The Chronicles Of Subhadra Hegde √

Chronicle 13

Do let me know if you find it hard to dodge between past and present without any change in font.

----

" I want to study at Heritage International. I have scored good marks, I have the right to. "
Subhadra declared.

Madan and Sadhna Patel looked at each other. Vaibhav Patel looked up from the phone he was engrossed in. And returned immediately.

" Heritage International? But that requires huge donations! And the fees are tremendously high. " , Sadhna exclaimed.

Madan silently admitted.

Subhadra stood biting her nails. Life didn't leave her confident enough, after the unforgettable incident she underwent just eight months back.

Sadhna came forward, and tucked her locks lovingly behind her ears.
" Subhadra, we know what life did to you. We would want to give you all happinesses in world. We are extremely proud how you recovered, and scored such high marks even after missing schools for a month..

But after all, we are middle class people. How can we afford such huge schools baby?

Plus, such a gruesome incident happened with your uncle. Can we now ask for money from him? He's already trying to recover from a state of shock from the past few months.... "

Subhadra looked into her mother's eyes. Wasn't this the same woman who was blaming her for that rapist's death? Oh! Maybe the return of Vaibhav Patel rubbed off the void of a son figure...

Subhadra gestured at her sibling.
" But he went abroad, stayed there for two long years, and returned not with a single degree. You don't say a thing to him!"

Vaibhav Patel looked up again, and threw a sarcastic look.

Sadhna's expressions changed from love to disgust within split seconds, very customarily.

" Who even told you we say nothing to him? How much do you know about what's going on in your family? Since that incident, you spend most of the times outside. Earlier at schools, tuitions, now in libraries and art classes..." , Sadhna shouted.

" Your brother went abroad on his own. We didn't send him. Neither was the money ours. As a child he has failed us. But what can we do as parents? Not everyone is as intelligent as you are. Will we throw him out? " , Sadhna went on.

Vaibhav jumped up and thumped out of the room banging the door behind.

" Do you know even? Yet, your father has warned him! If he doesn't earn money by hook or by crook, he'll have to find his own dwelling.

Yet, you blame us for being partial?
I haven't even talked to him properly since he returned!
But when you went through a crisis, I stood beside you as a rock! What difference did we make between him and you ever....... "

Bla Bla Bla Bla....

Subhadra was watching a lizard on the wall. How it slowly approached a moth sitting at a distance, silently, like a cunning shrewd hunter...

" Sadhna, calm down. Why are you making a hill out of a mole?
Subhi, what's the problem with Vidya Bhavan? It's a good school... "

Just when the lizard was almost going to gulp the moth, Subhadra ran and hit the wall. Both the moth and the lizard vanished in different directions.

" What's the issue dad? "
Subhadra came back to him.
" I remember, you made a good deal with uncle.
His son assaulted me, he fed you money. So technically, don't I even have the right to use that money for my well being? "

A tight slap hit her face.
She choked for a moment. But grew stern the next. And threw a deadly stare.

Madan Patel stood glaring at her. Shaking.
Sadhna stood with a palm on her mouth, and escaped, wailing.

" Madan!!!!! "

A huge baritone suddenly struck the room from behind.

" Subhadra!! You will study at Heritage International. Till your uncle lives, each of your wish will be fulfilled.... " , the baritone stated.

----

Nayanthara had decided, she would not escape Hyderabad, again. The only thing she would do was to send Deepak to a boarding till he finished boards. She had spent eight years of her life in an utter fear, mostly for her son. But not anymore. If she had once returned to her birthplace, she'd stay.

She had parked her car at a deserted corner of the hospital. She reached there and was about to get into the car when.....

" How are you Nayanthara Jaiswal? "

The keys fell from her hands, she instantly picked them up and turned.

Her nightmare stood with a smile, dressed like a daydream.

Nayanthara grew stern.

" How do you want me to be? "

" Me? Naay!! Who am I to want things for you? Man makes his own destiny. " , Subhadra Hegde knew how to look the best while smiling.
"I know you had been to oncology the day I had been to surgery. I had fainted back in my department, and the room I was placed in, had a mixture of your smells when I woke up. You didn't even change the perfumes you used!

How's your son btw? Almost thirteen now, right? "

Nayanthara freezed but didn't let that appear on her face.
" None of your business! "

" Of course it is! I would like to meet him, and apologize for the ten long hours of mental torture he had to undergo, eight years back. At least that's how it looked to you! "

" I sometimes don't believe that you are a mother, and were a mother back then as well, Subhadra whatever! "

" Uhu! Subhadra Hegde. Clear enough. I love my beautiful surname....." , Subhadra batted eyelashes.

" I so wish that one day someone picks your daughter up and tortures her for ten long hours!!"

Subhadra Hegde turned fierce momentarily.
" Hah! I know right? God knows how many trials you have made, Dr Jaiswal, to revenge on my daughter.. for all these years. I remember, you had cursed me this exact way before fleeing that day... But I know how to deal with the ones I immensely love."

" Shut up!!! I'm not sick unlike you!!! I won't ever do something like that with a kid, who's my son's age! You ruined so many lives!!!
Your husband's, mine, my son's almost, and god knows what you've done with your daughter!!! "

Subhadra tilted her head,
" I destroyed your life? I see. And what did you do to my married life Nayanthara Jaiswal?? "

" Wasn't my fault if Maanav searched solace in my arms after four years of his marriage.Because you were and still are...mad! I was a widow then, hence emotionally vulnerable."

Subhadra laughed. Silently.

" Listen Subhadra whatever... You killed your husband. You ruined your life. And mine as well. It's been eight years. I fleed that day. Because police wouldn't listen to me and also my Deepak was my everything after my husband's death. Today, I plead before you. Leave us alone.... "

Subhadra blinked and nodded softly.

Nayanthara cringed her brows and started getting into the car.

" And by the way, had it not been your antics, Maanav really loved you someday! "

The car whooshed past Subhadra.

She stood silently for sometime.
Then murmured,
" And what do you think? He really loved you, the very next day, forgetting me? "

A fit of a lunatic laughter hit the deserted corner of the compound.

" Reality is just an illusion. Albeit a very persistent one. "