Aged Mirror

Kyomi was born and brought up by a low middle class family, wherein earning bread and butter was a hand to mouth scenario.

Kyomi's father was running a small confectionery shop of his own, located just beneath the house. Kyomi's mother was a homemaker. Kyomi was prolificent in household works also she use to handle ledger book of her father .

She was very chiarasmatic and her beauty was randomly praised by all and one. She too was profound of beholding herself, sporadically, for long, in front of her mother's decrepit dressing. .  

She tries to juxtapose her mother, by wearing bindi, lipglosses and at times her chequered bangles . .

Her affection towards her own beauty made her named kyomi. . by Mrs Beena.

Mrs Beena, by profession was an English teacher in nearby convent school. Verily she was itinerant of gossips and matrimonial box within the society.

"I am just 21year old, but why Mom, Mrs Beena is so overly worried about my marriage" - Kyomi asked out of rage. "Kyomi, Mrs Beena, congitate virtuously, as of, consequence about us" strictly stated by kyomi's mom.

All in good time Beena Aunty set her foot in and needled"Hey Kyomi, how are you doing, hope so you are good, see what I got for you. "

Ostensibly it was not any delicious dish brought by her but was an envelope. Beena then called kyomi's mother, and with gestured eyes took her to the extreme corner of the room and whispered something.

Kyomi's mother seems intense jubilant, and relieve Beena by saying, "I will surely tell you by tomorrow. . "

Kyomi was in a stage of irresoluteness, thinking. . . . . . What was there in the envelope?

Why Beena Aunty dragged her mother to the corner?

What actually did she whispered in her ears?

What's exact reason for her mother's glee?

Lately in evening kyomi's mother enter the kitchen, where in Kyomi was still lost thinking of the envelope.

This was the time, when Kyomi's wriggle was put to rest.

"He is Kartik, clerk in cloth mill, your father and I, have decided to call Kartik and his parents on Tea tomorrow evening. . "

Kyomi was still, and was wanting to ask multiple queries from her mother.

"But Maa. . . "Shhhh. . Beta!!! You need to trust us. . We are your parents and will take every decision wisely. Make yourself ready to the best dear. "

Kyomi's mother then left the kitchen. Kyomi was disheartened with so straight verdict of her mother. . .

No consigne,

No choices,

No assesments. . . Just decisions made, she was straightly catechized .

Today Kyomi wore a vermillon based Banarasee Saree matched up with bangles, small bindi and lipgloss.

Kyomi asked her mother, " Why mom, is it necessary to get dressed like a bride"

"Do you know Kyomi, what's the relevance of this saree you are wearing. "

After a little pause, kyomi's mother said,

"I wore the same saree when your father did came to saw me. "

"So maa, is this saree a certificate of saying "yes" from those who are coming to see me. " Kyomi giggled .

In a strict mode, mother said "Ok. . leave this conversation Kyomi, and listen to me very carefully, you just need to nod your head saying "yes"in case "if" asked from you about Kartik Ji. "

Kyomi deeply wondered, it's like I have a Voter ID, and will vote too, but hampered with the power to select candidate of my own choice. . and this is the story of every third girl in this prevailing society.

Any of the ways Kyomi was ultimated by her mother for saying yes to the groom's family arriving.

It was the first time when both the families met, that too in the same traditional manner, viz Kyomi holding tray occupied by hot tea cups, assisted by various homemade snacks by her. This meeting was solely addressing parents' affair.

Kyomi was standing at the extreme corner of the house, thekitchen, wherein she was literally trying to peep the face to whom she be getting married soon.

Meanwhile kyomi's mother came rushing into the kitchen and said "Kyomi, cover your head with elegance and come with me, Kartik ji mother wants to have a conversation with you". Kyomi stepped out off the kitchen with her mother.  

"Kyomi is a proficient cook and she is apt to do all household works. She simply imitates the picture of perfect homemaker. " quoted by Beena aunty.

Kartik mother quoted "Kyomi you are generously graceful and skilled too, soo from our side it's yes ".

That circumstancial moment was gracefully captured by hearts of all. . as Kartik Ji, mother's "Yes" is a "Big Yes" for everyone present there.

Kyomi's finally got knotted with Kartik.

Kyomi footed in oblivious and vernal entourage, intially a mistified situation for her to handle. .

But as days drifted to month, month to month's' and months reciprocated to years she became an integral part of not only Kartik's life but life line of her two cute children's too. For Kartik parents, Kyomi was not less then a blissful blessing from Lord . .  

All these years kyomi's diligent dextrous selfless services towards all made her exigent quintessence of the house.

Contemporaneously for Kyomi her family was her distinctiveness.

From first blush to gloom and dusk to dawn, every second, minute, hour and hours are pledged for wellbeing and prosperity of her familymates.

Over these passed years, the only secretly expressed desire and demand at her side from Kartik was a dressing table, though there was one mirror but stucked at heights in her bedroom, seeing which,  Kartik always get dressed for office, but for Kyomi this mirror was at not less than Burj Khalifa, she with all her efforts could just see her forehead, and as per Kartik's mother,  it was just perfect as she could put in sindoor and can perfectly wear bindi. .

All these years, intermitently she, on various occasions, was certified by her family and other relatives for her exquisitive face, which in turn generates gravitious esthesis of complacency. .

But still. . . . her ungraved proclivity, to image herself perfectly prior over a big beautiful mirror, do pop up at times.

On many of her birthdays and their anniversaries gone by, Kartik always elevates her hopes high, for buying a dressing mirror next time. Kyomi too snoop her hope in Kartik's eye, "believe me you are very beautiful,

Kyomi", this verdict of Kartik was like drinking handful of water in sandy summers.

Off all the busy scheduled life, still 

Kyomi missed the dressing mirror by her bed side, she wanted to behold her pulchritude as she used to in juvenility.

Yes, still in her engrossed assiduous life, shorthold, she desiderate to revive her childhood, frivolous anamnesis.

"Mumma, please come, papa is on call, he wanted to tell you something"- Kyaan ( Kyomi and Kartik son) said to her mother .

"Hello Kyomi, it's a good news, I have been promoted to head clerk and got good hike in my salary"- Kartik said.

Kyomi (out of all happiness bloating in her heart)- "Congratulations, great news, I am very happy, atleast now we can think of much better education for our children's and other essentialities. "

Kartik- "Yes, Kyomi, you are correct, this hike will surely embrace me to fulfill "essentialities" ".

"Kyomi, I want you to get ready the same manner--vermillon based Banarase Saree matched up with scarlet bangles, small crimson bindi and cerise lipgloss, your precise maquillage essences. "

"But Why??? Are we all going somewhere, or have you invited some guests. "- Kyomi asked out of amazement.

"No dear, I think, your proclivity, anticipated stayed long winded, in your eye coreand now it's time to effectuate vacant spaces near bedside. "- saying so, Kartik disconnected the call.

Kyomi was in a dillematic stage with puzzled verdict of Kartik. . . She wanted to actualize every word said by Kartik to draw the inferences, but simultaneously she was in fearshell what if her inference would turned out to be wrong.

But she was sure for one thing, Kartik's Promotion, and so wanted to make this moment very special for all family mates.

So she decided to keep the menu dishes all of Kartik's choice.

Throught out her journey from being a kid, to adolescent, wife and mother, she had learnt a lot from all odds and evens of her life. Major drifts has been choosen by her throughout the course of life.

She now is more. . . ductile, decorous, apprehensive, conscientious, profound abnegator and infernally amenable, simply recherche personality. Yes she is outrageously a transcendent homemanager and jointly her stochastic and empirical hardship made her prolific cook too.

Thinking all this, she gaffed part of mouthwatering and fingerliking dishes for the evening.

After finishing all her work, she went to her room, wherein from her wardrobe, she started seeking her vermillon based banarsee saree. But to her trouble, the slipover didn't fitted, so she managed to match the saree with another top. She finally tried to wore the elegance as Kartik wanted.

Door bell rings, "Mom someone is at the door", Kriomi ( Kartik and Kyomi's daughter) said to her mother.

"Open up 'beta', it's your father outside. "

Papa, kriomi giggled out of happiness and asked "what is this papa??"

'Beta' it's. . . . (Kartik)

Cheek by Jowl was, Kyomi, standing and came running by.

"Beta it's my dressing mirror"( kyomi ratify blithely)

"'Bhaiya, do handle my dressing mirror with extreme care and move it straight in bedroom proximity. "

Kyomi strictly needled the worker. Kyomi's authoritative skill was seen by all and one.

Kartik in a taunt mode, said, "see Maa, she is soo happy today, she wasn't at the time when we came to saw her"

Euphoria on her face seems like a sluggish dribble. She was as happy as a clam.

"Should we remove the wrapped newspaper from over the mirror Mam" - asked the worker.

"Noooooo!! Leave it likeways" . Really a big 'No', seems like word oozed out from the inner soul of Kyomi.

After the worker left, Kyomi just rushed towards her wardrobe, and quickly dragged out all her makeup essentials and other appurtenances. She then instituted scouring every bit of the dressing cubicles and soonafter with brimming facination she started situating her little makeup essentials and accessories over the dressing table.

"Now, if you say Yesss, can we remove the packing from your dressing 'Mirror' ". Kartik asked in consent hunting 

approach.

Kyomi, took a deep breath and said a big toneful "Yesss" with her eyes closed.

After a while, Kartik said, " Kyomi, open up your eyes, and behold your alluring and chiarasmatic self my dear wife. "

She slowly opened her eyes, but gradually was taken aback. .

"You brought me an "Aged Mirror", Kartik" - Kyomi Said.

Kartik- "What a good humour Kyomi, it's you, my dear love. "

"Who the hell is she ??"

After a deep pause

"No wait, oh!! it's me. .

How can I look soo grim. " Kyomi taken by jolt.

She with distroted spunk scrutinized herself in speculum for a little protracted flash. There were series of squelched wringers that got embossed in capitulum like an etch over the attic, which left her low spirited.

With the passage of time, it seems like, her agile balletic face got camouflaged with minute fine lines and  blemishes, dark circles environing her dazzling eyes and dark patches were soo deeply embedded that she did look like a chessboard podium. . . She being mother of two children, did turn hefty.

Her elegance got mislaid, now she bear a glutton charm. .

The cheval glass used to be chiarasmatic and enticing. But over these passed years, pour an image embraced with blemishes, fine wrinkles, cachectic, phlegmatic appearance, dipped in sluggish and quaggy slury with corpulence as a compliment from time.

Time never lasts the same neither stays still.  

How radical, grotesque is odyssey of life??

Kyomi tries to embellish the scattered sentiments of conscience and her dredged inner soul unanswered quests. Finally she shrouds the "Aged Mirror" with murk chromatic calico and straightly moved outside the bedroom.

A story embellished by imagination of writer.