DEADLINE !

"What now, Ma?- I was irritated. Being a 1000 miles away and directing your mother how to use a laptop for online shopping was a tough task. She had badgered me for an hour now and I seriously had work to do.

"How do I add this to my list of things I want to buy? She asked again.

I must admit she was completely bewildered. It was all my fault. I should not have gifted her the laptop. Ever since I came back from Nagpur, she called me up every week to learn something or the other from the small wonder that everybody uses now-a-days. I was thrilled that she was learning but I had never expected this. I had asked her so many times to take help of the neighbor's twelve year old kid. But she went frantic whenever I said that.

"Don't I have my own girl who can teach me everything?". Now she was irritated. I had to agree. She had sacrificed so much for the family after my father passed away.I at least could do my bit. "Yes Ma, I can. But I have this project which I have to complete till tomorrow. I have a deadline you see"
"What's a deadline?". Oh my mother!

Woooo! That being done I could now move on to my project. This had taken too long. I went on to work till 2 in the morning but I don’t know when fell asleep.

"Ma it's just a target which I have to complete otherwise I'll be dead. You see, that’s a deadline. The Lakshman Rekha, we are never allowed to cross. There's my boss Ravan on the other side"
"Ok Ok..complete you work. I'll call you tomorrow for this. And please eat well. Drink lots of water. You don’t take care of these things"
"Maaaaa"
"Ok bye beta..I love you"
I was frantic by now.
"Ya, I love you too Maa" Click. "It was a deadline. Wasn't it, Meera?" My Ravan Boss exclaimed.
"Yes, it was". Like I could say otherwise.

"Mam, my work needs a bit of a touch more. I will give it to you by 4 p.m." I was desperate to be away from her.

It had been a rush morning. I woke up to a horn blaring constantly near my window and checked the clock which said 9. it was way past my usual wake up call. I ran for shower and I don’t now how quickly I got dressed and rushed to the office. I hadn't completed my task. I didn’t want to be late to top it all.
"So, why is that you didn’t come to me first thing in the morning to show me your completed work? I had said 11 a.m. sharp." She was pacing around which made me more nervous. "4 p.m is it? I could give you that. If you complete one more within next two days. This is your second chance."
"Yes mam. Definitely" Who could say no to her.
I stepped out of her room with a sigh of relief. "I can do this" - I thought to myself.

" I dozed off. All because of you. You pestered me so much with your call yesterday. You cant understand what I am saying from here on the phone. I cannot come and explain it to you there. And you don’t want to take help from others. I don’t know why I gifted you that laptop. Really, grasping power of old people is so less. I really cant instruct you from here. And it is not that important. Shop from a real shop for God's sake. It will save some of my time. Bye". Click.

It was 3 p.m. when my phone started ringing. I had no time for it. I ignored without even caring to look who was calling. A minute had gone by when it started ringing again. "I am busy"- why cant people understand that. If I could have picked up the call, you wouldn’t have to call a second time. When I have time, I ll call back. Is it so difficult to understand. Basic etiquettes of phone calls. I could write a book on that.
When it rang for the third time, I took it out from my drawer. Who else could it be?
"Maa, I am busy"
"Again?"
"Maa, its office time"
"Yes, but you didn’t explain properly yesterday. And isn't your project complete by now?" My blood must be boiling. Ravan had worked. It had come inside me. I knew I shouldn't have talked that way, but it served her right. I didn’t have the time or patience to instruct her. She didn’t call again. Not for two days. I was angry too. It was her fault. I didn’t call back too. It was my birthday a day after. I knew she would call anyway.

"Oh aunty, I have another call. I will call you back". Phew. So my mother was shopping with best buddy but had no time to talk to her daughter on her birthday. This was it. I wasn’t going to talk to her for days now. Even if she calls, I wont. I was so angry at her. I tried to forget about it all.

My project went well and so I was finally happy for my birthday. My friends had planned a party in evening after office. I was in the office when I remembered she didn’t call me. She didn’t call and wish me on my birthday. How could she? May be I was wrong. But its my birthday. She should have called. I am not going to talk to her in any case. But then I got worried too. Its been three days. I should have called her. Ohh my god! Such a fool I am. What if?? I am being pointless. I could phone my bua and ask her. She talks to her everyday.

"Namaste Bua!"
"Arey Meera, out of the blue. After so many months. How are you? "
"I am good aunty. How are you?" the casual talk before you get to the point.
"I am good. I and your mother went shopping yesterday. " Ohh really. Shopping!
"We were talking about how you are off age now to be married".Now I could avoid this conversation. Party was going crazy. There were too many people at my house. Friends of friends of friends. I didn’t know half of them. But it was fun. Rocking my birthday. 
The doorbell rang.
"Ms Meera?" A man in an Ekart uniform was there.
"Yes?"
"I have a parcel for you. Could you please sign here?" A gift! I wonder….
"Thank You"
I went back in with the parcel and looked at the item name. 'Stillettos Black Inc.5'

Wow, I thought. And a small quote beside the message said "I learnt it".

She had a deadline too.