It was the end of the ‘Ideal Dancer’ TV programme. The presenter thanked the guest,
“Thank you very much Ms.Priyanka for joining with us. We wish that you perform your dancing items well. Finally I would like to ask your phone number because most of our viewers are waiting to talk with you. They might have lot of things to ask from you about your dancing styles.”
I gave my phone number and thanked them all. Then I came out of the studio and get on to my car. As I was tired I asked my driver to take me home without stopping anywhere. When I was going I heard my phone rang. A woman spoke to me,
“Hello, is this Ms.Priyanka?”As it was an unknown voice I replied curiously.
Then the woman spoke further. She told that she was a psychiatrist at GGR mental hospital and she had something important to tell me, but she repeatedly told me that she didn’t mean to insult me and she asked me not to misunderstand her. Then I felt more curious and listened anxiously. Then she told me that in their mental asylum they allow some of their patients to watch some musical and dancing programmes on TV and today they had seen my programme. But one of the patients, who suffered from a severe mental stress, cried a lot after having seen the programme. She shouted that Ms.Priyanka was her one and only child. Her words shook me and at once I asked the name of that patient.
“She is Mrs. Radhika Fernando. Miss I don’t know whether Mrs.Radhika knows you or not, but if you know about her please visit he. She is not strong enough to bear up the things that have happened to her. She is in a serious situation. And now she is so old and feeble. Her husband visits her everyday once he told me that their daughter committed suicide and after that incident his wife had lost her sanity.” She continued.
Furthermore she said that perhaps their daughter might be like me. So she pleaded me to visit the patient though I was busy with my work. And it would be a good treatment for the patient. Then I promised to think about it further.
After that phone call tears began to pour down my cheeks. Them my mind ran back to the time of my childhood.
Ten years ago my parents and I lived together. I was the only child of my family. I loved my parents a lot, but I knew that they loved me more than I loved them. They wanted to give me a good education. My father’s dream was to see me as a doctor. He always told me, ‘My little daughter, you should do your studies well and try to be a doctor one day and surprise all our friends and relations.’ But according to my way of thinking I didn’t accept my father’s idea. I always dream to be a good dancer one day though my father didn’t agree with me. All the time he said that he couldn’t be ashamed in front of his relations. My mother too agreed with my father. Time ran quickly and my parents forced me to do the Advanced Level Examination in science stream. However I did my studies without any will, but my parents thought that I would pass my examination very well. They took me too many private classes and spent a lot of money though I found all the subjects equally difficult. I did my examination and awaited results. In the meantime I told my father to take me to a dancing class, but he paid no attention to my request.
My results came. I had only three simple passes. I feel nothing about my results. My parents were sad and they were disappointed about me because their loving child had destroyed their wonderful dream. So the hunk between me and my parents grew weaker day by day. Then I felt sad and also felt disappointed about myself. My father didn’t speak to me. We behaved as strangers even though we lived under one roof. I was unable to face the situation at my home. Finally I left my loving cage with the idea of building up my life by myself.
I came out of my thoughts. My face was wet with tears. Through my tears I saw the gate of my house. I went to my room and began to think. During the last five years I searched my parents. But I could find only that my father had sold our house and had gone somewhere with my mother. Now everything is clear to me. I decided to go to that asylum next day.
The following morning I got ready to go. My car stopped at the asylum gate. Everyone looked at me surprisingly and came round me. Through them I saw a tall young lady was coming towards me.
“Hi! Ms.Priyanka, I am doctor Swetha. It’s me who phoned you yesterday. I never thought that you would come. Then she took me to see the patient. We went to her room. She pointed her hand at a patient who was lying on a bed. There was a man sitting in front of her. I told the doctor that I wanted to go alone and talk with them. I found very quickly that the old thin man who was sitting there was my father and the patient was my mother. I went to speak with them.
“Oh! Are you Ms.Priyanka?” The man asked surprisingly.
I just nodded my head.
“My wife thinks that you are our daughter. She cries when she sees you on TV.”
I looked at him with a blank face. Then I asked their story. He began to sob and said that because of their faults they lost their daughter. Then I asked whether they knew where their daughter was.
“No Miss, perhaps she might have died. It is our fate. But when you speak with me I felt that my daughter is again with me.”
I was unable to control myself. I began to weep.
“No father you are not wrong. You little daughter is still with you. Can’t you recognize me? Do I have changed a lot?”
“Then who is Miss.Priyanka?” He questioned.
“It’s a long story. I changed my name.”
At that time my mother woke up and looked at me with tears on her eyes. She began to touch my hands, my face. I promised her not to leave her again and asked their pardon for what had happened. And asked them, not to consider me as an unkind one.
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