THE STRINGS OF HOLY MATRIMONY

Chapter 6

     From next morning onwards she started keeping to herself, withdrawing into her own shell. She was too young and immature to handle all this. In other words she is new to this world of family politics.
 
     Noone apart from Adhi noticed her change in behaviour. Eventhough he felt as if she has increased the distance between them he couldnt do anything as he had important projects going on in his office.

    He felt that projects are fleeting but wife is stationary so he can mend their relationship afterwards. He wanted the projects to be complete before he takes any step towards her.

   What he failed to understand is that projects are stationary, one comes after another but relationship quarrels get bigger , the more you delay. Get your priorities straight or your life will be not.

   Madhu behaves casually in front of everyone but mostly spends her time in her room. She stopped doing his daily chores but she never denied him when he approached her during night.

    She felt as though it was her only connection with her husband and expressed her thoughts and emotions . But they were not close enough to understand one anothers emotions without them being expressed.

     She has completely stopped contacts with his aunts and even stopped trying to be friends with hos aunt's daughters. How long can she go on like this? she doesnt know. She has never felt so alone before.

   She was never a talkative type of person but she was also not the type to hold back emotions. If he wouldve crossed her barrier may be she wouldve felt comfortable enough to express herself.

    Adhi  felt as though he is drained out of all the  energy ever since she started keeping distance. He is so attached to her in the short time but he doesnt know it. Her smiles make his day and just being emotionally closer to her will make his life.

    He know his aunts are angry with him about not marrying their daughters but he never thought they would project it onto her. He knows what is going on is wrong and plans to make a decision soon. But how soon it is going to be?

     Nowadays Madhu started concentrating on some hobbies to keep herself busy. She is an avid reader  but she also does dancing and painting. But books are her favourite getaway into an alternate world.

    Her oneday makes her feel as if its one year.She has come to accept her life as it is. Thats how majority of Indian wives live their life,isnt it? Her being educated makes her understand her denied rights but that doesnt grant her the rights to freedom or she doesnt know how.

   Aadhi is caught up in critical work. He is caught up between proving himself with his new factories and mending his relationship with his love. He only planned to marry her after the success of his new venture but Madhu has planned to go abroad thus cancelling his plans. This has also made him marry before his aunt's daughters which further resulted in plummation of his personal life.

   So Aadhi thought to solve his issues one by one. His lack of concentration in work would result in loss of employment to hundreds apart from spoiling his own. So he thought to succeed in it first. After which he planned to marry off his cousins and explaining himself to Madhu.

   But life doesnt always go by plan, infact life never goes by plan. Aadhi didnot understand that. Every problem should be dealt with separately. Balancing work and personal life is an art in itself.

  Days passed by with each in different state of mind.Madhu has shrunk her world indespair. Amidst this oneday Maya's daughter Sindhu has not returned after college. Everyone started searching for her evrywhere.

  Madhu also panicked and informed Aadhi of Sindhu's disappearance.He contacted Sindhu's friends and enquired of her whereabouts. Many of Aadhi's friends were also searching the city.

  Maya was inconsolable and lamented on about how the world is not safe for young ladies like her.Girija and Aadhi's mom Subha were comforting her on both sides. All the men in the family did not return home that entire night.

   Next morning everyone returned tired and with no news. Aadhi informed the city commissioner about this and requested a search in secret. Many kidnappers were suspected and enquired.

  Sindhu's friends said that she attended college that day and returned home as usual. So all the cctvs on the way home were scrutinized and enquired.Since one night has passed Siddharth, Aadhi's dad thought that is is indispensable to inform Maya' s husband about his daughter's disappearance.

  Maya's husband Kumar travels to abroad often hence he left his wife and daughter in his mother in laws home. When he heard about this he immediately booked his flight back and said he will be back as soon as possible.

  Aadhi pressuried the commissioner as much as possible. He enquired Sindhu's friends whether she was in love with anyone. But everyone said Sindhu was a quiet and shy girl and has no such relationship with boys.

  So he also approached the case as a kidnap and scrutinized every little information. The commissioner was currently involved in cases of human trafficking and so he was very keen to solve this case.

  The house became gloomy and Madhu was the one catering to everyone's needs. She compelled them to eat and  took care of basic functioning of the family.
 
  Even Subha was worried out of herself for the girl that she practically raised. Maya and Girija were too self centered and spent most of their time here so Subha was the one who took care of them most of the time.

  
Meanwhile Kumar returned to India and was on his way back home. Siddharth was in loss of words  of what would he explain to his brother in law. He knows Kumar has huge respect for himself and leaves his family in his home while he travels abroad.

  Aadhi went to receive his uncle and informed him of the current condition. On entering Aadhi's house , Kumar immediately started shouting at Maya that she was irresponsible and that it was her fault. He also accused that Maya was unnecessarily involved in her brother's family and did not take care of theirs.

  The way they spoke it seemed that they quarrelled  frequently on this topic. Maya was ashamed that her husband dare to reprimand her in front of everyone especially Madhu. She tried to diffuse the situation but Kumar was unstoppable.

  Hence not knowing what else to do Maya tried to shift her blame on someone else. And who else would that be other than Madhu?