Deserve

"Who is in your family" Mom asked to pual. We were eating our lunch together.We all seated on rounned table dinning table I was sitting between Mom and Angela while mom seated front of him shooting questions one by one.

"I have one small sister and mother" Paul said smiling awkwardly.

"Where is your father" Mom asked. She didn't have eat anything yet. Her palte was untouched. She was only interested in Paul life.

"He left us when I was small" Paul said trying to eat puri with his hand.

"Why." mom asked.

"He had fallen in love with another girl, So he left us" Paul said finally able to take piece of puri.

"Ohh, I am sorry" Mom said looking at him.

"It's ok Aunt, It's normal" He said smiling at her.

"Ohhhh" Mom said taking glass of water from the table.

"Why are you not eating" Mrs Singh asked mom.

"I had good breakfast in morning, I am not much hungry" Mom said.

"Ohk but eat little you need to take medicine" Mrs Singh given reminder to mom

"Yes," She smiled looking Mrs Singh.

"So Paul do you like Anika" She asked.

"Yes, We both like each other" Paul said smiling at me. I smiled back .

"Are you both planning to get marry" Mom asked.

"Mom..." I whispered trying to stop her asking these king of questions.

"Hmmm Aunt, We haven't planned yet but we are taking our time to know each other and if things goes good between us, We will think" He explained and exactly what we had planned.

"Thats nice" Mom said with blak expression.

"What you do Paul for living" Mom asked again.

It was looking like interview going on, Paul is like interviewer and mom is like boss.

"I work part time job as librarian and restaurants" Paul said.

"Ok, Any future plans" Mom asked dipping puri in kheer ( Sweet made by Rice, milk and suger).

"I want to start my own cafe" Paul said wipping his mouth with napkins.

"Good, have something of your own" She said eating her food.

"Anika, I need to go" Paul said and I nodded.

"I hope your mom is not upset with me" Paul said taking this jacket from me.

"No, Don't worry she just wanted to know about you" I said.

"Ok , I will call you in night, Take care" He said biding his goodbye.

"Take care" I said taking deep sigh.

******

"You don't like him" I asked mom.

We were sitting in balcony with our evening tea. She didn't talk much to me in this afternoon. I was having anxiety to talk to her about Paul but I need to know from her what she is thinking.

"Beta (Son/Honey/Love) , It's not about I like him or not. Its all about does he deserve you" She asked back.

"I am not getting" I said learning on relaxing chair while closing my eyes.

"Let me tell you one story" Mom said putting her cup on table.

"There was one teenage girl in her fifteen fallen in love with her father's driver. Starting of days everything was feeling like so good so nice but soon reality hit her when her father found her with his driver who was nineteen year old guy. 

"Then what happened" I asked when she was paused for a long time.

"She was beaten by her father and brother and Within one month her marriage was arranged" She said.

"What about the guy" I asked.

"Her father and brother also beat his shit out but left him alive" she said.

After some silence she continued " After with so many difficulties boy came to meet girl at her home and given her option to run away with him but he doesn't have money so she need to stole gold and money from her home and girl was blind in his love she accepted his offer" 

"Did she run away" I asked.

"Yes, She run away with whatever she had with her all jewellery and momey she got from her family locker" Mom said.

"After" I asked Curiously.

"The boy took everything from her and asked her to sit on bus stand he is going to buy tickets. She believed on him sitting alone at night on bus stand." mom said closing her eyes.

"Mummy" I asked when she didn't continue with her story.

"Yes.." She asked like thinking something.

"Story" I said.

"Yes, She was waiting for him whole night but he never come back, Second day her father and brother found her on bus stand sitting alone" She said and I gaps on her misery.

"They took her home back and again beat her like someone kind of punching bag, Its take her month to recover her back from worst to normal state. Her arranged marriage was broken because of the news she run away from her home" Mummy said.

"Then" I asked.

"Her father again arranged her marriage with widowers who has two children."Mom said.

"Did she get marry with him" I asked.

"Yes, She married with widower but died on first night of marriage" Mom said tear rolled down on her cheek.

"How's" I asked.

"Her husband raped her. it was all big trauma for her to accept all and she died eating poison" Mom sobbed.

"Why are you crying" I asked hugging her. I have sensed it, This his story is something related to her or her close one the way she was continuously thinking before telling me like remembering her past.

"She was my elder sister" she said and I was schoked knowing this truth.

"Sister" I whispered.

"Yes my elder sister" my mom said crying.

"Now just think Ankia, You are not going to force to marry with anyone but I want you choose wisely, I am not saying don't go with person who is struggling in his life but I want to tell you does he deserve your struggle, What is the gaurantee he wil be with you once he achieved everything in life" She said wipping her tears.

"Beta it's not about Paul but I want you to understand to choose a person who deserves you more than you deserve him" She said going inside room

I was so shocked today knowing story about my Mausi (Aunty). I was thinking what mom wants to tell me through my Aunty stories. It was to much for me to think about everything.