LEARNING TO love...

~THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM~

Daya and Aarti were hitting it off perfectly. The ladies had snuck upstairs to get away from all the family and there piercing eyes and sharp ears tying to catch every word they said. Especially since their topic of conversation was Aarav. They both sat on a wodden swing at the end of the hall, in front of a window overlooking the backyard garden.

 Daya couldn't believe Aarav and Aarti were siblings, Aarti is very talkative and funny and light hearted,  while Aarav is a complete nightmare. Daya turned to Aarti and hesitantly asked a question she has been wanting to ask since they started talking~"Didi, I don't understand, If Aarav is all you say he is, then why is he..." Aarti put her hand up, indicating Daya to stop talking and said ~"-a little bitch?" ~

Daya bursted out laughing at Aarti's words, calling her own brother '-a little bitch,' whom she was just praising so much that his head would have exploded!~ "Didi! I wouldn't have put it like that..but yes." Daya managed to get our in-between her laughs, thens he thought of something that really bugged her, On the night the Turmeric ceremony, Daya saw the way Aarav ignored his father, Daya took a deep breath, looked at the ground and with a low voice asked ~" Didi, why is he not speaking with Uncle? I know I am new to the family, but I have seen the tension between them..and I was just curious.."~ Daya managed to get out. 

Aarti just shrugged her shoulders and said ~"Honestly Daya, this is a serious topic."~ Hearing Arti's tone change from silly to serious, Daya lost all the laughter when she looked over at Aarti and saw how serious her sister-in-law's face was.

~"oh...Do you mind If I ask what happened..?"~ Daya asked quietly, knowing very well that in the Indian culture, most In-Law's aren't as forthcoming about family secrets. Aarti looked at Daya with a sympathetic look and said ~"Daya, of course you can ask! Aarav is your husband now. You have complete authority to know everything in his life. Past, present, and future."~  Aarti's words really stuck in Daya's heart, and Daya thought ~ 'wow, Sharma's are in fact very kind humans, Amma was right.'

Aarti got up from the swing they were sitting on and took a few steps, turned around and looked at an eagerly waiting Daya ~"Daya, My father and Aarav were inseparable, they were like best-friends. But one day Aarav walked in on a private conversation my parents were having, and he found out some unsettling truth about their marriage.."~ Aarti paused for a second, looked down and took a deep breath before continuing, ~ "I kind of don't want to tell you this, because I don't want to ruin the good image the Sharma house has on you. But you are a Sharma now, and you deserve to know why your husband and Father-in-law are not on speaking terms."

Daya got up from the swing and walked over to where Aarti was standing~ "Didi, I have seen the way Aarav acts towards uncle, and I don't think it is right, that's why I asked..but, you don't have to tell me, actually now that I think about it, I think Aarav should be the one to tell me what is between them...don't you agree?"

"Yes, You are right. Aarav is your husband now, and I should not get involved in your affairs."~Aarti looked down at her watch and gasped~ "oh my god, How did we talk for so long? Come on sweetie we have to get you ready for tonight! Oh by the way, I saw the way Aarav was looking at you, you're in for some wild night! Teehee"~ Aarti teased and grabbed Daya's hand, they started making their way down stairs.

Daya couldn't get the image of Aarav ignoring his father out of her head. She was so wrapped up in her own head that she didn't realize what Aarti had said about her first night.