It was now three days after the' phag phere 'fiasco. Anandi had found out that Jagya had left the house ,thanks to dadisa preserving his letter like a treasured possession.In her grief,she had at first, refused to carry out any rasam.But Shiv had managed to change her mind.He pointed out to her that the Singhs were already suffering and she,by her behavior should not add to their misery.Moreover,by her refusal,she was disrespecting them and the hard work and love that had gone into the preparations for the same.Anandi saw the truth in what Shiv told her and agreed.In addition,she placed a request in front of him.Could she stay on in the badi Haveli till such time that Jagya's whereabouts were traced?After all,his disappearance had obviously taken a heavy toll on everyone in the family…Sumitra's health had deteriorated and Dadisa had grown more irritable ,snapping at everybody at the drop of a hat.In such circumstances,she felt ,only her staying back could restore some semblance of peace at home.Shiv,being the good man he was ,complied with this and left with a heavy heart.He resolved to hasten the process to find Jagdish,tapping all his resources.
The first two days passed quickly for Anandi.She gave Dadisa her 'adrathwali chai',which was truly relished ,her foot massage which brought great comfort to the old lady.She helped Sumitra and Gehna in the kitchen,played with Nandu and was updated about all his school events.She even found time to introduce Basant to the basics of handling a computer.And ,of course,she answered their numerous questions regarding her 'saasra'.She even managed to skirt the issue of Saanchi ,when asked about the latter's behavior.Added to all this,the journey had tired her.She fell asleep,no sooner than her head touched her pillow. Nevertheless,there was unrest in a small corner of her mind.CS has not once called her in these two days.She pacified herself by saying he must be busy with official work that had piled up.
The third morning dawned bright and clear.But Anandi was not relaxed.She had had a very disturbed night worrying about Shiv.Many a time,she was tempted to call him ,but refrained ….for fear of disturbing him.But today,the first thing she did after freshening was to phone him.He was his usual polite self enquiring about her and her family's well being.Yes,he had been very busy with his work but no apologies were offered for not contacting her.He assured her that he had set the ball rolling to search for Jagdish.Anandi's mind was not at ease after this conversation.She was astounded to realize that she had sorely missed Shiv's harmless flirting.With a confused mind,she went about her work.Today,more than ever before,images of Shiv kept flitting before her eye.Sumitra was the only one who noticed the change in her.When anandi stood with a vacant eyed look in front of the gas,not responding to the charred smell of the paratha,Sumitra went upto her.She signaled to Gehna to manage the kitchen and led Anandi to the room.
Anandi,as usual,was quick in her denial.This was further compounded by embarassment .She wondered what was wrong with her.She thought she would be happy in her parents ,house,but here she was constantly thinking about Shiv.Sumitra understood what was going on in her mind with just a single look.After all,had not this girl grown up in front of her eyes?Just as she had discerned Anandi's hesitation on the night before the wedding,so too now, she knew her daughter's confusion.
"Anandi,"she said,"do you know I have always wondered why some people,these days, scoff at marriage and look upon it as bondage?Yes,it does bind us…but the bonds are of faith;faith in our parents- that they who have reared and sheilded us ,have now found us an equally capable ,if not better person to protect us;a bond of trust…trust in the person that he will cherish and be beside us ,for good or evil and never let go of us,a bond of companionship….that we will grow older and wiser together,and finally the bond of love…love that makes our two hearts beat as one.From this love,ultimately springs the bond of oneness that makes us inseparable.These bonds do not tie us down.On the contrary,they liberate us….set us free from our fear of the future,knowing that somebody will always be there to lift us when we trip.By marrying shiv,you have shown your faith In us.You knew him well enough even before marriage to be sure that he would be a good companion,worthy of your trust.I believe,given time you will forge the last and most important bond.If I know my daughter well enough,I think you are already half way there,but haven't fully realized it."
"There will come a time when Shiv might take precedence over us in your heart and I pray fervently it happens.Because this is what any mother who truly loves a child would desire."As Anandi started shaking her head in denial to contradict this,Sumitra quietened her."It is ,but natural.You do not need to feel guilty about this.Your parents will always have a special place in your heart.We know that.Just know that loving your husband,in no way makes your love for your family any the less.You are only elevating him to that special place in your life that your parents have.The two can peacefully coexist.They are like your two eyes.You need both to have a clear vision of the path you have to tread on.You are lucky because, knowing Shiv,he will never ask you to choose one over the other.Everything In life is not about choices.I suggest you talk to Shiv.As for us,we can tide over the grief of Jagya's absence,just knowing that you are around.You need not be with us all the time….a short visit on the way back from school,a phonecall; just the thought that you are close by and the sound of your voice will carry us through.But ,more importantly,what will truly give us peace,is the fact that you are happily married to a worthy man."
Anandi hugged her mother and ran up to her room.The windchime was tinkling in the breeze ,making a sound so sweet,that she had never heard so far.Anandi gently ran her fingers through the chime."kuch nahi badla",she said.Looking at herself in the mirror ,a gentle smile played on her lips."nahi,kuch to badli!"She picked up her phone and scrolled down to'collector saab'.She edited it to 'Shiv' and dialed the number.As his phone rang,she closed her eyes and laughed….she was going HOME!!!!!!
Pushpa Impossible
