Copyright © 2012-2013 Renu. All rights reserved.
Important Note: This chapter is very big, so I've divided this chapter into two parts. Since it is a thrilling chapter, you are surely going to enjoy both the parts.
New Update
"The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity."
-Leo Tolstoy
(PART-1)
Mom fluttered her eyelids as she saw Aadhira is coming, she whispered leaning towards her table, "Now don't talk in front of her." I nodded giving an urgent look on her face.
"What are you both chatting?" Aadhira asked grinning at us and sitting on her chair.
"Nothing, we were discussing about shopping-" I responded when she interfered.
"What did you discuss about shopping?" Her folded hands wrapped arms, relaxing against the table.
"We have to buy clothes for Aditiya too."
"Oh!" Her speech turned absolute lower, anyway I could not listen, but I speculated from her lip tendency.
Mom and I ultimately ended consuming food, and we proceeded together in the washroom. There was no one standing inside the washroom. Everything was hollow. The floor was clean and white tiles splendid on the wall. There were three attached toilets in the washroom, and the doors were close. It was overly pinned drop silence.
We washed off our hands in the clean washbasin, and mom commanded to wait with her, as she wished to discuss something. I wrapped my arms against my chest and paused until she winds up. She began gargling her mouth and wiped her hand and face with a blue handkerchief, then she glanced at me.
"Mom… I'm waiting…" I at last voiced absurdly.
She gazed and spread out her mouth, "whatever I ask you, you have to be sincere with your answer." I bowed but there was a cautionary indication in her volume as if she is planning to ask something very confidential, may be high alarm for me.
"Are you happy with Nihaal?" I astonishingly gazed on her face.
What a question? This was not something I predicted.
"Mom, why all of sudden-" She interrupted lifting her hand and showing her palm towards me.
"Just answer, what I asked." She wailed as I nodded.
"Yes!" I replied firmly.
"Have you planned to change your mind…?" her tone unexpectedly became very heedful when her eyes rolled from one side to another, as if something is going in her mind, and she doesn't want anyone else to hear it.
"Hmm what should I change?" I confusingly gazed.
She tilted her head towards my ear and hissed, "Naina just three more months left…" Her breathe warmed my earlobe.
I sweated hearing her words and realized what she was talking about…
It is about our separation. I had filed a petition of divorce within first three months of our marriage. However, court disapproved of my petition, as according to the law, I cannot file a divorce before one year. Since, I was not pleased with our married life and convinced my lawyer to talk with judge.
Judge gave me six-month duration to re-think about my decision as he thought that I took a hasty decision, and my reaction about married life been undeveloped.
Nihaal persuaded me, so I gave second chance to our dead marriage. I, in fact, unremembered my divorce, because Nihaal kept his promise, and he is now a changed man.
I looked at mom with a tear in my eyes, dripping on my cheek.
"Mom, still three months left. I have not thought about it." I complaint but my voice surprisingly sour, as it is stabbing my chest even to imagine that I have to go far away from him.
I love him so much that it is hard to express in words. He loves me too, and in fact, more than I do. However, commitment towards his police duty, flopped our marriage. It is difficult for both of us to go far off from each other, now thinking about three extra months is just like a lifetime agreement about to expire, and God's arrival is not far away to take me away from Nihaal.
"I know that, but I don't want you to give any false hope to my son. He is very sensitive when it comes to you, so if you have determined to move on, tell him. Before it's too late…" She spoke uninterruptedly.
Her warning type of remarks gave an irrational grief in my heart and a negative vibrant passed through my body shuttered me inside out.
Mom is right, as I have to think about it. He will be doing so much hard work to give me surprise, to make me smile and to save our failed marriage. In return, what can I give him? Maybe nothing, except my love and my existence that meant only for him.
"Naina?" mom called my name by suspending my thoughts.
"Yes?" I replied.
"I know it's a tough decision. But, you have to do it. I don't want my son to be heart-broken." I swallowed and nodded hearing her words, but my throat missed to respond her back. I could feel tears inside my eyes that prepared to jump out again, but I did not allow them to wrestle.
"I have to become strong. I cannot cry and take a hasty decision." A voice in my head reminded me to be courageous. However, there was another intense voice inside my heart, who was forcing me not to leave Nihaal.
But my head alerted me that if I don't leave him, I'd be heart-broken.
Maybe, I am self-centred. But where did I mistaken? It was not my mistake, due to which our marriage collapsed. Nihaal always was a rough and tough cop. For him, his priority was towards his people, towards city, towards his country. I became last in his priority list.
I could see how mom was observing me, as she was annoyed and very depressive. Whatever she said was not wrong. After all, Nihaal is her only son. She cannot see him upset too.
As she saw, that I was not uttering at all and emotionally abstracted. She ceased my thoughts, and nudged me towards her.
"Let's go…" She said by picking her big leather bag that was lying on the flat surface of washbasin, and placed on her shoulder.
Her voice was weak and eyes peeked down, on the floor. However, I could see she was trying hard to escape from the situation that we both were facing in the washroom.
We both walked out of the washroom and sat in our chair without looking at each other.
"You both were sleeping or what?" Aadhira jokingly said. She possibly could notice tension on our face but there was nothing to giggle.
"Come on smile please?" She stretched her index finger and thumb close to her lip, and it became widely visible without showing her teeth.
She winked and replied widening her eyes, "I was joking…"
I gave an artificial smile to her, as I was not really in the state of mind to smile. Mom gave an unopened smile, just for the sake of not offending Aadhira's emotions.
"Why you both are upset? Is there something wrong?" Aadhira expressed.
Mom shook her head towards me and signalized blinking her eyes, not to say anything. Then she looked at Aadhira giving a forged smile, and replied, "Nothing. We were just talking."
Aadhira faced up to me and engaged in looking into my eyes as if she is trying to search what particularly I have hided from her. However, I am sharper in covering any stuff, except emotions. She grabs all my emotions undoubtedly. I tried to roll my eyes on another side, but failed miserably. I felt complete ashamed looking at Aadhira's undergoing doubtful expression.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Aadhira sent a strict powerful loudness towards my direction. It was like an electric current she tried to throw via her words, and I shook my body.
"Really nothing, we were talking about Nihaal." I played with my fingers against the counter, and a noise struck my ear.
She nodded and asked, "What were you talking?"
I felt humiliating to voice in front of mother-in-law and complaint about her. However, mom is very sugary and a dear friend to both of us. But, she previously warned me.
Looking at the Aadhira's curiosity, finally mom granted me to speak by intimating with her blinked eyes.
"We were discussing about the divorce." I whispered. She nodded and said softly, "I'm listening. You continue..."
"Mom said I should take a decision about our separation." She gazed at mom.
Mom's expression looked awkward, but she restrained her emotions by watching at another side. She slanted above the table with her knuckles under chin and elbow resting on the table.
"Aunty is right…" Aadhira responded by gazing at mom and giving a wide smile with her open lips.
However, by looking at her approval, I could see a sigh of relief passing through mom's face as her eyes shortly hunt at Aadhira's eyes.
"So you think I should take a decision fast?" I asked frustratedly. She nodded.
"You must take a decision, before time run outs…" She revealed.
Her words sent a forbidden message to my head, which sank to grasp.
What does she mean by that? Time run outs? I could not penetrate what particularly she wished to provoke.
I bashed to refrain from this matter wholly, as everything for me right now turned into a puzzled game.
Moms signal and Aadhira's unexpressed words made me impassive, and I halted the conversation right here.
We paid the bills of our lunch and walked out of the restaurant. I remember about Aditiya's shopping. Therefore, we went back on third floor, here in two stores, there were some casual outfits that would suit on Aditiya. We checked those outfits, since mom familiarizes with Aditiya's size so according to that, she purchased outfits for him.
We then started with our shopping. It was too hectic, because there were so many stores that had good designer dresses for me. We went in one store that was not much crowded and many salwar suits hanged on their walls, and others were in their shelves.
I choose five dresses for me. Aadhira chooses three and for mom, we had to go in the saree store. She likes only sarees. We were on third floor, near a saree store. The whole showroom was jammed, and a lot people were busy with their talks and screams while trying out the sarees. Most of the women came with their family.
We went at the vacant counter, where mom asked the man to show the Banaras saree. That man showed the trended Banaras saree to her, she did not like. Her sarees are very sober, and she will not prefer embroidered shining design.
He showed a few different designer Banaras saree, but that man flunked to influence mom, and we had to go to another store.
"Mom, why do you want only Banaras saree…? Why not any other sarees?" I asked impatiently while we were moving up through escalator stairs.
She laughed and calmly replied, "I want to wear Banaras saree on my son's birthday."
"But why only Banaras…?" I could feel disappointment in my own words. We were now on fourth floor and only one saree store was detectable to the left side of my eyes.
We were walking towards that store, at that moment. I saw a glow on the mom's face as her cheeks turned up. She was blushing.
She opened her mouth and said, "When first time I got the pregnancy news I was in my Banaras saree." I gave her a baffling look, but she did not stop. She continued with her emotional story, "The delivery day, I was again in Banaras saree." I scowled.
However, she continued with a big smile on her face. She became very emotional while talking, "Nihaal's first birthday-" I interrupted.
"You were on Banaras saree?" I mocked. She nodded with a closed-lips smile, and her eyes had tears that were steadily dripping down her cheeks.
She smiled and rubbed her cheeks. Her tears soaked, "since then, on his every birthday, I wear Banaras saree-" She paused and looked at me for an immediate reaction.
My face was blank, but I could feel how much emotive she is for her son. Maybe considering that he is the only son to her, just as I am, for my parents.
Before I could voice anything, she lengthy her sensitive story, "you know Naina, every year before his marriage, I used to celebrate his birthday alone. No noise, no office colleagues, just Nihaal, Aditiya and me." She said by showing her curved fingers making it look like a tiny gap between four fingers and a bent thumb.
Her head leaned towards her fingers, still looking at me through her tiny holed fingers and continued with her story, "but now since he is married and you both are living together. His choice is changed." I felt disrespectful in her words.
Does she mean that since I came in his life, or we married that is why he is gone far away from her? However, that is not true. He still talks to his mom and meets in her house. It was her own decision that we must live together, and she will not stay with us.
Then why unexpectedly taunt?
We were now inside the store and here there were fewer crowds, and many counters were vacant. We went in one empty counter, and mom told that man to show the Banaras sarees.
Aadhira did not like her handpicked of variety as she saw that mom is opting for a boring shade saree. Mom begged her to select one for her. Aadhira picks golden yellow pure silk light-weighted sober embroidered saree with woven coin butties and contrast pink woven border and pallu. It comes with matching silk stitched round neck blouse with similar border on 7 inches long sleeves, which even mom liked it.
She informed the man, to pack that saree for her. Then we went in another counter, where she was still busy sorting out one. I rolled my eyes towards another side, where I saw a couple of women trying out different sarees in front of unusual large-sized mirrors that were facing them. I could see the reflection of those women as they were trying out saree...
Some of them were wheatish and healthy-looking women. Two women were slender like me but have white skin, one shorter than me and bulky like Aadhira, but she has dusky skin.
"Pack these two." I heard those honest words rising from the mom's mouth.
"Finished?" I asked to confirm. Mom gesticulated.
She paid the bill, and we left that store. I felt drained as our shopping finally ended. I saw my wristwatch it was seven-fifteen p.m. We were moving down through escalator stairs.
"Mom…?" I desperately said from her backside. Mom was standing in front with Aadhira. She turned back at me and replied, "Huh? What happened?"
"You didn't continue your story?" she pats on her head and grins.
By now, we were on the third floor, and going on second floor from escalator stairs.
"You want to hear?" I nod my head. She smiled stretching her lips and showing her small pale yellow teeth.
This time her face had no reflection of emotions, but continued in a slow motion, "every year on his birthday, I wear Banaras saree-" I interfered to stop her.
"No, not that part…" She mournfully watched me, and a trace of puzzlement trolled her face.
"Then which…?"
"Why did you say that Nihaal's preference is changed?" Her eyes were actively moving here and there but were not committed to looking into my eyes.
"Because he is changed…" She retorted in soreness. I shook my head.
"No mom. He still loves you." I revealed immediately.
She laughed ragging, "I know that, Naina. I never said he doesn't love me." I glared neglectfully.
"Then why did you talk about preference?" I narrowed my eyes and hesitated to gaze at her, but then I wanted to know her answer.
"Every year he celebrated his birthday with me. Since now you are there, he will spend his birthday with you, not with me." I chuckled hearing her words.
"Oh! So will you attend the celebration?" I asked humorally. She inclined towards me.
"Ofcourse, I'll be there. Still his birthday will not be according to my choice." Her voice unexpectedly had a sign of suffocation and a guilt of non-pleasure caught her breathe.
She voiced under her breath, "It's a grand birthday, not a simple one that I love." I jerked my lip shakily hearing her ridiculous words.
"Well mom, your son is now turning thirty. Atleast this birthday should be stupendous." I revealed raising my eyebrow. She chuckled.
"Ofcourse, I did not say that. But I told you that this birthday, everything was of your choice." I nodded griefly.
"So you want the birthday according to your choice?" She widened her eyes and then shook her neck.
"You are his wife. You have rights to celebrate as you want." She indirectly criticized.
"You will come to his birthday no?" I asked tactfully. She bowed.
"Good!" I finally breathed out.
At the end of our conversation, I saw myself walking towards the exit door. I did not realize that we ultimately reached down. We were so engaged in our discussion that I did not notice Aadhira. Though, as I detect her presence, I observed her intensity of getting bored with our talk. Her face manifested as if we have to side lined her, and she did not even exist for us.
The time arrived to say good-bye to my mother-in-law. She was beneficial in picking dresses for me, and casuals for Nihaal. I embraced her tightly before exiting from the mall.
"I can give you lift, if you want?" Mom expressed courteously.
Mom has her car, and she knows driving. Well Nihaal scholarly in driving from her, and so he is a smooth driver. All fame goes to his mom as he constantly repeated to me.
"Aadhira and I will go, thanks mom." I extended my hand to shake it with her, and clasped her in my arms to give friendly embracing. She pats on my back.
I temporary donated all my shopping bags to keep it safe with her, so that Nihaal should not trace that we are giving him surprise birthday party.
I saw mom traveling in her yellow Nano car. Aadhira and I waved our hands as she passed from our direction. She waved from her car, giving a closed-lips smile while sitting in her driver seat with the seat belt on her shoulder visible.
Phew!
Finally finished Chapter Eight PART-1So how was it?
I enjoyed writing this chapter. Did you enjoyed too?
PART-2 will be posted next.
Copyright © 2012-2013 Renu. All rights reserved.
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