“Welcome home”-the card read..decorated with glitters and colourful ribbons …little Mia was quite an artist,
She had placed the card on the table near the tiny yet so beautiful Xmas tree.
The wind was teasing the curtains….fresh beam of sunlight had kissed every nook n corner of the room.The whole house was soaked in the spirit of Xmas …a whiff of freshly baked Xmas cake was filling the nostrils.
Valerie stood in the doorway…looking at the room..a sense of satisfaction ran through her body…a perfect Christmas feat…
“I guess the room is ready to welcome another member of our family…”
“You girls will take forever to get ready…how long will I wait near the car? This is the reason I like boys better than girls….”…a miffed voice of of her husband emerged from the car park…
“Almost there..coming…”..She grabbed her daughter’s hand and ran outside.
“See I am nervous,wanted to make sure whether the house is ready to welcome our new member…everything should be perfect …do you think we are doing the right thin? Hope our decision is right…but I will leave no stone unturned for this adoption….I don’t care what the society thinks…it’s our life…and we are doing just the right thing….”
He smiled seeing his wife mumbling to herself….
He placed his left hand on hers while driving……squeezed it a bit….and said,”This is a well thought of decision..there is no room for ifs n buts now…we will be fine..together as a family we will cherish this decision forever…and remember we are not doing anyone a favor…we are doing it for us…for the righteousness…we are doing it to complete our family…”
She squeezed his hand back and rested her head on the seat…n closed her eyes…
The car stopped in the lush arbour of peepal trees…..
Tranquillity and serendipity…seem to be guarding the place…
“So…are you ready to take her home…..hope you are sure about what you are doing…it’s a big decision…it can alter or break someone’s life…hope it’s not an emotional decision made in a haste ..
“Never been so sure in life….without much ado..allow us to take her home….”
Slowly…they walked through a quiet corridor..n reached her room….
….she was not there….
“Oh the Ayah would have taken her out …lets see in the garden….”said the warden …
“There she is……..”
Valerie walked towards the pavement….her heart was singing sweet melodies of mirth…..
She gave her a warm hug from behind….”Amma….ghar chalein…?”
……..
……………….
“You don’t even know me my dear…..”Amma…said hoping to hear what she longed to hear all these years from her own blood…
“NOW I do”said Valerie with a warm smile and rock solid determination.She helped Amma to get up……one more pair of arms joined her to take Amma…”home “.
………
It was a unique adoption the Aashram witnessed for the first time ever since it came to existence …..and an empty chair left behind didn’t look sad for a change……a perfect Xmas gift for someone….a perfect Xmas gift from an unknown Santa …a perfect Xmas hope for many….
Some gifts are not wrapped in beautiful and colourful papers…..some gifts are often found unwrapped,tightly tugged in the folds of heart-Merry Xmas to one and all…
-kathachitram by Shailja
Feature Image :Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
