Part-Time Mother

It’s been a week I shifted to the colony,

There was a park around for the lonely,

It was 4 pm and Sunday holiday,

I went to the park to relax and of course not to play,

Suddenly Giggles and laughter attracted me,

Curious me went forward to see,

Innocent soul laughing her heart out,

In between making faces and lovely pout,

She giggled singing on a lady’s lap,

In between the lady with smiles did clap,

The mother-daughter duo looked so beautiful together,

Perfect souls made for each other,

It was time they had to leave,

Life is full of joy it made me believe,

Same followed for months with some week off,

My busy schedule or might be theirs,

Every Sunday I anxiously waited to see them as usual,

I felt the bonding they shared was unusual,

They were a different mother-daughter duo,

A different love they share and show,

It’s been three weeks I returned from my official tour,

Realising it’s Sunday today I had been waiting for,

Went to park to find no giggles and laughter,

Only the lady singing on a bench and no girl to run after,

Lonely she sobbed with her head down,

To go console her I was bound,

“Hey, I watched you and your daughter play every Sunday,

But what’s the matter where’s ur daughter today?”

My mini pause exploded her heart,

She cried out loud as she was hurt,

“I used to babysit her from the day she was born,

But today in vain all love I had shown,

For three years she was with me down the lane,

Her parents shifted to another city leaving me with only pain,

I know she was not my daughter,

But yes I am her mother,

Neither her biological nor stepmother, I am her part-time mother….’

PRIYANKA PATWARI SITANI