Chapter 3
Recap-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
Completed...
Somewhere in the sky...
Raghav's mom was fussing all over him. Beta will you have something beta? You want to drink something? Should I take out the bag with cookies?
Rolling his eyes Raghav chided her, Mom! Please hush! I dont want cookies! I am not a 5 year old! and please let me be! I can ask for anything myself! Why are we even going there? I am so pissed!
Beta even I dont like going there naa but your papa wants to, after all he left his entire family for me, so I have do this for his sake na! By the way they are not bad people there dear! They love us a lot. Its just the weather I am not fond of and the villagers, and the dirt and the loud tractors and the insects, and the mosquitoes and the dirty water, and the high calorie food and ...
Raghav took a deep breath rolled his eyes again closed them and puffed out a big breath..."Got it Mom, you love them! If they are so good why are they so mean to Kalpi then! I mean who even gets a child married these days? And she still lives like a widow? Unbelievable!"
I just...its just so unfair Mom! I mean women these days are not even loyal in their relationship and she is still following those stupid rules for Prem who died years ago?
Neetu had tears in her eyes and she sniffed, true, that poor girl has some fate huh!? She is such a sweet girl! Just like the girl I would have chosen to be your bride! Unfortunately she is stuck there in the village wasting her life away!
Something tingled in Raghav's body on hearing that. Mom! Please! I am too young to get married and you are not choosing the girl for me! I will marry the girl I choose that is, if, I decide to marry in the first place! I am happy being single and for now concentrating on my studies!
Ofcourse sweetu, I didnt ask you to get married now. And stop looking at the airhostess and dont take her number from her even if she gives. I did not like how she has been flirting with you since the past 4 hours.
Mom, stop before I change my seat!
What's going on between you too grunted Indrajit! Nothing honey, why dont you take rest? Do you need the pillow dear?
Phew! Thanks dad mumbled Raghav noticing that his mom had changed her person of interest for the time being and that now she will be bugging his dad instead. Chuckling at his dad's misfortune he put back his headphones that blared with rock music. His thoughts however went back to two years ago when he had visited Prem's funeral! He couldnt believe Prem died in an accident! But was what was more unbelievable was her sitting in a corner, lifeless and dull and people blaming her for his death! He had even fought with one of the people who had visited asking him to shut up and not talk rubbish about the women of his house. Why had he done that then? Well to be honest it was not fair people talking behind her back when she was not in a position to defend herself. They had stayed back for a month then. He had to do his projects and submissions all online and had managed to scrape through all that. He was so concerned for her who now looked like a rag doll as people kept pulling her from one room to another and talking about her in front of her as she did not exist.
One day he had managed to talk to her after Bhairav chachu had asked him to cheer her up as there was no one of her age in that house now! He felt bad that she was not allowed to go to school and study and have friends. She had just given her board exams as they call it here, privately. And he had learnt from chachu that she used to score good grades in her exams.
MAybe she liked reading books he thought. He took his favourite book given to him by his professor. He was a bad tempered guy and would get enraged even at the fall of a hat.
Reading this book had helped him. He did not know how it would help Kalpi as she was always a happy person. But with Prem gone things might change and he did not want her to change. He approached her as she sat by herself in her room. It was dark and her room lights were switched off. He knocked the door and switched them on to find her sitting in a corner looking somewhere not focusing on anything particular. She looked lost, defeated and he did not like that look. The eyes that were once twinkling with mischief and happiness were dull and lifeless. The face that once shown with energy, and enthusiasm looked tired. The once chirpy and the ever-talkative Kalpi was mute. He felt bad. She certainly did not deserve this. Recollecting girls of her age in his college he thought how vain they were but still they lived life to the fullest. The greates tragedy for some of them might be their mascara running or them having a bad hair day.
He had taken a seat close to her and called her. She looked at him for a moment without recognising who he is. As if she had seen him first time and she immediately retracted and pulled her pallu over her head, jethji aap?. Kalpi, its ok! Just call me Raghav, thats what Prem used to call me. Drop the honorifics please. She looked confused for a moment and then told him she cant as she will be scolded.
Ok fine atleast when we are alone I am your friend ok? And jethji makes me sound very old. She had smiled then and he felt a teeny bit of pride swelling in his heart. He was the reason for her smile and he liked it. They talked for few hours and he asked her interests and what she wanted to be in future. She replied doctor, and he thought it to be very cliched answer but dint say anything. He asked her if she liked to read. When he learnt the kind of books she read, he was amazed. No wonder she was so matured! She had been reading books in Chachu's shelf. He then gifted his book and told her it helped him and he would be glad if she could make use of it too. He even went on to tell her the story behind the book.
Then out of nowhere he asked her foolishly, did you love Prem? She looked at him funnily and said Prem was my husband. To that he questioned again, were you in love with him? She looked down playing with her fingers saying I do not know what it is to love, Raghav but I knew he was my best friend! Raghav felt uneasy, a little jealous maybe. Why? Prem is gone and kalpi was his wife.
For the next few days he kept her engaged with conversations and he even taught her how to use an ipad and browse through internet etc. She was impressed needless to say with his knowledge. He had not missed being in UK and realised that he actually liked her company and talking to her was so easy. They could almost talk about anything. Though she would get shy and uncomfortable when he spoke about his girlfriends back in UK and asked her opinion on things girls like. Soon he realised she was in no way similar to the girls he dated. She was very simple and had no expectations from life. No matter how unjust life was to her, she had no regrets. In fact she was grateful and hence used to thank god for the family she was given everyday. He loved to hear her sing the bhajans and would sit with Dadisaa when she read Ramayan for her.
Raghav came out of the past when the plane went through turbulence for few minutes. He sighed thinking if she had changed and why was he feeling all excited to meet her again after two years.
He was invited by his friends for a trip to goa and even a tour in Europe. One of his friends wanted them to go in a cruise but he chose to accompany his parents to this village where there was nothing at all...or was it untrue...probably this was the place which had something he yearned for! He was confused and feeling angry. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair and face realising he now had grown the stubble which made it itchy and rough. He felt his lips chapping and asked for a glass of water. The air hostess came to him with a big fake smile and offered him the glass.
Seeing his parents sleep she tried intiating conversation with him. However he did not feel like entertaining her at the moment. He had dated so many women, but never met anyone like her. So pure, so innocent, so untouched. He smiled at his thoughts and drifted into a world of dreams where he would see a faceless woman who would caress his face lovingly and run off. On calling her she would turn back only for him to realise she looked like...Kalpi???
