Calming The Storm🌌 (#wattys2019)√

23. Personality

"Appearances make impressions, but it is the personality that makes an impact."
                -Anonymous

Sampurnaa's pov :

We were stuck in traffic. It was raining heavily and the road had come to a standstill.
Typical Mumbai!
We had not moved an inch in an entire hour.
There were frustrated drivers honking like crazy. Several people including Indrayan were standing outside their cars. I was still inside and honestly on the verge of bursting out.
After around another hour of waiting, the cars began moving at the speed of a tortoise.

We again began driving. I was tapping my finger on the dashboard of the car impatiently. Indrayan looked at me from the corner of his eyes, silently asking me to stop that but I utterly ignored him.

Finally awhile later, he broke the uncomfortable silence, "Stop that! If you can't be still when you are frustrated, talk it out instead of distracting and disturbing me while I am driving! "
I frowned, made a face like a kid and then replied to him, "I am really angry! That defendant accused Sridha of being characterless! She wants to redeem those criminals! That rapist may have died a gruesome death but he deserved more. He should have lived and gone through living hell like Sridha did! That witch, Frieda never objected or protested against those felonious men, instead she was equally involved! She forced women to be involved in all that! They had to live in a brothel where a peaceful sleep and even edible food is a faraway dream. They were compelled to let others sell them each day! I swear on God today, no matter what comes my way; I shall see the end of all this!"
I was fuming! Indrayan looked grave.
The traffic was still moving at a slow pace.

"Abhi and Adri were college friends and were in a relationship for so long. Adri even said she knew you. Why did you not attend their wedding?" Indrayan asked curiously.

"I really wanted to come and have fun! I wanted to attend my only brother's wedding but I had examinations I had to attend in order to graduate on time. By the way, why are you unmarried? "

He groaned and made a face before honking once in an annoyed way at a truck driver and then finally answered my question, "Maa and Dad have been trying to get me married but I haven't found anyone who I'd like to spend an entire lifetime with yet. Moreover, as a lawyer, I need to be involved in a lot of court related issues and evidence finding which my wife may object to. I actually met around five girls who wanted me to cut down my time at the court if they got married to me. What's your story?"

I smiled in a sarcastic way, "I am unmarried because Indian society is still narrow minded. If I get married to someone now, I will have to compromise, be it with my job or be it my lifestyle. If I get married now, within a year or two, my husband and in-laws may want babies and again after the kids start growing, I would be expected to look after them and give them more time. It's not that I don't like kids or that I don't want them, it's just that I want people who don't think in an orthodox way that once kids are born, you have to stop living as an individual if you are a woman. I shall marry a man who'll see of me as a woman, an independent one, someone much more than just a wife, mother, daughter or sister. I want a man who'll respect me for being who I am."

Indrayan's face showed disbelief before he replied shaking his head, "No wonder journalism is the profession made for you!"

I grinned and he continued to drive.
The professional wall had somehow ceased from existing the day he had seen me cry and break down.
After all he had met the vulnerable me, the one who stays behind the shadows.