Last night incident was still fresh in her mind and she was unable to forget all the happenings and high headed behavior of Avantika. Niharika along with her friend Rupal had invited Raj to her house for a dinner party and as soon as he entered her room and was making himself comfortable Avantika stormed inside. Ruthlessly she asked him to leave stating that she wanted Niharika to work more on her studies than on her friends. It took just a few seconds for Raj to leave her house and soon she saw Rupal leaving behind him. Today, she was an item of laughter in all her school and Rupal left her forever. Avantika felt all eyes on her and with great difficulty she had passed her whole day in her all girls’ school.

It’s been a whole year Niharika though that she was terrorized by this Avantika…. her step-mom. Before her, her life was so easy and joyful. She and her dad were the happiest creatures on this planet. The first two years after her mother’s death were very bad, but after that, life picked up at full speed and the next two years were full of happiness. Her father was a famous eye surgeon and spent most of his time in his clinic while an old maid took care of her and after school all her friends were invited to her place for food, party and dance. Soon, she was a famous and popular girl in her school and among all the good looking boys.

From noon, till dark her place was the most happening spot for many. When her father came back from work she was more than happy, they had dinner together, watched T.V. and would play board games. Weekend was only a Sunday when her father was free and would show concern for her falling grades. She would promise to do better next time and the matter used to close then and there.

Then, one hot summer night as she and her father went for a dinner at Dr. Mehra’s place, who was her father’s childhood friend, she could feel something unusual. There for the first time she met Avantika, who was of her father’s age but looked much younger, beautiful and stylish. Niharika could make out from their discussions that she knew her father well. She was still un-married and was keen on showing all the concern for her dad. Niharika felt uneasy and out of the group as she sat with them sipping her hot coffee served by Mrs Mehra. As Niharika tried to listen what Avantika was telling her dad in a hush tone when Keesha , Dr. Mehra’s daughter came inside. She was of her own age and both of them were friends since childhood though they were in different schools. After greeting all in the room Keesha asked Niharika to follow her on the terrace for a walk. Niharika immediately followed her and soon they were on the dimly lit terrace.

Keesha came very close to her and asked, does she know Avantika and why she was here? Niharika did not say a word when her friend continued with her bit of information, in a very low pitched voice.

Whatever she said hearing that brought two drops of tears in Niharika’s eyes and Keesha went down to bring her a glass of water. As she left Niharika sobbed thinking that whatever Keesha said was it true or just her assumption? Keesha told her that Avantika who herself was a doctor knew her dad even before her college days, they had been in the same medical college. They were more than good friends but forced by his family, her dad married her mother and now as she was no more, he and Avantika decided to get married. Today, they all were invited here so that Niharika could meet Avantika.

Soon, Keesha came back and when Niharika had a glass of water, she gently asked her to join the rest for dinner. After dinner, once they were home her dad asked her opinion about Avantika. Niharika was dumb and then her dad informed her of his second marriage.

Within a week Avantika was in their house and the first thing she did was to make her life miserable. All her after school parties were banned and she sat a time limit for her return from her outings. No boy was allowed to enter their house after noon and a tuition teacher as old as Avantika could find was arranged for her. Niharika felt like a lost caged bird in her own house and her complaints about Avantika were ignored by her own father. On weekends she was made to do some dusting and in spite of having a full team of servants she was asked to arrange her room. With each passing day Niharika hated Avantika a lot and made popular in her school all the infamous stories about her stepmom.

Just before her final exams for class tenth Niharika got an invitation for a farewell party. It was organized by a group of boys and girls and she was invited through Rupal and her new boyfriend. Avantika out rightly rejected it and as per Niharika even poisoned her father’s ears when she asked his permission for going as her friend Rupal was going there too. All she got was a big no from her father and for the first time she openly accused her father of siding with stepmom and she ran back crying to her room.

Just then, Rupal called her and she narrated everything to her. She was sick of her stepmom and wanted revenge. From that day as soon as her father left, Niharika started disrespecting and disobeying her stepmom. She would create a scene everyday in front of the servants once she was back from school and accused Avantika for being a stepmom, who took away her happiness and also her father. Once her father was home, she behaved normally; Avantika never said a word and now remained quiet most of the time. Soon the day for the farewell party came and secretly Niharika was getting ready to go. She wore a bright red-golden dress and very high heel shoes, and then quickly she took out a matching handbag and filled it with some cosmetics, she wore a light make-up and after looking the mirror for one last time, she quietly tip-toed out from the back door.

Rupal along with her friend was waiting in her car near a big tree and soon they were on the road. It took ten minutes to reach the venue. The party was in a very fancy hotel and it was crowded. Niharika found herself alone as Rupal left with her friend for a dance. Niharika moved inside and found herself alone among the dancing couples who seemed to be in trance dancing on a fast number. Niharika decided to get herself a drink and went to the nearby food stall. As she took her drink in her hand she could feel few appreciating eyes on her. Aware that she was looking at her beautiful best Niharika held her head high, she thought how Avantika was against her coming to this place and was sure that she was not only a rude stepmom but also a jealous one. Suddenly she saw few boys coming towards her and one of them came forward and caught her by her hand. Niharika remembered him as a bad reputed guy and asked him to leave but as he refused to go and pulled her closer Niharika slapped him and ran out, followed by that boy and two others.

Suddenly, she saw Avantika coming in and as she neared her she heard her scolding those boys and asked them to leave her daughter alone. Then she held her hand and soon they were in her car. Once at home Avantika made her comfortable and told her that she had seen Niharika leaving the house and had quietly followed her as the place she was going was ill reputed. Then she gently explained her how much she had loved her dad and how hurt she felt seeing him struggling alone with his life. When she decided to marry him the major concern was to be with, love and take care of that person whom her father loved more than his life and it was – ‘She’, his little daughter. Avantika told her crying how much she was wanted in her life and that she would always be her only little baby girl who will be loved, protected and always nurtured by her, even if her actions seemed rude to her.

Niharika heard her each and every word with moist eyes and wiped her tears, she hugged her only to be hugged more tightly by her and now she was neither Avantika nor stepmom she was just her mom.