THE CURSED BEAUTY

C-21

The next day was full of surprises for the Roy Chaudhary family. 

At dawn, when the sun hasn't risen up, there was a man who looked pale and was sitting inside his personal liquor room gulping down all the alcohol to ease his misery.

Shyaam dev Singh Roy Chaudhary took his wife's death the hardest. His mental health was declining and he was slipping into depression. His sorrow was justified as he loved his wife despite his arrogant and rude behavior yet it was wrong to neglect everything in life and just stare at a photograph.

"apne bete ka muh dekhne se pehle hi chali gayi tum, shubra" Shyaam dev slurred his words under the effect of alcohol. His left hand contained a brand new bottle of French wine whereas his right hand held the photograph of his beautiful wife.

"itne saal dur raha wo tumse, aur bina usko mehsoos kiye hi tum ne chal basne ka faisla kar liya." He spit his words.

"Manta hu, usko dur rakha tumse aur poore parivaar se, tumhari mamta ki pareeksha liya, Anirudh ke saahas aur himmat ki pareeksha liya. Lekin kis liye? Taaki hamara beta kabil bane, mard bane, apne andar ke admi ko pehchaane." he cried, tears flowing out of his eyes and falling onto his polo shirt.

"woh tumhare sath ya fir Da (brother) ke sath rehta , toh woh bacha ban ke hi reh jata. Uska gussa uski taqat nahi kamzori ban jaata. Lekin , Aaj mai hamare bete Anirudh ko dekhta hu, toh garv se seena phool jata hai. Ek aisa mard jo sau (hundred) chot kha lega lekin apna dard, apne bhaav kisi ko bhi nahi batayega. Ek sacche waris ke tarah kaam aur khandaan ki izzat ko pehle rakhta hai. Kaash tum bhi yeh dekh paati, my love"

"You would be so proud." He whispered the last bit silently.

Shyaam dev loved his children. But his way of showing love had always been harsh on them. He believed that his sons needed to be strong and needed to have tight grip on their emotions. 

He wanted his sons be dominant manly beings, but his fist born son shattered his dreams. Anirudh was a sensitive child and due to the pampering of his uncle and mother, he was blooming to be an emotional child. But this did not go well with Shyaam.

 He thought his elder son needed some harsh discipline, so that he might face the cruelties of the world, without getting effected. Anirudh was too innocent for his own good.

But his bad and rough nature of shyaaam  towards Anirudh gave rise to his insecurities. Insecurity that his father hated him. 

Time passed and shyaam's ways of discipline his kid became harsher and Anirudh started having his anger episodes.

Usually his mother or uncle would comfort him, but this act too did not go unnoticed by him. He made sure to roughen up Anirudh more by using sticks during their private study time. He would imprint sticks on Anirudh's soft hands and make them red.

Anirudh's tears for sure made Shyaam weak. But it was to ensure that his son was not a frail child. He was the heir of Roy Chaudharys and he needed to be tough. And his same mentality caused him to send his elder son away from home to London.

He missed Anirudh. Shubra, ram dev even Somnath and batuknath missed him too. But Shyaam dev did not melt. He was like an unmoving stone who had made his decision.

He wanted to continue the same treatment to Somnath and batuknath but shubra's angry glare shut him up. She was hurt and angry upon parting with her eldest and dearest child. And she would do anything to prevent the same fate of her other two sons.

Even with Shubra and ram dev's insistence Shyaam dev did not allow Anirudh to return back to India until he was of age. He continued to roughen up his other two children just like he did with Anirudh but in a softer way.