Just Another Mother

Chapter -32

Sarada: " MEERA! How dare you talk to me like that? Savitri, see how your child is disrespecting me. Is this how you taught her?"

Savitri couldn't control anymore and was ready to blast when Meera responded.

Meera: "Yes. She taught me to do the right thing and I'm right now teaching my son the same! Being the elder one, I hope you would set an example to these kids too!" She stood by her demand and Seeing the crowd, Salini whispered to her grandma to say it at least indirectly.

Sarada: "Hm... I agree that hitting him was wrong! But as an elder, I had the right to do it. This is not his country to cross the boundaries!"

Meera didn't push her further, as this is as much as she could get anything next to an apology from an egoistic Indian elderly person!

Meera: "Seriously? You heard him, granny! He was returning the glass! How come it is immoral? And if you believe a girl and boy in the same room as something immoral, then I'm sorry India has moved a lot forward from that 18th century! And I'm sure that you know about it! After all, you were a teacher once!" God knows what ill-fated souls had to study under her tutorship! Meera thought to herself.

Meera: "If you are thinking that your accusations would malign my son's reputation, then you are wrong! It will be your child who will suffer! Didn't it occur to your mind even for a second that she will be the one who has to live with these people? Me and my kids, we would fly back to the US and who knows we might not even come back! But what about her? This...this drama which you have created will haunt her entire life! Don't you think these people with whomever you were gossiping about me wouldn't create stories about her? Haven't you thought that their stories, would be enough to break a marriage alliance for her in the future? Huh?" She questioned Sarada.

It was then that Sarada realized her mistake! Salini also got panicked hearing Meera. She knew Meera was right and like a boomerang, everything is coming their way! She didn't want her kid to suffer like Meera!

Salini: "Grandma! Tell us the truth right now!" She glared at her grandmother. Sarada knew she has to clear things before it gets out of hand!

Sarada: "Hm... Yes, I agree. I didn't see him holding hands. But I'm an old school person, and was worried what he would do something to our kid, after all, he is a foreigner!" She said scowling at Jaidy.

Salini: " Don't make such assumptions with my kid grandma! Keep my kids away from your dramas! If not for Meera, you wouldn't have said the truth! Thanks, Meera for clearing things out." She couldn't meet Meera's eyes and even Meera knew that she is saying all these for the sake of it and doesn't mean it.

Meera: "Never mind. Anyway as you said, they are foreigners, so I hope you all would at least treat them with respect as guests, if not as a family. And, if anyone ill-treats my kids, I wouldn't think twice to file a complaint against anyone, whoever let it be! I mean it!" She glared at everyone and left the room with Jaidy and Jo.

By this time, almost all the major gossipers among the family and close friends were present in the crowd. So Savitri asked them all to not leave as she has something to say.

Savitri: "I'm sorry Sumitra. I didn't want to make a scene at my child's wedding! But I cannot tolerate it anymore and this has to be stopped." Sumitra shook her head giving her full support to continue whatever Savitri was going to do.

Savitri: "You all are forgetting the fact that we are here to celebrate Sachu's wedding, and not to mourn on my daughter's life! I understood that it is out of your concern for my kid, that none of you can enjoy the happy occasion we are in! So let us solve your issues! First of all, what is so wrong with adoption? Why you all find it so difficult to accept? Oh!! Is it the fact that their parents entrusted their kids with some stranger? You know what, I'm so proud of my child just because of this fact! Among all of their friends, a single young foreign girl, my child was the only person they trusted their kids with! Can anyone of you say confidently that your child would be able to do what my Meera has done? Have you ever thought about what all she might have gone through to bring them up? In my life what I regret the most is that I couldn't be there with my kid to support her when she needed me the most! She, without anyone's support, handled three toddlers with two newborns! Every one of us knows how difficult it is to raise a kid! We all have struggled through it, even after getting all the support from our family. She.. she did it all alone! How much ever you all blame her, call her names, I would be proud of her! Always! I'm proud of the woman she has become!"

After wiping her tears, Savitri continued, looking at Salini.

Savitri: "Salini, don't blame Meera for your distrust in your daughter! And you were saying something about ending up like my daughter. How? You don't want her to be a bold and independent woman like Meera? You would rather prefer her leaving behind her ambitions and passions for a man than supporting her dreams? You would rather worry about what society would say than her happiness? Maybe, as you said, if we wouldn't have let her go at that time, she would have got married and gave birth to kids, like everyone here. But we don't regret it.

She might not have a man in her life, and as a mother, I always pray for someone to be there with her in the future, but she has her own family with 5 lovely kids. Even if she didn't give birth to them, she is a mother, just like any other one on this earth!"

Savitri glanced at everyone around her and said "So, now that everything has been cleared, I believe all of you will be able to enjoy the wedding and this reunion of family and friends!" with that she left the room along with Sumitra leaving behind a dumbfound crowd!

Meanwhile, Meera took Jaidy to another room, leaving Jo with Jessi and Keerthi.

Meera: "Why were you scared, my dear? It wasn't you. What happened?" Jaidy bends her head down, staring at his fingers. Meera didn't like seeing him standing in front of her like a culprit.

Meera: "Look at me and talk JAIDEN!" He looked straight knowing very well that his mother wouldn't call his official name unless she is extremely pissed off. This made him a bit more scared.

Jaiden: "Mum...Mumma, I'm sorry... I didn't know being alone with her would be a problem. I didn't know. I have read that girls and boys talking to each other is not appreciated here, but she is my cousin, and since you are close with Sachi Uncle, I thought it's allowed! I didn't know Mumma... I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for making you ashamed..I.." he was ranting while Meera was dumbstruck at the reason why he was panicking. He didn't know how to behave as per her culture! HE didn't even know that he wasn't at fault! She felt a pang in her heart!

Meera hugged him caressing his hair.

Meera: "Oh my dear! No... You didn't do anything wrong to say sorry! Haven't you heard What I said to Sarada granny? Do you think I would have supported you if you did anything wrong? Huh?" He looked at her wiping his tears. Those innocent blue eyes looking at her were filled with confusion, worries, disbelief.

Meera: "Jaidy, be yourself. Yes, you will have confusion between the cultures. But you can clarify things from me. And if you do it in your way, there is nothing wrong, unless your conscience says otherwise! Do you think you were wrong? Even if you held her hands? Leave about others. Do you think it's wrong? Did you have any wrong intention with her?" He shook his head knowing very well what kind of wrong intentions his mother was talking about.

Meera: "That's it. What the majority says doesn't have to be right always dear. Stand for what you believe is right and fight for yourself when someone makes baseless accusations against you! Also, why do you have to get scared? Imagine you are traveling to some other country, with an unknown culture. You might search and figure out a few do's and don't. But what if you make a mistake due to your ignorance? You will say sorry, right? That's all you can do! You didn't do it intentionally! So be bold and stand straight! I have told you earlier I don't like you bending your head in front of others like this darling." He wiped his eyes and looked at her smiling.

Meera: "And baby, whatever I said earlier doesn't include any kind of crimes ok? Hope you got that point." She looked at him skeptically, to which he laughed and nodded his head in agreement.