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His Wife
She woke up suddenly drenched in sweat. She remembered she was uneasy and felt a lot of pain in her abdomen; she wasn't new to this sensation and dreaded if it was true. Slowly, she moved to the washroom, hoping against hopes that this time she was safe. As she returned from the washroom, she was indeed sure that it was true, it had happened yet again, robbing all her hopes in an instant.
She sat blankly at her side of the bed and gazed at her husband who was fast asleep on his side. It was their wedding anniversary. Five years into the marriage and she still wasn't sure if it was right to get married at the first place. Her father had selected him for her, and she really wasn't interested in who and how he was. They did meet a couple of times before marriage on his insistence, which she dutifully obliged not wanting to offend anyone, fact was she was least interested.
In the morning she told him about the night incident, he was sad that they had lost another child but accepted it as god's will. He'd always supported her in tough times, silently standing by her in situations so miserable. He offered to cancel their trip to his hometown where they were supposed to spend their anniversary weekend but she refused. She didn't want to give anyone reasons to point him out.
They reached their native place by noon, the haveli was heavily decorated for their anniversary as Maan was the biggest son and his family was one of the zamidaar of the small town. But he was very down to earth and wanted to be self dependent, hence he always kept himself out of family business and made his career in IT job. They were welcomed warmly into the house by everyone, but Savitriji was eyeing Geet speculatively. Feeling rather intimated by her stare Geet quickly pulled her dupatta to hide her now flattened stomach which didn't go unnoticed by the sharp eyes of her mother in law. They were sent to their rooms to rest.
It was evening and the party was in full swing, Geet was smiling for the first time since night. She didn't wanted to be sad anymore, and it was especially difficult because all the family members were very caring and friendly. But her happiness was short lived as she heard her mother-in-law giving an earful to her son.
"She did that again, didn't she?" her voice was full of contempt; she immediately knew what was all that about as Maan was standing there with his head bowed not bothering to correct her she thought bitterly.
"I told your father she was no good for the family, can't even give you the happiness of being a father. Women are supposed to bear children and take the family forward, I wonder what purpose of a wife she serves; I'm already in two minds about getting you remarried."
Tears stung her eyes as she heard such harsh words, but the next voice she heard made her eyes wide in surprise, it was her husband answering back to his mother for the first time, was she hearing all right?
"Enough Maa! Now you are crossing the line. Don't forget that whatever may happen, she is my wife and no one else can fulfill her place in my life. I thought you would at least understand being a mother, that it is she who is facing all the agony of losing one child after other not you or me. And I know better to support her than to hold her responsible for something she had no control over."
Her breath caught in her throat ready to choke her as she heard him defend her in front of his mother. He'd always looked at his mother reverently and never had once raised his voice in front of her which made her think that he was an obedient mama's boy; but she hoped he'd stand up against her at least when she is so obviously wrong. Though she'd always respected this quality of him, she'd always heard that a man, who respects his mother, can be the only one who truly respects his wife. And today she realized how true it was, the respect she had for that man, her husband had suddenly increased ten folds and crossed the ninth cloud.
"To let you know another thing I have decided to relive her off this pressure forever, we are going for adoption if she agrees. And if you are so much interested in your son's conjugal life then you'd better know that - I do not make love to my wife to make babies."
With those final words he'd left two people in deep thinking. She wasn't sure how to react to this new found information. She was completely left speechless.
As they packed their stuff for an unscheduled departure back home early next morning, she couldn't keep her eyes away from him. As they boarded the bus he dosed off immediately; she thought he looked tensed, like he didn't get any sleep last night. While it was the first time she slept peacefully in years; feeling safe in the presence of the man who vowed to take all the hardships that came her way years back, but she finally believed him now.
The jerks of the bus couldn't disturb her as she thought about how she'd treated him all this time, while he'd known nothing less than to give her love and happiness. It was like seeing her married life for the first time in a different context. All that bringing flowers and sweets in the initial days; trying to take her out on weekends - which she mostly refused flatly, still his spirits never weakened, he always tried to make it special, she just failed to notice them.
She wondered how there was a huge difference between this average looking man and the college heartthrob she'd once fell in - what she thought was - love with; who first made a 16 year old pregnant and then forced her into an abortion at that tender age. Yes, she'd lost five kids, not four.
While this man on the other hand, despite all her failings, never once questioned her physical shortcomings of not being able to bear a child, his child. He still accepted her as she was. She'd never be able to give him back a cent of love that he showered on her. But now she was determined to try.
She was sitting on the bed pretending to read a magazine as she watched him comb his hairs looking at the mirror. Their eyes locked once in the mirror and he asked what? With gesture of his hand; to which she shook her head. The whole day she'd been unable to take her eyes off him, it was like seeing him altogether in a different light, she couldn't help but feel warm and content at the sight of him and thanked god a million times every second for making her his life partner.
He came to bed and stretched out on his side; seeing her so lost he thought it might be due to the incident and thought to give her some time. Deciding to check on his mails before sleeping he opened his laptop and got lost in work. All the while as he worked he felt her watching him with rapt attention, he didn't know what it was but this was so unlike her, in the past 5 years of being together, he'd known his wife to be a passive partner, he was always the one to take lead in their relation, she just followed. But he'd been noticing her changed behavior since yesterday, and was unsure about what had changed between them.
Not able to take her scrutinizing gaze anymore, he closed his laptop and turned to her, intending to ask her, if she wanted to share what she had in her mind. Even before he could open his mouth, all of a sudden she jumped on him, hugging him tight as if to never let go. Maan had to hold onto the edge of the bedside table in order to break his fall, but oblivious to all this or anything at all, she was continuously sobbing on his shoulders.
"Humara bachcha Maan, I lost him, I lost our baby, I am sorry."
Between her hiccups he could hear her murmuring these words, he tried to calm her. At the same time he was surprised, she'd never broken down like this in front of him, never shared her pain before, it'd always hurt him to not be able to reduce her pain. How could he, when she didn't even make him part of his pain, like always trying to keep a brave front.
Not that she'd never cried over their previous losses, but he couldn't help to notice the change in her addressing now "their child" instead of "her child". He hugged her tighter as if to absorb all her pain through that divine connection. Now he truly felt that he was her partner; in happiness and sorrow; in sufferings and in health. He'd finally lived up to all his wedding vows. He sighed in contentment he felt finally.
She continued to sob in his arms feeling home for the first time as she embraced her true partner her soul mate. Sure life had tested them but his unconditional love had finally made her his wife in true sense.
Disclaimer: this story is not entirely a fiction and my imagination, but partly inspired by a confession I read over the internet and framed it into Maaneet background. I hope I did justice to it and didn't hurt any feelings in the process.
A/N: It's been long that i have updated anything, and probably disappointed you all by the closure of Corporate love, so this one is a small compensation, along with that a small gesture to return a bit of all the love i got from here. I hope u like it, AND there's another one too đ MG OS- Their Long Journey
PS: I have used this image from FB, all credits to uploader.
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