Second Wife, First Love.

17. New Purpose.

***Mayra's POV.***

Badi Bua stayed with us for a week, and it was a fun time for Ramya, not for me. Ramya came to our house every day and literally became a student of Dr. Tavgun Malhotra a.k.a. Badi Bua. And I think Badi Bua enjoyed Ramya's companionship a lot, but would never show it directly.

I, on the other hand, haven't come close to knowing this woman fully and she has tested me in such a way that it is not until the test ends that I realize I have been tested. It was at our wedding reception which had more people than I realized. She introduced me to many people and observed my every move.

Then she even accompanied me to the orphanage, where I stayed for a year when I was very young. I have a vague memory of it, but every year Dadu and I go there to help those children with their needs. Dadu actually renovated that place and hired new people to take care of kids and also made old age homes, so old and new could stay together and take care of each other.

She asked me so many questions about my life, but I never felt like she was insulting me or something. It felt more like an interview. As she is my elder and from what I saw, not a bad person, I answered honestly.

"Are you sure about taking Veer with you to the academy?" Shaurya asks me as he wears his tie while I am checking if I put everything in my bag.

"Yes. I am only going for half a day, then I have to go shopping with Anu, as her wedding is near." I say and pick up Veer and put him on the bed to make him wear his shoes.

"I will do that. Why don't you pick up your snacks?" He says and takes shoes from me.

"Okay. By the way, make sure you are free on the 5th of November. It is okay if you can't come to other functions, but you have to attend the wedding and reception with me." I say and take the bag.

"I will surely do that, Madam." He says and I nod and go down.

"Here. And ‌replenish yourself after practice." Mom says, giving me a bigger box than I usually take with me.

"Okay." I say put it in my bag.

Shaurya comes down with Veer who is very much into walking these days and sometimes too much walking. My legs hurt sometimes looking at him and I never felt like this, even after dancing for a long time. He runs to me and I hold his hand.

"Mom, is the nanny coming back?" Shaurya asks.

"She will be back the day after tomorrow. Her mother is recovering well." Mom says, and he nods.

Shaurya kisses Veer's forehead and waves me goodbye, then after waving at others, I leave too. The girls in my academy gush over Veer and he loves the attention way too much. And on the top of it he dances too, making the girl go more crazy over him.

Shaurya and I have got comfortable around each other now and I also feel at home now in this new family. I get expert advice from grandparents, support from parents, fun from Parth and a good friend in Reyansh. He has started to open up to me a lot during our recent late-night snack breaks.

I took a leave when I was getting married but I have to go today to gather information about what is about to happen next. Then also I have to help my silly friend with her last-minute shopping. She has been busy with her internship and as she is doing well, she will soon become a full-fledged doctor.

At first she thought about doing an internship at another place but after this opportunity came, she thought about joining a new hospital after becoming professional. She is aspiring to be an obstetrician.

Falak, the owner of the dance academy, announces good news that soon we would open a new branch in Chandigarh and one teacher would go there to help with the things. We congratulate her and have a little lunch party.

"Yes, we have reached home." I said to Shaurya, who would get home late today.

"Good. No need to wait for me to have dinner. I will have dinner with my team today. I am giving them treats for their hard work." He says.

"That is great. But drive safely." I say and he assures me, then hangs up.

The first thing I do is feed Veer, then put him to bed and in his big cot as I would be down having dinner and helping Mom. After getting changed, I set the monitor, then go down. Badi Bua is leaving tonight for Chicago as a college there invited her to give a speech on sociology.

She asks me to meet her with herbal tea in her room. Her bags are already packed and in the car, but she wants to talk to me. I put the tray on the table and she gestures to me to take the opposite of her.

"What do you want to talk about Badi Bua?" I ask, as I know she wants me to speak first after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"I must say your sister, Ramya, is a very social girl, unlike you. Why so?" She asks.

"I am social." I say simply.

"Not totally. And don't give me an excuse because you are illegitimate. Even Ramya is one. Still, she has a space in society which she made herself not through her mother." Badi Bua says, and I don't understand her question.

"So, do you want me to be in society? But why?" I ask.

"Nowadays, the new generation wants to run away from society as they think they are prejudiced and old. They think they can't fit in with them and the society can't understand them. Some even think, what can society do for them, anyway? But little do they." She says.

"They are not right, but they are not wrong either." I say.

"You are so naïve." She says with a smile which doesn't hold any insult, "We as a human are a society before anything else discriminating us, whether it be religion or races. If people leave society thinking that they are harboring old thoughts, then they should not expect them to change. Because the evolution of society could only happen if the young generation stays in the society." She says.

"Would you care to elaborate?" I ask as I get curious.

"I would love to. Think of it like this: a successful person like you who would be part of the society and take part in society then society has to accept you because of your achievements and not take your birth into consideration, many people would come forth and find a place in this society. And then there would come a day when this society would develop because of it. Change starts from one person and it is difficult. But it gives fruit to every person in the society. So don't run away from society. Make them change their mind about people like you. It is about time that we move past trivial things like an illegitimate child. That child's parents are at fault, not the child." She says.

"I understand." I say with a smile as I understand why she was asking me so many questions.

"Ramya is very intelligent. She is working hard from now only so that this society would not judge her children and their children could find a space in the society of humanity and make changes." She says, then puts her hand on mine. "You should do the same. Because you are already a mother. And I don't think you want Veer or any of your children to run away from challenges but face them."

"Thanks, Badi Bua." I say and she nods.

"I want Indian society to move past some of the stereotypical beliefs. That is why I have broken some." She says with a wink and I smile.

I wave as she leaves at night, then I go to my room. As I caress Veer's head, I think about what she told me. She was not wrong and I have to be part of the society not because it is necessary. Not because it needs people like us to change their old ways of thinking. No, I have to be part of it so that the new generation could take over and people could grow more. I have got a new purpose of being in society now.