Kavita's Submission [COMPLETED]

Chapter 30

Third Person's POV

"Maaji kahaan hain? Woh naa hi rasoi mein hain aur naa hi apne kamre mein," Surili asks Smriti as she walks inside her room.

"Maa mandir gayin hain, bhabhi. Woh chhotu ko bhi apne saath le gayi hain aur kaha hai ki shaam ki aarti ke baad hi lautengi," Smriti says. "Kya aapko unse kuch kaam tha?"

"Nahi. Kuch khaas kaam toh nahi hai. Bas thaki haari kaam se lauti hoon aur bhukh bhi bohot lagi rahi hai. Rasoi mein gayi toh dekha ki wahaan khane ke liye kuch bana nahi hai. Isliye maaji ko dhoond rahi thi," Surili replies.

Smriti slowly gets down from her bed. "Aap yahin rukiye. Main aapke liye kuch banake laati hoon."

As Smriti is about to leave, Surili stops her.

"Uski koi jarurat nahi hai, Smritiji. Aap aaram kijiye. Main khud hi kuch kha lungi. Aur aapne kuch khaya ya nahi? Aapke liye bhi kuch le aaun?"

Smriti widens her eyes, shocked at Surili's behavior.

"Kya huwa, Smritiji? Aise kyun dekh rahi hain?"

Smriti shakes her head. "Woh aapne jis tarah se baat ki, achanak aise laga ki aap meri pehli wali bhabhi hain. Woh bhabhi jo meri har chhoti chhoti jarurat ka dhyan rakhti thin. Jo mere liye meri badi behen jaisi thin."

Surili feels tears prick her eyes, but she quickly turns to wipe them, not wanting to be vulnerable.

"Aap kyun itni badal gayi hain, bhabhi? Achanak kya ho gaya hai aapko?"

Surili again turns to face Smriti as soon as she hears that question.

"Achanak nahi badli hoon main, Smritiji," she says, but then pauses for a bit. Her face thoughtful as if she is remembering something. "Haan yeh shayad keh sakti hain ki achanak hi badal gayi main. Ek aisa hadsa huwa mere saath jisne mujhe naa sirf jhinjhod ke rakh diya, balki badal bhi diya."

"Kaisa hadsa?" Smriti asks. "Kya sheher mein aapke saath kuch galat huwa, bhabhi?"

Surili shakes her head, letting out a wry chuckle. "Jo kuch galat huwa mere saath, woh sirf iss ghar mein huwa hai, Smritiji."

"Aap kya keh rahi hain, bhabhi? Aapne aur bhaiyye toh ek dusre se kitna pyaar karte the. Yahaan tak ki woh maa aur pitaji se bhi lad gaye the aapse shaadi karne ke liye. Aur woh shaadi ke baad bhi toh aapka kitna khayal rakhte the. Hamesha kehte the ke woh aapse kitna pyaar karte hain."

"Bahaar chahe insaan jaise bhi dikhe, uski asliyat uske kamre ke chaar diwari mein nazar aa hi jaati hai, Smritiji," Surili says, feeling a clench in her heart as she remembers what she had to suffer because she once loved a monster.

"Main samjhi nahi, bhabhi."

"Aapke bhaiyya ne mujhse kabhi pyaar nahi kiya, Smritiji. Bas apni hawas ka shikaar banaya," Surili replies. "Haan shayad woh maante jarur the ki woh mujhse pyaar karte hain, lekin jo unhone mere saath kiya, usse pyaar nahi kehte. Arey, jo jo unhone mere saath kiya woh toh koi dushman bhi kisike saath na kare."

When Surili slumps on the bed, Smriti also sits beside her and puts her hand on her shoulder. "Aap mujhe bataiyye, bhabhi. Pura sach bataiyye."

Looking at Surili's red eyes, Smriti has realized there are many things she had been unaware of. Her brother said his wife left him because she wanted to pursue her career in acting and she also believed him. After all, she had seen how devastated her brother had been at that time. And she had also watched every day how much he adored and loved Surili.

That is why she never questioned her brother. Never even thought there could be another side to the story that he was telling everyone.

All she did was believe her brother and even badmouthed Surili for causing such pain to her brother.