Mother

I’m moving away. Nobody knows yet, and I don’t really think anyone cares. All I do, day in and
day out, is wake up, potter around the house for a bit, make myself feel as though I’ve done
something remotely worthwhile by some light dusting, prepare lunch, eat lunch, take a nap,
prepare dinner, eat dinner, watch some television, and go to sleep. All day, ever day, the only
break in the monotonous routine always caused by someone else, never by me. What a life.

And just so you know, I didn’t have to do this. I studied so hard, got into MIT , left India, studied
theoretical physics…I had a job at NASA. I was a genius. And then, I met a guy, and it all went
down the drain.

I’m not saying I don’t love my husband, though I don’t. I’m not saying I’m not proud of my kids,
though…well the point is, I’m not happy. I’m never happy. And nobody cares. As long as the
foods on the table and the house is clean, I’m invisible - the only time someone remembers me
is when something goes wrong or they need something. How horrid.

There’s the phone ringing. The incessant drawl of it is driving me up the wall. I’ve told Brian a
million times to replace it, but has he? Nope. I pull out the phones plug and stagger to the couch
for my afternoon nap, the second of the day but well, its been drizzling all day and its worth
staying up.

Brian

“Trringggg. Trringgg.”
“Oh, Akshay! What’s up dear?”
“Hey Dad…how’s it going”
“Wonderful, retirement’s really the best, I love it so much! I’m at the hardware store right now, I
think I’ll finally get to the house…really spruce up the place. That’ll be good, make me look like a
good guy, you know!”

Brian drawled on and on about this, meandering through his retirement to his relationship to his
feelings to his thoughts, until finally, the cashier shot him quite a nasty look, forcing him to
hastily tell Akshay he’d call him back, in fact no, why doesn’t he drop by tomorrow, it’s the
weekend, and put the phone away.

He took a quick look at the lone screwdriver he was clutching. He was never really going to get
to using it…he put it down and sauntered out of the shop, choosing the quickly increasing
downpour outside over the annoyed sigh of the cashier behind.

Akshay

Akshay frantically dialed number after number on his cell, praying someone would talk to him.
Mom? Oh, she sounded sleepy - gosh, she was so lazy! Dad, ah, he has so much going on,
he’s such an ambitious guy! Didi! He knew Mona would pick up.
“Mon, listen!”
“What, Akshay”, she snapped, irritated already. Akshay sighed - he knew this was fruitless. He
needed to round up the family before he’d be able to achieve anything…nobody was going to
help him out over the phone, no, he’d need to make sure he had all their focus and there was no
escape plan.

“Di, listen, tomorrow, can you please come to Mom and Dad’s? Please! I really need you…it’ll all
make sense soon!

Please please please let her say yes!! Please! Oh thank goodness, yes, there we go, she’s
coming, she’s coming, it’s all coming together, God, maybe he will get out of this alive.

He quickly capped the sleeping pills and locked them in a cabinet, not wanting to tempt fate.

Mona

She stalked into her car, slamming the door, behind her, stamping her sneakers on the
accelerator, pulling out of the driveway and swerving onto the road, risking quite a few lives
considering yesterday’s light drizzle had transformed into two inches of water logged onto the
streets.

She drove in a furious haze, all jerky movements and unfiltered honking, sticking her head out
of the car to give slow drivers a few choice words.

She pulled into Mom’s driveway, and froze. The anger and rage poured out of her as she beat
the steering wheel, before she dropped her head onto it and began to sob, and sob, and sob,
until at some point the angry tears turned into weeping and she felt so, so very broken inside.
She was like shattered glass…what if the baby got cut?

Mother

Oh dear me, my kid’s are here! God, I wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into this time.
Mona looks simply frightful, if I’m being fully honest, eyebags and acne, and she’s put on quite a
bit of weight. I’ve told her to watch out for her tummy, but does anyone listen to me? I think not.

Akshay too, I mean, this boy is the one who planned this stupid little reunion, and he’s not here?
For the love of God, even Brian’s here, not at work for once. Though, I kind of wish he hadn’t
retired. I know, I know, he had a “nervous breakdown”, and he needed to “manage his panic
attacks”, but honestly…sounds like a bit of stress to me, nothing to get so het up about!

Here he is. Why does Akshay have to be so hyper, always barelling into rooms, incessantly
talking, he doesn’t know full stops, nope, it’s only comma after comma with a random
exclamation mark.
Brian

“I’m pregnant”

What the…

What had he just missed? Was his wife pregnant? Could that even be possible? What??

He had dozed off, and when he awoke, his son was laying on the floor munching on Pringles,
his daughter had her head in her arms and was softly crying, and his wife was frozen in place.
Hadn’t they just been watching the Little Mermaid after a heavy lunch?

“I’m sorry, I just had to get it out, I didn’t know how to say it-” Mona started, before her mother
cut her off.

“My God! I’m so happy dear, but you know, you’re a little young, well, I was your age when I had
you, and that didn’t turn out too well…just kidding!”

“Who…who’s the father?” Brian managed to ask. Was it raining, or was it head just pounding?
Both, but it felt like the heavens had let loose, Gods dancing over his skull.

“I’m not quite sure” Mona replied calmly.

Akshay burst out laughing.

Akshay

“You goddamn idiot”

Jesus Christ, what was wrong with his father? He could hardly believe it. His self absorbed
father, ofcourse the only thing he’d give a damn about was his reputation, he was probably
trying to judge if Mon’s partner could take over the business.

Yup, his dad was disappointed that he went to Harvard. I mean, he could just give the business
to Mona, who literally had a business degree, and save her from her dingy life in the city, but no
“that’s not how things are done!”.

Akshay raced up the stairs, shooting after his sister to comfort her, leaving her father behind.

Mother

“What’s my name?”
“What? Our daughter just got knocked up from a one-night stand, and you’re asking me what
your name is?”

“What’s my name?”

“Dear God, its…its…”

Brian

How was I blanking, this was my wife, I knew her name, I knew her name, ofcourse I knew her
name…I didn’t know her name.

Mother
“I’m moving. I’m going back to India. I can’t live here anymore, stuck with your narcissistic self,
the only thing I’ve achieved those two kids who really aren’t much of an achievement, one
wanting to drop out of Harvard and the other a whore”

“Akshay wants to drop out?”

“Obviously, why do you think he’s here? So disappointing, thats what you all are, huge goddamn
disappointnments.”

Thats when I saw them, my two babies, siting on the staircase staring at me.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it, baby I’m sorry, I love you two so much, I’m so sorry, I just miss my home,
nobody loves me here, baby I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry”.

Mona
In that moment, she understood. Maybe it was the baby inside of her, maybe it was every tear
she saw her Mom cry over the years, but she knew. Her mother had given everything for this
family, and they never did give her anything back. She hugged her poor mother, taking all her
pain and finally, finally relieving her of her thirty-year burden.

Akshay
He could make his mum proud, he would make his mum proud, no, he wouldn’t drop out, he’d
do it, finish his degree, work in NASA just like her, make her proud!

He committed suicide five months later, the day before his final exam.

9 months later
They were a broken, broken family. Three, where there should have always been four, really
two, for most of the time one was on videocall, FaceTiming from India. Each of them blamed
themselves, and staring at this new child, this beautiful baby boy, Akshay, they promised not to
fail him again, promised to do better for the new generation.