MERAK- The pleasure of being loved.

                                                                                     Prologue In the beautiful city of Croydon, London was a sweet little home of the Stresthadhar the word that was an amalgamation of Shrestha and Manandhars, The home is usually cheerful and full of life. Every day was splendid. But today on this bright sunny day of 15th September Monday, the house was quiet and there was a reason for it though, and the reason why the house was always cheerful and why the house is quiet today was ‘’Heena’’. A sweet girl who was born in Nepal was brought to London at the age of two by her father Mr Niraj Manandhar. Heena is twenty-eight years now Living in London. She is continuously watching out of her window to a sight where a little girl in the park is playing very joyfully with her mother. Twenty-eight years back!  Kathmandu, Nepal It was 7 pm at night. Niraj along with his wife Nilam had to catch a flight to London which was scheduled to fly at 9 pm so they basically had 2 hours left. The storm was rumbling as they stood in front of each other with a huge silence in the room but the lightning was so hard that it made 2 years old Heena wake from her sleep and cry. Niraj went into the room and carried Heena in one hand and his suitcase in another hand. He was about to leave but suddenly Nilam stopped him and hugged him. She then kissed Heena on her forehead telling her she loved her. Niraj with rage and anger told her that he is not going to see her face again in his life. They slowly departed untieing the fingers of weeping Heena from her mother's hand. Nilam sat on the floor crying her heart out with no one by her side and nowhere else to go.   After four years in London, When Heena was already six years old her father Niraj married her stepmother Meera. She loved Heena as her own but Heena was not comfortable with her stepmother. Niraj and Meera started a momo shop. Niraj finally found love far from his country and home. He tried many failed attempts to contact his family and Nilam but soon he stopped doing so. Niraj already had Heena with him who was like a smile on his face and then came his second daughter Sophia the stepsister of Heena, but they had a bond that was better than any siblings would have with each other. Niraj Thought he was successful in making a beautiful world for themselves. Their business boomed they were financially silent now. But he missed his homeland and his parents. He also did not know that Heena was missing her mother and always woke up to nightmares of leaving her crying mother behind. Heena asked her father many times about her mother but her father always comforted her with his loving words. Time passed and everything was going smooth and well. Weeks passed, months passed, so did the years. Heena and Sophia had grown up to become quite a beauty. They had a loving dad and a caring mom. They were raised in a very good and disciplined way. Disciplined but not strict. Both the sisters were free to make their choices in life. Their parents did not let them feel any kind of pressure when it came to making life choices. Niraj, Meera and his daughter never felt any void in their life. They thought that they have a perfect life but the same did not go with Heena. She wanted to know about her own mother and she was secretly missing her. Now moving forward we come back to 15th of September, Monday. Which is a bright sunny day but Heena was not feeling as happy and bright as the day was. Even though she was going to get engaged with the man of her dreams, Monik who was her boyfriend since high school. she felt sad about something but she was not ready to share her sadness among any of her family members. Heena was standing and looking out of her window with white curtains flying in her face to a sight of a small girl playing with her mother in the park. Suddenly there was a knock on the door ."May I come in "? A sweet and charming voice asked. It was Sofia. Heena with a smile told her to stop this nonsense and she doesn't need to ask for permission to enter inside her room. What is it? said Heena. Didi "I bought some beautiful accessories and dresses for myself for your engagement, "said Sofia with a bright smile on her face. Looking at her excitement Heena smiled. Looking at an unsure look on her face, Sofia asked Heena whether she was happy or not? Heena replied with confidence that she is very happy to be engaged with Monik after all he was from a good family well educated, smart, good-looking, well settled and she couldn't have asked for a better life partner. So what's the matter? asked Sofia...Nothing....replied Heena. Heena pulled Sofia's cheeks and told her to not worry about her and show her purchases. But Heena was quite lost as her engagement was after a week, was she sad because she missed her mother a lot? since it was going to be a big day of her life yet she did not have her mother by her side. The next Morning Heena woke up with the same dream that she was having about her mother. She was completely drenched in sweat so she went to her bathroom and washed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought to ask her father for the last time about her mother and this time she wanted a perfect answer. Heena came down to the dining table, all dressed up with blue jeans, A Yellow t-shirt and converse shoes with a big red handbag with minimal makeup, as she was going for the fittings of her dress which she was going to wear on her engagement. Good morning my love said her stepmother Meera. Heena replied good morning. What's the matter? Asked her stepmother. Nothing! Replied Heena. While they were having this conversation her father screamed good morning from the back. He too came to the dining table and kissed Heena on her forehead. He did not feel the warmth from Heena. Are you okay? asked her father. Heena looked at him and screamed  Nothing is an okay dad! Nothing is ok! Meera from the shocked eyes shouted "Heena".Her father stopped Meera and told "I know what you want to know" Heena said Niraj then tell me, dad, tell me, cried Heena. Meera still was unaware of the situation and thought it would be better if she left. Heena pleaded with her father to tell her about her mother and this time she needed a proper answer. "Dad please tell me everything how was she like, did she look like me? why you don't even have a photograph of her? I am clueless and I am dealing to find the pieces of her through blur images that I have from the past when I was only 2 years old! said Heena. Niraj did not think it was a good idea anymore to hide the past from his daughter so he sat on the sofa looking right in the eyes of Heena, who was looking so desperate for the answer, her eyes were full of questions and confusion. Niraj took a sip of his coffee and placed the mug in front of the table and begin to share the past he did not want to tell her. He exhaled and started telling his story and it was at 9 pm morning when he started telling her.   Thirty years ago!  Kathmandu, Nepal 1990 Niraj started by saying "I was a student of medical college where I was studying medical for becoming a doctor  According to him he said he clearly remembers the day when he saw her. It was Friday a beautiful day of February and I saw her said Niraj in his voice which was still so calm and loving while taking her name, Niraj also added "I saw your mother and I was blown away by her beauty, I said to my self that she is a most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Niraj was a not so popular guy in college but Nilam was indeed a beautiful young girl. Niraj was in the canteen eating his breakfast with his friends and listening to melodious songs of the '90s all dressed up in 90"s fashion. He was chatting with his friends when he finally saw her entering the canteen with her two friends on her side and she in the middle. There she was in the 90's hairstyle and dress without any heavy jewellery or makeup on her face. She sat just at the table beside Niraj and ordered cold drinks for her and her friends. Niraj was continuously staring at her. He did not blink. His friends and he were not from a popular lot of boys from the college so his friends told him to stop watching her because she is not going to date a guy like him. But Niraj was not listening to a single word uttered by his friends in fact he was busy admiring the beauty and the girl in front of him. All the music faded away he stared at her and the 90"s song playing in the canteen took over the ambience. Nilam noticed him and tried to ignore him but his stare made her angry, she was not comfortable with his stare hence she came towards him and slapped him hard which woke him up from his world of fantasy. .