Unwanted

Chapter 33

Archit

"Are you irritated cause of earlier?"

"What do you think? What will dida cook today?" Priyangshu asked me, his voice laced with innocent curiousity.
"I don't know. How about you?" I said ruffling his hair.
"I don't know too." Priyangshu said in a sad tone.
"Aww don't be sad. How about we ask your ma?" I played along while the driver drove the car.
"Priyodorshini." I said looking at Priyodorshini.
She was looking out of the window and at the scenery outside absent mindedly.
"Priyodorshini?" I asked.
No response came from Priyodorshini.
"Priyodorshini?" I asked again.
Priyodorshini sat there like a statue, not answering me.
"Darshini!" I said.

"Koto bar bolechi amaye oi nam e na dakte!" Priyodorshini said in an irritated tone.
[Translation: How many times have I told you not to call me by that name!]
"I knew only this could get me a response." I muttered under my breath.
"I was calling for you......" I said softly.
"And?" Priyodorshini asked.
"And?" I asked confused.
Priyodorshini let out a heavy sigh.
"Archit are you a tubelight or what?" Priyodorshini asked sounding annoyed at me.
"What is there to be so angry about?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"You. You are the reason I am so angry." Priyodorshini said.
It was unusal, Priyodorshini was not someone who lost her calm so quickly and over such trivial things.

"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Priyodorshini asked.
"I mean you are acting so rudely....you should be happy. It is my first jamai sasthi this year. I am pretty happy." I said with a smile.
"You know, I have never been a son-in-law before. This is my first time being a son-in-law." I rambled on.
"I am so excited!" I said not hiding my buoyant mood.
"I feel like I might just b-"

"Can you shut up please Archit!" Priyodorshini said cutting me off. I fluttered my eyelashes.
"O-okay." I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Umm..Priyangshu was asking about something.." I said.
"What?" Priyodorshini asked.
"Sweetheart, tell your mother what you wanted to ask about." I said to Priyangshu with a smile despite my melancholic conversation with Priyodorshini.
"Ma, what do you think dida will cook?" Priyangshu asked making Priyodorshini smile.
She pulled him on her lap and ruffled his hair.
"Rice, aloo bhaja, dal, posto, chicken curry maybe...." Priyodorshini said.
Priyodorshini tickled Priyangshu and he let out a giggle.

The car stopped as the driver pressed the brakes. Finally we arrived at Priyodorshini's maternal home. Priyangshu ran out of the car to jump into his grandmother's arms.
"Dida!" He said in an ecstatic tone with a grin.
"Aww my shona." My mother-in-law said.
"How are you Aunty?" I asked bending down to touch Priyodorshini's mother's feet.
"I am fine baba. How are you?" She asked.
"Fine." I said with a smile.
Priyodorshini got down and walked towards us.
"How are you Priyodorshini?" Asked my mother-in-law.
"Fine." Priyodorshini muttered.
Her mother went closer to her and fixed her hair affectionately.

Maybe, my mother would have done that too...if she was here.

"Cho, bhetore chol." My mother-in-law said to her daughter.
[Translation:Let's go inside.]

●●●●●●

"Ebaba!Ami ato khete parbo na aunty..." I said to my mother-in-law.
[Translation: I can't eat this much aunty.]
"Are chup koro toh! Khao khao. Thik parbe." She said.
[Translation:Shut up and eat. You can surely eat it.]
I saw from the corner of my eyes how Priyodorshini stood in a corner of the hallway outside the dinning room. Sulking.

I wonder what has happened to her...

I took a mental note to talk to her later. To ask her about it.
Priyangshu chatted happily beside me. I talked in between eating.
The food was nice, my mother-in-law was a great cook.
"Priyodorshini, come here." She said.
Priyodorshini walked inside the room.
"Ei boshun na." I said to Priyodorshini.
[Translation: please sit down]

"May I have some more water?" I asked my mother-in-law.
"Ofcourse." She smiled.
She went into the kitchen to bring me some more water.
"Your mother cooks so well." I said to Priyodorshini.
She just sat there. Sat there like a statue.
"I especially love this chicken." I said. "You know I absolutely love chicken, anything chicken. Chicken biriyani, chicken bharta, chicken cutlet." I trailed off.
Priyodorshini just sat there.

"I actually love naan too, butter naan is my fav-"
"Will you kindly shut up." Priyodorshini cut me off before I could finish my sentence.
"O-oh." I said shutting up.
Priyangshu looked up at us with his usual innocent eyes. He probably didnot understand what was going on between his stepfather and his mother.
My mother-in-law came back with a jug of water and poured some water into my glass.

Priyodorshini got up and left the room.

I couldn't understand why she was treating me like this...
I mean yeah, she generally treats me like a germlin...but today, today was a bit different. I had not irritated her. I had not done anything wrong. Then why..? Why? Why?
I chugged the glass of water down.
I got up and washed my hands quickly.
"Aunty I'm going to go use the washroom real quick." I said with an apologetic smile.
My mother-in-law nodded.
I ran upstairs to Priyodorshini's room.
I checked. She was not there.
Must be in the balcony then. I ran up the stairs to the third floor and finally, I saw her sitting on the balcony floor. Crying.
I approached her. I was still outside the balcony. I stopped in my tracks when I heard something.

"Aaj tomar jonmodin, are amake oi opodartho tar sathe ei dinta katate hocche. Sorry Rahul." Priyodorshini apologised while looking down at her phone. Probably at her late husband's picture.
[Translation: Today is your brithday, and I have to spend the whole day with that good for nothing. Sorry Rahul]

I felt a pang of jealousy. Why did she still love him?
Was I not enough?
Was I really that bad?
Was I really an 'opordartho', a good for nothing, an useless husband?

"Priyodorshini?" I said softly while entering the balcony.
Priyodorshini quickly wiped her tears away.
"What do you want?" She asked.

"Nothing...just wanted to check on you." I said.