Kavita's Submission [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31

Sensitive content ahead. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Third Person's POV

Smriti is too shocked, trying to digest what Surili just told her.

"Isiliye Chhotu apni umar ke hishab se chhota dikhta hai," she says after a while. "Woh kitne saal ka hai, bhabhi?"

"Woh ab do mahino mein chaar saal ka ho jayega," Surili answers.

"Tabhi toh. Maa bhi abhi usse mandir puja karwane ke liye le gayin hai taaki woh apni umar ke hishab se badhe aur swashth rahe."

Taking a deep breath, Surili gets down from the bed and walks to the side of the window, looking at the orange hue formed in the sky and the land due to the sun setting, remembering what happened to her after she ran away from here.

"Main maanti hoon ki Kavita ko yahaan bohot dukh mile. Usne bhi mere hi jaise yahaan bohot kuch sahaa. Lekin woh ek mamle mein khushkismat jarur hai."

Frowning, Smriti too gets down from the bed and walks to stand by the window beside Surili.

"Matlab kya hai aapka, bhabhi?"

"Matlab yeh ki kamse kam uske paas aap aur Anirudhji hain. Aapne usse bhaagne mein madat ki aur Anirudhji abhi uske saath hai. Usse dar dar ki thokarein khana nahi pad raha."

Smriti guiltiy looks at Surili, not knowing what to tell her.

What can she say, after all, when she had no clue five years back that Surili was also suffering the same thing that Kavita was suffering.

"Aapko bura maan ne ki jarurat nahi hai, Smritiji," Surili says, understanding why Smriti was looking guiltily at her.

"Main shikayat katayi nahi kar rahi. Bas bata rahi thi. Waise bhi jab main yahaan thi, tab aap apne sasural se kabhi kabaar hi aaya karti thin. Aur aap jab bhi aati thin, Sameerji hamesha aapse aur Pawanji se bayaan karte the ki woh apni patni se kitna pyaar karte hain. Ke woh aur main ek dusre ke saath kitne khush hain."

Smriti nods, remembering how it used to be back then.

Whenever she used to come, she only used to see her brother being affectionate and attentive to his wife.

The smile he used to give her and the way Surili used to smile back too, she used to feel happy for them, but somewhere she used to also feel a pinch. Because she used to feel why her husband could not be that way with her.

'Lekin yeh sab jaan ne ke baad toh Pawanji ke liye mera pyaar aur izzat dono hi badh gaye hain. Woh bhale hi sab ke saamne apna pyaar bayan na karein, bhale hi duniya se jaahir na karein ki unke liye main kitna mayine rakhti hoon, par hamare kamre ke andar, unhone sirf mujhe pyaar aur apnapan diya hai. Mujhpe haath uthaana toh dur ki baat, kabhi mujhse unchi awaaz mein bhi baat nahi karte.'

Smriti tears up, missing her husband, wanting to tell her how lucky she feels to have gotten a husband like him.

"Aur uss sab ki kimat mujhe raat ko chukani padhti thi," Surili continues, interrupting Smriti's thoughts.

"Kaisi kimat, bhabhi?" Smriti asks, although scared to know.

Surili trembles slightly when she remembers the prices she had to pay.

"Kabhi sharir ko rondhwake se kimat chukani padti thi, kabhi aansu bahake, kabhi dard sehke, aur kabhi apne atmasamman ko chaknachur karwake."

Smriti feels her heart clench when she sees Surili's tear-filled eyes. She does not know what to tell her or how to ask forgiveness for what she suffered at the hands of her brother.