Fateful Contract

Generous Tejasswi

"You can consider me an orphan."

Tejasswi's answer this Anjana stunned everybody.

"What?" 

"An orphan?"

"How could that be?"

A soft tumult broke out.

"I can't do that. You have cousins; you must have family and relatives. I want to see them." Anjana said it decisively.

"They might be somewhere in the world, but I am not interested in knowing their whereabouts, nor am I pleased to talk about it, please." Tejasswi said sternly:

Everybody was taken aback. For the first time, they found Tejasswi rude; otherwise, she was always polite, even against Rajesh and Sudha's many harsh remarks. She didn't blow up.

"Tejasswi, why are you getting upset at the mention of your own parents?" Shamita asked.

"Don't you have any sour points in your life that you hate to even think about?" Tejasswi said and darted a quite cynical glare at everyone, then resumed eating.

"Whatever, they are still your parents. Even though you severed ties, I am sure they were not happy about it. They might want to see their daughter's husband and in-laws. Karan, I want to see them; did you get it?" Anjana spoke authoritatively.

She did not bother to buy whatever Tejasswi said and was firm in her decision.

"Kids nowadays can forget their parents, but parents can't." She mumbled at the end.

Tejasswi clenched her fist and almost slammed the cutlery in her hand on the table, but Karan held her hand.

He nodded his head in no and beckoned her through the eye at Anjana sitting opposite him.

'No.....' Tejasswi mouthed no and shook her head.

'Just do it....' Karan signaled her again.

Tejasswi sighed and said, "Madam Kundrra, I respect you because you are my husband's grandmother, but please don't judge my relationship with my parents. Whatsoever, I consider Aneri Khanna and her aunt my family. Karan is a part of my family now, and his family can be if they welcome me as I am."

That was a cutthroat argument between Anjana and Tejasswi, which was ended by Tejasswi on a decisive note. However, though Anjana didn't like it, she didn't care.

"Tejasswi, you shouldn't be disrespectful to mom like this." Sudha spoke in her usual sweet and blunt tone.

"Respect is a mutual feeling. Being older, don't demand it until you reciprocate. It was written all over her face: She was uneasy with the topic, but there shouldn't be a reason to go this far." Sanjay said sternly:

All looked at him, surprised; he was sounding hostile, and for the first time he and Anjana weren't on the same page.

"We all wanted Karan to get married, and he chose Tejasswi, so better stop being narrow-minded and respect and welcome them wholeheartedly."

"Take it as my last warning and stop here. Don't force me to go any such length; you guys can't take it."

At last, pointing his forefinger at everybody, he put down his cutlery and got up.

"Thank you for the dinner." He said this and strode to his room, stamping his walking stick, followed by Anjana.

Everybody got up and moved to their room with different thoughts about the matter between Anjana and Tejasswi, but they couldn't dare to voice them out.

"Seems like I screwed up. Tejasswi said to Karan while climbing the stairs to their room:

"I don't force my opinion on you. If you are ok to talk about the Sharma family, I am all ears, or else no one can ask you." Karan said, sliding his arm around her waist.