Dear Mom,
I know I haven't written for three months, but I have
been very busy and I've been having a very exciting
time. Actually, I'm just back from the hospital, where
I had spent a fortnight about two months ago. It was
nothing, really - just a concussion on the back of my
head, a broken leg and a hairline fracture, that I got
while jumping out of the second floor of my hostel
when it caught fire. In fact, I can now stand all by
myself without crutches, and can almost see everything
perfectly, except for a slight blur. But don't worry.
The doctor says there is a good chance of me walking
on my own again. Actually,it could have been worse, if
not for that nice chai-walla who saw me lying there in
a dead faint and rushed me to hospital. He was very
helpful, really, and came to see me everyday in the
hospital. Now that i am out of hospital, I had nowhere
to go, as the hostel is still under construction. So
when he suggested that I move in with him in his hut,
I thought it was very kind! of him, and agreed. We are
very much in love now, and I am sure that you and Dad
will surely like him and accept him in the family. I
am sure the minor matter that he is fourteen years
older than me and that he is of a different casteand
religion, will not matter at all to broadminded
parents like you. He may be illiterate and poor, but
he has a heart of gold - really, Mom, you should see
how he cares for both of us - me and his wife, that
is. She is quite sweet too, and so are her three
children; so there is absolutely no problem.You must
be wondering how you and Dad got informed so late.
Don't get angry, Mom. We just didn't have the time.
You see, we decided to get married only recently since
we thought it would be unfair to let our baby into the
world without a proper surname. Yes, Mom, you are
going to be a grandmother!
Congratulations!
I am sure you and Dad are delighted, and will come to
visit us in his village in Mizoram after we shift
there next week.
............
...................
OK Mom. All this did not really happen. There was no
fire, no fracture, no bigamous chai-walla and no
illegitimate pregnancy. But I did flunk in my
Mathematics exam, and I wanted you to view this
problem in the right perspective.
Your Darling Daughter