Bombay Romance ♡ COMPLETED

[ 13 ] Looking Out ■

'I knew it! I knew this would happen!' Savitri starts beating her chest as soon as they are out of sight. 'This girl's fate is so much only! Who else will agree to marry such a girl?'

Gauri tightens her lips, dreading a headache.

'They'd agreed to take whatever we give. Something we could have given and got rid of this problem!' Savitri points at Rukmini accusingly, who is openly crying now. 'This wretched girl is there just to ruin our lives. She is a lifelong curse on my family! Her parents died, aaram se! Now we have to suffer.'

'Savitri, keep quiet!' Damodar snaps.

'You will not let us live in peace!' she walks up to Rukmini and grabs her arm tightly. Rukmini winces at the tight grasp.

'That's enough. Leave her now,' Gauri says seriously.

But Savitri isn't listening. 'You don't stay in this house, okay? Just go die somewhere. Leave! Get out!!'

She hauls Rukmini roughly towards the door. Rukmini trips over the threshold and falls straight at Murali. He holds out his hands and steadies her by the shoulders, preventing her from falling on the rough concrete flooring on the passageway. Rukmini looks up at him with fearful round eyes.

Now, he finally gets a clear look at her. She has the most enchanting, large black eyes he has ever seen; like a pair of black holes, which would suck in everything that wanders within its proximity. Her long lashes are moist with tears. Tiny tear droplets hang from the eyelashes. Her cheeks are stained from all the crying. It looks like she has cried a lot. Her eyes look like she cries a lot in general.

He continues to look at Rukmini unblinkingly. She cowers away from his arms like she just received an electric jolt.

'I said that's ENOUGH!' Gauri's voice booms across the room.

Savitri Kaki falls silent.

'Rukmini has been working as a typist in my office for five months, right?' Gauri asks. 'Her monthly salary is a hundred rupees. So that should be five hundred rupees till now. What all has she bought for herself in that money?'

Nobody replies.

'Answer me!' Gauri thunders. 'On top of that, what all does she do here? Washing the clothes, utensils, cleaning the house ... everything, right?'

Murali looks at Rukmini. 'Are you okay? Did you get hurt?'

Rukmini shakes her head, looking down. She chokes on a sob. He puts a hand into his pocket, pulls out a white handkerchief, and holds it out.

Rukminj looks at it with mild surprise. She hesitates, looking at her Kaka and fearfully at her Kaki. But they're not looking at her. Nobody is, except Murali.

'Take it' he says.

She takes the handkerchief, very slowly and very delicately.

'I don't make her do all the work. She does it on her own' Savitri mumbles.

'Yea I know' Gauri says wearily. 'You have her mother's silk saris with you, right? Why isn't she wearing one of those today?'

Murali glances at Rukmini again. She's wearing a rather dull-looking pink cotton silk saree. He observes the red mark on her arm where Savitri had held her.

Savitri looks caught. 'Maaji...those ... have become old..and..'

'That's your story? And you think I'll buy it?'

'Nahi Choti Maaji aap bina kisi ...'

'Aiee don't you answer back to Choti Maaji' Damodar growls at his wife.