AAHARA

HISTORY.

"You!" The woman screamed as she grabbed her daughter-in-law. Her son Yug (Aahara' Daddu) had claimed this girl and since the lady couldn't say a word to his son, the person you took care of her, she chose to torment her daughter-in-law, Uma.

Uma had never cooked before so it was common sense that she didn't know how to cook but that was something her mother-in-law refused to understand. She had her make lunch and when it didn't taste good she said all sorts of things to her, calling her a whore and what not since physical wasn't the option for her.

Uma was used to it by now, it had already been a month. She didn't miss her family, why would she her parents were the ones who sold her but what she really missed was her studies. Her family had been very conservative so for her to make it to college was her dream come true, a dream she cherished every minute, but now that she was married she had missed a month of it.

Since she wasn't able to bare it anymore she decided that she will talk to her husband about it when he came home today.

Yug as always was late due to his odd working hours but that didn't stop Uma from waiting for him like she did everyday. Then once he freshened up she served him his dinner and then they both went to their bedroom.

This was the part she was terrified of, Yug had already forced his way with her already and there wasn't anything she could do then and she knew very well that there wasn't anything she could do now. So, she just hoped and prayed that he didn't want her tonight which lucky enough was what happened.

Yug was sat on his side of the bed reading some documents when Uma called him. It was rare for her to initiate a conservation and even when Yug did she stuck with minimal answers.

"I want to continue studying, Sir. Please." She pleaded, the fact that she called him that was one of Yug's greatest annoyance but he allowed it since that was all she ever called him otherwise nothing else.

"Why?" He didn't move his eyes from his documents.

"I like it and I want to be able to read." She answered and that had Yug looking up.

"*You can read." He said severely. The fact that his wife goes out to college where she would be seen by all the men there had his blood boiling, she was his to look at and nobody else. He had already done his research, already knew how many people had proposed her and besides that he was well aware of their marriage circumstances, he was worried she will fall for someone else.

"I worked so hard all this time, just please let me complete my degree that's all I want." Uma begged since she could see that he was about to decline.

"No."

Her heart broke, yet she tried begging once again but her words fell on deaf ears. Uma knew her limits, she always had and that was why she had dreams that were well within her reach but when even those got snatched from her she just couldn't bear it.

After that day, she didn't speak a word for months, usually she would at least resist when Yug came close to her but she stopped that as well. She let him do whatever he wanted and that was when he saw how miserable she was.

He decided that he must do something about it, so he talked to the principal and got her enrolled in a better college. Uma was grateful to say the least, she decided that she will try her level best. Yet she wasn't able to catch up with the class well, she tried but it was still tough and on the exam day Uma fainted.

Everybody thought that it was from the nerves but the doctor had something else to say, she was pregnant. When Yug heard that all his previous thoughts of letting her study vanished in thin air. He didn't change his mind this time because he had already decided that Uma was to stay home and take care of the child.

                      •••••••••••••••••••••••

"That's awful." I gasped.

"It is. That's why when Bhai was born she didn't love him, if anything she didn't even want to look at him. He reminded her of her unfair life and that's why for the most part Bhai didn't know what a parent's love was until he himself became one." Uncle said and I thought his words over.

"But why was she partial to Dad only? Why not you and Chief?"

"You see, Bhai is the one that takes after Dad the most and besides she felt like he sort of tied her down to her situation. Besides the fact that she loved us and not him was also hard for him and Dad was never there to bother anyways."

I was quite shocked about to hear everything, to think that Dadi could be like that it was something I wasn't expecting. Though when I thought it through I felt like I was in a maze of my own emotions. Daddu claiming her was wrong, what he did was all wrong but I believe he still loved her at least.

And for Dadi to put the blame on a child that didn't do anything was no better. I was thinking about everything when Uncle held my hand gently.

"Child, I won't ask you to forgive, you don't have to, I knew my brother has made a lot of mistakes but believe in the fact that he always tries to do what is best for all his children."

Uncle's eyes for the first time looked sad, he didn't want to say it but he felt bad for his older brother.

"You know, he has also suffered all his life, in one way or another."

That was what he said last and got up, after wishing me a small 'good night'. I got up too and went back to my room, my mind preoccupied.

Things like this always left me preplexed, I had always had a strange sense of compassion. That many times made things very difficult, I felt bad, I sure did but I was also sure of one fact that nothing gave him the right to do what he did.

Then again everybody was ready to tell me all sorts of things besides the circumstances at the time of my birth, it was seriously frustrating. Sometimes I felt like I was being manipulated and to be honest with myself I knew my father wasn't somebody who wouldn't do that.

He was cunning and that made me even more cautious, afterall this was all unknown territory and I sure as hell didn't want to loose.

Thinking about everything made me tired and even before I knew it, I was already asleep.