Ruchi Verma “Come on kunal, get up fast…you will be late!!“, Naina screamed from the kitchen. Packing a lunch box for Rajesh she turned back and saw her again standing behind in red check shirt, jeans with her favorite leather bag, before she can utter a word….”Look I am very busy, not in a mood to argue…leave from here” Naina told firmly.
“Not again, Naina…no one is here” Rajesh walked into the kitchen to take his breakfast.
“She was right here, but I know you will not believe me. I have to drop Kunal as his bus is not coming today.“ restlessly Naina told Rajesh.
“Mummaaaaaaa!!!! come here, I need help, chota hoon main” Kunal shouted on a high pitch, well he is 6 years old little sunshine of the home.
This is an almost daily morning scene of “Naina’s Kutumbh”(nameplate hanging outside the main door says this).
Rajesh and Naina were colleagues and got hitched for the last 8 years and Kunal their son made their life perfect with his smile. This home they bought 6 years back when Kunal was born, Rajesh made sure every corner should look perfect with the right choice of home decor and called their home Naina’s Kutumbh.
“Hey listen!!! I have called Gupta and Pankaj for dinner, they will come with family. Arrange some dinner, I know you are the best, love you …bye!!!!” Rajesh left for the office informing Naina about dinner.
“Wow, we have a party, Mumma Aatharv will also come with Pankaj uncle kya?” Kunal seems so excited to meet his friend late in the evening.
She smiled “Yes, but let me drop you at school, get your bag now“.
Kunal ran to get his bag, Naina saw her again and warned ” Please no need to say anything in front of Kunal, he is too small. Please leave…leave me alone.”
Girl in a red check shirt, blue jeans smiled and said ” Come back after dropping we will talk about it.”
Big shopping bag filled with grocery items which are required for dinner preparation on the shoulder, hands full with vegetables trying to hold her purse, Naina about to enter her society gate and there she was, “Can I help you, maybe we can talk now while walking towards your home.“
“Ah!! I told you many times, I really don’t need you. Why don’t you understand, I am happy being myself? You are really making the situation tough for me coming over here daily and following me,” Naina opened her door, screamed at her, trying to make her understand.
Relaxing on bean bag “So you are happy !!” She continued.
Taking out an old album from her bag, she showed Naina an old picture of a girl with boy-cut hair, wearing a shirt and pants, and wrapped around on her waist her favorite red check shirt, that old tomboy Naina once a girl with full of dreams and a leather bag.
“You said you are happy, if you were I would never be here. I am living in this golden cage with you as you have killed my dreams, my thoughts, and my wings.” She sounds very angry.
“Naina this is me who just can’t breathe, this is me who just can’t live daily with so much suffocation of life, this is me who had a dream to achieve high, this is me who aimed for goals in life, Naina this is ME, Naine, I am YOU.”
“Daily I am here to make you realise that please let me free, please let me go out from this life and live, Please Naina SET ME FREE, SET YOURSELF FREE and let’s get out from this golden cage.”
Naina, looking at that picture when tears were just rolling out she again said the same to end the conversation “I can’t…I can’t break this cage to fly, as with time my priorities changed and so I am, let’s not talk more Naina…Go from here, you are my old version whom I love the most but life has taken up a U-turn and I can’t return. Sorry!! Stay with me like this.“
This story is a part of #StoryTellersBlogHop where 43 Blogger participants are together for the love of the fiction. I have selected the prompt ‘Living in golden cage.’
‘I write this post for StorytellersBlogHop FEB 2021 by Ujjwal MeenalSonal.
© Ruchie Verma.
Copyright Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
Very true Ruchi, priorities change us so much that we cannot go back to our older self like we were earlier. Family takes us over everything.
So true!! I somewhere connect to Naina myself!!
Amazing twist Ruchi, loved your fiction writing style. Glad you took a plunge and started with fiction writing in the StoryTellers Bloghop. Awaiting for more such stories from you.
We evolve over time much like this character. Interesting story and I quite enjoyed the simple narration.
I feel at some point in life even we would face these situations where we think some and happens some. But as life goes on, sometimes a U turn might not be the answer. Unless its killing you mentally.
Ruchie, this fiction has a sense of purity and honesty. We often forget about our desires and aspirations as other responsibilities come into our lives. But I believe that we should not let that happen. There is always a old version of ourself and we should cherish that. That becomes the driving force for us.
great response to prompt and yes, there are many women like Naina in our society who go through this phase but as you said in story that priority changed with the time and women have to behave more responsibly rather than focusing on their own dreams only.
Beautiful narration, Ruchi. Very true, not everyone gets an opportunity to set themselves free from the invisible golden cages as priorities do turn our direction of life. Loved it!
A beautiful answer to the StorytellersBloghop. Some women find themselves trapped in a golden cage while others happily adapt to it.
Congratulations Ruchi you’re a storyteller now:)
Ok! Initially this sounded very spooky but gradually it turned out to be a sad story for Naina. I wish she hadn’t given up on her dreams like that.
A well spun plot!
That’s a story filled with emotions that only women understand very well written. You have a great way with words.
Interesting way to present what broken dreams look like. Many times we change from our younger days. That is fine as long as our dreams change with time and we are happy. But we have put them aside and are doing something for others or for money, then unhappiness follows.
I can identify with the protagonist myself. Seriously our priorities change with time and at the same time it’s tough to end the dreams that one grows up with time. Lovely take on the prompt and I enjoyed reading your post a lot. Keep creating such beautiful pieces.
Well said Ruchi. Our priorities change after marriage.
Dilemma of many. Priority gets changed. It is really difficult sometimes to be your old self even if you wanted to.
A very interesting take on a prompt that hasn’t been used much. Yes there are many Naina’s in this world who have to suppress one side of themselves entirely.
A wonderful conversation that a college free spirit young soul might have with her own mid 30’s something. Life happens and priorities change, we can’t blame anyone.
Change is the only constant thing is life. Your story has made us think about that.
What a story Ruchi. I believe we all live in the golden cage where our oldself live, with dreams and aspirations that we saw during our college/ early office times. But, like Naina, with times the priorities change and so does our dreams and aspirations. But we need to find a balance between the past and the present for a better future.
Short, beautiful and crisp take on the prompt. See you wrote such a beautiful fiction, do happy to have you on the blog hop.
Don’t we all have a part of us that keeps coming back and asks for attention? Priorities change but we can never let it go away. How else would be relive and remember our past?
Time change and with time, priorities change, could well relate with the story.
Loved the simple narration. Our priorities change with time but change is the only thing that is permanent in our lives, and we keep on adapting to it.
Very interesting story. I liked the way you have presented the broken dreams.
Welcome to the world of fiction writing! Nicely written story. Glad to connect through this unique blog hop.
How life changes for girls after marriage!
The old Naina may come to remind & may forever try, but the present Naina is chained to her responsibilities & can’t be free & fly…
True story for many, Ruchie.
isnt a naina living inside all of us? i absolutely loved the touch where she’s wearing a checkered shirt and denims!
That was written very interestingly Ruchi.Very heart touching.
A naina seems to be in all of us and with time, we have lost her, her dreams and her wishes. Some for good and some for bad. Loved your story.
We all have Naina inside us somewhere lurking from the peephole. Beautiful usage of prompt and I am glad you wrote this. Wonderful.