Seeing the Light

Painful Realisations

After closing the door behind Anjali, Garima sat on the chair with a thud, she looked towards her sister in law, who was seated in the same position, staring at nothing in particular. Arnav's questions kept ringing in her ear, he had been absolutely right.. who in their right mind would have allowed for a bachelor to live in the same house where there were two young unmarried girls? Especially knowing how their society operated.. 

Garima heaved a sigh, she wished life had a reset button, then she could go back in time and make sure that she took a strong stand against letting that man live in the house, no matter how much of a saint her sister in law thought he was. But life didn't have a reset button, so there was no use crying over spilt milk, the best she can do now is take lessons from previous mistakes and make sure not to commit the same mistakes again.

"Ro ro ke humse yeh keh rahi thi ke.. woh shadi nahi karna chahti hai" (She was crying and telling me that she did not want to get married) she remembered Devyani's words.. she looked towards the room door, "Khusi ke saat hum teek nahi kar rahe hai Jiji!" (Jiji, We are not doing right by Khushi!) Her voice cut through the silence that had settled in the hall. 

Madhumati lifted her head up and looked towards Garima, whose eyes were tearing up "Iss shadi ke liye usse zor de kar hum teek nahi kar rahe hai Jiji... woh humaari bachi hai.. usse bhi hum utna hi pyaar diye the jitna hum Payalia ko diye the... lekin iss shadi ke mamle mai humne uska bharosa thod diya... hum uske haq ke liye khade nahi the... isilye woh Arnav bitwa ke naani ke saamne jaake ro gayi.. jab iss ghar mai.. uske apne parivaar uske baat nahi maan rahe hai.. aur har cheez uspar thopee jaa rahe hai.. tho woh aur kya hi karegi? kahi aur hi sahare dund legi na!" (We are not doing right by forcing her for this marriage Jiji. She is my little girl, I have given her the same amount of love as I have given Payal. But in the matter of this marriage, I have broken her trust. I didn't stand up for her rights, that is why she had gone and cried to Arnav's grandmother. When in this house, her own family doesn't listen to her wishes, and everything is being forced on her, then what else will she do? She will search for support elsewhere only!)

"aur tho aur usse baar baar yeh ehsaas dila diya jaa rahi hai ke woh anaat hai.. aur humne usse godh leke uspe ek bada ehsaan kiya hai.. aur uske liye woh humaare aabhaari honi chahiye... aur humaari har maang poori karni chahiye.. chahe usse pasad ho ya na ho... jaise ki uske zindagi uski rahi nahi hai... humaare paas girvi rakh di hai.. aaj bemaar pad ke bistar pe let gayi hai... kal..." (On top of everything, she is constantly reminded of the fact that she is an orphan, and we have done her a huge favor by adopting her, and for that she needs to be grateful to us, she needs to fulfil all our demands, whether she likes it or not, as if her life isn't hers anymore, she has pawned to us. Today she is laying down on the sick bed.. tomorrow...)

Garima broke down crying, Payal rushed to her mother, hugged her and started to cry as well. "Kal agar humaari bachi ko koi asambhav hogayi, tho hum apne Jiji ko kya jawab denge?" (Tomorrow if something unthinkable happens to my girl, then what answer will I give my sister?)  Garima wailed.

Madhumati looked away, tears stinging her eyes, the weight of everything finally coming down on her. Had she taken the wrong decision regarding Khushi's life? Was she responsible for Khushi falling ill? Was she driving the young girl into isolating herself from everyone around her? Was Garima right? was she treating Khushi like she owned her life? YES, her subconscious answered her. Madhumati stood up and walked into her room, wondering if she could do anything to make things right.

***

Anjali and Devyani had a long conversation about Arnav once they had returned home, Anjali had brought her up to speed with everything that she had noticed between Arnav and Khushi ever since the news of Khushi's engagement had come out, "Humne unse poocha bhi, ke kya chal raha hai unke aur Khushiji ke beech, woh hume teek se jawab nahi diya. aaj hume yakeen hogayi hai Naani.. Khushi ji ke liye Chote jo mehsoos karta hai.. woh sirf parwa nahi ho sakti.. hume lagta hai ke.. Chote Khushiji ko pasand karta hai.. bohot pasand karta hai.." (I even asked him, what is going on between him and Khushiji.. he didn't give me a proper answer. Today I am convinced Naani.. What Chote feels towards Khushiji cannot be just concern.. I think that.. Chote likes Khushiji.. Likes her a lot)