Not Her

3. Choices ...

Khusi strolled into her house, her steps stalling at the sobs of another woman. There, in her living room, was sitting her neighbour, Tanisha. She was married last year, and Khusi was seeing her after 12 long months.

"Didi? How are you?" Khusi ambled towards her, a wide grin on her face, but as soon as she saw Tanisha's ruddy face with tears dripping down her cheeks, she halted.

"Khusi, go to your room," her mother ordered and Khusi, being the goody two shoes, quickly scampered inside

"Why was she crying Ma?" Khusi asked, as soon as Tanisha left.

Her mother sighed, "She is infertile and her husband had been ignoring her. She wanted him back but that man is involved in an extra martial affair now."

As soon as her mother's words registered in Khusi's head, her blood turned furious.

"He did what!?" she screamed and her mother's eyes narrowed down to slits.

"Voice, young woman. Keep it down."

"How dare he cheats on her!?" Khusi questioned, her eyebrows crinkled in frustration.

"She is infertile Khusi, she can't give their family a child," Renuka pointed out.

So what!?" Khusi was flabbergasted at the situation.

"What do you mean, what? Every man wants an heir." Khusi's annoyances peaked at her mother's words.

"But Ma, it's not only his decision to make. The decision should be Tanisha's cause its she who is going to bear the child," Khusi argued.

"But she can't. Cause she is infertile." Renuka jabbered.

"And why the hell she even want him back? She should file a divorce on him for cheating on her."

At Khusi's words, her mother's eyes widened. "And who will marry an infertile divorcee? Do you think this is a fantasy land, Khusi? If he divorce her, she is going to be alone for the rest of her life."

"That's far better than being in a toxic relationship."

"Shut up Khusi! You are too young to understand the harsh reality of the society." At this point, Khusi was beyond pissed.

"What if, one day, I say I don't want a child? Shouldn't I have a say in the matter too!?"

"Khusi!" Her mother's palm was ready to hit her cheek when she stopped herself. Khusi was staring right back at her mother with furious eyes when Renuka Mukherjee, wheezed out a breath and hissed her next words, "Never say those words ever again. Motherhood completes a woman and evey woman should embrace it. "

"Bullshit! Pregnancy is a pain in ar ..." At her mother's glare she snapped shut her mouth and turned away from her.

"Look at Tanisha, she is so unlucky," Renuka whispered, shaking her head.

"I think she is the luckiest. No one could ever force her to be pregnant and endure those 9 months of torture." Uttering her words, Khusi ran to her room as Mrs. Renuka Mukherjee's screams echoed in the whole house.

*******

Khusi's eyes roamed over the dozen of Benarasi sarees laid infront of her.

"Choose whichever you want," Keya said, sitting on a stoll beside Renuka. The three women had come to buy the sarees and jewelleries needed for the wedding.

Khusi's eyes were shining with mirth as she carefully picked each saree and inspected them. That had to be perfect. It was her marriage and she wanted her wedding pictures to go viral on Instagram.

"This one." Khusi pointed, picking up a yellow and red benarasi saree. She had appointed the most famous makeup artist of the town and one of the popular photographers to click her wedding pictures. Khusi couldn't wait to upload the pics on Facebook and Instagram.

Bhaskar had come to pick her up from the store. Both the mothers went back to Khusi's home with the purchases, as Khusi and Bhaskar went to buy their wedding rings.

While ambling inside the jewellery shop Khusi tried to intertwine her fingers with Bhaskar. But he quickly took a side step, pulling away his hand.

Khusi peered up at Bhaskar in shock. He was inspecting the store and uttered his next words carefully, looking down at her. "I am sorry, but I am not much into PDA. Hope you don't mind. I believe all of this should be our private life."

"That's alight." Khusi nodded, flabbergasted at the fact that she made the first move. She felt like an idiot. Was Bhaskar thinking she was desperate?

All of the absurd thoughts vanished into thin air when they stopped at the counters, to choose the rings. All of them were glamorous. Khusi wanted to choose for Bhaskar and wanted him to choose for her, but Bhaskar picked up a ring for himself and told her to choose her own, before she could say anything.

Reluctantly Khusi picked up her own ring and both of them took it to the cash counter. Here, Khusi decided to intervene.

"Bhaskar, I will be paying for your ring and you will pay for mine," Khusi said jumping infront of him as he took out his debit card.

"You don't have to Khusi. I can buy both of them." Bhaskar smiled.

"I know you can, but I should also get a chance to spend my money. "

Bhaskar agreed and they bought the rings for each other.

"I have talked to the school authorities and they had decided to transfer me to the Bangalore branch," Khusi said, getting inside the car.

"That's excellent!"

Khusi was happy that Bhaskar or his family members never said anything regarding her leaving the job. It was her hard earned job and she would rather die than abandon it.

While returning home Khusi decided to ask Bhaskar the question that had been pestering her since the day they met.

"Why did you agree to marry me Bhaskar?"

He took a minute, gazing at the road, while steering the car.

"Because we are compatible Khusi. You are a Bengali bramhin, so am I. I like your easy going personality and our jobs are also kind of similar. We go together."

*******

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