Posted:
Just had to get this out of my system... came up with it a little while ago. My Hindi is not good enough so if anyone can translate this, please go for it! 😊
Sarla held on to her mother-in-law's arm as she watched the doctors intubate the girl. Across the hall, another young man's life was at stake.
"Beeji," sobbed Sarla.
The woman's eyes coldly stared back at Sarla. They were not the eyes of the "so-loving-she-is-more-my-mother-than-my-mother-in-law" Beeji Sarla had known for over three decades.
The older woman slowly disengaged her arm from Sarla's grasp.
Sarla was taken aback and stopped weeping. "Beeji? Kya hua?"
"Kya hua?" asked Beeji in a dangerously quiet voice that masked her anger. "You are asking me what happened? Actually galti meri hain. I have not been honest with you Sarla. I am supposed be your mother, but instead of guiding you down the right path, I have neglected my duty."
"But Beeji..." whimpered Sarla.
Beeji held up her hand. "Quiet. Today I will speak and you will listen. I don't want any fainting spells. or a river of tears. Today you will behave like the strong, brave daughter you once were."
Beeji led Sarla over to the seating area. "Chup chap baitho."
Sarla sat down like a guilty child, unable to make eye contact with her mother-in-law.
"What do you think is happening right now, Sarla?" asked Beeji coldly.
"Bulbul has ruined Pragya's life, Beeji. And now, Bulbul is in the hospital because of her own foolishness and obstinancy. I told her to stay away from that Purab!"
"So I had guessed right. Everything is Bulbul's fault, na? And you are absolutely blameless? Pragya is blameless?"
"I'm at fault Beeji?" asked a stunned Sarla.
"YES! YES!" Beeji said, raising her voice for the first time to Sarla.
"A good mother, which you once were, would have listened to her daughters. A good mother would not have selfishly deluded herself. A good mother would have understood the little hints that proved her elder child was miserable. A good mother would have listened to her younger daughter try to explain that she never meant for any of this to happen."
"But Beeji..."
"What did I say? Today I will talk and you will keep quiet and listen. What do you think Pragya went through? You were so excessively anxious to have her married even when she told you Abhi was not right for her. The foolish child went through countless hurts, insults and pain with that scoundrel, just to make sure you could live out your fairy tale. You did not help her remember that she is an educated, strong, intelligent woman. Because of your selfish fantasy Pragya had to put up an act. She and Bulbul sacrificed so much for each other. But what do you know? What do you care?"
"How do you know all this Beeji?" asked Sarla, again beginning to weep.
"Because Bulbul called me, and then the line got disconnected. Before I could contact her again, she got into a car accident. She wasn't going to meet Purab for any wrong reason. She just wanted to stop him from trying to hurt himself. And do you know Purab also saved Bulbul from being molested? Of course you don't. You only see what you want to see."
"Oh no...no Beeji!"
"Yes. You don't see Abhi's fault in this, nor Aliya's. I was once so proud of you Sarla. But today you have disappointed me gravely. The only other person I am more disappointed with is me - I should have been more alert. I could have prevented my dear granddaughters from getting hurt. They used to tell me everything, but I suppose the truth is, they could not trust me and that breaks my heart."
Sarla and Beeji had no other words to say. All they could do now was hold one another and pray.
Debate Mansion
Parineeti
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
