Against the wind

Chapter 2

"Whao, whao, lady where are you entering?" Meena said to a middle aged woman who is trying to enter in the kitchen. "and you" she pointed to a man in Khadi kurta, trying to touch a statue "That is antique piece and cost  much more than your life."

The man became startled with her comment and moved back his hand. Woman has different case, she still moving towards kitchen. Meena ran towards kitchen to stoo her. "Hey, you, don't you have manners. How dare you enter in someone else's property?" Meena command her to leave her actions.

"Ma'am, they are sir's parents." maid said looking here and there. Meena gave her death glare and she run away from the place.

"I am sorry." Meena said, after taking a deep breath. She fucked up in first meeting itself. Its not that she is trying to impress his family but she doesn't want to disrespect them. Whatever he did with her, they are not at fault.

"I can't believe my Aadi married such an ill mannered girl. God knows what he saw in this spoiled brat." his mother inspect her from tip to toe and disapproved her appearance.

"I am out of his league. Its his fortune that I married him otherwise person like him are servant in my father's home." Meena spoke words filled with venom. Her words angered her mother in law while father in law has amusing grin on his face.

"What kind of woman are you who is insulting her husband on second day of marriage." his mother replied with disgust.

"Little correction, Mother in law." Meena stressed on each words.
"For your kind information its third day not second." Meena enjoyed the look on her face. She can't tolerate bullshit of anyone. She doesn't raised that way. She starts taking stairs but  stopped in midway "and regarding your question, I am a woman with self respect and dignity."

She locked her room and tears start falling from her eyes. This is not the way she planned her life.  She dreamt of a loving mother in  law who accept her with open arms. That's not difficult to task if she married in another business family. If she married to a family friend's son, life would be so easy. This chanderi silk sari whom her mother in law find disgusting would be appreciated. People may be saying "Meena, what a choice. You are killing it sweetheart."

She is not the person who back answers her elders but she crossed her limit. There are  many persons who somehow managed to enter the house, due to broken fencing. Its not her fault, she misunderstood them but she.... She attacked on her self esteem and her father taught her, how to deal with it.

"Meena, my child, what happened? Why you don't want to go to school?"

"Papa, they tease me?

" Who tease you? "

" my classmates "

" What they say? "

" Meena, pheena, wheena, sheena, minudi. "

" that's it"

She looked at him with surprise. He took her in his arms. When I was at your age, same thing happened with me.

"but your name is good"

"So does yours. When people can't compete you, they try to humiliate you."

"Then what we should do?"

"Show them, their place.Next time they tried to anything like that. Show them mirror."

"They will stop after that"

"Some will stop, few may not stop but remember one thing. Its your responsibility to not let any other humiliate you. Fight with them for your dignity with tooth and nail. You are daughter of Pratap Singhania, you don't have to worry about anything or anyone. You have my back sweetheart. Go fight your first battle. "

After listening her father's encouraging words Meena left for school. They called her name and she stand firmly infront of them." I think you didn't hear properly. My name is Meena. Remember it otherwise I'll start calling you Achala school ka kachra (Achala garbage of school)" She spoke to one girl and other kids ran away. No one dare to tease her after that. On that day Meena won her first battle and learnt her first lesson which her father taught." Never let anyone insult you. "

**********

Pratap went in his room to relax himself. Event of past few days was very stressful and top of that, he came to their place without invitation. This man doesn't have an ounce of shame. He married his daughter without informing anyone and now standing in his mansion.

"Isn't it his right to know about this life changing event of his daughter?"

He caressed an old picture of Meena hugging him tightly.

"One day our Meena will go to Sasural (in law's place)" his mother and Meena's grandmother said, pinching her cheeks softly.

"I'll not go. I'll always stay with Ma - papa." little Meena ran towards him and his wife Shanti captured the moment. They framed this picture and this picture become permanent part of his room.

"You came?" his wife called from behind.

"He came here."

"I know." she sighed. "I am sorry, I hadn't nurtured Meena correctly. There must be some fault in my upbringing that's why she took this decision." tears were falling from her eyes. She is lucky that no one in the family blamed her for Meena's deeds. Many men beat their wife for this kind of failure. Some start walking on revenge spree of killing their own offspring and her lover. Life is really strange and humans act in more weird fashion. If a son bring a lover home, its bravery but if a daughter bring a lover home, its dishonour.

"I still can't believe our little Meena can do this. She used to say, 'papa I'll marry your friend's son. That way you will frequently come to meet me. We all plan family holidays together. I don't have to leave everything behind.' I still failed to understand what went wrong "He placed his hand on her hand.

" I think, we hadn't sent her to Delhi. She must have met him there and planned all this. "disgust present in her voice.

" I don't have problem with her choosing her life partner. I am not a typical father who will choose path of honour killing. I may not agree with her judgement but I respect that. I did everything which makes her happy but she not even share it with me. and that low life man, he has guts to marry my daughter secretly but doesn't have guts to talk to me, like a man. "

" What can we expect from a low class man like him? Actual fault is in our daughter. Probably she doesn't need us that's why she did this. Our generation sending parents to old age home and this new generation abandoning them completely. Probably we became useless for her. Our love is not required now. "she wiped her tears.

They have so many dreams for Meena's marriage and why not. Most of Indians have only two dreams, one is building dream house and other is lavish wedding of daughter.

Dreams take you to heaven and broken dreams bring hell in your heart. When you became parents, you forget everything else. Your life run around your kid. You changed so many habits of yours for the kid. You work hard to give all luxury to your kid. Sometimes you forget yourself and one day that same kid forget you. All your sacrifice were mocked and your love was laughing stock. After all this your heart won't able to curse. It still pray and gave blessings. Isn't it worse kind of betrayal? Betrayal of your loved one and betrayal of your own heart.