Chapter Thirteen
Vikram was breaking all the speed limits to get Sugni to the hospital. As they stopped at a red light, he reached over and squeezed her
hand. "Sugni, don't worry, everything will be ok."
Sugni just nodded and continued praying to Sita maiya. Vikram had noticed that just like their "wedding night", whenever Sugni was in any
tension, she would squeeze some pebbles she always had tied to her dupatta and pray to Sita maiya. As soon as the jeep came to a stop in the hospital parking lot, Sugni hopped out the jeep and went running inside.
When Vikram reached, he saw her with Nagania. "Is there any news yet?" he asked.
"No thakur malack, since they took her inside the ER, no one came out since," Nagania replied.
"Mami, how did this happen?" Sugni questioned her.
"Sugni beta...your mother had gone to peform rai..whe"
"Rai?" Sugni practically screamed at her aunt. "Ma is sick! How could you allow her to go to do rai?"
Vikram rushed to Sugni and pulled her away from Nagania, "Sugni? Sugni please calm down. We are in the hospital. Let me speak to her ok?"
"No malack! I will speak to her. How could they make my mother dance? What happened to all that money from the sardakai? Huh?"
"Sugni please calm down. I will speak to her. You go and sit down on that chair now," Vikram directed Sugni to a seat and went to speak to Nagania.
"Malack, please it's not like that..." Nagania began to explain.
"Tell me then, what it was like because i would love to know how you people will allow a sick woman to go and dance," Vikram was also mighty
pissed off.
"Malack, when Hukum and Kataru came home, they were excited about the baby. They began making plans for the baby's sardakai and how much money they could make. It wasn't until after all their plans, they realised the baby was a boy. They were angry and disappointed. Jiji was making plans for the baby's naming ceremony and they got interested in that. But when Jiji refused to give them money for liquour, they stole all the money in the night and ran off with it. They spent it all and came back with nothing! The baby needed things and we needed groceries so Jiji decided to go for Rai..."
"Why didn't you come to me if you needed money?" he demanded.
"I wanted to come believe me malack I was going to come to Sugni but Jiji stopped me and she forbid us from asking for any thing ...and then she collapsed in pain while doing rai..."
Just then the doctor came out and Vikram went with Sugni to his office. "Well doctor, do you have a diagnosis?"
"I do. Gulabiya has Bursitis," the doctor diagnosed.
"Bursitis?"
"Yes. Gulabiya is a dancer right? The dancing aggravated her shoulder joint. The pain she felt originated there, then spread out into her chest and down her arm, mimicking heart pains or angina. We didn't pinpoint the source because up until now there's been no swelling or inflammation in the joint. We've injected steroid medication and local anesthetic into the joint and packed her shoulder in ice."
"Will she be ok?"
"Yes she will. You can take her home in a while."
"Thank you so much doctor."
Vikram, Sugni and Nagania went in to see Gulabiya. "Ma, how are you feeling?"
"Better Sugni."
"Ma why didn't you tell me you needed money?"
"Sugni! I can't take money from you."
"Ma! What is the point of all this if I can't help you? You are forbidden from dancing!"
"Gulabiyaji if I may make a suggestion that will solve everyone's problems?" Vikram intervened.
"Yes malack."
"I will hire your brothers to work for me in the furniture store and pay them. That way you will not need to dance."
"Work malack? They will never do that," Gulabiya laughed.
"Once I have your permission, trust me Gulabiyaji they will work for me," he stated.
Gulabiya looked at his determined face for a minute and then agreed. It would be nice if her brothers could earn for themselves. After all she
would not be around forever to support them.
A short while later, Vikram took Gulabiya home and then he and Sugni made their way home.
"Malack you may not know this but my uncles are so lazy that they will never agree to work. Malack..I was thinking that since everything seems
to be okay on your end, maybe I should go back home and ..and I could do the rai so that ma..."
Vikram pulled the jeep to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road. "You will do what? Rai? Huh? You want to dance in front of these lecherous
men and have them ogle you? Is that what you are saying Sugni?" Vikram felt the anger rise out of his stomach. She just had to be crazy!
"Malack I was just thinking about ma and.."
"And nothing Sugni! Didn't you hear what I told your mother in the hospital? Your uncles will work. Do not doubt that they won't do it.
Stop treating them like china dolls. They are grown men with families having kids so they need to provide for their families ok. You will not sell your body to feed grown up men!! If I ever hear those words come out of your mouth again then I will wring your neck!"
"Are..are you threatening me?"
"Yes! And Sugni bear in mind that I never make a threat that I can't follow through on ."
"You are being ridiculous malack!"
"And you are not a bedni!" he retorted as he started the jeep.
"Malack you do remember that all of this will end soon right? We are just pretending here. I am just pretending to be your wife."
"Well you are not doing a great job!" he told her and pulled into the driveway.
Before she could reply, he hopped out the jeep and marched into the guest house. She decided to take a few minutes to get some air.
Since she had heard that her mother was sick again, she had been operating on steam. She was so scared that something would happen to her but thank god the doctor finally diagnosed her condition. She promised herself that no matter what the consequences, her mother would not dance ever again. Recalling her and Vikram's argument, she knew he had a point. Her uncles needed to work and if he could make them do it then great. She decided to go and apologise to him. She realised that she had never seen him so angry before. He must really despise rai and ..and bednis, she finished the depressing thought. It was then that she noticed the strange car parked in the driveway. Thinking that MT must have a visitor she made her way to the guesthouse.
As she stepped into the living room, she felt the blood rush into her head as jealousy and anger overtook her whole mind.
Seated on the sofa, was Vikram with a lady caressing his shoulder! The woman had long black hair and her nails were polished a deep red colour.
"..when I heard the news, I just had to come here to find out for myself. I simply could not believe that you had gotten married!" she purred, "Vikram darling, how could you? When you know that I have been waiting for so long to marry you? Anyways, now that I have confirmed it with you, I just can't decide what I should do!"
" Why don't I help you make up your mind then?" Sugni stepped into the living room. "If I find you within 10 yards of Vikram again, I will scratch your eyes out! And I never make a threat that I cannot follow through on!"
Vikram raised his eyebrows at the last statement. Both he and the lady stood up. "Well well Vikram, it seems that you have your hands full here with this one. I will leave you alone with your jailkeeper bride!" the lady said and walked out.
As the door slammed on the lady's exit, Sugni just wanted the earth to open up and swallow her. Oh Sita maiya!What did she just do? What did she just say?
"Sugni? Wha..." Vikram started to say but Sugni cut him off.
"What malack? There is no way that a wife would walk past a scene like that in her home and do nothing! " she replied defensively.
"Really? I could have sworn that you were..hmmm...dare I say jealous?" he teased her.
"What! jealous? You are joking right? I was pretending to be your wife! Ju..just pretending!" she stammered and ran to her room to hide her embarassment.
Vikram looked at her closed door and smiled, "Oh Sugni..Sugni Sugni. You are jealous!" Why that thought pleased him, he did not want to think about but he was actually very happy to get rid of Sangeeta. She had been hounding him down for years and he was actually thinking of a polite but effective way to get rid off her but Sugni did it instead!
Edited by JulieD - 11 years ago
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