𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆

PART-56

"Time flies so fast" – a very true statement once said by a wise person.

And just like that, amid the chaos of everyday life, the rollercoaster of monotonous days and the ups and downs of emotions, more than six months had passed. And now, the month of November had arrived, bringing with it the chill of winter and the warmth of blankets.

Life went on.

Ira's final exams ended, the results came, and she graduated. Navya's mother, Swarnika, didn't crack NET but got a transfer to her hometown. Thus, the family shifted permanently to Patna. And Ira, once again, became alone, aloof, without friends.

Vaidehi, though she couldn't cross the cut-off for NET, managed to crack two exams – Headmaster of a high school and Head Teacher of a middle school. But the happiest of all seemed to be Raghav. It was quite clear that his joy didn't stem entirely from his wife achieving her long-held dream, but rather from the fact that she would now be earning. He could finally breathe easier – free from the hurdles, burdens, and responsibilities that had once rested solely on his shoulders.

And was there anything wrong with that?

Maybe... not. After all, a vehicle runs more smoothly when both of its wheels move evenly on the road.

Though, was he really present for his family?

Well... if bringing money into the house, then fighting over petty things, throwing tantrums, beating his wife and children, hurling food-laden plates, and using abusive language as a form of stress relief counts, then yes.

Anyway, as the saying goes – a dog's tail, even if buried in the earth for years, will still not straighten once pulled out.

The fights between the couple continued, now over new topics – expenditures, time management, and the constant interference of in-laws... Raghav's in-laws. They never missed a chance to fill Vaidehi's ears against her husband. As a result, Vaidehi would argue, and Raghav would retaliate in his not-so-pleasant language, never missing an opportunity to belittle his wife – even in front of his friends. To him, it was a joke that earned laughter and praise from his friends for putting his wife in her place. But in truth, he was only bringing his own dignity down before everyone.

And Ira, though tucked in one corner of the room, making study timetables and planning her competitive exam syllabus, couldn't help but watch.

Nakul, however, would never stay quiet. He would first try to make his parents understand the gravity of the situation, telling them how their fights were affecting everyone's lives. But when they didn't listen, he would use the same language as them, or even worse, which would only escalate the chaos into more fights, more insults, and endless sessions of getting offended and then persuading.

Ira often called her house a circus, and its people, jokers – acting hazardously because they were never paid well.

Well… Raghav had been an absent father and not a very good husband in the past, but he had learned a few things over time. Or rather, responsibilities and his son had made him see things in a slightly better, more mature way, instead of throwing tantrums and losing his childish temper every five minutes.

Still, as they say, it takes two to clap.

Neither was Vaidehi a very present mother nor a very patient wife. She, too, would start arguing with her husband the moment he stepped into the house after work. Or even in the middle of the night, when he was asleep and bitter memories came swirling back into her mind.

Truly made for each other – deaf and dumb.

But what could one expect from someone who had been constantly tortured by in-laws, relatives, and neighbors – people who had absolutely nothing to do with her life, yet seemed determined to treat her suffering as a form of entertainment that should never end.