Chapter 20- The Drive She stepped into the car. Sreedhar was behind the wheel with Nami sitting with him in front. Once again the memories of her fateful journey post marriage came into pic as Sreedhar started the car. His mother had told to raise the tinted glass and put the AC. She didn't wanted anyone to see Suman and create problems. Suman thought she was in a moving room. She tried to remember that day post her marriage. She was feeling dizzy and it was after sometime her head had cleared. She was in the middle with her husband on one side, and another female relative of his in other side. She remembered she wanted to escape for that at any cost she needed side seat. She had to talk . She had tugged the female relative " Auntiji can you please down the glass of the window" " What happened beta" the elderly lady had asked " Auntiji I am feeling dizzy and nauseaous. Didn't had food properly due to all the function" she managed to tell. " Beta then do one thing, you sit in the side, I will move to middle. Murali your bride is not well. I guess all the dress and jewellery is doing it to her. This is the problem with girls who had studied in city. They are so weak"
Suman didn't remember her husband. She had not even glanced at his side when he tried to help her move place as she had swiftly dragged her lehenga from his hands and kept it firmly by her side. She was angry. She just wanted to die. She just needed to look an oppourtune place. It was night and it was a lonely road. Car was going fast.
She looked at the car door. Its opening mechanism. Finally they reached a sharp bend. Suman felt this was her chance, to jump from the speeding car. She remember opening the door and then a thud. She was on the road, but the car has stopped.
It was the vehicles that came behind took her, to the hospital. She had only minor injuries. Some bruises on the arms and shoulders. A small head wound, yet she was scanned and kept in observation for couple of days. It was after 2 days when she was left to home slowly she was told the truth. Then they conducted the elaborate ceremony of making her a widow.
She came to present and looked at her hands. Mehendi had faded and they were bare. Why did she switch places. She could have sat there. She could have died. Nothing would have mattered to anyone anymore. Tears started flowing through her eyes.
Sreedhar looked in the mirror. He saw Suman silently crying. He wished he could stop the car, go to her and hug her. Tell her not to cry. Tell her to have courage. Tell her she had lived for him. Tell her if she had gone he would have never forgiven himself for not listening to her that day in college when she asked him to marry her.
He wiped the mirror gently with his hands. Suman looked at him and her face in the mirror. She wiped her tears " Sreedhar I promise you, I wont cry. I know each drop of tear is hurting you. Breaking you. How will I tell Sreedhar move on. If it can be by stopping crying then so be it " she said in mind and stared the mirror with a new found determination in her face.
Edited by shruthiravi - 8 years ago
