Lost & Found

Ira Roy left her parental home to live with the man she got involved in an affair with -- Anil Ganeshan. In the pretext of performance, she was allowed a leave from her college and from her family a nod of encouragement. Her mother, Veena, did not have much to say. She tried cajoling, punishing, threating, explaining, loving Ira to an inverse decision, but Ira would not give in. She took special care to see that her parents never got to meet Ganeshan. 

They were travelling to Bangalore, had a fantastic ride and returned home to the JNU campus. A letter addressed to 'Anil Ganeshan and Ira Roy' awaited them. A very curious Anil found the handwriting indistinctly familiar. He cut open the envelop.

Dear Anil, and dearest Ira,

Anil, when we had our affair, I never knew I would write to you beyond those scribbles on your back. And Ira, I could have never believed something like this would unfold in a single lifetime.

Anil, if I know Ira well, she must not have told you, but she is the fruit of OUR labour, of love. Lust. And all that is memories. Stuffed in a trunk, breathing under the sea. I am having to write this letter because I have no other way to inform you. What is right, wrong, correct or ugly is for the two of you to decide. But there is a third person between you both, the prime source of connection, and being that person, I choose to inform you both, together. 

Ira, my love. Don't get me wrong. I love Daddy. And the man you are smitten with and reading this right now with, I think I loved him too. It was so wonderful to see you growing up loving your father the lover's way. I misread it, miscalculated. It is a mismatch, genetically. However, hormones never quite obey anything else, do they? 

So, be. Both of you, as you choose to. Mine was only to let you both know. Of the tie that tied you together before theatrical ones did. 

By the way, Anil, Ira knows this since the end of the workshop, day one. I am fairly sure, Ira, you haven't told Anil though. What interests me now, Anil, is to know what you are going to do? Were you both here, I would have made you a nice drink each to drink it all in.

Anil, a cup of lemon tea for you, sweet, with a pinch of salt.

And for you Ira, fresh lime soda, sweet, with a pinch of salt.

Best wishes, babies.

Veena / Ma. 

Ira was white, Anil was stricken white.

Curtains.