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So the first and main thread of Meherbaan is reaching 200K reads. Like are you f**king kidding me? This is amazing. And it makes me feel self conscious. 😆 THANK YOU AND THANK ME. IT'S A TWO WAY STATION, YO.
So I'm starting with PMs. Do the cool thing and add the PM account for love letters from me.
C H A P T E R 1 8 A M A U L A M E R E L E LE M E R I J A A N
Life had never been fair to Devyani Reddy. She was a dreamer and life had cut off the wings. Devyani's only fault had been that she was born in the wrong time and in the wrong place.
Devyani was born an orphan. Without connections, power or even a family. She had been seven when she had been seventeen when she had been molested. She had struggled to voice out only to be choked shut. All dreams shut and locked away, she had been decked and married off to the father of a one year old. It was the life Devyani hated. A wimp of a husband. A mother-in-law who terrorised her and all alone, Devyani grew to be the woman she was. It wasn't that she dreamt of being so cold and vile, it was what life handed on a platter to her.
The girl who wanted to dream was locked down in a cage called family. Her weakness exploited. She was 'ruined and lucky'. She was the one who's husband didn't touch her. She was the mother to a one year old kid who she wanted nothing to do with.
Devyani lived her life focussing on her the negatives. Being oppressed by her mother-in-law and the society Devyani had grown to be just like that woman.
Never had she gotten any love from her husband.
Nor her mother-in-law.
She did get unconditional love from Bala, but he wasn't her son. She couldn't bring herself to love him back.
And Subbu?
Subbu was her firstborn. Her son. And she like every mother wanted the world for him.
So she gave him the best - the best education, school, family life and more. Even if it meant stripping Bala of his share.
When Bala introduced Vandita to his family, he had taken her to his mother first.
To Devyani.
Despite numerous taunts and insults from Devyani regarding his parentage Bala considered Devyani to be his mother.
"You're my mother. You raised me. You are my Amma," he said.
How could she love him when he was the reason she lived the life she did?
She watched Bala introduce his girlfriend to the society then and oh, how they loved her.
"Bahut uncha chalega yeh beta," they said.
And Devyani's respect in the society rose.
Anyone and everyone wanted to be with them or besides them.
They were dubbed to have elevated in class and status.
Oh, how much did Devyani want that for her son.
How much did she want Subbu to be in Bala's place.
And then Ishita came along.
The innocent child who hardly spoke.
She was far too young. Far too fragile. Far too loved.
And she reminded Devyani of herself. Of innocence.
And how she envied her for that.
How she wanted to protect that.
And when she watched Subbu grow closer to the child, she didn't care.
She was watching something beautiful blossom.
And Ishita was a bonus.
Not only did come with good genes. But good status, a big fat inheritance and an added bonus was that she was growing to be the adarsh bahu everyone wanted.
She wasn't brash like Vandita. She was gentile.
And perfect.
And for years Ishita resisted Subbu's advances.
She toyed with him.
And she didn't even realise it.
Ishita knew that Subbu loved him and neither did she accept him nor did she send him away.
She had a soft spot for him. But was that love?
Devyani didn't know.
Kajal's demise broke the Iyer down.
Everything was falling apart.
And the word was that they Iyers' were scouting a groom for Ishita and she saw.
The Iyer 'princess' was getting married and they blatantly disregarded Subbu.
If Ishita had to marry, it had to be Subbu.
And Subbu it had been.
Ishita was engaged to be married to Subbu.
And she had to give up on those stupid medical dreams of hers. At eighteen, she had to opt for dentistry and three years graduate and end it end.
She would be Dr. Ishita Subramanian Reddy and it would end there.
Devyani's daughter-in-law would clean no one's teeth for all she cared.
Ishita would marry Subbu and be happy with whatever was given to her.
And Devyani knew it wouldn't go wrong.
After all, Ishita had promised that darling but dead Bhabhi of hers that she would anything and everything that brought her family joy.
And sadly for her, Ishita's marriage did.
Maybe Devyani helped Subbu but for the three years to come Ishita and Subbu's relationship grew no further.
It had remained the same.
And during moments of weakness Devyani wondered if she was doing the same to Ishita as her mother-in-law had done to her.
She brushed those thoughts away.
Ishita was too ambitious and unless she happened to marry someone of the likes Tata or Birla, Ishita's dreams were dangerous.
And as much as Devyani loved Ishita in her own f**ked up way, Devyani did not want her son to be ruined.
Subbu wanted Ishita. Fine. But Ishita wouldn't drag her son along with her.
She cut off Ishita's wings before they grew again.
She had used Ishita's weakness against her.
But what about fate?
Ishita was diagnosed with damaged fallopian tubes.
The tests weren't confirmed.
The technology to detect unavailable.
Ishita's fertitlity would be determined once she was sexually active.
And Devyani didn't want that.
The odds were always towards Ishita.
It was like this girl was doomed for misfortune.
If she was the .01% to be diagnosed then she could be the lesser percentage that the diagnosis stood still for.
Devyani wanted the best for her son.
And Ishita wasn't the best.
She was the defected.
Her birthright or her beauty couldn't make up for her lacking.
She was a baanj.
The barren one.
She had no future.
And Subbu had a future.
He had a big bright future waiting for him.
As much as she liked Ishita, Ishita would not be her daughter-in-law.
Wealth would not make up for son's happiness.
Wealth, power and society were not as important as her son.
And her son for once would not be the scrape goat to her wishes.
Subbu would live a healthy life.
Without a burden called Ishita.
So within minutes Subbu's appa was diagnosed with cancer and the death wish of a blood heir came forth.
Subbu wouldn't deal with Ishita, her tears and levels of insecurity.
Her son would lead.
With or without Ishita.
Ishita was all but a discarded a chess piece.
A part of Devyani respected Ishita.
She pitied the child.
So she told no one of her diagnosis.
She let her go.
Ishita was the putty in her hands that she returned back to the earth below never to be picked again.
She did the best for the both of them.
She fixed Subbu's marriage to Nalini was fixed.
And Ishita was sent the invite.
Maybe she would move on if she watched it happen.
Maybe she would wait.
They would get their kid and everything would be okay.
It was a calculated move.
Nalini was to be nothing but the surrogate.
The child would be born and taken away.
The sacrifice was to be made.
Ishita was too virtuous to agree.
And Subbu, a fool in love.
So Devyani took the strings in her hands.
She played them well.
Her puppets moved along to the plan.
The plan was going well.
To ruin one life in chances to save two more seemed like a better option.
But what was she to do if her son's marriage with his wife deteriorated day to day.
What was she to do if her calculations were wrong?
That everything fell apart.
That Ishita moved away and Subbu looked for ways to break the marriage.
That her son was self destructing.
That her loving son was turning into a cold monster.
That he had forgotten to live.
That he was dying and he was killing that naive girl madly in love with him in the process.
So ten months into the marriage she contacted Tamanna, Ishita's best friend.
It was Christmas and there was one thing constant in Ishita's life.
Her Catholic best friend.
And Christmases, she spent them with her.
So on December 18, 2008 she called her up.
Because she wanted Ishita back.
So when she managed to get Tamanna's landline number she called her.
The help picked up the landline and asked her to stay online for a while.
What she over heard scarred her.
"Array, no yaar. Ishita is still not home. She's staying out with that boyfriend of hers. Haha, yeah. Can you believe he's gonna pop the question soon. Dude, he does seem like the family man types. Pata nahi yaar. All I know is that I demanded a picture and he sent it. By God. If he isn't anything he's hot. And good in bed. Haha. Yeah, we'll ask her that tomorrow. After all madam is staying over with him tonight. Her parents are going to kill me. Their darling Iyer daughter out clubbing and insulting in premarital sex. In Ishita's words, 'Aioo Murugan,'. So what if he's North Indian. He comes from a reputed family. Not like that grossly middle class and clingy Subbu. Like ehw, who the f**k wants to marry someone named Subbu. That is so grossly middle class. Arrey, Ishita's baghwan is with her. She didn't know what to do and shaadi tuth gayi. Now that is devotion for you. Chal, I have to make a possible Shadi sangeet for my jigar ka tukda. Haha. Haan, yaar. Bala jiju toh hai na."
And Devyani disconnected the call, her previous mission forgotten.
Ridiculously middle class? Her son?
Subbu?
Subbu was anything but that.
Her son was a hero. Her hero.
And Ishita was dating someone, that too when her son was pining for her. How could she?
How could she move on so far?
She hadn't seen Ishita then.
That chit clearly avoided her.
Even for Shravan's birthday.
And the Iyers moved to Delhi.
Along with Bala.
They had taken Bala. Her Bala.
It wasn't that Devyani hated Ishita.
Ishita was Subbu's.
She had made sure sure of that.
She had taunted her, yes.
But then she had also checked the families that came to check Ishita out.
Most of them had wanted her tag rather than her.
They had wanted her salary.
Her job.
They wanted their sons to be Mr. Ishita Iyer.
And with every unethical decision they made, Devyani Reddy had cleared them out.
Alliances which weren't broken by the families were broken by her.
She was the one who went to them with all the gruesome and make believe details on Ishita and Subbu.
Right from an illicit affair to how virtuous Ishita was not.
Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine them to be true.
Everything was on track and then came along Raman Kumar Bhalla.
And Devyani was no one to be fooled.
Why would a man who oozed of power and wealth marry a normal girl who annoyed him and when he couldn't stand her.
Why would he faux pas a marriage?
He had no flaws other than the tell tale signs of the broken man he was?
Of the rich, flawed grown up baby that he was.
And then he had his wife.
Soon to be ex-wife.
He was everything Subbu was not.
And then at the Lohri festival, Devyani saw the way he looked at her.
As if he would to eat her up.
And when he slipped a gaze of awe at Ishita and his daughter.
"Oh, Ishita? She's the glorified nanny. Raman met her in Mumbai and wanted to marry her. You know, perfect mother for Ruhi and all. And now that he's met her again. He wants to divorce me to marry her. As if I want to stay married to that abusive filth. Good for him. Thanks to her he's not opposing the divorce anymore. Lord, how I love that girl. Now, Devyani. You want Ishita and I want to see Raman down, begging on his knees for his daughter and maybe, me. Ashok is an old fart. And my ex is suddenly fascinating. You know, men and their toys. He can play with her. He'll end up coming to me. After all, I'm the one he loves. Not that Madrasi behenji."
Those were the words Raman's ex said to her the first time they met and how they chilled her to her bones.
Ishita couldn't marry into this mess.
Not to this vicious lady's husband.
And not for that brat.
And not to a man in love with his first wife.
Devyani knew that pain.
She knew what it was like to live with that pain.
She didn't want that for Ishita.
And for the first time Devyani wanted to protect Ishita.
She wanted to take her away.
Her previous viciousness for the child who ignored her son and his affection was all long gone.
Devyani in Ishita saw herself.
She saw Raman and his family.
They would kill the girl in Ishita.
Leave her with a shell of herself.
She couldn't let Ishita be another Devyani.
So she did all she could to break the marriage.
Mentioned about Subbu.
About Ishita and her so called infertility.
Of the missed marriages.
Of the Iyers and their gold digging schemes.
That Raman guy was scary.
Oh, how he played her cards against her.
Made her believe that he hated Ishita and then he married her.
Snatched her kid from right under her nose.
"Arrey, Devyani. Hello, from Earth. I'm talking to you. Tell me about this Raman guy, gossip from your mouth sounds better," snapped one of Devyani's friends. "He obviously asked for something. Some pressure. Warna Ishita isn't the type to marry a divorcee. I mean, usse toh dekhkar lagta nahi that she's all that."
"But she did. She chose him. She decided to marry. All her father did was accept the alliance. It was all her. She left her world to be with him. Sab kuch chid diya usne. She took a gamble yo marry him knowing the kind of man that he was," said Devyani in a trace.
"Devyani. Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me that Ishita's words got to you! You're tougher than that. She's a kid. Frustrated. Maybe you hit a chord. You too, sometimes you don't know where to stop. You yourself say that she has a terrible marriage, why do you poke at her wounds." asked another lady.
"So that she snaps out of this trance that she is in. It's a nightmare. It has to break and when it does it's going to take her with her. She wouldn't be able to hold herself then. She wouldn't be able to look past it. She'll be stuck."
"What is it to you, tujhe kya hai yaar?"
Haan, what was it to Devyani?
"Bhai, Video. IG puch raha hai: What does Raman Bhalla think of Ishita?" screamed Mihir.
And Devyani looked over to Raman who had his arm around Ishita.
When called upon he pulled away, held her at an arms length and then scanned her from head to toe.
Ishita looked away and smiled.
"Pagal hai. She's the gone case of the first order." laughed Raman earning a not so lady like smirk from Ishita. Followed by a chuckle and eye roll.
"Tum toh ho hi, Raavan Kumar. What more can I expect from you?"
Followed my Raman's trademark pranam and go away action.
He. Was. Such. An. Arse.
And to tolerate him on a daily basis.
His taunts. Mocks. Insults. And the insecurity that came along with being his wife.
Devyani wished Ishita all the very best on her path towards doom.
What had Ishita said?
"Because here's a hard cold fact Mrs Devyani Reddy - you're nothing but a joke. Act all high and mighty as you can but you fail to be both loved and respected. Your son's don't look at you in the eye. Your own husband can't tolerate you and your bills hit. No one wants your presence. You're nothing but a pain who forces it's way in our lives. You're that dramatic quotient that upon who's appearance everyone switches the tv channel."
Ishita said that.
And Devyani agreed.
But at least she wasn't living a borrowed fantasy.
She wasn't living a dream.
P. S. IG video credits to AishDivan or Aishwarya. Dude. You're awesome. Like I spent a day gushing about you and spammed everyone with your edits. Pretty much made me update and get over that stupid block. Saranghe.
I couldn't embed it. Someone, embed code please?
Anupamaa
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