ch59-60 pg137, Updt,a road to salvation Mar 27 - Page 63

Madhu came to her home. She went straight to her mother's room. Malik was already there. Padmini was looking quite balanced. She appeared sad but was doing ok. Madhu came to her Mom guilt laden, she had killed her son. She sat down on the ground next to her mother. SM prompted her that she knew how things had happened.

Madhu:- Mumma, I am sorry would not do anything…

Padmini looked up at Madhu and touched her cheeks very affectionately but with an enquiring look.

Padmini:- Mallik will I be a cruel woman, if I tell my daughter that what she did, was what she needed to do. She did not do any thing wrong. Am I wrong if I say that Mallik.

Madhu looked at Mallik and padmini in disbelief.

Padmini:- I am sad not for what you did Madhu but for what I did. I could not save my son. I could not bring him out of that gutter. I left him to rot there.

Mallik:- Padmini it is not so you know that. We had brought him with us. He left us for his father when he was 18 you know that. It is no one's fault. Some things are destined.

Padmini:- No mallik I did not try enough. Madhu Trishna ko sach batana hoga.

Trishna was out for her shooting. It was not even too late when she had called Mukund for his assistance, it was just 8 PM. She had called Mukund to pick her up from the studio, but to her astonishment Mukund had replied very coldly that "I am not available, I have some very important work to do" She was not concerned by his being busy she understood that but his tone was too rude no actually indifferent. She had reached home by 9 and was in her room when Madhu came. SM instructed Mrs Jain to send Trishna to their room. When trishna came she was over excited to see Madhu, but then she saw Padmini sitting on the ground. She looked drained out. Trishna knew something was wrong.

Trishna :-" Madhu what is wrong , has RK again done something"

Trishna:- I always regret the day we met RK , It was my birthday. I had never thought it would prove so unlucky for us.

Madhu:- I need to talk to you….

SM:- here not alone ( he ordered Madhu)

Madhu:- yes malik

Madhu narrated the 25 January incident to Trishna, including Gafurans death. What Trishna did not yet understand was why she was being told all that. She looked at Madhu questioningly. Madhu again said

Madhu:- the daughter who's marriage she wanted to witness is ( Madhu took a long breath) …….YOU

Trishna heard it, she felt her head spinning. She did not say anything. SM spoke to Trishna

SM:- Trishna you were born to Gafuran even before your dad married your mother. Madhu was first of the legitimate child he had. He wanted a daughter so he was quite upset with your mother.

Trishna knew all this she had lived in the haveli as long as she remembered. Every one there addressed her as chaudhrain. No one ever except her own father and her brother looked her down. She was made to believe by Padmini that she was her step daughter. She remembered when her dad had abducted the 13 year old girl from the village Padmini had saught help from Jyoti math people. They were a group of sanyasins who worked with many NGOs in the rural areas of many Parts of India. Those days the girl child education plan was being implemented in their village. SM was just a small time member of his party and was helping in smooth implementation of the programme. SM' s Father was then MLA at Aurangabad. She remembered that night when BC had come to know that it was padmini who had helped the girl escape and taken her to Jyoti Math to get her shelter. Padmini had met SM there and some how SM had sensed that Padmini would need protection. He with his few men had followed Padmini to her house that day. BC had taken all three of them, Padmini Trishna and Madhu to the other house in the village. Trishna remembered her drinking a glass of milk given by her grand ma and then going of to sleep. She remembers waking up with Madhu in SM's Jeep in the morning. Her mother had smelled of kerosene that day. Once on a later occasion when they had grown up she had insisted on her mother and malik to tell how they landed in his jeep. Padmini had then told her that (flash back)

Padmini:- both of you girls were given afim by your dadi (in many rural parts of India even today the children are given afim or opium so that they may sleep)

And you both dozed off. BC then beat me up as much he could and then tied me up to your beds. He sprinkled kerosene on me and set the house on fire and left us to burn to our deaths. SM had followed me back to haveli and then all of us to the Jharokha house. BChad left us immediately after setting the house to fire confidant that no one would dare to help us. He never came back instead Sm came in with his men some how and managed to rescue us. Rest all you know how it happened.

Trishna recalled today that when they were denied shelter by malik's dad they had taken shelter at a very affectionate women's tiny home. It occurred to her today, who was she? She never ever came back in their lives. She looked back at Padmini and said

Trishna:- ma , ma we lived with Gafuran didn't we?

She looked hopefully towards Padmini. What really was hurting her was that, she had never seen the woman who had given her birth. The thought that she may have lived with her mother for sometime no matter how little was giving her a little solace.

Padmini noded her head in affirmative. Trishna felt peace wash her. Padmini said

Padmini:- Trishna you may feel we betrayed you and kept you away from your mother…..

Trishna cut Padmini off in between and said

Trishna:- Madhu when is the funeral.

Malik:- Tommorrow morning 7 AM

Trishna:- Do you think I should attend it.

Malik:- do you want to

Trishna:- I don't know

Malik:- Trishna I have always took pride in your ability to reason. You are one of the most rational woman I have ever come across. (Malik gestured her to remain silent as he was not yet done) Both of you girls have grown up to be strong, independent, and capable women. Women who could be any father's pride, but you my dove are exceptional. Your positivity and your resilience make you a woman to reckon with. You know how to move on without looking back. I am hoping you will use your reason to balance your self and decide with utmost caution what you need to do. Having said that always remember while practicality is desirable in all circumstances, sentiments make or break men too.

He got up to leave all the three of them there to make arrangements for a peaceful and secret funeral. This was what was different about SM. He was a man with foresight and compassion but he was not given to emotional weaknesses. He loved selflessly expected little in return and never burdened her girls with his expectations or his ideologies. He believed in letting make their own mistakes and learning from them. Why should he impose his lessons on them? God forbid but he was there to protect them from any harm that could fall on them but he did not suffocate them.

Madhu saw a stark difference in her fIl and her father at this moment. SM shared camaraderie with his girls where as MK was always a leader. SM believe knowledge was enough to lead his girls to the right path and MK believed in force of extreme discipline and structure lead to successful lifes. She knew what her family lacked was balance. She knew at that moment that is what she lacked and that is what Trishna had, ability to strike balance between all the forces of life. She knew tomorrow would not be as sad as she had dreaded.