Sunday, June 3, 2012

Blank Pages


This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 28; the 28th Edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The topic for this month is 'BLANK PAGES'.





She sat in the corridor outside the labour room. He walked up and down the long corridor bustling with people. She could she the lines of worry on His forehead. She could sense His restlessness, His bottled-up excitement. He will soon be a father. A father for the first time.

******

The wait took her to a day thirty years back when she was in the labour room, waiting for Him to come out to this world. The sultry afternoon had soothed down after the season's first shower. It had been a long and painful labour for her. Complicated too. Yet every muscle of her tired body calmed down the moment she held Him in her arms. She brought His tiny white face to her lips. A wave of ecstasy passed through her. She recollected how Amit had abandoned her when he discovered about her pregnancy. She held back her emotions. She has to live for Him, her son.

"You are my blank page, my son, and from today I start writing on it," she whispered into his ears, holding him closer.

******

She had done a commendable job in filling up the blank pages of His life. She wrote down the first words He spoke, noted down how to take His first steps. She wrote about days and nights, about summer, spring and winter, about black, grey and white. She filled up the pages with alphabets, and numbers. He started to speak words, then sentences. He learnt to read and then write.

Writing on the blank pages of his life had become her addiction. She enjoyed every moment of her son's growing up. The first decade of His life she was busy writing. Moral values and principles, courage to face failure's and disappointments in life. She wrote how to appreciate beauty and take pride in a job well done. She mentioned relationships and their importance. How to love and be loved.

Over the years she kept on writing on those blank pages and He kept on learning.

Today, thirty years later, she looks and Him and sees a reflection of all the words she had written. And she takes pride in it. After all, she tells herself, being an unmarried single mother was never easy in this society.

******

"Ma... Ma ... Ma... it's a baby boy!!!"

She comes out of her thoughts in an instance. He hugs her hard. He picks her up and twirls her around! She could feel her son's bottled up emotions bursting out. She too is ecstatic. Promoted to the role of a GrandMom! She hugs Him real tight. With her eyes turning moist, she whispers into His ears, "Now it's your turn to fill up the blank pages."




The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

48 comments:

  1. A commendable job she did at filling out those blank pages.

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    1. She didnt have much choice, DS! :)
      Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my post!

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  2. Beautiful interpretation of blank pages.

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    1. thanks TF..! ur blog is a constant inspiration for me.

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  3. Great! Very well-conceived and well-written

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  4. Love the concept!!!! Very well written

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  5. wow , i just loved this concept

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  6. hey thats a complete diff interpretation of 'blank pages' . Loved the idea ..

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  7. Heyy, this is really nice :) well written

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  8. I'm glad that she didn't abandon the child, or worse, decide to not bring him in.. It was a choice she made right, and the choices after, to raise him was well put too.

    Good interpretation!

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    1. Thanks Leo! Wanted to show the added responsibility a single mom has to take up to bring up her child..

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  9. I liked how the post starts at the very end of a new beginning, if you know what i mean. :)

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    1. yes i know what you mean Debatri! Glad you liked it :)

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  10. Very well written.....You can visit my blog too.................http://poemsshortstories.blogspot.in/

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  11. This was such a lovely take on blank pages! And being a single mom must be difficult, yes, but no less a beautiful journey.

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    1. Thanks much Ant :P Being a single, unmarried Mom is often looked down upon. Its double the responsibility on the Mom to make sure the kid grows up learning the perfect things :)

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  12. I loved the beginning and was bowled over towards the end. Really nice. :)

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and reading my post JJ. Keep visiting :)

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  13. very nice take on the topic, filling blank pages is like teaching a kid about life...Ah wonderful comparision.
    loved the way the mother inspires her kid to become a good person, indeed its writing values & thoughts in his mind.

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    1. Thanks so much astrosunilnomy :) A mother is the only person in a child's life who keeps writing on the blank pages every now n then :)

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  14. I think most people have said this and I will repeat, loved the post! I am glad to see so many people have a positive take on blank pages this BAT. It was short and crisp, really enjoyed reading it :D

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    1. Thnks so much RB.. this was my debut post on BAT. Hope I did some justice!

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  15. Nice story. The concept of how life moves on in cycles with changing roles is well expressed.

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    1. thanks aativas! i wanted to potray how this is every parents' duty in a cyclic fashion :)

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  16. बहुत सुन्दर प्रस्तुति
    अपाला जी आपने लेख में विषय से पूरा न्याय किया तथा एक अलग सवरूप पे पेश किया
    बधाई स्वीकारे

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    1. thank you so much ShashiJi...! i am humbled! :)

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  17. beautiful Post Apala, beautiful :)
    loved reading it :) such a lovely, wonderful take in 'blank pages'!!

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    1. thanks kirti! glad that u visited my blog n took time out to read it :)

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  18. Very Nice post and excellent interpretation.

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  19. Oh man, this is SO wow, funnily my story started with a birth scene, but alas its not as light hearted as yours. A light and lovely read - thanks!

    Good luck with BAT

    Cheers!!! do stop by my blog, Kappu

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    1. I loved your story too, Kappu! and thanks for ur lovely comment! And thanks for ur BAT vote :)

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  20. great Apala! All the best for BAT!

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  21. Faaaantastic job done!!!!:-)

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  22. Very well penned, Apala..!! Touched...

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  23. Very nice take on the realtion of a kid and mother.
    Every mother fills the blank bages of a a kids mind/heart and soul to make him/her a wonderful story :)
    good job!!

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  24. Hey Apala, This is simply beautiful. I love the simplicity of the subject, yet its strong and deep, and full of emotions. The way you have narrated the entire concept is outstanding. Keep writing :)

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