"Kalyani! Raghav uncle has paid your college fees."
Her mother shouted from the kitchen. "Do send him your thanks."
She shrugged her shoulders in annoyance. "Maa! I understand he wants to help us out of pity. But that doesn't mean I worship him like a God. All he is doing is regretting his actions and trying to atone for his sins by helping us."
"Beta, he has diligently paid your school and college fees every year. He tries his best to cater to our needs and despite his busy schedule, visits us often to look after us. He is a changed man. Forgive his past mistakes. Where would we be if he didn't step up to help us? We would be on the road, homeless and helpless."
"Maybe we would have been homeless but not helpless. A devotee of the Lord never perishes.", She spoke those words, remeniscing the details of the previous day, and her vivid meeting with the stranger man.
She blushed, merely thinking about him. "And my dear mother, please don't forget, that he is responsible for my father's death. He is a murderer."
Her mother put her face in her palm. She was done with convincing her daughter. She knew she was too stubborn to listen to her.
"You are one haughty girl. Stop being so ungrateful. Karma hits back. I'm afraid one day your patients may sue you for your rude behaviour and attitude. No one will show you gratitude for treating them."
A tinch of fear reflected in her eyes. A mother's words often sound prophetic. As the saying goes - 'Whether parents wish you good or bad, the Divine always grants their wishes as blessings.'
"Well, I have good news for you. His son has returned from the USA after finishing his graduation studies."
She turned around to face her mother. "And how is that concerned with me?"
Her mother now came to the dining area from the kitchen, where Kalyani was pouring herself a glass of water.
"Ahaa Kalyani! Don't you remember, you both were good friends when you were children? We were family friends and would regularly attend events together. He then went abroad for his studies. And you stayed back here. He is three years older than you. And you're in your third year of MBBS right now. I was wondering..."
She raised her hands and shut her eyes tightly.
"Stop wondering, Maa. I know exactly where this conversation is going." She got up to leave the room, without drinking water.
"Kalyani, how long will you stay like this? Like a house with no roof, like a tree with no roots? You definitely need someone to care for you, to protect you. Who will look after you once I am gone?"
She scrunched her eyebrows, and her face turned red in irritation.
"Mother! Please don't speak such nonsense! Love is supposed to make us strong and independent, and not at the mercy of someone else's feelings. This codepency on someone to protect us or care for us is so harmful and toxic. We are self sufficient. Don't let your emotions fool you into believing that you need someone to exist. Don't let your actions be guided by someone's feelings."
Her mother sat down on the chair at the dining table. She had an expression of defeat on her face.
Seeing her mother like this hurt her so badly. She came around and hugged her mother from behind.
"Since you're so keen to get me married, let me tell you that I will settle down only after my post graduation studies. And I will marry someone who will help me grow and evolve as a human. Someone who will teach me to walk on my own feet, and be independent, financially, mentally, emotionally. Someone who will be my strength, and not my weakness."
YOU ARE READING
Karma : A Tale Of Vengeance and Love
Romance"What have you done? Why did you ruin everything? Our story was a fairytale dream come true." She kept thrashing her arms on the door with full force, only for her pleas to fall on deaf ears. Her wedding bangles broke and fell, her wrists bled and h...
