Between Reels and Reality

"And do you know what's the best part about being a mom? It's the endless love, hugs, cuddles, and simply the joy of watching him grow. Just look at this card. Aayush made it for me to show his gratitude. Isn't it cute?" 

Divya, the momfluencer, held up a greeting card to her followers. Neha tapped the heart-shaped button on the Instagram reel and scrolled to the next one. Here, Divya was ranting about the difficult parts of motherhood. How she stayed awake for nights on end after Aayush was born, how she worried constantly about him when he was first admitted to a playschool and things like that. 

Neha sighed silently. She knew very well that she would never experience these moments herself. Severe endometriosis had damaged her ovaries. She couldn't quite understand why she was drawn to these momfluencers. Perhaps, they helped her to experience motherhood vicariously. 

These days, she didn't even enjoy physical intimacy with her husband. She never imagined her marriage would turn this cold. The child who never was had driven a wedge between them. 

With tearful eyes, she lit a lamp in front of Bala Krishna, the child-god.

Image source: Unsplash

The Whispering Mango Tree

Ritu was spending her summer vacation at her grandparents' place. There was a huge mango orchard behind her grandfather's farmhouse. 

One day, while standing under a mango tree, she heard a whispering voice. Astonished, she turned around to find a smiley taking shape on the tree trunk.

"Please help us to live."

"How?", she asked.

"This orchard will soon be cleared. They are building a shopping mall here."

Determined to save the orchard, Ritu filed a complaint with the National Green Tribunal. With her mother's help, she started a social media campaign named #SaveTheMangoOrchard. 

Finally, the mango orchard was saved.

Image source: Image downloaded from the Facebook page of "Lets Make Stories Dino" and edited by AI.