Chapter 2Completed
Kalpi had already helped Ayaan complete his school project and she was helping him tidy up the room when she heard the knock on her door. She saw Daadi and with fear in her eyes started fumbling with her dupatta and struggled to put the pallu on her head.
Daadi asked Ayaan to leave saying his mom was calling him. Ayaan ran to his daadi and hugged her saying, "I will go on one condition".
Daddi: What is it munna? Is it choc*** you want? or my Phone to play games?
Shaking his head vigorously Ayaan looked down to his hands and said in a low voice, Please dont make chachi cry. I promise I will never ask choc*** from you.
Kalpi had unshed tears in her eyes when she heard the little one. Her heart went out to him.
Daadi's jaw dropped to her lap but then recovered quickly. Why dear? Why would I make her cry?
Ayaan replied, I always see her cry when you scold her. You never scold me even when I make mistakes but you always scold chachi even when she is like my superhero.
Kalpi choked and felt like hugging him but controlled herself and did not display any affection not in front of daadi atleast.
Okay I promise I will not scold said Dadi. Now will you go?
Ayan kissed his daadi's cheeks and ran past her waving a bye and a fly kiss to Kalpi.
Kalpi was still standing looking at her feet as if they were something to be admired.
Slowly through her pallu she looked at Daadi. She looked tired and famished. She looked old. Once upon a time she was a very strong woman and she had singlehandedly brought up her two sons. In those days she must have suffered a lot being a widow but a strong personality like her she controlled the entire village and managed everything on her own.
Since Bhairav Bauji loved his mother too much he never left the village though he had done his schooling and education out of the village. He had also married according to his mother's wish
after his elder brother Indrajit Tauji had married a girl from city without his mother's permission.
To say Dadi was heartbroken would have been an understatement. She had loads of expectations from her elder son Indrajit however he refused to stay back in the village and instead chose to help his father in law's business. They settled in USA and used to come one in 2-3 years to meet the family.
Kalpi had always admired her dadi saas after Bhairav had told her his mother's story. that was once when Daadi had hit her with a stick when she went out to play with the other girls in the field and came back home late after sunset.
Maasa is upset because she is concerned for you. Kalpi had nodded in denial saying Maasa hated her and wished her to die. Though she always thought that Maasa never liked her, she never knew that it would turn into hatred after Prem died.
Prem had promised her to get her a gift from the city and had tried to sneak off to the city with his friends when Kalpi was upset with him for forgetting her birthday. However he never returned as he the van carrying him and his friends to the city was overloaded and met with an accident.
Kalpi had seen Dadi's health deteriorate since then. She had suffered a stroke when she heard the news and was paralysed. Later when she tried to get up from the wheelchair she fell again hurting her knees so bad that it could not be recovered.
Kalpi...she went closer to Dadi. You still think I am your enemy dont you? You know why I hate you?
Kalpi felt a dagger pass through her heart! She knew it all the while Daadi hated her but it was another thing to hear it from the horse's mouth.
She shook her head saying no. Dadi moved her wheelchair closer to her and held her hand. Those calloused and rough chapped hands with wrinkled skin still had a strong grip. They dragged her down to make her sit near her legs.
Because you remind me my past! Kalpi widened her eyes and looked into Dadi's eyes. Eyes that were old and colourless and faded. Eyes that were witness to many things in life. Eyes that told her a totally different story.
Kalpi I had hated myself all my life thinking it was because of me Bhairav's bapusa passed away. But with time I realised that it was his time to leave. That is the life he had on this earth. It was my fate to struggle and I did. I never gave up. I never surrendered. I fought for my rights and dignity and I succeeded.
I never wanted to think of my past but then you became a widow right in front of me and I felt helpless. I had a reason to live. I had two children but you? You have not even deflowered yet. You are so young so naive that I am scared. People out are always ready to pounce on you to take advantage of you. Even I would get you remarried I know you will not be safe. I scold you because I want you to be strong. I want you to fight for your rights like you used to when you had come to this house and you used to fight with me, remember?
After Prem passed away you have become so quiet and so lost that I feel bad. I did not want to send you to school because they would laugh at you, make fun of you and you would again crawl into your shell. Dadi's hands shivered. She looked down at her teary eyed. And passed her hand over her head for the first time in so many years.
You know you look so beautiful even when you are so simple? Beauty is a curse at times. But you also have something else in you too, you are different Kalpi beta! Nobody can not fall in love with you. Kalpi was overwhelmed to hear all this from her Daadisaa and she burst out crying in her lap.
She had not cried this much even after Prem had died. His death had killed something in her and she had gone numb. But Today the wall of the dam of tears just gave away and she could not stop herself.
Cry my child cry, said Dadisaa. Cry cos its the tears that make us women stronger. Take out the tears and then it will make you feel empty and you will have no emotion inside. You will emerge stronger, you have to. Never let anyone take advantage of you. And if you feel I have ever done anything wrong to you then forgive me my child.
Kalpi kept crying soaking her Dadi's saree wet in tears and clinged on to her. She fell limp after few minutes and true to her Dadi's words she felt empty and lighter. She wondered why her Dadi said such things to her. Soon Dadi left to her room and asked Kalpi to cook her special dishes for dinner as she wanted to have them and even Indrajit her elder son who was to reach with his family liked that. It was gajar ka halwa that Kalpi used to make and everyone used to love it.
Kalpi got up to change into a white saree and went to the kitchen to make the dessert wiping away her tears. There was a tinge of excitement in her abdomen as she knew she would also meet Raghav, Prem's cousin.
He was fun and had been nice to her then. He never liked the fact that Prem was married so young and he was concerned for Kalpi asking her if she was fine now and then and had even sneaked sweets from the kitchen when she was supposed to be fasting.
But why this wierd feeling? She did not know. She would be seeing him almost after 2 years now. He was elder to Prem by 2 years and by 5 years to Kalpi. He had even given her his book to read which she found difficult then but now could read it easily. Babasa had taught her English and used to even explain the meanings of the words that she could not follow.
Kalpi and her babasa shared a very special and unique relationship. After Prem she felt that Bhairav loved her even more and gave her more responsibilities and treated her more like a son. They both had their special reading time in his study where they would share books, talk about them, discuss politics and latest news. He was a very intellectual person and she knew if he had left village and gone to the city he would have certainly made himself successful and famous. However she respected him more when she knew how he sacrificed his wishes for his beloved mother.
Sometimes they both would talk in English when Sumitra was around just to tease her and laugh and snicker when she made faces thinking they were making fun of her. Sumitra was only educated in hindi medium upto primary. She too was married off early to Bhairav and since she was never inclined to studies she was happy performing her duties towards her family.
Kalpi had loved her mother-in-law too much. She loved to see how her babasaa and her maasa were so much in love even at this age. It did make her sad at times thinking she would never experience a love like this. But then again with such a lovely family by her side she had no regrets!
To be continued in chapter 2
Edited by priya_remix - 9 years ago
