The falling seasons

Part 19

Haruni was having her breakfast upon the dining table on which she used to dine with her mother. Sunanda was watching Haruni with a constant smile on her face. Haruni was not the same girl whom Sunanda had lifted in her arms. Now she was a grown-up lady with flowing brown hair that came down till her busts. She had gotten a sharp face with a slender body. She looked more beautiful than she had ever been. She wore a white shirt with grey pants and she had all the manners that Sunanda had taught her as a child as Sunanda seemed to be happy just gazing at Haruni.

"You have grown just like your mother!"

Haruni's spoon stopped near her lips and the pleasant features of her face dimmed out but after a moment of pause she continued with her meals. Her daughter and husband were playing outside, as Tanvi had forced her father to catch her a butterfly. The yellow one was her demand, and in the distant Haruni could hear their voices.

"I bet this is cooked by you aunty! I have traveled all around the world but still, I have not tasted anything like this!"

The room was filled with the sound of metallic spoon making sweet clanking sounds with the porcelain bowls.

"I had learned this from your mother, Haru. She was a great cook!"

"But a bad mother!"

Haruni snapped and the smile on Sunanda's face disappeared but it felt like she remembered something before she could tell something, bringing back the smile on her face.

"And how are things going on?" Sunanda hesitated to change the topic but she couldn't do anything more. And then Haruni's face lighted up. She said everything she had done, how the boy who was her husband now was a road Romeo trying to pick her up with every possible pick up lines, and she had married him for his honesty. How she had made an attempt to solve the murder case of a council member and had succeeded, and had gotten the recognition from every politician and officer alike. Sunanda had been smiling for everything and was laughing at some, but her face lost the charm when Haruni said.

"And I had been giving all the love Tanvi deserves, unlike my mother who just cared about her needs and her work, never having time for me... Some days I thought, I would have been more fortunate if you were my mother!"

Haruni smiled at Sunanda but all she got back was a glare. Sunanda took a deep breath and said and eased the tension of her face.

"You are not the same girl aren't you? You have grown, into a lady that your mother would have loved to see you in if she were alive..."

"She would have been sitting in that damn room and scribbling something in that damn book... I can bet she wouldn't have stepped out of her room, even today! Leave her topic aunty, I just cannot even bear the thoughts of her. Now that I think about her, how did that woman didn't become insane even after sitting in that same damn place..."

Sunanda couldn't believe. She couldn't take the things she was hearing. She saw that Haruni had finished her meals and was wiping off her lips carefully not to disturb her makeup. Sunanda remembered her promise. Those words still rang through her ears.

She shouldn't come to know... She shouldn't love me!

Sunanda hardened her nerves as she smiled again.

"Haru could you come upstairs I need to give you something!"

"I will aunty!" Haruni carried the bowl to the kitchen even when Sunanda urged not to and then they both moved to her room. Everything was untouched. The room was filled with thousands of dresses that Haruni had and the golden rimmed mirror still shined with the brilliance. The room was kept as it is but it was never kept unclean. For the past fifteen years, Sunanda had been cleaning the room with her own hands but not disturbing the contents of the room.

Haruni was examining the room when Sunanda came in with a set of papers and handed it to her, the detailed accounting and the all the papers of the house and the lands that surrounded the house, were in there. 

"Haruni check the accounts papers I have jotted down every expense that has ever occurred in this house!"

"There is no need for me to check aunty, and why are you calling me Haruni, Haru is better!" Haruni blushed as she came to hug Sunanda. But Sunanda had something to say, she halted her.

"This house belongs to you, and you are my mistress and I am just a slave, I don't think you are the same girl who needs to be addressed in such a way!"

Haruni smiled and took the hands that were stopping her and hugged Sunanda tight.

"Without you, I wouldn't have been anything aunty, you are no slave, you are more than my mother!" She got back looked into the eyes of Sunanda "If you ever speak such words I will be angry..."

Sunanda just nodded and pointed the cupboard that stood alone with all the burden it had been carrying all these years.

"I guess Tanvi will have no problem of dresses until she turns eleven!"

"I guess..." Haruni said laughing "But I don't think I would like to stay here aunty!"

Sunanda's face showed that she had more questions than she could ask, she frowned

"What do you mean?"

"I will sell this house, I just came to visit you and take you along with me... This is no place for you to stay!"

"What?" Sunanda felt like a thunder spear had struck right into her chest. But Haruni didn't notice the horror on her aunt's face.

"I am seriously feeling suffocated just by standing here, I don't want you to suffer here too, I don't want any one of my family get the breeze of the lifestyle that lunatic woman lived in..."

"Who are you talking about?" Sunanda sounded like she was snarling.

"You may be loyal to her aunty for the reasons I don't know, but I would be honest... I called my worthless mother the lunatic!"

Haruni hadn't expected the slap. It was right on her cheeks and it got swollen the moment Sunanda's hand made a contact.

"I am sorry my lady, but I am glad that I couldn't keep your other promise..."

Sunanda shifted her glance from the adorned roof to Haruni, who was in complete disbelief holding her cheeks.

"Do you know anything about your mother?" Sunanda said as she gave a jerk to Haruni that made her fall to the bed and look at her aunty like she had never seen her before. Sunanda's anger suddenly melted to tears when she said

"Your mother was trying her best... To save you and you... This is what your mother wanted, but I cannot let it happen. She wanted for you to hate her but I can't just be a bystander. You said you are a women activist, didn't you?"

Haruni sat quietly she didn't make any movements, but Sunanda continued

"Then you must be well aware of the book the 'A Women's will'..."

Haruni face showed that she had read the book, not only read it but had thoroughly enjoyed it.

"It was written by your mother and all she wanted was no one to suffer like you... No daughter... Haru..." Sunanda collapsed to the ground with her knees bracing the floor below, her dark blue attire a mess. 

"I am sorry, you are justified to be sad, angry and despise... Not your mother, but the disease she suffered with... I have seen what you have been through... And believe me Haru that's the worst a daughter could go through but... you..."

Sunanda slowly got up rubbing her tears as she moved towards Haruni's table, she was unable to say anything anymore. She sniffed in as she pulled the drawer and pulled out a book. A deep brown covered book that was the only dusty thing in the entire room.

"Your mother had said me to burn this, and I will get damned for doing this. But I wouldn't have let go of this and let you hate someone who cared for you more than anyone else could, Haru..." She slowly placed the book beside Haruni as she went out of the room, closing the door behind her.

The chandelier in the room was still lighting the room with the brilliance as Haruni slowly picked up the book and opened it.