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DISCONNECT


It was a stormy night. It was raining hard, the thunder and lightening  almost blinded them. They were rushing towards the airport. The mother was in a sort of shocked state while her son was trying to navigate the route  with the passing flashes of the lights of vehicles or the chance  lightening , the rain and wind was lashing against the wind shield of their car.  With Every  passing moment  she had the  sheer hope  that her son would cancel her  ticket and they would  go back together . Yet he was driving in a  frenzy  working the wipers faster to make the vision clearer..It was pitch  dark outside,  and  thunder  and rain  turned the atmosphere fearful.  The lightening  seemed piercing but at the same time made it possible for her son to find  the right direction.   Hardly a word passed  between  them and there seemed a complete disconnect between them. She looked at her  son  wistfully and tried to express her apprehension regarding the weather  but dared not disturb him  since he was speeding up in a sort of urgency.  They reached the airport. It was still raining  hard. He  took out the luggage from the car ,locked the car and started dragging the suitcases. She didn't see any trollies around. The mother followed him mechanically.  Now she started getting worried for him, how would he drive back in such a terrible  weather and dark night?   But  he was directing her   towards  the security check  and  further instructed her to  inform him  once  she reached the assigned Gate No.  Both of them paused  a moment there  and he gave her a  hurried  look  and  then waved her goodbye  with a peck on her cheek.  She followed him with her gaze till he  was gone out of her range. For a moment she stood still, a tear drop slid her cheek.

 She went through the formalities  at the airport ,the reality of which  now sank in her. She reached  the  Gate and looking around found a seat, put her hand luggage on it and saw a magazine stand nearby.  She found  a lot of foreign magazines and newspapers on the stand. She opened her purse and looked at the money inside, it was the foreign  currency. Suddenly She was taken in by a keen urge to purge herself of it.  She went to the newspaper  vendor,  his casual manner of standing  and his disinterested  looks  reflected his  boredom.  She  took some newspapers and magazine  and asked the man the cost of them and handed him the money.  He  returned some change and asked her in a soft voice to check the change. His polite manner and soft voice  lifted her spirits. She thanked him with a smile saying it was ok.  She sat with the pile in her lap , the smile still lingering on her face, she  felt some load lifted of her.

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