"My name is Arti. I am 6 years old. I study in 2nd class. My favourite colour is pink. My favourite teacher is Sarita mam. My favourite...
"Mummy, how was it?" I asked her in hope of positive reviews. "It was awesome. You were so good." She said patting my cheeks. I felt so happy. I have always been like this. Small and tiny things are very enough to make me excited and happy. I sat beside started watching the rest of the show. I saw my friends who participated in dance. Sadness flashed on my face. I wanted to participate in dance but mummy didn't allow me. "Mummy,why didn't you let me participate in dance?" I asked her sadly. She looked at me with smile. "Beta, your papa doesn't like you to dance. You know that. He would get angry." She said. I saw down in sadness. "But see, he let you participate in speech. And you did so well." She said excitedly. And this was enough to make me happy again.
We went back home after the function. I was not that happy because I didn't get any prize. I was sitting on the dining table with my parents. They were having their food. But i was playing with mine. My father noticed. "Arti, what happened?" He asked politely. I didn't say anything. Just looking at him made my eyes filled with tears. He took me in his lap. "See, beta. It doesn't matter if you win or loose. What matters is that you gave your 100%." He said making me understand. But that's what not I was sad for. "Papa, if i had participated in dance. I would have definitely won prize in that" i said. His face expressions went stiff and he made me sit on my chair back. He didn't look at me and started having his food. I was waiting for him say anything but he didn't.
"Arti, i told you to not to talk about this. Then, why did you?" My mummy said in a bit angry tone. "Mummy, i wanted to participate in dance." She sat beside. "Beta, girls from good home don't participate in these kind of stuff. They study well and do best in their exams." She said. I stared at her. "You are a girl , no?" She said touching my chin with her palms. I nodded furiously in yes with a wide closed smile. "Good girl" she said smiling and left the room for kitchen. I started playing again. Suddenly, phone rang. My friend's name was flashing on screen. I picked it up.
"Hello, Arti?" She said. "Yes, congratulations" i said." Ohoo....keep your congratulations to yourself. I am least interested in that. Just tell me did you enjoy your so called boring speech?" She asked yawning. "What do you mean? I enjoyed it a lot. Mummy papa praised me" i said with excitement. "Oho, this praising and all is ok. But did you get apply makeup on your face?" She asked. "Makeup?" I said with confusion." Yes, i applied it and trust me i was looking sooooooo beautiful. Everyone was praising me not only my parents." She said. Her voice was full of taunt and disgust. "See, i told you. You should have participated in dance. You would get makeup, prize and praising. Everything." She said. With this she hung up. I again started thinking about dance again.
My eyes went to my mum's dressing table. I saw there lipstick.
'i applied make up and everyone was praising me'
Her voice echoed in my ears. I couldn't resist and applied that red lipstick on my lips. I wanted to look beautiful and wanted to have praising from everyone. I didn't know how to apply that but i saw in tv series my mummy watches. I applied it even more when i realized that it looked good on me. It went out of my lips border. I smiled. And ran to my mummy to show it.
I was running and got hit with my father on the way. He looked at me with annoyance. He was annoyed like hell. I smiled at him. Even he tried to smile back at me. But couldn't. He started yelling and calling my mother. My mother came and saw me. Her eyes got widened when she saw me. I smiled at her. I was waiting for both of them to praise me.
"Arti, go in room. I need to talk mummy aline" he said politely. I thought that he would say that i was looking beautiful but no one said even a word. I went back to room silently taking small and slow steps.
"Why can't you take care of her properly? Don't you know the way a girl should be brought up?" I heard my father yelling at my mother. I didn't understand. Was he angry at her? But why? She didn't do anything wrong nor did i. "I didn't know. What was going in her head?" She said defending herself. " Oh really, you are her mother. You must know everything about her. You should teach her the best way to lead her life. And this is what you are teaching her." He said. I didn't understand yet again. My friend's parents were praising her. They said she was looking beautiful. Am i not looking beautiful. Why papa is angry. I was so lost in thoughts that i stopped listening to their conversation and started looking myself in mirror. I stayed like that for a while. Suddenly the door opened and mummy came in.
Her eyes were moist. I was looking at her innocently expecting some explanation." Mummy, am i not beautiful?" I asked her innocently. She wiped her tears off and made me sit her lap. She kissed my cheeks. "Beta, you are so beautiful that you don't need." She said wiping my lipstick with a tissue paper. I looked at her. "Arti, good girls don't do these stuff. Okay? Don't do anything like this ever. And even you want then i can do your makeup sometimes but don't let anyone see you in that. Otherwise people will misjudge you. And that will be very bad" i was listening to her patiently and attentively. I nodded in yes.
After that day, i noticed that there was nothing on dressing table except comb, clips and bindi( a very small point to be put between the eyebrows). She started paying more attention to my studies. She stopped herself doing in order to not to encourage me into these stuff. I was very naive to understand all this. I gave up on thinking about this and I started giving my whole attention to my studies.
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