NEXT TIME YOU THINK I LOOK PRETTY, YOU RATHER COMPLIMENT MY MOTHER!!

I walked out of my gate, smelling of fresh roses. My black curly hair bouncing on my shoulders, I draw my shades from my purse and cover my hazel brown eyes, my pink cheeks seen distinctly off my fair skin, a sparkling tiny stone on the right side of my nose. I wave my hand out into the street for an auto. I was late for lunch. My fiancé was waiting at a restaurant with the first copy of our wedding invitation.

I got an auto almost instantly. I told the driver to hurry up. I reached my destination in 15mins. I hurried out of the auto, not realizing that I didn’t pay the auto guy. The auto guy calls out for me. I run back, my heels making irritating noises. I rip open my purse and start fishing for change. The auto guy could not stop complaining about how long I was taking. I found the change in my huge tunnel-like purse. I was handing over the change and just then I could hear a loud speeding noise, I think a car hit my leg. I flew because of the impact. The left side of my face hit the left rare view mirror of the auto and broke it. I felt the glass piercing through the skin on my face. I fell to the ground, I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t move.

I find it hard to open my left eye, I try. I remember the accident, I remember fading off, I remember my fiancé’s face; I start crying. People rush into my room. I can see my mother running towards my bed smiling and crying at the same time. She seats herself on my left and my dad takes the right. My mother tells me how glad she is to see me awake. My entire left side hurts. I manage to look towards her and ask “awake?” She told me that after the accident I had gone into a coma. It had been 4 weeks since the accident. The left side of my face felt like it had holes in them and fire was lit into those holes. Ignoring the pain I look around for my fiancé. I don’t ask my parents though. I stay awake the whole day waiting for him to rush into the room with a huge smile on his face and a bouquet of violet orchids in his hands. Its night and he isn’t here. I have bad thoughts in my head. It hurts to even think. I gather the courage and ask my mother. I shouldn’t have.

A week after my accident, my fiancé had told my parents that he couldn’t wait for me to wake up and even if I did wake up, my face would be ugly and he made it clear that he wouldn’t be able to live with that. I quickly asked for a mirror. I looked into it. I found no difference. I still found myself in it! Yes the face my mother had given me was gone, but what I built for myself over the years was still there. My mother told me he was getting married in a week. I dint shed a tear.

I recovered slowly. The left side of my face had permanent scars, my left eye seemed smaller than my right eye, and the left side of my lip had a slight tear. I wear a plain salwar, one evening, and take an auto outside my house. I get down in front of a wedding hall whose huge board at the entrance reads MADHU WEDS RISHI. I smile and walk in, uninvited. The bride and groom are seated straight across the room. I walk towards them, I knew everyone was staring. I could hear whispers. I smile at the bride, wish her GOOD LUCK and leave.