The Mukherjee Family

4

                                 MEERA POV

"Leher! Come down fast! Jharna has to go home!" I screamed from downstairs. Jharna was going to her house for the first time since the marriage. She told us that it's okay if she doesn't this ritual but Maa being Maa asked her to go for at least some time and come back.

We don't understand why she's not willing to go to her parent's house but I don't want to make her uncomfortable with such questions.

"Leher- Thank god you're here. Come fast, we have to bid her goodbye" I said while dragging her to the main door. "Bhabhi dheere chaliye na." She said while whining. She always does this when she doesn't want to do something. "What? You don't want Jharna to go to her parents' place?" I asked her while chuckling. "Nahi. I'll miss her" she continued her whining which made me laugh out loud.

"Bhabhis, you guys are finally here!" She sighed smiling. "Haan Haan. Aagaye. Chalo ab get into the car. Come back by dinner time." I hugged her and kissed her forehead. Leher hugged Jharna before she got into the car. "Bye!" She waved from inside the car as Leher and I chuckled at her antics.

Maa always wanted this ritual to be the happiest one of all. A newly wedded woman's first time going to her parents' residence is something special so she always made the whole family be there. She did that for me, Leher and now Jharna.

JHARNA POV

Finally, I reached the hell hole. But this time, Rahul was with me. Things got awkward between us after what happened that day. I couldn't look at him in the eye and talk. All our conversations lasted for barely a minute and in that minute, 30 seconds was silence. He still came to drop me here because Maa told him to. The ride here was so awkward that I'm grateful it's over.

I took a deep breathe and slowly opened the car door and got out. I was not the biggest fan of meeting my parents and I guess I made it obvious at home too.

I went near the stairs and was about to go in when Rahul spoke, "I'll be here by 7:30. Sharp. And also call me if you need anything." I nodded my head while he didn't even look at me. He kept looking down at my feet. I guess he couldn't look at my face either.

I sighed as he drove away and took my first step inside the house. "Well, well, well, look who's here! My beloved daughter!" My father said in a sarcastic tone. "Dad." I acknowledged his presence with a simple word and went near the stairs to go up to my room. I was pulled back harshly by my mother. "Jharna! Why are you here again? I thought you left us for good." She tightly gripped my hand which caused my wrist go numb. "Mom, it hurts" I winced in pain but she couldn't care less.

"I held you like that for you to feel pain not pleasure." She said while tightening her grip. "I didn't come back because I missed you guys. I came back because this is a ritual." My mother scoffed at my answer. "Ritual? What ritual? So now you're someone who cares about all this?" She said while still gripping my hand."She's all grown now. She didn't care to listen to us as a kid and look at her now! Suffering because of her own mistakes. Stuck in a loveless marriage." My dad said backing up my mom.

I just stood there. Too numb for tears to form. I was used to their taunts. I was used to everything they say. My father at least didn't taunt me when I was a kid but my mother? I was her worst enemy. I was the worst thing that ever happened to her. She prayed for me to leave this world, she wanted me to leave her life and when I do that, she has a problem with that too. There wasn't one day where they didn't complain about their own daughter to the world.

She slowly let go off my hand as I ran to my room and locked it. That's when it started. My tears flowed down my eyes. Non stop. No one was there to comfort me and no one was there to watch me. I was again all alone. For now I have Rahul's family, but after one year? After our contract ends? It's me alone once again.

Even thinking about that situation is scaring me. I experienced having a family for the first time with them. I experienced care for the first time. I experienced sisterhood for the first time. Even when the time Rahul comforted me, I was comforted for the first time. I want all my first times to be with those people. They came as a ray of light when no one was there.

My body started shivering because of my cries. I started breathing heavily. The only person who came into mind for help was him. Rahul. I quickly took my phone and called him.

"Hello?" I heard him speak. Not a single word could come out of my mouth. "Jharna? Hello? Jharna can you please speak? Can you hear me?" I loud sob escaped my mouth. "Jharna? Are you crying?" He asked me in the most worried manner. "Rahul...Rahul please come pick me up. Please." I begged him while sobbing and breathing heavily. "I'm on my way. Don't worry. Please calm down. Stay on the line, okay? Don't cut the call." He desperately said to me. I just snuffled and let out a small okay.

We were on the call for fifteen minutes and not a single minute went by without him asking me if I'm still on the call. I replied through my cries. I was still crying when I heard my parents scream from downstairs. "You can't just barge in like that!" I heard my mom. Someone was climbing up the stairs and just before I could react, my room door opened. It was Rahul.

I smiled with tears on my face. I was relieved that someone I know was finally here. He came running near my bed and did something I needed but didn't expect. He hugged me. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him closer and cried in the croon of his neck.

He kept rubbing my back and whispered 'it's okay' here and there. I relaxed in his arms but my tears didn't stop. "Please take me home. I want to go home, Rahul." He nodded obediently. We broke the hug and went downstairs. I was about to step out of the house but my mom's words stopped me.

"Where are you taking her? You don't deserve her! She will soon become unlucky for you, Rahul." I was on the verge of bursting into tears once again but what Rahul said stopped my heart. "She's my wife. You are no one to call her unlucky. Jab vo mere saath hotee hai tab jalatee huee cheez bhee mujhe taare jaisee lagatee hain." He grabbed my hand and went near his car leaving my parents in a shock. I think my heart skipped a beat when he said. We sat in his car as he drove the car furiously.

I slowly poked his shoulder trying to grab his attention. He gave a small "hmm" and nodded. "Thank you and sorry." I said while looking down. "Kyu?" He questioned. "Vo...thank you for getting me out of that house and sorry...sorry for disturbing you right now." He abruptly stopped the car at the side of the road causing me to hold his shoulder tightly as a reflex. "Jharna you are my fucking wife. You get that? You like it or not we are stuck together. If I don't do this for my wife, who would I do it for?" He answered angrily.

I gave him a small smile and nodded my head. The whole car ride was silent. No questions asked and I was happy that he wasn't bombarding me with questions. But I still didn't want him to not know.

"They always wanted a son but got a daughter. An unwanted daughter. They tried after my birth but my mom had a miscarriage and couldn't get pregnant which threw her into a dark hole. My grandparents kept taunting her till the day they died and when I tried comforting her, she kept pushing me away. She didn't drag me into that dark hole but she threw me in a corner. A corner that was cold. I was all alone but my father didn't care and mother didn't too." I answered his unasked questions. I wanted him to know. "I'm sorry you went through that, I'm really very sorry. This one year, you have my whole family. Our family. I'm there for you too. When no one is there, I'll be there. Even after our divorce, you'll have all of us." He said while intertwining our fingers. I think I found a friend in him. A good friend.

Would their friendship last?
Do you think they'll stick together?
Was it all worth it?

-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-

How was this chapter?
Please do vote if you liked it!