Nine year old Arjun was an avid reader.
One look at his book shelf and you had
Marvel the avengers, kid Krish, He-Man, Super hero Max, Hercules and many such flamboyantly dressed, brawny action icons staring at you, head-on.
Arjun lived in an apartment complex in an upcoming suburb, with his mother Anjali and their pet mongrel, Spidey.
Two years back, after her painful separation from Vikas, Anjali was granted sole custody of Arjun.
For anyone who knew her, she was this live, breathing, pulsating energy on the move.
Anjali was the life of any place she went to, she often had people in spilts with her wit and humour and she guffawed through most challenges in her life.
She was a brilliant multitasker and handled her deadlines at work, her household responsibilities, her pet and parental duties with the spirit of a fierce tigress.
However, an underlying fear that silently gnawed within her was whether she did enough for Arjun. She did not seek validation of the outside world, but with no gauge to measure parental love, she was unsure if she managed to fill in the shoes of a paternal role model in Arjun’s life.
Her doubt was further fuelled when she saw a notice in Arjun’s school calendar. The school counsellor wanted to see her with the subject of the notice being “Super-Heroes”
Brushing aside the niceties, Mrs. Barve; the school counsellor got straight to the point.
“You must be aware your son lives in a world of Super heroes, he is smitten by the concept and reads without a pause but I need you to see what he is up to in his classroom.”
Anjali had her heart in her mouth as she walked up to class room 4 C
The entire class had gathered at the entrance and as soon they saw her, they broke into a song...
She need not carry a wand or cape
But still, she manages to keep you safe.
And on days, when you are sick and low
She heals you with a warm- caring glow.
There are times when you just cannot cope,
Yet, she motivates you with rock solid hope.
And for all the Super heroes, that they claim they are...
“Arjun’s Mom - The Brave Woman” is the coolest and strongest by far.
As Anjali turned towards the blackboard, her eyes fell on a huge caricature of hers. With laptop in one hand, a ladle in another. Spidey; their pet, clinging on to one leg while Arjun with his Maths book, clinging on to another.
To her amusement, her magic spell was “Bhwahahahaha”
Her characteristic hearty laughter which shielded her underlying fears, all this while.
This felt like a dream!
With tears rolling down her face, she kept laughing. Laughing without any inhibitions, laughing without any fears.
Her fears had found a solvent.
She had just been introduced to Brave-Woman; Arjun’s most favourite Super Hero.