Aboli

Part 40

"You ok, Dad?" Randhir followed instinct to tail his father to the same spot where Sanyukta had pointed him out the moon moth. Harsh did his best to behave normally during dinner, and until Renuka had gone off to sleep. Randhir knew where to find him, if not in the study he would be here, trying to calm the storm raging within him. "Why are you out of bed Randhir? Anyway, care to join me for a drink?" Harsh offered his older son a swig from his hip flask. "No thanks, Dad, I'm good! He replied. "Of course you are, my son! You are a good man, unlike me! I am the one who left the woman who trusted him high and dry!" Harsh blurted out. "Dad, I think you've had enough for tonight. Try to get some sleep!" Randhir said, easing the hip flask out of his father's hand. "If you won't let me drink, at least stay by my side and listen to your old man's ranting!" Harsh asked Randhir to sit next to him under the stars.

"Don't worry about your mother, she took a pill to help her sleep. And Parth is out again, partying with his friends. It is just you, I and solitude with us! And I am not too drunk either! Just needed to be by myself, that's all! " Harsh assured him. Both father and son sat there silently until Randhir spoke again. "Congrats, your plan worked, Sanyukta texted me that her mother has agreed to the offer, albeit after much persuasion." He smiled, he knew the girl would not give up until Anju conceded defeat. "Sanyukta is the only ray of hope in her dreary life! For all the money to my name, I had to offer Anju a sop clandestinely, trying not to make it obvious to the world! Harsh Singh Shekhawat is only as powerful as Anju is gullible. And Renuka must never know, even the world must not know that after years of having distanced himself Harsh Shekhawat had thrown a scrap in his ex-girlfriend's direction." Randhir knew then that this was going to be a long night.

"You know Randhir, it has killed me several times to watch Anju face her troubles. That no-good husband of hers would use her as a punching bag. It filled me with blind rage to know of the bruises she got from his beatings. This would not have happened if I had not succumbed to family pressure and married your mother. Renuka is a rich man's daughter and another rich man's wife. She lacked nothing. It fills me with shame to think that Renuka spends more money on a single shopping trip than Anju makes in years. Renuka has a new wardrobe with every passing season and there Anju buys material once a year from pathetic bargain sales to stitch clothes for Sanyukta and herself, making sure the fabric is durable enough to withstand wear and tear. She has scrimped and saved all these years to be able to put her daughter through college while we take annual family vacations abroad. Some day she will again dip in her savings to get Sanyukta married, probably gifting her the few pieces of jewellery that she owns herself!" Harsh looked skyward gloomily for solace.

None of this was news to Randhir. He knew the guilt must have plagued his father from early on. Harsh had a keen business sense, he had successfully built his empire but chose to live simply unlike his wife who had extravagant tastes. His sons went to the local school where Anju took up a teaching job. He longed to offer her a helping hand but she was too dignified to accept any assistance from him, opting to bring up Sanyukta single-handedly. Harsh watched over silently, making sure that mother and daughter were at least safe and secure. He steadily funded and found donors to fund a number of causes, including the orphanage that Randhir and Sanyukta had visited on his birthday. "What happened was not your fault, Dad! It was the circumstances. In any case, you two had broken up amicably. And you just kept your side of the bargain by not intervening in her life again." Randhir knew his words were not enough to soothe his father's mind. 

"Bullshit, Randhir, promises are bullshit! She made me promise I'll stay true to my wife, and that extended to keeping my distance from her. And I just watched mutely while she was abused and beaten by that sick bastard! She lived from hand to mouth while your mother hosted lavish socialite parties. And now Anju is showing early signs of that fatal illness! Can I still stand around and watch mutely? She's carrying the curse, Randhir. No one knows about this, not even Sanyukta. Anju told me this when we broke up, she said she was glad I was marrying someone else, lest her bad luck befall upon me . Promise me you will not share this with anyone,  Anju's mother believed that the women in their family are cursed. Anju comes from a line of Devadasis, many of whom were "kept" women, whom people did not marry because of their status. Apparently some unhappy wife cursed Anju's great grandmother, who was her husband's mistress, before she took her own neglected life."

"The mistress was soon abandoned after the dead wife's sympathetic in-laws threatened to disinherit the man. She gave birth to her only daughter out of wedlock whom she brought up in absentia, from the money she got from her subsequent patrons. As soon as this girl came of age she made haste to get her married off, to prevent her daughter from following her into the profession. This daughter was Anju's grandmother, whose husband suffered a paralytic stroke and spent most of his life confined to bed as a vegetable before he died. His wife suffered great hardships. She had to run a mess to bring up her daughter, whose musician husband deserted her for another woman. This narcissistic man lived off his wife's savings until he found fame, then he cut her and his infant daughter Anju off without a penny, showing off his other wife and children as his real family to the world. Anju's mother was not as strong as her grandmother, she died of grief soon afterwards. Anju was brought up by her grandmother initially and after she passed, by her maternal uncle."

"Her aunt treated her like an unpaid servant, making her cook, clean and wash in return for her upkeep and education. As soon as she could Anju began giving tuitions to earn her own pocket money. To help her escape a life of drudgery her uncle got her married off to the son of  Renuka's father's PA, and you know the rest of Anu's and Sanyukta's history." Harsh let out a deep sigh after he narrated Anju's tale of woe to his son. "Come on Dad! We live in these times, there is no such thing as a curse. It is just an unfortunate chain of vulnerable women who suffered challenges and abuse from the many people they had to deal with. I am sure that for Sanyukta and for her mother, the worst times are over.  With a promotion to look forward to Anju Aunty's life can only become easier. Come on, cheer up! You need to sleep now!" Randhir gently coaxed Harsh to his feet. "You really think they will be happy now?" Harsh expressed his doubt. "Why not?" Randhir asked. "You also know Sanyukta is an intelligent girl, she will prevail over situations in life if she has to!" Randhir said without hesitation as he led his father toward his bedroom where Renuka lay fast asleep. "I do hope you are right about that, my son!" Harsh spoke, as he left Randhir behind his bedroom door.