Sunday Story: When the Past Interferes with the Future

Fida was in the garden with her gardener. She loved flowers. Her husband, Ainesh, had passed away a few years ago, and her children Ameena and Ashok lived with their family a short distance from her. She loved staying alone in her palatial house with sprawling lawns and a beautiful garden. After all, she had many servants who took good care of her and her pets, one of which was a dog, Buffy, who never left her side. 

It was evening, and Shyam, the gardener, was watering the flower plants. Fida was past the blossoming blooms, complementing Shyam's excellent selection of colours. It was his duty to buy them from the nursery. "I have never seen this pink in roses, Shyam. You have chosen well and planted them beautifully next to the white rose bush, such a beautiful array of colour—" Fida was saying when she saw her daughter Ameena's car pulling into the driveway. She expected her daughter to come to her, but surprisingly she didn't. She barged into the house with a big suitcase and her two children, Saira and Abhishek, into the house.

"What could have happened?" Ameena wondered. "It's unusual that Ameena didn't even wave or glance at me as she went into the house!" Concerned, Fida went into the house looking for her daughter.

Meanwhile, Ameena entered a room she had lived in before her marriage. She lay on the bed and the scene from a few hours ago replayed in her mind. All was well until Rajesh barged into their dining area as Ameena and Shailesh were having breakfast. He was furious and was shouting at the top of his voice, saying, "Shailesh, how dare you break the partnership? You say I have stolen from the business, but what about you and the monthly secret donation to the children's home every month?

Shailesh looked Rajesh in the eye and said, "I donate to the children's home from my personal account, but you have taken several substantial amounts from the business funds and cannot account for it! I don't want to be a part of this anymore. You can keep the business—"

"— Oh wow, Mr Clean, eh! But I was wondering if Ameena knows about your secret donation to the child's home and a certain 10 years old boy, who looks so much like you—"

Shailesh had not let him finish. He had held him by the arm, taking him out of the house, and threatened him never to return to his home or anywhere near his family.

Ameena was stunned, "a 10-year-old boy who looked like her husband, whom she adored, in the children's home—"

Ameena had confronted her husband. But he had just heard her out and replied. "I don't know what to say to you. Can we just forget this incident and continue living as we did in the past? Please, I beg of you. We have something beautiful, and let's not destroy it." So saying he had walked out of the house.

Had her husband cheated on her, who was this boy, and why was her husband looking after his needs? "I must find out, "thought Ameena. Ameena quickly dressed up and went to the children's home. "I will drive to the children's home after dropping Saira and Abhishek at school. 

Ameena's heart raced as she returned to the car after dropping the kids at school. She waited for some time before turning on the ignition. "Am I doing the right thing? Should I go to the children's home and find out, or should I let it be like Shailesh requested me to?" 

Shailesh was incredible; they had a great marriage and beautiful kids. A caring man who loved them to bits and took care of their every need. She couldn't think of anything negative about the man despite being married to him for 5 years. Ameena's lips curved into a smile as she thought of Shailesh. Oh, how much she loved him. "I must just forget the whole thing and drive home and never bring up the matter." she thought. 

That's when another thought crept into her mind. "How can Rajesh talk like this about Shailesh? I must go to the children's home and see for myself. Find out about the noble cause that Shailesh is donating to and confront Rajesh with the truth. If not, he may spread the rumour and defame my husband!"

Ameena put the car into gear and drove to the orphanage. She pushed past the gates into the driveway just as the children from home were getting into a nearby bus. They were going to school. She waited as Rajesh's words flashed in her mind, "the 10-year-old who looks so much like you." One after the other, the children went into the bus, but no one looked like Shailesh. Ameena sighed. It was a sigh of relief. "Thank God, none of them looks like Shailesh. Rajesh was lying. I will now go to the office and find out Shailesh's noble cause—"

Ameena's thoughts were interrupted when a little boy of about 10 dressed in the uniform of a prestigious school in the vicinity got out of the building. "But who is this boy, and how will he go? The bus is gone?" she thought. That's when the boy moved closer, and Ameena gasped, for the boy looked just like her husband!" 

My thoughts

We all have a past, which can sometimes be disturbing to our spouse or us. What is the best way to handle the past?

Let bygones be bygones, for you cannot change anything about it. It is best to move on and enjoy the good things of the present and not let the past wreck the present or future.

But what did Ameena do? Check out this space to know what happens next in Ameena's story.

Meanwhile, if you liked this story, read another one- 'Sunday Story: More Than Meets the Eye'.