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    Misfit
    Misfit
    Misfit
    Ebook114 pages1 hour

    Misfit

    By Minu Parti

    ()

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    About this ebook

    This story begins in a land of culture, India. It is the story of a little girl who grew into a beautiful, accomplished woman with two daughters of her own. In the beginning, the little girl’s life was simple and sheltered, with loving parents who always tried to fulfill her little demands. Living in an affluent section of a great city, surrounded by people of all races and classes, she grew to have many interests and triumphs as she developed a range of talents both artistic and intellectual.

    As a child and teen, her artistic side predominated, and she dreamed of someday becoming famous. And who can say she could not have been,
    for she was a supremely photogenic model who, as a young woman, became a successful print model in New York City and internationally. She was even given an explicit invitation to become a movie actress. But the Great River
    of Life took her on a course where she was able only to flirt with a fame that remained an island out of reach. As a result, her intellectual side eventually came into prominence.

    At a young age, she got married to a husband her parents chose for

    her, and she is grateful to her parents’ for their decision because he is a great guy. She became an excellent wife, learning all about her husband’s likes
    and dislikes, molding herself to his life, and giving up her own personality. She learned to live his life and is still living his life. Professionally, she also followed her husband, who became an outstanding cardiologist. Inspired by him to enter the Health field, she earned a university Master’s degree in Health Science and became a skilled physician assistant.

    But there was a third side to this young woman, one that came to the fore when she gave birth to two girls. This side was that of an intense and abiding Motherly Love that nourished, nurtured, and created the opportunities that enabled her children to become accomplished young women.

    This is the story of Minu, the story of her dreams, accomplishments, sacrifices, and enduring spirit.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBalboa Press
    Release dateNov 20, 2019
    ISBN9781982238421
    Misfit

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      Book preview

      Misfit - Minu Parti

      Chapter 1

      A Childhood Full of Love

      33670.jpg

      A s a little girl, Minu grew like a flower in the sheltered garden of her family. Always full of laughter and life, she was constantly commenting on whatever might be happening, or laughing merrily at something her father said that tickled her funny bone. Sometimes, though, she was curious, her face turning oh so serious, as she asked her mother question after question about how things were done, and why they were done in a certain way. Why this, why that, why, why, why, until her mother said, in exasperation, Because that is just the way we do things, Minu!

      Minu was delicate, her skin like porcelain, and her parents loved her beyond words. She lit up her parents’ life. More than once they told her that when she was born she was the most beautiful, the most exquisite baby girl they had ever seen.

      Her father and mother worked very hard to provide the best for their family, and she lived comfortably in the city with her brother and younger sister. She was surrounded by household help, including a cook and a nanny, and never had to do any work around the home, which was the normal way of living for the upper middle class in India. Her life was simple and protected. Her home was a sanctuary where the days were all about school, playtime, and homework. Her daily routine consisted of traveling by school bus to school and back home. After coming home, she had a few hours of free time to play, then homework, and then the day was over.

      Her parents were very involved in their children’s upbringing. In that era, there was tremendous respect for parents. Children never questioned them, as they were sure the parents always had the children’s best interests in mind. And indeed, Minu’s parents did. Her mom and dad were judicious and intelligent in their children’s upbringing, understanding that each child had his or her own individual personality and taking that into account in dealing with the child. And her parents enforced strict rules:

      No TV on school nights

      Very limited TV on weekends

      Be indoors before dark

      No drinking before 21

      There was also no going out to movies, except rarely. She recalls vividly her dad and mom taking her, her brother, and her sister to dinner at a nice restaurant and then a movie as it was her parents’ anniversary. This was a big treat for all of them.

      Yet Minu’s parents were crazy about their children, often telling them how proud they were of them and showing their love in countless ways, making it obvious that their kids were their world. They constantly worked to build strong character and values in their children, encouraging them to be busy with various activities, teaching them that their actions had consequences good or bad. They encouraged Minu and her siblings to do their best and act responsibly at every step, to get good grades, be independent thinkers, believe in themselves, and pursue happy, productive, successful lives when they became adults. They never compared their children to other kids, never gossiped or made negative remarks about other people.

      As the middle child, Minu had to learn to balance the dual role of being younger sister to one sibling and older sister to the other. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to get the balance quite right. Though she loved her brother and sister, she felt they were closer to each other than to her. As a result, she was always trying to please one or the other or both of them. One strategy she used to get on their good side was to bribe them in an attempt to gain their favor. The bribe came from the weekly allowance she received, along with her siblings, a small allowance that varied depending on each child’s behavior. When her brother and sister spent their allowances and found themselves without money, she saw opportunity knocking. That’s when she stepped in with her saved allowance and bought a round of yummy chocolates for everyone. She loved to be The Chocolate Provider—surely rising high in her brother and sister’s estimation!

      Meals were sometimes a challenge, as from an early age Minu was a picky eater. Her parents, for the most part, put up with her likes and dislikes in food, telling their cook to prepare what Minu liked. The norm of the house—a family ritual—was for the family to eat dinner together, her father at the head of the table, as everyone talked about their day. The three children were taught to never waste food. They had to clean their plates first before they could have any seconds. To impress their father, the siblings had an unwritten competition among themselves to be the one to first reach a spotlessly clean plate. For a while, Minu had an advantage by the fact that her dog sat on the floor next to her at the dining table. If the crafty little girl did not particularly like what was on her plate, she would sneak bits of food to the dog when no one seemed to be paying attention. All went well until one evening when the dog turned its nose up to what she tried to feed it. When her mother found the uneaten morsel on the floor, questioning ensued and the truth came out. The dog was banished from around the dining table during meals, and Minu had to compete with her brother and sister in the plate-cleaning contest without the assistance of her former ally.

      Her father was a strict disciplinarian, a man of principle and manners who emphasized to his children the importance of integrity and poise, doing well in school, always honoring their elders, and finding goodness in every soul. His opinions were well considered and his word was final. But he was fair in his decisions, always taking into account the well-being of the family as a whole and each member of the family.

      Her father was also a loving man, and Minu was the apple of his eye, his princess, and he always made that clear to her. He liked for her to read to him during the evening after dinner while he relaxed in his easy chair. The book he chose for her to read sometimes had a few difficult words that she had to puzzle through, and he would say Good, good! when she finally conquered a word. Sometimes he closed his eyes as she read. One evening, after a few minutes of his silence, glancing up occasionally to see his eyes shut and his breathing steady, she became convinced that he had fallen asleep. So, she felt safe when, coming to a difficult word, she simply skipped it. Right then, her father’s eyes flashed open as he said, in his deep voice, Read again! At that instant, a jolt of electricity ran through her. There was nothing for her to do but to struggle with the difficult word, feeling confused and wondering whether her father had been pretending to sleep or had simply woken up at just the right time.

      Her mother had a softer, artistic side, and was a nurturer. Her mother loved music and played the sitar and tabla, two traditional Indian instruments. The sweet and evocative sounds of her mother playing the sitar sometimes wafted through their home and led little Minu to dream of lovely mountain scenes with blue skies and clear crystal water cascading down the hillsides. Her mother’s gentle playing worked its magic by bringing little Minu to love music.

      Minu was raised in a Western way. Her mother wanted to expose her children to the world and not raise them in a bubble or a box, and so she liked to take them on outings. Occasionally, she would take the three children to India Gate, an amusement complex, for boating and various fun activities. Minu loved it there. Visiting the world outside always made her feel joyful, as it seemed

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