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bound in love - preeto OS
Part 1
"Leaving so soon??" preeto and sunny looked around for the source of sound. a tall shrude looking woman strode towards them in no apparent hurry.
her dark piercing eyes scanned across Preeto's face first moving on to take in her full view with an evident distaste. but her view got obstructed as an offended sunny took up his post in front of his fiance.
"Preeto??" she stepped across sunny and closed in to her object of interest. "the name my son has been chanting for the past 48 hours." a sudden snap as preeto jerked her head sideways to face the lady who had started circling her. "you are Rajbeer's mother?" indignation and anger etched on preeto's face clearly took sunny by surprise. a smirk stole on her face as rajbeer's mother looked down at sunny's bike. "you came by this??" "how dare you come here now? after all these years?"preeto glowered up at her and sunny had surely gone out of context. rajbeer's mom was surprisingly indifferent as she calmly turned and walked away.
preeto's thoughts raced faster than sunny's bike as they coursed their way back. but as she dismounted the bike she calmed her senses to release her parents of the past days of tension. but preeto's entry turned no heads and sunny and preeto wondered about the object of interest around which her family stood stone faced.
preeto's eyes again met d same pair of cold eyes which had bore into her thoughts all the way till this moment. but then her gaze caught biji's tear filled eyes.
Preeto (as she ran towards biji): "biji apka beta bilkul theek hain"
her statement was met by a shrill cry of mock laughter from rajbeer's mom.
Preeto (she had enough): "what do you want?"
rajbeer's mom (again choosing to ignore her and addressed biji): "so thats why you did this to him?" (and she crossed her hands in front of her as she continued)... "you give him an illusion of a mother's love and stole away his life??"
Preeto: "don't you dare..."
rajbeer's mom (cutting off preeto rudely): "DARE?? oh yes i will dare Miss Manpreet Singh Dhillon. you and your family are responsible for my son's condition."
tempers were running high at both ends.
Preeto retorted: "your son?? really? still after all these years?"
A mother is after all a mother and Preeto realized this a split second after she finished her angry diatribe.
rajbeer's mom (her eyes burning red in a barely surfacing intense anger): "Motherhood is priced Of God, a price that no one should lessen or misunderstand." (with a great dislike for preeto still reflected on her face, she turned towards the dhillons again). The strength of motherhood is greater than all natural laws. and maybe that's why i felt what all of you closed your hearts to."
Preeto (forcing a calmness in her voice and softness in her words): "everybody here cares for him and loves him."
rajbeer's mom (a triumphant gleam in her eyes): "you too?"
the question caught her by surprise and as preeto formed her words sunny took the initiative: "what do you mean? she is my fiance."
rajbeer's mom (a sad smile on her face as she looked at sunny with much care): "I meant what you are scared to see. What you knew always. its the answer to the questions your eyes keep asking her."
preeto (suddenly regaining her voice back): "yes me too. we have been here for him, when you left rajbeer conveniently. biji wiped his tears and bauji gave him his council. my sisters showered him with affection and his friends cared for him like their own."
preeto (rajbeer's pain incensed her rage. she was forced to be responsible for his plight. but his mother? what justification did she have): you made him suffer all these years..
rajbeer's mom (regaining her attitude and steely voice): ENOUGH... now you all listen to me. rajbeer has been forced to a life of wheelchair by this daughter of yours (her revelation was met by gasps by all). i think even you know what state of mind my son was when he went for the mission (she turned towards biji...who lowered her head burdened with the guilt and rb's mom continued addressing her). and now you will get your daughter married to him.
sunny (shocked and enraged): you cannot force her...
rajbeer's mom (cutting out sunny midway): then stop her. can you? were you able to stop her physical pain when rajbeer had the accident? were you able to stop her from believing against all odds that rajbeer was still alive? could you stop her from seeking out every possible way to find out rajbeer? could you convince her the about the insensibility of driving up all the way to jammu to see if rajbeer was fine and again the insanity of coming back without even a glance at him?
Preeto (now desperate): i don't love him
rajbeer's mom (in a more authoritative tone): i don't care. you bound the rest of his life in two wheels and now you will be bound for your life with him. else i promise that each moment that my son breaks down under the burden of his helplessness, i shall curse you and your family. i shall never fail to keep reminding you that the ones my son sought as his own, betrayed his feelings, and took away his love...hope and...maybe his destroyed life too...
NO...please...biji screamed as she wailed out in desperation. but as soon as preeto reached her, biji held her in a death like grasp: "why did you do this to him? WHY preeto? what will i say to babaji? babaji...take my life and spare his..." "biji..no.." but biji was not calmed by all their combined efforts also. rajbeer's mom stood afar watching preeto closely and as preeto turned towards her, she replied: "I will marry rajbeer"
rajbeer's mom was the only one who betrayed no feeling of surprise. she was used to getting what she wanted. but as preeto stood staring right at her, she whispered: "congratulations...for a life bound to my son...who incidentally now hates you because you condemned him to a life of dependence...and now the cause of his lifelong agony...will be his lifelong company..." Preeto felt a deep stab at her soul... "may you have a happily married life.." With the last statement, Rajbeer's mom turned her heel and moved out.
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