The Unsung Diva

Deepthi Musley FB Page

An unexpected storm is either catastrophic or adventurous. At the end of it you are either a survivor who has tales to tell, or you become a tale yourself…

She walked the talk and had the charm to sweep anyone off their feet. She allowed nobody to prescribe a life for her. She was like a fragrant breeze with a friendly flavor, if only you walked beside her. She was a tempest if you probed into, there was no way you could get her.

I loved the way she prided herself. Every time she would sit in front of the mirror, her eyes would gleam with self-obsession. I thought nobody could love her better than herself. Anybody who knew her would want to flaunt their alliance with her.

She was a spinster with no regrets for opting to live the life on her set terms. Saying this would be partially incorrect, as she chose to dedicate a part of her life in bringing up her deceased sister’s son who was blessed with a rather slow mental growth.

She raised the child to the best of her capacities. It would sometimes seem like she used her nephew as a means or an excuse to lead the life of her choice, as she would revolt at the slightest curiosity expressed by her family with regards to her lifestyle and her. At other times it seemed like her life was meant only for the child, & her family members were just an extended support system. The difficulty was to make out, if it was destiny that chose the life for her, or if she had crafted her own destiny.

Every passing year brought new changes and dimensions to Sejal's life. The boy soon grew up into a fine young man, and despite his limited abilities, he was far more civilized than most mentally stable creations of his age. Sejal's diligence in his upbringing proved to be lucrative. It would not be too much to call, Sejal & Varun as the best aunt and nephew duo

In lesser time Sejal also lost her parents, and the void was irreplaceable for her. She had soon approached her Fifty mark, and age was just a number. She still looked stunning as ever and was free from parental nagging now.

It is nice to have your parents looking over you, no matter how old you get in life, or how much you’ve made. Sejal was slowly stepping into loneliness and depression after her parents had departed. She had begun to lose her confidence in the choices she had made in life. Varun at his pace could not grow a brain to understand her feelings, except for a heart he had that could sense Sejal was disturbed. 

Sejal dragged herself through her depressed life for 8 years, & later she contracted a couple of other chronicle ailments, which she had to fight all by herself. The decisions she took during a rush in adrenalin had cornered Sejal to seek help from her family. Sejal could, however, manage to hide her health condition from her family only until her physical appearance did not forsake her

Her nervous disorder gifted her a shaky jaw, and Parkinson had begun to shrink her stature. As though this wasn’t enough, she frequently began to complain of an unbearable stomach pain past midnight. Every time her medical reports suggested that the pain was imaginary and existed due to her depression. In her loneliness, she began to imitate the character of the insecure boy, who would scream every night complaining about a wolf in his hut, only to check if the villagers gathered to save him & cared for him. He was killed one day when a wolf really entered his hut and the villagers never turned up. All her life she wore a mask of boldness to defend her choices of unconventionality. She did not share her life with anybody fearing betrayal. She was a timid soul hiding inside a gorgeous skin all her life.

Her life barely lasted in this fashion for a couple of years from this stage. The Diva was on her journey of turning to dust. The face which could give any beauty pageant a run for her career and money was now in a pitiful state.

Kindness is always indebted to those who offer it generously to anyone in their lifetime. Varun at Forty had the opportunity to repay every act of kindness he had received from Sejal. Mentally Varun was now equipped with the capacities of a Twelve-year-old boy, and he quickly managed to learn many things in a short span of time. Varun never complained to take care of her. Sejal’s family helped in supplying food & this supported Varun to manage the other chores of the house with the help of a maid. He had learned how to operate the phone in case of an emergency, as Sejal’s mobility had slowed down. Sejal was unable to walk without support and lived on diapers to save her walk to the restroom.

It was an unusual morning when Varun called his cousin to inform her that Sejal was not responding to him. The day had arrived. The Diva bid adios. She had as usual prescribed her own end. Sejal’s family rushed into her house with a doctor who declared her dead. Finally, her family was exposed to her malignancy after they discovered a few reports which were lying next to her bed. Sejal had not disclosed this fact to her family as a matter of choice.

She had assigned her death mission to malignancy.

Some people in this world are vaguely sculpted by God. Sejal remains an unsolved puzzle.

Deepthi