Moment of Truth

There was silence in Srushti-Anathashram, she was a 10 yr old who had fears in her eyes, she had eyes which were filled with questions buried within. For which she was searching answers.
Why? how? when? Yes, No and so on...

She was an active child, stood first in class and other cultural activities.
Anwesha... as her name says, she was self made, she had her own world. She had everything except the hard reality that she was an Orphan.

Anwesha always had this thought that she has been raised intentionally in orphanage because her parents don’t love her anymore. She had sleepless nights thinking this.
Who were those people who made me suffer for 10yrs, aren’t they human? Don’t they have heart? Thousands of questions would haunt her and she would sleep without a single question answered. She was a loner inside.

One morning Mrs. Sunita called her and Anwesha came running with doubtful steps. She looked as usual charming, neatly dressed and head turned down.
Mrs. Sunita: Anwesha, there's a good new for you. You’ve to depart from us soon.
Anwesha: Ok but.... (Silence calmed her)
Mrs. Sunita: Please start packing your luggage and in 2 days you'll be flying to Mumbai.
Anwesha: Thank you.

She had the same questions haunting her constantly which made her restless, get tensed but no one knew who were coming to take her except Mrs. Sunita and she would not dare to ask her a question.

Tuesday Morning 9 o’clock & her eyes were filled with pain, as she was saying a final good-bye to her friends, teachers in whom she had found sisters, brothers and sometimes parents.
In her back of mind she had those questions repeatedly asked, who are these people who’ve come to take me along with them, are they my parents? Why are they coming now?

Mr & Mrs Joshi had come to take her. They had come to Srushti many times before they informed Mrs. Sunita that the legal formalities were done and they’re paying final visit to anathashram to take Anwesha along with them.
Mrs Joshi couldn’t stop her tears as she hugged Anwesha. Mr Joshi stood silent with their daughter who was younger to Anwesha.
A month after when Anwesha finally believed that she had found her parents ?

She thought her father was the person who threw her in orphanage, this thought was planted in her when she heard her parents talk about Anwesha, orphanage and Aparna.
Ms Joshi was a nice humble, caring woman, she always made sure that Anwesha and Aparna were treated alike. Aparna & Anwesha became best of sisters and friends.

Years passed by, but something never changed. Anwesha never believed her father.
She had decided that he was the person who threw her in orphanage. The thought was so stongly seeded in her mind that she never called her father Pappa

Mr Joshi was deprived of being called Pappa from her elder daughter. He cared for her more than Aparna, His love towards her was unconditional. She never changed.
After 15 Yrs, Anwesha was a big girl and was ready for marriage, She had an engg degree for her credit and aparna was still studying. Mr & Mrs Joshi decided to find a groom for Anwesha when disaster stuck.

Aparna had got married to a guy who didn’t belong to her community.
This incident made Ms Joshi weak at heart and her health slowly began to collapse.
During all this, Mr Joshi was craving for just one word Pappa from Anwesha which never happened. It was the last day of Ms Joshi, she had expired.
Mr Joshi was deeply hurt, he had become a loner, her own daughter had left him and the daughter whom he cared so much never had belief in him. He was slowly getting near to last days of his life.

Once he asked Anwesha, why wouldn’t she accept him as his father and the reply was if you were my father, you wouldn’t have left me orphanage for 10 years!!!

He tried to assure her, I did a mistake but am I not keeping you happy? Don’t I care and love you? Anwesha declared, you’re doing your duty. and the hope of Anwesha addressing him as Pappa died.

As days went by, Mr joshi’s health became more and more weak, Anwesha took care of him very well but never called him Pappa, because he was not the father she had imagined.
Mr Joshi’s body was lying on a white bed and relatives had come to pay the final visit.

There was no sign of Aparna, Anwesha being the elder daughter was standing near the body when a old lady started staring her. It was a frightening look which she had.

Anwesha went to old lady and Immediate words which came out of her were, do you think you’re a good daughter? Anwesha surprised but trying to cope up replied back, what are you talking about?
Tears rolled out of her eyes and words were unclear.

Anwesha: Who are you?
Old Lady: Im a worker of Shrushti
Anwesha: Thanks for coming
Old Lady: Thank that man who’s lying on the bed, he’s a gem.
Anwesha: Silence…
Old lady: Why did you do this to him? Why didn’t you accept him as your father. He loved you so much.
Anwesha: Stood up and said, I wont accept him as my father because he made me die in that orphanage for 10 years when I was craving for love, where was he. I’m fortunate enough to have had a mother who understood my pain.
Old Lady: Pointing her hand towards Mr Joshi, you’re blaming him that he made your life worse? Listen to the truth now !!! You were a Illegitimate child of your mother.
Anwesha: Mamma .....
Old Lady( Continued...) : yes !!! Your mamma. She had kept you in anathashram and when Mr Joshi came to know about this, he fought with everyone in the family and also with your mother because he believed you should get all the rights to be one among the family. he believed you were his daughter...., so what you were illegitimate and you say he’s not a good father?

Anwesha stood shocked, she felt her soul is snatched away and she fell on Mr Joshi and cried loudly Pappaaaaaaaaa………………