After Reading This Letter, My Relationship With My Parents Changed

27/03/2006.

It was my 17th birthday.

We usually have house parties with close friends and family members, which makes it a homely affair.

Without any hesitation, she said, ‘Okay, go and take it out from my wardrobe. I went, and while I was searching for the saree, I ended up finding something else. Some old, handwritten letters. After reading 5 lines I recognized that it was my Nana’s letters, written to my mom. So neat and clean handwriting, and so profound advice, like pearls just flown from the mind to the pen and then paper.

In the stack of those 10-15 letters, there was one more letter. I read it and went running to my mom. Furious, I asked Mom, “Whose letter is this? I don’t know this person and he is consoling my father on my birth, why is that?”

Surprised, my mom asked me, ‘You had gone looking for sarees, then why did you touch those letters, especially since they weren’t for you?’

“Whatever! That does not change the fact that somebody had to console you after my birth,” I replied.

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My grandma got a glass of water for me, while my mother was trying to cool me down and mentally prepare me for for the party that was there at home in the evening. However, I was in no mood to listen, and I wanted to know all the answers right then.

To this, my mom said, “Will you listen to me patiently?”

“Yes. Please, speak up, I am dying to know,” I said.

“Okay. You were born at your Nani’s place. We sent a telegram to your dad and grandparents. They received the telegram on the 5th or the 6th day. Dad couldn’t get tickets to come and see you. He saw you 10-12 days after your birth.

After 4 months, when we came back to your dad’s place, I saw this letter. And my reaction to this was the same as yours today. But then your dad told me it was his distant relative, apparently his cousin, who wrote this letter to him. He belonged to this orthodox patriarchal thinking. But your dad gave it back to him very nicely, and after that, hasn’t spoken to him to date. It is not that we were guilty or that we regretted having a girl child.

We are extremely proud of you, and we treat you the same way we treat your brother. For us, you are the only source of all of our joys, our first child. We love you!

Now don’t spoil your mood, we have a party coming up.”

After listening to this, there was something in me that changed, and it changed forever.

I think it was my love, respect, and bond with my parents!

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