Between The Singhanias

Chapter 6

The pinkish-orange hues in the sky gazed upon the enormous Singhania Palace darted while the sun raised, creating fresh sunlights enter across the dining room where Indira was sitting with a scowl on her wrinkled face.

"Hurry up. What are you lazy girls doing?" she shouted, looking at the newly bride descending the stairs that curled like a serpent from top to bottom. She pushed her dark hair sidewise. Dressed in a red saree and blouse that had been tied with one thread. Red bangles that adorned her wrist and golden jhumkas and eyes lined perfectly with mascara and kajal, Dhwani looked splendid.

"Is this an hour to be awake?" yelled Indira and Meera entered the dining room, seeing Indira shouting at the girl who didn't bother answering her. Maybe Dhwani was Indira's prey today... she thought.

It was still early in the morning and Indira had supposedly woken up early and now was growling at everyone. The servants kept the eyes lowered for their good.

Meera had no intention of waking up earlier after having slept for a few hours until a servant had woken her up and had informed her that Indira desired to see her.

"Morning dadi sa(Grandma)" she greeted and Indira's eyes shifted to her. "What have you been doing?" she questioned loudly but didn't let Meera speak.

"Sleeping like a queen and teaching the same to this girl also. Why isn't your veil sat on top of your head, huh? We used to hide our faces under the veil during our time," Indira declared and all the attention were on three women in the dining room.

Meera didn't understand what had she done wrong now. She knew Indira Singhania was an orthodox woman. Indira thought that women are supposed to act as if the male species are gods and keeping them happy are women's first priority.

She had thought that women can never match up to the standards of men and are supposed to be always hidden under a veil, popping out children for their husbands.

Meera never liked the concept of Indira. If Meera had known this thinking of the old woman before marriage then she could have rejected the proposal itself no matter how good was her would-be husband.

Dhwani on the other hand cursed herself for the reason of which Meera was getting scolded by the elder Singhania woman. And was somewhat not liking the words and idea of Indira too.

"I regret that my grandchildren brought and chose this type of useless girls as their wives. What the hell did they even have seen in you all when there were hundreds of girls out there that were ready to fall on my grandchildren's feet," she banged her fist on the table in anger.

Meera could feel her blood boiling and she was about to speak up when her sister-in-law had decided to step forward who was equally irritated with Indira's behaviour.

"Dadi sa, I'm so sorry for your grandchildren's that they got such wives that know how to love her husband's family as her own and respect the family members no matter what but us respecting you, doesn't mean that we are weak or we don't deserve and equal respect and as far as the veil is concerned then I'm not doing it, call me shameless or what," Dhwani blurted
out, only to realise what she had said.

The servants looked at the girl in saree who didn't have faced the wrath of Indira till now. And the rage in the old woman's eyes had chills running down her spine even though Dhwani knew that what she had done is right and so did Meera.

The ego in Indira was crushed down brutally by this mere girl standing in front of her courageously. No girl had dared to go against her words and seeing Dhwani insulting her words in front of the servants had made her feel to slap on the latter's face viciously.