Monsoon Memories
Page 32
‘They are the only parents I have known.’ Reena bit her lower lip.
This close, she could hear her daughter’s heart beating steadily, drumming in time to her own.
The first drops of rain fell, bringing with them the sound of trees whispering blissfully, the smell of drenched earth.
‘I know how painful it is to live without your child,’ Shirin whispered. ‘I will not do the same to your parents. I promise.’
‘Come in. What are you doing there?’ Madhu was standing on the veranda, gesticulating wildly, her arms full of clothes. ‘You are both city people now, not used to the monsoon—you’ll catch a cold.’
Her daughter in her arms, Shirin turned her head up to the heavens. The rain fell in a huge deluge, pasting her hair to her scalp in wet tendrils, running down her face, her neck, her arms, soaking her and the precious gift she held close. She opened her mouth, savoured this, her first taste of the monsoons after eleven years.
Her daughter stood on tiptoe, held her face in her palms and kissed her with rain-soaked lips. ‘I love you,’ she whispered.
That was reward enough.
THE END
Dear Reader,
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for choosing Monsoon Memories, for accompanying Shirin and Reena on their journey and for sticking with them until the end. I hope you enjoyed reading Monsoon Memories just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you are not quite ready to let go of Shirin and Reena yet, there are more stories about them that I couldn’t include in the book at my website: www.renitadsilva.com. Here, you can also read my blog – I chat about writing, reading, Indian fiction and about the wonderful, roller coaster ride that is being an author. Also, if you go to the ‘My Supporters’ tab on my webpage and sign up, you will get regular updates about my next book. You will be the first to see the cover and will also be party to exclusive material from the book.
Your feedback is valuable to me. I would like to know what you made of Shirin, Reena, Madhu, Vinod, Jacinta, Deepak, Prem and everybody else in Monsoon Memories. Do visit my website and pop me a note. I’ll also keep an eye out for reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
I look forward to hearing from you. And I hope you join Devi, Nisha and Shilpa – the protagonists of my next book – on their journey. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Thank you.
Renita.
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