"Well Mom? How else have I catastrophically failed and disappointed you?" asked Nina coldly once they had settled into Nina's small one-bedroom apartment.
"Nina, I love you. I'm just worried about this new phase of yours. You never showed interest in leather or makeup while you were growing up" said Anamika wearily.
"Yes, well It surprised me as well. I found myself drawn to it while shopping in Japan" admitted Nina as she changed out of her black leather outfit into a comfortable pair of gray yoga pants and a soft gray hoodie.
Seeing Nina in the casual clothing, Anamika felt some of her apprehension and discomfort melt away, Nina looked more like the daughter she had raised now.
"I'm sorry Nina. Aaron's presence made me extremely uncomfortable. It felt like my ex-husband was back" said Anamika contritely.
Nina joined her mother on the couch and held her hands. "Please, what can you tell me about him?" she asked quietly.
"We had an arranged marriage. He was 5 years older than me. Intelligent, quiet, and very hardworking.
I fell in love with that nature of his. However, Vivek turned out to have another side to him.
He loved to play horrible video games with sexual content in them and had a fascination with girls in black leather. He asked me to indulge him, and I did a couple of times, but it was extremely uncomfortable.
Even though he promised me that he would stop playing those horrible porn games, I still caught him doing so. It finally got too much for me, and I started to study AI to upskill myself.
Finally, after 3 hard, long, very difficult years, I got my H1-B visa and an offer from BlackRock.
Even though I was 2 weeks pregnant, I took the chance and left without saying goodbye.
That was the last I saw or heard of him." said Anamika.
"Have you ever thought of contacting him?" asked Nina
"No. There is too much of hurt and betrayal there to do so." said Anamika, tears in her eyes.
Nina gently held her mother as tears silently fell from Anamika's eyes.
After a few minutes, Anamika broke away and wiped her eyes.
"Aaron's attitude reminds me of how Vivek saw himself.
Aaron is almost like Vivek's power fantasy come to life" said Anamika with a wry chuckle.
"And that scares you?" asked Nina.
"Most definitely. Fortunately, Vivek was a spineless coward, who could never hope to embody the strength and power Aaron has." said Anamika with a worried frown.
"Don't worry Mom. Aaron might be a powerful and successful CEO, but you raised me to handle myself. I'll not turn into Aaron's slave." said Nina firmly.
"Of that I have no doubt. It was great catching up with you Nina" said Anamika, engulfing her daughter in a warm hug.
----
"I wish to apologize for my mother's behavior the other day sir." said Nina contritely.
The week off that Aaron had given her had been wonderful, except for the tense and confrontational dinner between her, her mother and Aaron.
"Think nothing of it. Now let's get to work. Did you follow up with Tomoe about the revised assets from SEGA?" asked Aaron stoically.
"Yes sir, we should have them by tonight." said Nina marveling at Aaron's Stoic discipline and emotional detachment. A stark contrast to her own tumultuous feelings.
"Very well, that will be all." said Aaron.
Nina left his office and sat down at her workstation.
Her mother's revelations about how Aaron appeared to embody the ideals of her father had triggered a burning curiosity within her.
Unable to endure it any further, Nina fired up Google to look for any traces of the father she had never known.
----
Nina found herself again, nursing a Starbucks coffee, as she waited, this time for her aunt Apoorva, her mother's estranged sister.
The Starbucks door opened and an attractive middle-aged woman, dressed in an expensive-looking pantsuit with a simple pearl necklace and earrings entered.
Her long straight black hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and she had on simple, understated makeup. A stark contrast to Anamika's more non-conformist look.
"Nina? Is that you?" she asked, as Nina stood to greet her.
"Yes Mrs. DuPont, I'm -" began Nina, extending her hand before Apoorva pulled her into a warm hug.
"Call me Apoorva please. 'Mrs DuPont' is too formal and 'Aunt Apoorva' makes me feel too old." she said warmly to a surprised Nina.
"Yes, well thank you for meeting me Apoorva." said Nina, put at ease by Apoorva's warmth.
"So. What would you like to know?" asked Apoorva, after she had been served a coffee.
"What do you know about my father? And can you reach out to him for me?" asked Nina quietly.
Apoorva's face clouded for a moment. "It looks like your mother hasn't been very forthcoming with you." she sighed.
"What do you mean?" asked Nina.
Apoorva patted Nina's wrist. "Vivek died nearly 20 years ago in a motorcycle accident." she said softly.
Nina sank into her chair in shock.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she mourned the loss and missed opportunity of knowing the man whose genes she shared.
Apoorva gently held her to her chest as Nina sobbed and wailed.
----
"What can you tell me about him?" asked Nina after she had stopped crying and had composed herself.
"He was one of the most intellectual, kindest and hardworking people I ever knew.
I'll admit, I was jealous of Anamika for marrying him. He became the benchmark against which I evaluated all men." sighed Apoorva.
"What do you mean?" asked Nina in bewilderment.
Apoorva sighed. "Vivek was very intelligent, and extremely knowledgeable about a variety of topics, from history, to technology, political science and popular culture. He was also an extremely patient, quiet, unassuming and agreeable man. He tried his best to support and empower Anamika, while also trying to shield her from his own vices."
"Vices like his obsession with video games and leather?" asked Nina.
"Anamika was a lot more naive and sheltered about sex and sexual fetishes.
Vivek's fantasies confused and terrified her, and she was deeply uncomfortable with his fascination with leather.
He realized this, and used video games as a safe outlet instead of pressuring her to indulge his fantasies.
Unfortunately she didn't see it that way. I know about this, because he confided some of this to me after Anamika left him." said Apoorva sadly.
Nina mulled over these new revelations. Something didn't add up.
These were the kind of issues couples could easily solve through mutual agreement and open, honest communication. So how did a few sexual fetishes, and odd habits rip these two apart?
"What exactly happened? Why did Mom leave him?" asked Nina, tears of frustration in her eyes.
"Both Anamika and Vivek had ambitions for leaving India and moving to either here in the US or to Europe. To that end, Anamika decided to quit her job and learn AI.
Vivek agreed to take over the financial burden while she studied, but her break started to change her.
She cropped her hair short, stopped wearing heels, skirts and dresses, and gradually became more rigid in her feminist views and more non-conforming in her sense of style.
Vivek tried his best to accept these new changes in her, but it took a toll on him.
He started to miss the 'old Anamika'. Another man would have either left, or cheated, but he tried his best to carry on.
From what I understood of the situation, Vivek also started to make lifestyle changes that bothered Anamika.
He bought a sports motorcycle without telling her, and started going on long motorcycle rides, which she felt was reckless and dangerous, and of course, he started to play video games with sexual content.
If you ask me, they were both evolving in somewhat opposite directions.
Anamika was becoming more of a feminist and non-conformist, while Vivek started to retreat more into his hobbies of gaming and motorcycling." said Apoorva.
"Why didn't they talk to each other about this stuff?" asked Nina incredulously.
Apoorva sighed sadly.
"They did, and it ended in a bitter disagreement.
Anamika felt that her changes were positive and necessary for her self-esteem and confidence, while Vivek defended his hobbies by saying they were safe, healthy outlets of entertainment and self-expression.
I think it all came to a head, once Anamika found out she was pregnant with you.
She felt that Vivek had become irresponsible, wouldn't be a feminist ally, and would be a bad influence and a bad father, and so left without telling anyone that she was pregnant.
I myself only found out once I had married my husband, moved to America and tried to reconnect with her. Which was a year after Vivek had died. It was that, which lead to our estrangement." she finished her story.
"Was his accident really an accident?" asked Nina.
"Yes. He was on a motorcycle tour, when the mountain pass he and his group were riding in, was caught in a mud slide. His body was crushed under several tonnes of rock and mud" said Apoorva sadly.
"So he had moved on from my Mom leaving him?" asked Nina quietly.
"I'm certain he had begun to heal." replied Apoorva.
Nina was silent for several minutes, before she asked what she had been burning, yet fearing to ask.
"Did Mom know he died?" she finally asked.
"Yes. I told her myself, when I confronted her about leaving while pregnant and not telling anyone." said Apoorva softly.
"Why didn't she tell me? Why did she let me believe he was alive, and this evil, toxic man?" asked Nina bitterly.
"I don't know." said Apoorva sadly.
Nina blinked away fresh tears, and stood up.
"Thank you for seeing me and giving me some closure Apoorva" she said, giving the older woman a warm hug.