THE STORY OF LIFE | A 21ST CENTURY RAMAYANA

A CASE OF ACCUSATIONS, FALSE

"Suryavanshis broken mansion: A Case of False accusations ?'

"Oh, seems like they've realised it too early," Maanvi said sarcastically, throwing the newspaper to one side. News that Siya was no longer in the household had been out, and for the first time in months, people started to question if their taunts, their accusations and their harassment had pushed the family too far.

"Bhaiyya, I dont think we need to hold another conference now. They are realising their mistake. And.." the worst has already happened.

"I know them Lakshman," Ram said looking ahead, a pain in his eyes. "They'll keep quiet for a day or two. And then again they'll find something to pry on, they'll find someone else to blame. I will sit and answer to all that they have to say. And maybe, she will see it too, and understand how sorry I am."

Lakshman quietened at her reference. All of this, he realised, his way to go out and about to reach out to her.

"I will have them come over tomorrow Bhaiyya, till then, please take come rest."

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"Mila?"

Lakshman called for her in an empty room.

He walked in to see Mila standing at the balcony, unmindfully, only a few steps from the curved railing.

Urmila felt a cold hand on her arm as she was jerked out of her line of thoughts.

"What are you doing Mila?"

She was thinking of her childhood, the constant giggles around her sister, the times when shed rest her head on her lap and wait for all her pains and fears to pass.

"Please be careful Mila, you feel dizzy when you look down from here and in this condition..."

His words trailed off as Urmila nodded and walked back in without a word.

"Is... Is that how its going to be Mila?"

She was looking away from him, and yet she could hear the hurt in his voice.

"Like what?" _She knew very well what he was talking about.

"Will you always keep thinking it was me who allowed her to go? That I didn't even try to stop her, or that I became selfish?"

"Mila trust me, I tried everything I could. Yes, I made a mistake in hiding everything from you and Bhaiyya, but its is not something I wanted to do deliberately. Bhabi made me promise, and had I known this would be extent of her secrets, I would have never kept quiet."

She listened to all of it quietly, her anger and confusion intermixing and flushing out and a new sense of guilt and sadness over coming her alternately.

"I do not blame you for anything Lakshman, but I told you, the trust I had on you, the dependence we shared, that.. will need time to come back. Lots of time. I will make efforts from my side, but I dont know how long they will last."

Lakshman bit his lip, nodding as he walked out of the room to hide his tears. Urmila sat behind, her own words stinging her throat. Her heart felt heavy from everything that happened. Her body tired her from the exertions. All she needed was some rest.

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The house fell into a pin drop silence as the reporters gathered themselves into the common area, as if they all knew, not to disturb any piece of it more than it already had been displaced.

Ram walked down the stairs slowly gathering in everything; all the questions and remarks that would arise again, this time in everyone's presence. But he knew, he wanted to do this. In the hope, that she would see it too.

He seated himself at the main table and began.

"I would want everyone to ask their questions first, I will answer them all together. "

And thus began the flurry of commons.

"Is it true that Mrs. Siya has left the house?"

"Where is She?"

"Did she leave because of the accusations on her character or because of her health?"

"Why did you allow her to go?"

"Does she accept the accusation on her are true or false?"

Moments passed before the commotion died down. Ram watched all of them settle back as he prepared himself to answer.

"I appreciate the concern all you have for Mrs. Siya. I am also shocked at it."

The gasps and murmurs were audible, but understood what Ram had meant.

"Yes, she is currently residing somewhere not known to me or my family, and she has gone by her own free will and choice. Yes, we did try to ask her to stay back, but at the end of the day, she is an independent woman, and we are sure that whatever decision she has taken, she has thought to be in the best interests of her and us."

"She is a woman who has always kept each of us first, each one equally important to her. Nothing she has done or will ever do will be an attempt to knowingly hurt us. She does a lot for the world, for society , but the truth is, when she needed the world the most, it chose to walk away. "

"The harassment and taunts she faced were haunting, but sadly, not unique to her. We, as a society, are very quick to point fingers. Especially if on the other end is a woman, because then you can make use of the very femininity we praise them of on other days. But this is not a woman's issue, or a mans issue. It is a human issue."

"Instead of helping someone and their struggle, the world chose to push its greed ahead and achieve whatever it took to achieve it, breaking every moral in the way. The greed of one woman for a better job evicted a girl from her peace. The girls evicted peace caused a fathers anguish. The desire for more power led that man to go to jail. And somehow who suffered? The family and the woman who did NOT choose to continue this circle of revenge and greed. This is what happens, and what will continue to happen, until each one of us recognise the problem in its root and see; that what happens to people is a consequence of their circumstances, and for once, place ourselves in their shoes and try to understand, before bringing them down."

"Because sometimes, in our mess to bring people down and project ourselves onto them, we don't realise when we've pushed them so far away from their own identity that they leave everything and walk away, afraid of their own selves. And then we realise, how oddly powerful our words and hurtful action are, and what an effect they can have even on the best of people."

The room was struck with guilt, with horror and shock. The magnitude of everything came crashing down. These were people who seemingly had everything; money, fame, success.. But words, those strong words by the world outside had made everything seem like a sham.

"Love everyone around you," Ram closed his eyes." And for once, be in their place and see the world. There is so much more beyond success and failure, money and power.. I just hope wherever she is, no one disturbs her peace, tries to find her.

I hope she knows, she will always have people waiting for her back home, who miss her, who care for her. "

"Who love her. And will welcome her whenever she wishes to come back."

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