How she married twice and it was, still, legal without a divorce

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Rushing to submit my post for blogadda WOW beofre IST 12:00 pm. So please dont mind the story being unedited. Thanks for understanding. 

‘Asha, get up.’ Yelled Asha’s mom.

‘Mom, please give me five more minutes.’ She yelled back.

‘It’s getting late.’ Her mom said and added ‘Please get up, sweetheart.’

‘Why is mom so polite to me? First of all, why am I here?’ she wondered to herself. ‘I will work from home today, mom.’ She said aloud.

‘What?’ he mom emerged, swiftly, in her bedroom and pulled her bedsheet down from her face.

‘It’s getting late to school. Please get up.  Be a good girl.’ Her mom said and looked at her with so much love in her eyes.

‘School?’ Asha wondered and woke up in confusion. She looked into the huge mirror mounted, opposite to her, on the wall. A little girl looked at her and smiled. She was shocked that the mirror was not reflecting her but a small girl, who exactly looked like her seventeen years back.

She rubbed her eyes and found that her fingers had shrunk. She got out of the blanket to live the scene that she wouldn’t even wanted to be her nightmare. She had shrunken into a small kid, who looked like herself when she was five. She was in her brief that had a mickey mouse drawn over it. She felt awkward for not wearing anything much to cover herself. Before she could think beyond covering up herself a little more, her mom forced her into the bathroom to brush. She got ready to school. Every single happening that day seemed to her like she had already gone through that before. She seated herself down that evening to comprehend what had happened to her.

She understood that she was twenty three when the strange accident happened to her. She had suddenly gone back in time and had become a five year old kid. She had the maturity of a twenty three year old girl and carried the memory of the twenty three years she had already lived.

‘Hi Asha.’ Maya said and tapped her back, at the terrace of their building. They were neighbours.

‘Hi Maya.’ Asha begun to laugh.

‘What’s wrong with you? Can we play doctor game?’ asked Maya.

‘Do you even know how funny you had looked when you were a small kid?’ asked Asha. ‘Look at that hair style, looks like a coconut tree grown on top of your head.’ Said Aasha.

‘Why are you teasing me?’ Maya started to cry. Aasha realized that Maya was still the five year old kid.

‘Okay, listen. I will tell you a secret. Don’t tell it out to anyone. I am sure you are a shrud kid to understand this much.’ Aasha said pulling Maya’s ears close to her mouth.

She said, secretively, ‘Maya, I have already lived the twenty three years of my life. You know, we have grown up like our moms. Then, suddenly, I again became a five year old kid. Do you understand what I mean?’

‘Oh, you want to play mummy-mummy? Okay, let’s play that. Let me bring a saree from my house.’’ Maya vanished.

Aasha understood that none of her friends were matured enough, yet, to understand what she was going through. She dropped the idea of discussing with her friends.

‘Aasha, come down.’ Called her mom and she, instantly, got down.

‘Come on, do your home work now.’ Said her mother, thrusting a four line ruled notebook on her lap.

‘Why should I study mom?’

‘What do you want to become?’ her mom asked.

‘I, currenly, want to become a teacher. I know that I will want to become a teacher until I fall sick and we meet doctor Elangovan. After that doctor impresses me enough, I will want to become a doctor. But, that won’t last long after I realize that computer labs have airconditioning and biology labs are hot. Once I get to know that I will want to become a computer student. I will become a computer engineer. But, sooner after my graduation you will get me married to a rich guy, who works in the US. I will do full time house keeping and cooking. So, why study and waste time? Let me just learn to cook.’ She said with one breath.

‘Talk your age, Aasha. You are still a small kid.’ Said her mom, reminding her that she was just five year old to others.

She got promoted to second grade. She tried it again.

‘Maya, listen to me very carefully. This is a secret.’ Said Aasha. ‘Maya, I have already lived the twenty three years of my life. You know, we have grown up like our moms. Then, suddenly, I again became a five year old kid. Do you understand what I mean?’

‘Oh, Story telling? I love stories. My grandma also tells me stories every day. Tell me this one.’ Said Maya, disappointing Aasha again.

Year after year, nothing changed, with regard to this discussion, except for Maya’s replies.

Third grade: ‘What’s the spelling of twenty? Is it “t w e n t y” or “t w e l ve”?’ asked Maya as a response to Aasha’s explanation.

Fourth grade: ‘Five year old? We are seven year old. Don’t you know. It’s my birthday tomorrow and I am turning seven. That’s what my mom said. Get me a teddy bear as a birthday gift okay?’ said Maya.

Fifth grade: ‘I don’t understand.’ Said Maya.

Years passed. She had to battle between her known future and her present; she had to cover up for every word she uttered about the future that she knew was going to happen to her.

She got promoted to sixth grade. She tried again, just like every year.  

‘Maya, listen to me very carefully. This is a secret.’ Said Aasha. ‘Maya, I have already lived the twenty three years of my life. You know, we have grown up like our moms. Then, suddenly, I again became a five year old kid. Do you understand what I mean?’

‘Oh my god! Are you serious, Aasha?’ asked Maya.

‘Thank god, you understood my situation now.’ Said Aasha.

‘So you are like the girl in the movies, who has the power to say what will happen tomorrow. Are you?’ she asked.

‘Not like that..’ she paused thinking about the many years she had to battle it all alone. She didn’t want to confuse Maya and lose the company in understanding her problem. ‘Precisely.’

‘Come close.’ Maya called her near.

Maya looked around to make sure there were none in the playground. It was their physical training period and they were at the corner of the ground.

‘Can you tell me who I will get married to?’ Maya whispered and giggled.

Aasha wondered how Maya could ask her that instead of asking her about her battle. Pushing aside her shock, she forced a smile on her face and said ‘Ashruth.’

‘What do you mean? This Ashruth.’ Maya pointed out at a guy who was playing football, their classmate.

‘Yeah.’ Aasha, disinterestedly, said.

‘Love marriage?’

Aasha nodded in response.

‘When will we fall in love then?’ asked Maya.

‘First, he will fall in love with me in tenth grade. I will be in a relationship with him for three years. Then, he will breakup with me and fall in love with you. You guys will then get married.’

‘What? Why will he fall in love with you and finally, marry me?’ she asked.

‘That’s my mistake. That’s how it happened the last time I lived the same life. I will get married to a guy who takes very good care of me, someone made just for me. But I will meet him only when I am twenty one.’ Aasha said.

‘Then, why don’t you reject it when Aashruth proposes you? I am sure if you accept it and things go as per you say, we cant remain friends forever.’

‘True. I will do that.’ Aasha says and smiled at Maya.

That evening they meet at the terrace to discuss further about their plan of making Aashruth falling in love with Maya instead of Aasha, so that they can beat the destiny and remain friends forever.

‘Did you complete the social homework?’ asked Maya.

‘I will complete it, keep it at home and come to school tomorrow. Mam, will make me stand out of the class, anyway. This is how it will happen. So, I decided not to write it today and play video game.’ Said Aasha and they dispersed.

The next day dawned. Things happened as per Aasha’s memory from her previous experience of living the same life. Bell rang and the social teacher entered the class.

‘Don’t get scared.’ Said Maya.

‘I will not. I am ready to stand outside. This is what fate has got for me, for today.’’ Aasha said and got up to wish the staff.

‘Everyone submit your social Homework note on my table.’ said the teacher and started scribbling something on the black board.

Maya accidentally looked into Aasha’s bag that was open.

‘Look. You have your homework note here. Maya said.

‘That’s okay. Anyway, I will say that I didn’t bring it.’ Said Aasha as she closed her bag.

‘How many of you have not submitted, please raise your hands.’ Said the mam, looking strict.

Aashruth and Aasha rose their hands up.

‘Aashruth, why didn’t you submit?’ asked the mam.

‘I forgot the note at home mam.’ Aashruth said.

‘What about you Aasha?’

‘I also forgot the note at home mam. But, I completed the homework.’ Said Aasha moving a little outside with so much confidence that she will be asked to go out. But she wondered why she did not remember standing out with Aashruth.

‘Bring your bag here.’ Yelled the staff. Maya gave Aasha a panic look. Aasha started to tremble, her legs shaking and sweating badly.

‘Okay, submit it tomorrow.’ Ordered the staff at the end of the scrutiny.

‘Now, Aasha bring your bag.’ Said the mam with a stricter tone.

At the end of the scrutiny, mam yelled at Aasha and asked her to meet the principal for lying. Her social mam was the strictest staff in the entire school and never tolerated lies. She stood outside the principal’s room the entire day and earned herself a bad name.

That evening, Maya and Aasha discussed.

‘Why did this not happen like before?’ cried Aasha.

‘Because you went against the fate by not writing the home work.’ Said Maya.

‘So we need to do exactly like it was before to make everything come true.’ Said Aasha.

‘Yes.’ Said Maya reluctantly. Their pact about Aashruth was running at the back of her head.

Things fell back to normal and Aasha lived the same life again till their tenth class.

‘Aashruth, trust me. Will you?’ Maya said the secret to Aashruth regarding Aasha’s power to tell them their future.

‘Seems like I will become a very beautiful woman, in the future, and you will fall in love with me. But you will first fall in love with Aasha and break up with her before you propose to me. But, finally, we two will get married. That’s what is destined for us. So why don’t you fall in love with me now?’ said Maya.

‘How stupid? Can someone plan to fall in love?’ asked Ashruth still not trusting what she had told him. He had the least liking for Maya at that point.

Maya gained Aashruth’s trust by telling him every single detail Aasha told her about every tomorrow. Aashruth started trusting Maya and did not reveal his love for Aasha. He didn’t want to break her heart as he knew they would break up for sure. He decided to get into a relationship with Maya.

Aasha, who genuinely fell for Aashruth started distancing herself from the two, who said they were in a relationship, to her.

Years passed. It was Aasha’s wedding. She bought the same dresses as she had bought when she got married before. She knew the reception dress would be a disaster but stuck to the mistake she had done before. Maya came to her dressing room. They had become friends again, a few days prior to her wedding.

‘Why did you choose this saree? Didn’t you tell me that it was a disaster the last time you wore it, for your previous wedding?’ Maya asked.

‘What do you mean? Previous wedding?’ asked Aasha’s nosy sister in law.

‘She meant previously at the wedding shopping. Right Maya?’ asked Aasha, gritting he teeth and pulling her aside.

‘Can’t you watch what you talk about the secret?’ she asked.

‘Sorry Aasha. But why did you do this?’

‘I lived my life till next month already once. That was a beautiful life. I had made so many mistakes and regretted for doing a lot of things the way it was done. But I was happy with who I was. I got a chance to live that beautiful life again. It was a blessing in itself and I was blessed unlike anyone else. I tried and corrected all the mistakes. Today, I am living a life that’s not as beautiful as the previous one. Even changing small small things from my previous life made a drastic difference in the current life. Today, I am nowhere close to who I was in my previous chance to live the same life.’ She said and sighed.

She was called to the stage. Maya stood in the queue for her turn to click a photograph with the couple. She rose up to the stage and stood next to Aashruth. Once the photograph was clicked, she made an awkward eye contact with Aashruth, wishing him and Aasha a happy married life. She got down, leaving way to Kama;, Aasha’s colleague. Aasha flickered a smile as she was the only one who knew that she had married Kamal and lived a beautiful life with him, before. After the flash, Kamal was gone.

Moral: We might regret for a lot of things that we had chosen in life, we might want to become a child again, grow up, all over again, correcting every single mistakes we had done. But by doing that we become completely a different person. Every single mistake, every single choice of ours has made us who we are.

I have no regrets and given a chance I will live my life committing the same mistake again.