SS Divorce (MG) last part page 120/31stDEC'12 - Page 11

If I thought that Rajji will leave me in peace, I was wrong.

At around 9:30 pm I heard the door bell and peeping out of the eye hole I found Rajji standing there with her husband. I sighed and opened the door.

Her husband left after a cup of tea and she went to change, she had come to stay for a night, or say to hear everything from me without interruption.

She opened her bag and pulled out a double pack of pizza, I shrugged, and took the packet and placed it in the microwave to heat it.

And while eating that pizza, as they show in that advertisement, I told her about the papers and why Maan was there at that time.

It was hard for her to believe that we still loved each other; I had to explain to her the circumstances that lead to the divorce.

She sat quietly listening to me:

Though I was engaged to the Khurana son for more than a year, I never got a chance to meet him, but a month before our marriage he came to meet me with his mother and I instantly liked him. He seemed to be a man of few words. He listened carefully to my so called absurd talks; and before leaving asked for my mobile number. I told him I don't have any mobile, he just smiled.

And the very next day I had a courier delivered having a mobile set in it, as soon as I switched the set on, it buzzed. He had been waiting for me to get it.

He used to call me very often, I was surprised at how much he talked, he poured his heart out, told me about his office, about his projects, his family and asked me about my college, my friends, my family, but he never talked about his mother. Whenever I asked him, he would just say, soon you will know her.

In a month's time it seemed as if I knew everyone expect his mother personally. His brother Dev was 2 years my senior, he was an adorable guy and his girlfriend now wife NT was amazing.

On our first night, I felt sure that he is the best of best and I felt myself to be very lucky. In the morning he woke me up, told me about the rituals that will take place downstairs like, my first meal preparation, the puja that will take place etc,. He gave me a beautiful sari to wear and helped me get ready.

He asked me to go as soon as I was ready and told me not to talk to his mother, only to answer her in monosyllables. I was confused but followed his words.

The day went very tiring, throughout the day he did not talk to me, he did not even look at me, I was surprised, but shrugged my thoughts.

As days went I joined my college, he dropped me there, throughout the way he talked a lot and asked me many questions, he always send his car to take me back to KM.

But inside the house especially in presence of his mother he ignored me; I slowly realized that his mother had a hold on him, a hold too tight. Dev once told me that I should keep my stands clear, I should not let their mother boss me.

But at that stage a s I were studying I did not have much time for all these things, and to add to my busy schedule I got pregnant, I was cared for, not that my mother in law ill treated me otherwise, she gave me full space, she never interfered with my working. Though she never approved of late night working style, she never objected. Even during pregnancy she gave me good advice, she was an ideal mother in law.

But as far as Maan was concerned, she was completely obsessed; she was too possessive about him. She did not let me serve him. I could not talk to him in her presence. He ignored me totally. I did not like the fact that his love for me was so shallow that he could not even look at me in his mother's presence.

I pacified myself and got to my studies, I was happy that at least inside the 4 walls of our room he was only mine that in his mother's absence he was mine only mine.

Agni was born and I was on rest for 40 days, I did not go to college, if you remember Rajji you would come with my college work and help me cope up with it.

Rajji nodded and said, "but I never found Maan by your side, it was always you MIL who was there, always so caring and nice"

I smiled, "that is the main problem, she is very nice and caring but she is obsessed by the fact that she is the only one who can take care of his son and others. At times she takes drastic steps to be good"

Rajji sighed on my plight, "that's why it was always she who was taking care of Agni, and I thought"

I interrupted, "that what kind of irresponsible mother I am"

Rajji just dipped her head, she continued, "and same happened with Aarohi"

I nodded, "yes, at times I had to remind Maan that I was their mother, and he just consoled me, he was not at all able to balance between me and his mother"

Rajji asked, "why did she send them to hostel?"

I sighed, "in there family everyone goes to study in a boarding school, Maan and Dev also went to the same school, therefore my kids also had to go, at first I thought that only Agni will be sent, but when they took Aarohi away I was lost. Aarohi after much controlling of my MIL still was close to me. She loved me and shared her thoughts with me. My MIL was worried about this, she once told me not to inculcate my absurd habits in Aarohi, I was shocked"

Rajji spontaneously asked, "What habits"?

I shrugged, "like working endlessly, listening to music, watching TV etc, the list is endless. Every normal activity is abnormal for her. What she wanted was that I should wear heavy dresses, expensive jewellery, put on a lot of makeup and follow her day and night"

Rajji asked again. "what did Maan have to say about all this?"

I said, "nothing. Though his grandfather once told me, that he never wanted me to get married to Maan, he had chosen me for Dev, as he was aware that my MIL would never let anyone come close to Maan, but as Dev loved NT and Maan instantly fell for me, he thought that maybe the intensity of his love for me will change things. But alas he was wrong. He once asked me to forgive him. And after Aarohi was send to hostel, he called Maan and scolded him for all this drama, but Maan just stood helplessly in front of him. After few days he died and on his death bed he asked Maan to free me. After his last rituals I left the KM"

Rajji wiped her tears, "Maan did not stop you?"

I gathered the pizza remains and said," no, how much I wanted him to stop me, to say that he will talk to his mother , but he did not stop me, but he suggested places where I can move. I waited for 2 yrs, daily hoping that he would come to take me back. But he did not come"

Rajji was a little confused, "your MIL she did not come?"

I stacked the plates after washing, "she came, just to say that she knew that I would leave his son as Sameera has done all those years back. She knew that no woman was good enough to be her son's wife"

Rajji asked, "who is this Sameera?"

I told her about Sameera, she just laughed, "better she came to know about his mother before marriage, but who told you about Sameera" I told her that it was Dev who told me about her, once when Agni was taken away from me, he warned me to demand my status before it is too late.

Rajji said, "then you asked for Divorce?"

"yes, I had no choice, I had to get out of this relationship. I was in a vaccum and I needed oxygen to breath. I felt suffocated. But if that day Maan would have asked me to return, I willingly would have"

Rajji said, "but he never asked, he freed you from all ties"

I just nodded.