It was 7 in the morning, and Ronnie rushed to the flower market. He knew that the flowers that arrive in the morning are the fresh ones and they vanish soon if not bought them at earliest. He reached the market runing and stopped at the first vendor stall, and catched a breathe in a huff puff.

It was a big day for him,  and he didn't want to mess even a bit. After two long years he was going home to his parents place.

Ronnie had been living in the city for past 6 years, he could hardly make it to his hometown once in a year or two, given his over embellished state of job.

Now that he had taken a weeks leave from office, he was looking forward to visit his hometown.

He came from a small city, where the jobs were less and talks were more. People had time to actually meet up and even read newspapers. Where the kids had actual playgrounds and not the virtual gimmick. Ronnie loved his hometown and always tried to save money and time to visit, whenever he had the opportunity to.

Now it had been two years that he was away, and he was really excited to revisit his old lanes.

Ronnie used to get fresh lilies for his mom whenever he went to the local market. And today he wanted to do the same. He came running to the market to pick up the fresh ones from the gardens. He knew his mumma is going to love it.

The scent of the lilies reminded him of his mumma's touch. He knew his mother is going to love this surprise. He hadn't told his mother about his visit.

He wrapped the lilies in the most adorable looking bouquet and headed to the station to board his train.

A 7 hour ride to his home felt like 7 years with each second of excitement. All the while in train he could think of how his mother had raised him in childhood.

He was quite the mischievous one in his childhood, and had quite the spanking from his parents. Mumma specially would beat and scold him whenever he behaved too puckish.

He couldn't stop smiling thinking about every moment. Once when he had a serious accident falling off from his bicycle and had to get stitches in the head, his mumma couldn't sleep in the night, and held him close.

He couldn't stop thinking about the days he would get upset on his mumma and skip meals for not buying his favourite toy from the store, and his mumma would save money and get it for him the next week itself. 

He was such a cheeky child, and his mom would still be patient. "God! i was a horrible child, mumma was truly an angel to handle me", he thought to himself.

5:00 PM. He reached his hometown.

He stepped down at the station platform, it was the same he had left. He loved the breeze that carried a nostalgia. He remembered the day his parents had come to the station to see him off when he was leaving for the big city. His mom was crying that day, yet waved him off smiling. "Oh Mom, you were such a baby that day", he said to himself.

Holding the lilies close to his chest, he caught a cab for his destination.

5:30 PM. The Cemetery.

Ronnie arrived at the cemetery where his mom was put to rest. Tears rolled down his chicks, he never had thought that he would come after two years to meet his mom like this.

It had been a six months of total lockdown in the state. And no one was allowed to visit his hometown, as it was a prime hub of cases of a foreign pandemic.

His mom was ailing on the hospital bed for a month with no signs of recuperating. All Ronnie could do was wait for the gates to open for his hometown, so he could go back and meet his mom. Somewhere he had this feeling that seeing him might help his mom recover. He tried all means to reach, but all went in vain. He called everyday and tried connecting to his mom to check on her, all that her caring heart could say was, "I am okay child, I have your father here with me. I am worried about your health, you are alone there, hope you are eating well in the city. I want you to know that I am proud of you son and I would like to have you as my son in every life that god grants me". 

This words were the last that Ronnie heard from her.

As he stood before his moms tomb, he read the plaque that said "a loving Mother". He came down to his knees, kept the fresh lilies on her grave and murmurmed in a desolate voice, "I love you Mom, I'am sorry I couldn't get you these lilies sooner, but I promise I will be on time in the next life when I see you again. I miss you Mom."

P.S. Dedicated to my friend Ranajit Roy and the loving memory of Shipra aunty.