OS:Gopi's Penance

OS: Gopi's Penance

Mrs. Gopi Ahem Modi, the gawar.

Gopi heard the mocking voice in her head and felt dejected. Just hours before she had felt as though she was on the top of the world. Just the day before Ahemji had taken her shopping for Maji's anniversary gift. He had not only approved of her choice, but had asked for her opinion. Not only that, he had admired her in the sari the shopkeeper has insisted she try on, and he had insisted on buying the sari for her despite her protest.

He had been so nice the previous day. He hadn't even questioned her on why she needed the money. When she asked for the money, he only asked her how much she needed, and moment later he had handed her the money. Then on the day of the anniversary he had thanked her twice. Once for helping him with maji's gift, and second time for buying the gift for papaji.

And what had she done? Caused him shame in front of the family. She didn't blame him for calling her gawar. Now she needed to pay for the grave mistake she made. She should have asked someone before giving the medication to Maniben.

She glanced at Maniben, who was still sleeping, and thanked Kanaji for not making Maniben suffer for her mistake.

She didn't care that her Ahemji had scolded her in front of the family. What disturbed her were her Mami's words. What she had heard her mami say to the family completely destroyed her. Why did mami say those lies in front of the family? How can she run away from school, when she was never sent to school?

Gopi realized that her maji was right. Everything started falling into place in her mind, she now realized that her mami and Rashiben did not want her to be happy in her marriage. She had never said anything before, because she felt she owed it to them for giving her a shelter when her parents died, but now she does not owe them anything.

Gopi paced back and forth, thinking about all that has happened, and realized the biggest problem Ahemji had with her is her illiteracy, and she needed to do something about it, before she made another mistake like this and caused someone a bigger harm. And the only way to protect herself from her mami and Rashiben's interference is to learn to read and write.

Now the problem is who to ask for help. Who would help her in her quest to become educated? Only one person came to mind and that was her maji. Gopi needed to ask her maji to help her achieve her goal.

*~+~*

Two days after the medication incident, Mani was fully recovered. She was finally able to resume her normal duties. Mani watched as her Gopi bhabhi prepared breakfast, and felt guilty for not telling everyone what had happened with the medication. But she decided no more; as soon as the family members assemble at breakfast she will reveal the truth.

When everyone was seated Mani looked at everyone and started speaking bit hesitantly. "Motabhabhi, I wanted to say something."

Hetal looked up at Mani. "Ha, bolo Mani, what do you want to say?"

Mani glanced at everyone with bit of a fear on her face. "Woh motabhabhi, I wanted to tell you that Gopi bhabhi did not make the mistake with the medicine, I did."

Everyone was shocked to hear Mani's confession. Koki glared at Mani. "What do you mean you made the mistake Mani?"

"Woh, nanabhabhi, motabhabhi had asked me to throw away the expired medication, but I dropped the box on the floor and all the medication got mixed and I didn't know which one to throw away."

Hetal in thinking mode, "hai Kanaji, the mistake was mine for not throwing the medication away myself."

No one knew what to say. Ahem looked around for Gopi, but she was not there, she has avoided him for last two days, and now he felt guilty for yelling at her for something that was not even her fault. His mom had been right, anyone could have made the mistake, and she did give the right medication, just wasn't able to read the expiration date.

He looked up again when his mom spoke up. "Mani, tell me one thing, if you were not feeling well why didn't you say something, and asked to take rest?"

Mani looked at Rashi, Koki noticed where Mani was looking and waited for Mani to answer her. "Woh, nanabhabhi, I told Rashibhabhi I was not feeling well and wanted to take rest, and even Gopi bhabhi said the same thing, but Rashibhabhi said she needed me to do all the work because she didn't have the time. Gopi bhabhi and I did all the work all day, while Rashibhbhi talked on the phone with her mom all day."

Koki glared at Rashi, and everyone else was also looking at Rashi in disgust.

Koki turned back to Mani. "Ok Mani, you go and do your work. Motabhabi I am going to my room, I don't feel like eating right now." Koki left to go to her room, feeling sad because once again her Gopi vahu had paid for someone else's mistake.

Hetal watched as Koki left and she felt sad. For the first time she felt as though she had let Koki down. She should have listened to Koki when she told her that Rashi needed to be held responsible for her actions. She met her son's eyes across the table. Her son was also sad to hear Rashi's latest mistake. To think they had both supported Rashi, thinking this time she genuinely wanted to do something good for Koki, but she just wanted the family to think she was being good, while she made others do all her work.

Ahem also felt as though he had let his mom down.

No one felt like eating the breakfast so one by one each family member left the table.

In Koki's room, Koki was sad and hurt for her Gopi vahu. She hated the fact that her son never missed the opportunity to humiliate his wife at every turn, when Gopi is not even the one responsible for any of it.

Just then Gopi walked into the room hesitantly. "Gopi vahu, come in, did you want something?"

Gopi had finally gathered courage to ask maji for help. "Maji, I wanted to ask you, if you could help me to learn to read and write."

Koki was surprised at Gopi's request. Would this be the correct thing to do? "Gopi why do you want to learn to read and write now? According to your mami, you never wanted to go to school."

"No that's not the truth maji, mami did not want to send me to school."

Koki nodded her head thinking, I should have know nothing but lies would come out of that evil woman's mouth. While she had not believed a word that came out of that woman's mouth, she knew her son had believed the lies wholeheartedly and now will create more distance between him and Gopi. If getting Gopi educated will lessen Ahem's anger than that's what she will do.

"Ok Gopi vahu, we will get you educated, let me talk it over with your papaji, he will help you. But I want you to keep this between the three of us. No one can know that you are learning to read and write, understand?

"Ji maji. Thank you so much maji"

"Ok, now go in the kitchen, I will be down in few minutes."

Gopi left happily. Parag who had been listening at the door came in and sat beside Koki. "Koki you made the right decision, it is high time we thought about Gopi's education. And I heard everything, I will start looking in to what we need right away."

Koki looked at Parag with tears in her eyes, but was unable to say anything to him.

Later that morning Koki approached Hetal. "Motabhabhi, if you don't mind I would like to say something about Rashi."

Hetal was surprised Koki would ask, usually she just stated her point very straightforwardly. "Kokila, go ahead what do you want to say?"

"Motabhabhi I think its time Rashi learned to be more responsible, she is not a child anymore. I would like for Rashi to take over all the house hold duties for next three months, leaving my Gopi vahu to spend time with Baa."

Hetal frowned thinking why is Koki bringing Baa up all of a sudden. "Baa has requested Gopi vahu to recite Geeta to her." Koki knew motabhabhi or Rashi for that matter would try to go and question Baa, so she had Parag cover that with Baa.

"Ok Koki, I will talk to Rashi about it." Koki pulled her pallu over her shoulder and left the kitchen.

And so began Gopi's education……..

*~+~*

Three months later….

It was day before Gopi/Ahem and Rashi/Jigar anniversary. Koki now wanted to reveal to the family and more specifically to Ahem regarding Gopi's education, and thought the day of their anniversary is the best time to do that. The next day was Friday, and it would be the last Friday she will be keeping Maa Santoshi vrat. She decided this was the best way to reveal Gopi's secret.

She told Gopi of her plan, who agreed enthusiastically and started preparing for puja. Koki also called Urmila, to invite her to the puja.

The next day Koki made sure everyone was present, she then turned to Gopi and asked her to explain the puja. When Gopi finished explaining what the puja was for, Koki asked her to read the Katha book.

Urmila's mouth gaped open at that. Rashi started to speak, but one glare from Koki shut her up. Rest of the family, including Ahem was confused by Koki's request. But the confusion turned to shock when Gopi started reading from the book.

When the Puja was finished, they did the aarti. Koki turned to everyone and said "I know everyone is shocked to see Gopi reading from the book, let me reassure you all that my Gopi vahu did not know the Khatha, she did read the kahtha from the book. She has not only learned to read, but also to write."

Gopi stood aside quietly while her Maji revealed their secret. Ahem kept starring at her with surprise, but she did not look at him.

Koki turned to Urmila. "So Urmilaben, what do you think now, you said it was a fault in your upbringing up my Gopi vahu that caused her to be illiterate, what do you think about my upbringing?"

Urmila was seething inside, pasted a smile on her face and said, "aray, nahi vavenji, I am so proud of my Gopi beti, she has learned to read and write, I think it's a wonderful thing you did."

Koki turned away from Urmila in disgust, her eyes landed on Ahem who was standing still as a statue starring at Gopi. Koki smiled to herself and asked Gopi to finish up in the mandir then come to the kitchen to help serve lunch. One by one the family members left, blessing Gopi.

Gopi was clearing the Puja things when her mama approached her. "Gopi dikra?"

Gopi turned toward the voice to see her mama standing behind her with tears in his eyes. "Mamaji, why are you crying?

"Gopi dikra, these are happy tears. I am very proud of you today. And I also wanted to apologize to you for not standing up for you when you were a child. I should have forced the issue when you wanted to go to school and your mami would not let you. Please forgive me beta."

Gopi went to her mama and took his hand in hers. "Nahi mamaji, you don't have to be sorry for anything, I don't blame you for anything."

"Nahi Gopi beta, if I had stood up to your mami from the beginning, your mami and Rashi would not have played all those tricks on you to get you thrown out of this house."

"What are saying mamaji, what tricks?"

Gopi was shocked to hear that her mami and Rashiben wanted her out of the house, and in the pretense of helping her they made her do all those things so that Ahemji would hate her and throw her out of the house.

Gopi wasn't the only one who was shocked. Ahem who had been coming to call Gopi's mama to lunch was also stunned to hear what her mamaji revealed to her.

*~+~*

Will this actually happen? I don't think so, but I am hoping for something that is going to make a big impact on Ahem to change his mind about Gopi.