Guilty Pleasures

30

"I am not crying because of you. You're not worth it. I'm crying because of my delusion of who you were was shattered by the truth of who you are."

Hours had seemingly slipped by, the worry and stress engraved in the rushed moments of a mother seeking her child from the storm she had found herself encased within; yet even with her desperate attempts aided by a brothers unwavering love; the said mother could not make out her child amongst the storm.

Her eyes were moist with worry; edged with anger directed to the one that chained her to his side through the manglustra she had tied around her neck everyday religiously. For in her era she had been berated into channelling the belief that her husband was god on earth for her. And that same God she had now deserted; leaving the chain in the depths of his clutch in order to fulfil her prime duty as a woman; being a mother.

Her and Nikhil had continued to wander aimlessly, searching with the same desperation that they had emoted the moment she had been thrown from the home they pledged would remain a safe haven for her.

They had failed her in the cruelest  of ways; a girl who had no parents; a woman widowed under their care, was now thrown out simply for sparing their family the heartache that they had been dealt from in masses at the hands of fate; for simply expressing the desires that she had always had a right to express but left suppressed.

Neither mother nor brother faulted her; in fact they thanked the angel that had been graced into their presence when she was far too good for those around her; they were  grateful that she had begun to live life for herself; for the sacrificing soul had worn itself out considerably.

And as they continued to search for her with constant messages from Millind who was equally concerned but cornered; Keerti had soon joined their search.

It had taken blurring hours; when they finally decided to check the one place they should have started with; the Sari Shop; because whilst it wasn't her dream; she had dreamt it into reality everyday for those around her.

She had forced herself to build the fragments of her own dreams to manifest their own.

Pallavi Deshmukh was a giving soul. A kind and compassionate soul.

But Pallavi Deshmukh was now a battered soul. Lifeless in defeat.

Staring into space with this almost dead look; something that had the soul of her mother trembling.

Shraddha had rushed forth; pulling her child out of the depths of her own fragmented mind with her frantic voice.

"Aayi?" She seemed to question, a flicker that told the mother that her daughter had not expected any form of support, let alone their presence.

She crashed down besides Pallavi, who called her again with a sense of brokenness before launching herself into her mother's arms to try and obtain shelter from the menacing world that had laughed at her destruction.

"Pallu what are you doing here Bacha. Come on let's go home."

"Aayi I have no home." She spoke, watching as her mother froze at her words.

"Baba has thrown me from the house; Dada is in Kholapur busy with his own life and his own family; how could I burden him? Who else do I have Aayi? Who?"

"I'm sorry Bacha."

"No Aayi—"

"I should have stopped him before he did that Pallu. I'm sorry Bacha I'm so so sorry."

"Aayi I swear to you I haven't done anything wrong. I haven't done—"

"You don't need to swear on me Pallu. I know you haven't done anything wrong. I told you from the very out set that I would support you in your feelings for Raghav—"