Second Chance

Chapter 04

Supriya POV
I call someone I never.
"Hello!.... Hello! Who is this?" the other side person ask.
"Hello! Grandmother!!"
"Supriya! Is it you child? Oh my goodness! It's you right? It's really you!" she ask in a sriprize.
"Yes, it's me grandmother." I reply back to her.
"After what we did to you for 18 years. How we treated you, I lost all hopes to ever hear you, let alone know about you. Oh my child how long I have been wanting to contact you, to get to talk to you, to say sorry, to ask for forgiveness..... " she starts to cry at the end.
" Grandmother, I want to ask if.. if I can stay with you in India? I am coming back soon so I need a place to stay. Only until I find my own place. Can I stay with you till then? Grandmother?" I do not know what made me ask her this but I did.
"Oh child you don't need to ask. You can come when ever you want to." her reply made me think about the treatment I got from them as well as Aryanji and compare those treatments.
Even though she and grandfather distinguished between me and their other grandchildren Ketan and Nilesh, they did not abandon me. Even though I was to do house chores like cooking and cleaning for them but it was worth it. Because it made me feel like I earn everything they gave me from food, clothing and shelter and my education till high school. They, my grandparents, even kept all my parents things that the own to that they had. My mothers jewelry which was given to me on my wedding and also a house which my father brought before my birth, to start a family of his own. But even before entering the house, they died. They gave me its official document of ownership on the next day of my wedding, just before I was to come here to New York.
I don't know about love but I have always respected my grandparents and will always do. It's common in India and even in world to look at the male child of the family other than the female child. Just because I was treated differently from the boys doesn't mean I was not treated like their granddaughter. Whenever or wherever there would be any special occasion, program or function, my grandmother would take me with her to show how perfect girl I am. And whenever me and Ketan would bring a prize or trophy, it was just as if she won a lottery. She would show us off to her friends and distance relatives as how great her grandchildren are. With Ketan always being a topper and confident and me being a complete tradition, well cultured, and respecting. Add Nilesh with complete sport skills. Our living room was a showcase of all our three achievements. My best dishes to my best rangoli, Ketans toppers certificates and Nilesh sports trophies, even my arts certificate of drawing, dancing and singing.
Grandfather, even though he did not show me off like grandmother, he would always one way or another flaunt me in his speech and talking about how good I am compared to other girls now days. In which the other girls were indirectly refer to their family girls.
All the things that made them proud of me, here were useless. For Aryanji, my traditions and culture means illiteracy and my homemaking skills makes me old fashioned. My grandparents may have made me marry him by force but that doesn't mean they force me to do anything they want. They kept me on leash but they did it for me as its only way to protect once respect and dignity in Indian villages. In most of the family they always prefer the boys but when outer world we were equal in the eyes of outsiders. With them at least I had some self respect and dignity. They never once let others know about their thoughts or even treatment for me to others.

* Flashback *
It's been a week I have been in New York. And also a week since I have seen Aryanji. As soon as we reach New York city he left me with parents in-law and have been away. But tonight I will be able to see him as tonight father-in-law has hold a small reception party for their business partner and associates. I want to ask mother-in-law for what to wear but she is busy with the arrangements for party so I wore what I think will suit today. It's my reception party so I decided to go with a red bridal sari but with some light jewelry as it's reception not wedding.
Aryanji could not come to pick me up and even my in-law was already at the venue so they asked the driver to drop me there. As I enter the venue, instead of praises as a normal newly wife get, Aryanji got furious as a sari is not good for his wife. He took me to a corner where nobody could see us. He instantly told me to go back as he didn't feel like he will ever tell people about me. The party was about the success of company not a reception party as I was told.
I was to return back to house in instant as told by Aryanji.
*Flashback over*

I called head maid, Mrs. Kelly, and asked her to make some snacks for kids. I then started to tell her about what should be made in the morning and what should be for dinner on the basis of the day or occasion it is. I ask her to make a note of what everyone like, dislike or is not allowed to eat. At first she was shock at me for asking her to make some snacks as it was only me who do all of the cooking in this house. It was even more shocking to her when I ask her to take a note of everything and everyone eating. She wanted to ask some questions but just did what I told her to.
I went back to room as I get my cell to book a flight ticket for India.
I heard kids school bus tires shrinks as they suddenly stop. I look outside front balcony to see them getting out of the school bus I look at them drinking their appearance by my eyes as I know soon I won't be able to see them soon enough. I stare at them until they disappear from my eye site as they went towards the main door to enter the house. I didn't get to know when my eyes get wet and tears flows openly from it. As rivers start to flow from my eyes I call them in my heart even though no sound was made by me or move my lips. My kids! My children. Our children. Or just his children......