The Lost Flower

By Abantika Saha

A happy family, a dream prince who will love you till the last breathe and some respect is all that a girl desires when she envisions her life after tying the eternal wedding knot. She steps into a new house and tries to make a family with love of her heart and magic of her hands but in majority of Indian families she is brought in on the basis of a predetermined matching check list as a multipurpose product. There is a saying in the Indian society “A girl enters her in-laws house in wedding carriage and leaves with her funeral.” her whole life is dedicated for her family after her marriage. A father proudly donates his daughter’s hand to a new family whom they hardly know with hope of her happiness. However how many of the Indian brides are really happy in their matrimonial relation. Some sacrifice on their career, some give up the relation with their own parents, some on their hunger, some get physically abused and some mentally harassed.
Losing her dignity
Killing her happiness
Keeping her mum
Bearing hundreds of hurt
Deep her heart
She continues on her wedding vows.
Because she is not expected to break her marriage and there is no one to support her as she is already been donated in the holy matrimonial fire. When she breaks free to claim her rightful respect and dreams she is labeled as a witch and characterless. She has to undergo a agnipariksha ( test of fire) to prove claim her happiness which she hardly gets.
About the Author
Abantika Saha was born in Kolkata and completed a degree in business management before embarking on a writing career. Abantika Saha also has a blog where she writes short stories.
Abantika Saha lives in New Delhi. For more updates, you can follow her on Facebook

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abantika Saha
• Release date: Sep 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370578535

Book preview

Introduction

Ana was a lively girl of 24. She was a rare cocktail of being highly studious and fun-loving; the girl anyone would want to be with. Ana was exotically pretty; her black eyes which had flecks of gold, the skin was milky white with a tint of pink hue flashing on her face with short curly hair kissing her long confident neck.

At the age where showing- off and makeup was an embedded part of life, she was simply in her jeans and casual tops, being brought up on the ideology that her knowledge and courage were the only ornaments she would ever need. She mostly kept to herself and occasionally went out with her small troop of handpicked friends who matched her mentality of maturity and madness.

Hordes of people worshipped her but Ana knew what was right for her, the paradox was, Ana didn’t know how to apply a lipstick without smudging the whole thing like a chocolate around her lips and applying the eyeliner and mascara were difficult tests for her.

Ana had a fascination for high heels but she wobbled while walking in them. She felt as if she was wearing chop-sticks instead so her motto for those pretty things was ‘Beauty to see, not to wear.’

She always kept her thick rolling curly hair in a neat ponytail, her clothes decent, her face makeup-proof and her life simple.

Ana was the princess of their house, the youngest member of the family wrapped in a cocoon of love and care; brought up in an ideology of equality and honesty.

The daddy’s-girl, Ana was blessed with her father’s righteous attitude and values. Like a typical doting father, her father cared a lot for Ana. Be it exams or social functions, Ana’s father always drove her to the place and waited in their SUV till she got back. Whenever Ana was cooking in the kitchen, He kept a vigilant eye on her so that she did not get hurt. He was like a coconut; tough from outside and soft from the inside.

Ana’s mother, Mrs. Kavita Bose was the kind of mother everyone wanted. She had a heart full of motherly love and affection for each person. Her hands were always ready to cook for friends and family. She was like a friend to Ana, who could sense her mood just by glancing at her eyes Come what may, Kavita was always there for her family.

She was dad’s princess, mommy’s darling doll, granny’s precious, grandpa’s pride, brother’s little butterfly, teacher’s pet everyone’s apple of the eye. Her friends envied the way she was been pampered by all.

Dad don’t you think you are going too fast with the whole marriage episode? Remember, we decided on devoting time for dada’s wedding now. Ana protested.

The computer screen was flickering with colourful numbers changing with every blink. Her father was engrossed in the stock bolt his dear hobby after retirement. Hearing Ana’s quacking he switched off the monitor and rotated his revolving chair now facing his beloved daughter looking at him with agitated eyes. His face painted with mock seriousness. Ana, it takes time to search for a suitable groom. The show off serious face suddenly turned into an admiring one. And besides my daughter is so accomplished she can handle any curved ball coming her way.

Ana didn’t fall for that. Dad please stop this, it’s not funny.

Dear, your angry, tomato red face is the most adorable one you put on. As if on cue Ana’s face flushed pink. Her father mockingly grinned. Adding fuel to the flaming fire her dad continued mischievously I already have your account up on the matrimonial sites, and let me tell you it’s getting an overwhelming response. He said pointing towards his phone, which started to ring on cue.

Hearing this Ana’s furry pitched to a whole new level. This is it dad! saying this she stormed out of the room.

Ana angrily grabbed her mobile and hastily logged into the matrimonial site with her brother’s account and then searched in the sea of profiles to spot hers. Scrolling through her profile she felt shivering goose bumps running down from head to toe.

Ana’s thoughts bubbling like a molten magma spilling over. She ran to the kitchen and standing in front of her mom she had a out- burst of emotions raging in her heart. See this ma, what dad has done. Saying this she held the mobile screen before her mother’s nose. Mrs. Bose took the mobile from Ana’s trembling hands. She looked at the profile spread across the screen. The photograph pasted on the left was of her dear daughter in pink saree posing in front of the Durga pooja idols. where did your father find this picture from?

Can you imagine? Mom I don’t want this right now, just because I didn’t get a job he is hurrying with my marriage stuff and that’s not fair.

Oh, honey its nothing like that! he is just worried for you. This is not like you will get married in two days. The groom hunt takes time; we need to find the perfect match. It’s never going to be like that we will give you away to anyone who comes our way.

Ana replied with a sarcastic tone as if there is a difference. All men are the same, some may be twenty on fifty or maximum twenty and half, that’s it. All are selfish spineless creatures nothing more or less.

Not all men are bad

Ya 99.99% are like that and I don’t think I am lucky enough to get anyone out of that 0.01% wondering all over the globe.

I think you are just being paranoid. Give your dad a chance to find the right man for you.

"Ya sure,