Chapter 41
"Ishita's ring is missing?" Gayatri said the next morning when she had opened the box to find it empty much to her shock. She was on her way to go to the jeweler to get it re-sized. But finding it empty pressed the panic button in her. Where had she kept it? Was it again her forgetfulness that was the culprit, did she indeed keep the ring safely back in the box? She was very worried. Not just about the ring, of course it was a very expensive one and a loss would be felt but more because here was yet another incident showing her that she was slowly losing her conscious mind. That thought was scary. She was so scared about sharing her mental state with anyone. No one understood. All thought of her as the epitome of perfection and poise, the figurehead of the family who for so many years had perfectly carried out her duties and maintained the balance in the house. But what if..what if she could not do it anymore...what if she was incapable of doing it anymore?
"Mere bhagwan ki kasam bhabhi what is taking you so long?" Maya came into her sister in law's room getting impatient with the delay.
She saw that Gayatri had an empty box in her hand and a lost look in her eyes.
"Bhabhi are you all right?" If ever there was a person in the household for whom Maya ever felt a flicker of liking it was for her bhabhi. Even though of late that liking too had disappeared when she had constantly taken the side of her bahus of the household and put her down in front of them constantly.
"Jiji...the ring...Ishita bahu's engagement ring...its missing?" Gayatri hesitated and let out.
"Mere bhagwan ki kasam bhabhi...did you check properly" Maya said scandalized with her eyes almost popping out as she heard the news.
"What is there to check jiji...I took the ring and placed it back in the box and now it's gone" Gayatri said getting more worried by the second.
"Are you sure you kept it back safely?" Maya cross checked.
"Of course I did Jiji...you seriously think I would forget such a thing?" Gayatri asked hoping that she did not indeed forget about it.
"I..that is..maybe it might have fallen somewhere. Maybe the lid of the box is lose" Maya toned down a bit not wanting to anger her further.
"This is very tight jiji and if it did open...where are we ever going to search for it now? It could have dropped off anywhere?" questioned Gayatri.
"Or someone could have stolen it?" Maya added only the worst ideas coming in her mind.
"What? (Gayatri shook her head in the negative) Why would anyone do that? Ok leave that...who do you think could have stolen it?" Gayatri asked.
"Mere bhagwan ki kasam bhabhi you are so innocent. We have so many servants working here both on the inside and out, maybe one of them?" Maya tried to play the detective.
"No jiji...I disagree..all have been working with us from years...they would never do such a thing. How could you even think of such a thing?" Gayatri said not liking Maya suspecting their trusted employees.
As Maya created a ruckus in the house about the missing ring, Aakash finally came for work that morning. He went straight into the house and handed the ring over. When asked how he had it in his possessions he fibbed that he found it near the car in the garage, he was lucky that no one had seen him come in directly, without at all going to the garage.
He heard all the accusations Maya had been hurling at the servants and her threat to call the police. Aakash was feeling releaved that he handed over the ring in the nick of time else he too would not have been spared from a police interrogation and if that had happened his past run-ins with the law would have truly made him the prime suspect. He thanked Smriti in his mind for been the one to insist that he return the ring.
This was one of the reasons that he wanted her in his life. She was a positive influence on him and a reason for him to let go of his dark past. His mother had tried in vain to set him straight but he never listened to her. Growing up had been tough for him. He was a fatherless bas**** and society had always made him realize what a crime that was. He had faced so much and heard so much that he had had enough.
His mother worked as an assistant/nurse for the ayurvedic doctor and had even taken to work as domestic help to earn extra cash. But such hardships took a toll on her health and when after finishing his final year at school he was hoping to get an admission in some government college his mother had fallen sick that had put paid to further studies for him.
With just the basic qualifications he had a very tough time finding work. His need for money was urgent. His mother though had worked her entire life had no savings so to speak of and her taking ill had stopped the earnings totally. With no where to go and no option left he had taken to the path of crime. It had started with pick-pocketing and minor robberies. He excelled in whatever he did his mentors were impressed with is fast hands and even faster mind. He soon raised in the ranks and became a much sort after con man . By the time Radha was strong enough to figure out what was going on Aakash was in too deep. And in the underworld there is only a one way entry and try as she did she was unable to pull her son out of it. He was addicted by then to the easy money and the life in fast lane and besides he was beyond caring.
However all that changed when Smriti entered his life.
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Ishita was getting very excited. She wanted to see Yash again. They did not get a chance to speak with him. Plus there was this urge in her to have a look at the place that she would soon he calling her home. So she went along with her mother on the flimsiest of pretext to Scindia mansion. As her mother was talking to Gayatri, Maya and Vidhi, she deliberately poured some tea on her saree and asked for directions to the bathroom to clean up. The truth was she was dying to see Yash's inner sanctum. When she was out of sight she slowly moved from one room to another and as luck would have it she entered Yash's bedroom. It was impeccably neat and clean but what struck her offensive were the big photos of probably Yash's dead wife.
She approached one such photo and stood staring it with contempt.
"These will have to be pulled down. I do not share not even with the memories of a dead wife" she said out loud.
She realized her absence might be felt so she started to go back to the living room. Just then she heard voices from the kids room. Of course the summer holidays might have started for them she thought to herself which explained their presence at home. They were not present for the sagai ceremony though so she did not get a chance to interact with them.
"Might as well get to know the children" she said to herself and started to go towards the room.
"That woman has come. She looks like a monster" Palak told her brother and sister.
"Who does she think she is? I saw her go in to Papa's room" Palak continued.
"Let us tell her that she is not welcome here" Payal said feeling very uncomfortable at having an intruder into their house.
Hearing the children talk like that, about her instinctively made Ishita dislike the children. But she still went inside the room.
"Hello there everyone?" she greeted faking cheerfulness.
She got no response out of the three. They were looking at her with daggers in their eyes.
She moved closer and pulled Ansh's cheeks.
"Aww...baby you are so cute" she said.
Ansh removed her hand from her face and replied.
"First I am not a baby and second I do not like to be touched by strangers" Ansh told Ishita bluntly as he removed her hand from his cheeks.
"Well nice to meet you (Ishita's face tried not to show her irritation)...by the way you can call me Mumma. I will not mind" Ishita said in a sugary voice.
All three of them snorted and made faces of distaste at her comment.
"This is not the sort of reception I was looking for you know. You guys should be thanking me for taking you on. I see you guys need a firm hand and a lot of disciplining. Your dead mother seems to have failed miserably in that department" Ishita finally gave into her irritation and blurted out what she truly was feeling.
That got the children enraged and while she turned to leave Ansh pushed his skate board in her way and just as he thought she stepped on it and was about to slip when strong hands grasped her.
"What the hell...uff...you children...wait till I become your mother for real. I will drive all the naughtiness out of you" She said as she tried to stand properly and looked up at her saviyor.
"Aaisa hai...madam...everyone is waiting for you to come back to the hall. It seems all have planned a visit to the temple before you are sent on your way, I mean before you return to your house that is" said Aakash who had been sent in to call her as Ram Dulare was busy in the kitchen.
"What all a driver needs to do in this household. Catching falling damsels was not mentioned in the job description" Aakash thought to himself.
"Yes yes...I was on my way anyway" Ishita said in a huff giving a glare to the children before leaving, her limp seeming all the more prominent in her haste.
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After the temple darshan Ishita thought to ask what she had wanted since they left the house.
"Don't you have a tradition of sending children to boarding school?" Ishita questioned.
"Of course we do. In fact Vedika that is Vidhi and Pankaj's daughter has just returned home post completing her schooling at one such boarding school" Gayatri answered.
"Then how come Mr.Yash's children were still at home?" she asked directly not mincing her words.
Gayatri was quite taken a back by such a line of questioning. It was quite unheard of for a girl to come to her sasural prior to her marriage. She ignored that and also ignored Ishita's over curiosity in having a look around the house. But talking about the kids at this stage itself felt like she was crossing some invisible line.
"They are too young for that. Maybe once they enter secondary school...we might think about it. Plus they are still recovering from the loss of their beloved mother. It is a time they need care and affection the most, which I am truly hoping you would be able to provide" Gayatri said making her expectations from her new bahu clear enough.
"Of course" was all Ishita was able to mumble as she saw that her words had definitely ruffled her would be mother in laws feathers. She would have to trudge cautiously from now on she made a mental note to herself.
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On the other side of the city in a small house in a slum, a mother tried to thank her benefactor.
"Smriti I don't know how to thank you" Radha said with tears in her eyes.
"Maa...what are you talking about?"
"You achieved the impossible. I had given up hope of ever reforming Aakash. I tried and failed and yet you did what I had lost all hope of ever doing"
"Maa you are embarrassing me. I had hardly any role to play in Aakash's transformation. One has to have the fire inside to want to change else no matter how hard we try from the outside, change cannot happen. And I do believe that Aakash has some more to travel before he can distance himself fully from his dark past" Smriti said recalling the stolen ring she had seen.
"I agree Smriti. I just thank God that you came into our lives that's all" Radha said and held Smriti's hand in hers out of gratitude.
"And I am going to be eternally thankful to you for saving my life and giving me shelter when I needed it the most" Smriti said in return.
"Oh it was the least i could do. But are you sure you do not remember anything about your past. Are you not the least bit curious to know?" Radha let go of her hands and asked.
"No I am not. If anyone is there in my past they are better off without me. I am a curse for anyone I associate with. That is why I want even Aakash to stay away from me. I just have one goal in life which you know off and I am gratful that God at least let me have that much in my empty life" Smriti said holding in herself so much that the burden seem to crush her.
"Do not say such things Smriti. You are a wonderful human being. All have ups and downs in life and running away is not a solution for that. Until and unless you face up to it, it will forever haunt you" Radha tried to reason with her.
Just then both heard a familiar sound and for once Smriti was glad for the distraction it provided. She did not have any wish to dwell on her past. It was too dark to even think about it. It was a wonder she even survived who would want a woman like her anymore? She was right in her attempt to not bury her past. It was safer for everyone that way.
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When Yash returned home that night he got to know that Ishita-- the minister's daughter and her mother had come by. He even got to know from his children that how they hated her on sight. He listened to them silently not correcting them or not admonishing them for he knew that it was the most natural way for them to react. And he did not wish to impose manners and views on them which would suppress their feelings on this matter. So he just let them vent it out.
It was just a few more days he thought later all alone in his room, for his life to completely change forever. He had asked for a low-key wedding right here in Scindia mansion. He did not wish for fanfare or celebration it was hardly an occasion for that...at least for him. For whatever reasons, he was glad that that was agreed upon.
He stood in front of the window that night eyeing the moon just as another woman on the other end of the city too stood doing the same.
Both of them did not know yet that their paths were soon to cross again and their lives were going to again mesh in a way that would not allow them to part even if they should themselves chose so this time around.
TO BE CONTINUED...
PS: Will be starting the next thread soon. So please spam and let me reach 150 pages.
And sorry for being irregular with updates. Will respond to the previous chapter along with this one.
Edited by Deepti1808 - 12 years ago
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