Her day went great .Excitement bubbled up in her and she started to think that marrying Suryavanshi so she could remain as a dean was worth the trouble of putting up with his grumpiness in the morning.
Maya sat, staring out at the lake. A copy of the new guidelines lay at her feet where she had dropped it covered by a letter from the Internal commitee . Both her heart and mind were in turmoil. 'Pick your battles,' her father had always told her. She had values, hopes, and dreams, and this new law would force her to choose between them.
Confused, she reached for her bag. With paper and pen in hand she began compiling pros and cons list for every available option. She resolved to solve this problem with logic and planning. It was like any other obstacle she had faced in the past.
That was the way Vardhaan found her, bent over her paper, trying to keep it from being blown away in the wind.
"Miss Raichand," he said softly, "May I join you." She nodded and scooted to the far end of the bench.
"I rather thought you would have left by now." Vardhaan added with his trademark smirk .
"I am NOT going anywhere !" She practically shouted ...
"Ah ! so you have decided to marry again ! that's wonderful ."
How unfair it is ... She thought . She never thought she would face gender discrimination and like this ? ... Now she knew how it felt ... If she would have known she would have never allowed those mediocre dunces of LITS she called a team to harass girls like sanyukta and she felt guilty for it cause somehow it was her fault .
"NO ! I ... ... I just ..." maya's voice cracked at that"the first sign of emotional distress she had shown so far.
"Just becuase am not married now doesn't mean I can't be a dean ... it has nothing to do with that . I am sure this is all internal politics ... they just want to replace me ..just because am a woman doesn't mean am less capable !"
Her paper was now in his hand "I agree ." He said while reading the paper Maya was writing on .
"Always determined to solve every problem with your intellect"an admirable approach." He handed the stack back to her and she stuffed them into her bag along with the guidelines muttering something like "Discrimination" and "should not have taken my paper without permission."
"So you've come to no conclusion yet?" he asked.
"No," she sighed, turning her head so he wouldn't see the tears pricking her eyes.
"I always pictured myself falling in love with an honourable man, someone who enjoyed the same things I do. We would have children, one or two, and we would grow old together. I want a marriage like my parents have," she said pleadingly.
"Then I met this man and we fell in love , my parents were against us but I married him anyway . I loved my parents you see , but I was an independent woman and I thought I had a right to marry the one I want. It was either him or them , I had no other choice . ... I chose him."
Vardhaan flinched ... She had a loving family .. he didn't . how could someone be so stupid and leave their parents ?
"The first year went well . I was working as an assistant under Pro. Rao . We had a little cottage with vines growing on it . Everything was perfect . As I thought ... I missed my parents but I was happy with my new life."
To say Vardhaan was confused would be an underestimate . What was wrong with this woman ? Who does she think I am ? Her psychiatrist
"Somewhere in the second year he lost his job .. I told him not to worry ... my income was enough for both of us . He started drinking ! I ignored .. He started physically abusing me while he was drunk .. I shrugged that off ... he didn't even know what he did when he was drunk ... he started bringing girls home .. I found out ... I wasn't happy but I was scared .. I didn't want a divorce so we continued somehow ."
"Remember that day you called me home and he picked up the phone ? That night he accused me of cheating him ... I did not know what to do ? That was the first time I regretted my decision ! Imagine MAYA RAICHAND regretting her decision ! I thought I was independent ... but I never felt so dependent when I was with him ... I thought I was doing right .. but I never felt so Wrong ! "
"I'll leave you now. I suspect you have quite a bit of work ahead of you, what with pro and con lists."Vardhaan walked away ... just like that .
maya watched as he walked away, and then turned back to the lake. The list was in her bag, but she left it there. She could look at it later, first she had to come to terms with her decision"one step at a time.
Udne Ki Aasha
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