I CAN SMELL YOUR FRAGRANCE

THE STORY OF HER STRUGGLE.

**8 AM; KHURANA HOUSE; CHANDIGARH**

Shehnaaz kept the fresh milk to boil on the gas stove, then quickly kept water to boil in the tea pan on the other side with an approximate measurement and started cutting vegetables for the sandwiches till the water gets heated. She chopped some fresh tomatoes, onion, green chillies and capsicum and quickly peeled some cabbage leaves and kept them in one bowl. Till then the milk was boiled. She poured some milk in the boiling water and kept half of it separately in a glass jug. She added tea leaves, a little bit of thinly chopped ginger, tulsi leaves and sugar in boiling mixture of water and milk. The tea was ready soon. Then she added spices in the bowl of vegetables and mixed it well. Soon, the kitchen was full of breakfast dishes which she shifted to the dining table. The dining table looked colourful with vegetable sandwiches, sweet corn, aloo paranthas, juice, milk and tea. The kid's tiffen and water bottle reached their school bags and they left for school post breakfast while the gents tiffen reached their car that had to head to the office. 

It was 9 AM and everyone were settled for the breakfast. Shehnaaz started serving the food to everyone. Once all started eating, she was about to take a seat when her mother-in-law; Kanika, passed a remark, "Itne saal ho gaye tumhe iss ghar mein shaadi karke aaye par shayad tumhe ab bhi yahan ke rules yaad nahi hue." Shehnaaz softly pushed the chair back to its place and was staring at her mother-in-law with blank expressions. To add spice to what her mother-in-law had said, Abhijeet's chachi Ratan commented, "Rules yaad rahenge bhi kaise didi... Iss jaison ko bade gharon mein adjust karne ki aadat nahi hoti hai na. Inhe toh bas comfort zone ke saath, basic etiquettes bhula ke, sabhi rules ko todkar, apne vahi middle-class tareekon se rehna acha lagta hai." Shehnaaz asked, "What have I done? Maine kiya kya hai jiske liye mujhe itna sunaya jaa raha hai...?" Kanika replied, "Oh really!! Tumhe nahi pata tumne kya kiya hai? Then why do you behave like the most intelligent and hardworking person in this house the whole day. Tab kahan chala jaata hai tumhara innocent side jab pure din mein kiye sirf ghar ke kaam ko badha-chadha ke show-off karne ki baari aati hai Sandeep (Abhijeet's father) ke saamne. Tab toh you behave as if tumhare kaam se bada koi aur kaam nahi hai, you are the most exhausted person and need rest at night. Jis tareeke ke tumhare actions hain na it seems as if iss ghar mein tumhare uppar hi saara workload hai and baaki sab toh khali hain." Shehnaaz shook her head in disbelief and replied, "Maa maine kab papa ko ya in fact for that matter ghar mein kisi ko bhi apne kaam ke baare mein bataya ya kabhi bhi aisa kaha ke main thak jaati hu and all. I just simply do my work silently everyday, sleep, wake up and the cycle repeats. Papa se baat karna toh bohot durr ki baat hai meri toh aap sab mein se bhi aaj tak itne saalon mein kisi se baat nahi hui hai." Kanika widened her eyes, raised her eyebrows, squeezed her lips and her expressions changed to those of surprise. She replied,"Look who is saying that she doesn't get to talk to anyone. Mrs. Shehnaaz Abhijeet Khurana do you really think that you have those guts and that standard to interact with us? You should be grateful that you have my Abhijeet's name beside yours. Varna tum jaisi ladkiyon ko toh high standards kabhi dekhne ko bhi na milen." Shehnaaz looked towards the other side, wiped the little tear that had escaped her eye and said, "Mom... Umm... Oh Sorry! I don't have the standard and right to call you that. Mrs. Kanika Sandeep Khurana did you even realise a single word of what you have just said to me in the past mere five minutes. Today I felt humiliated to no extent. Aap log pichle 5 saal mein sirf mujhe insult karte aaye hain, mujhse ghar ka kaam karvate aaye hain, in fact aap logon ne vo kaam bhi mujhse karvana shuru kar diya jo servants karte thee kabhi to save money in the name of some shitty responsibility of an adarsh bahu but I said nothing. I accepted every single thing I was told to do in the name of my responsibility as a good daughter in-law. Par mujhe kya pata tha ke aap logon ki iss high-society family mein main kabhi apni jagah nahi bana paungi, no matter whatever I do. Aapne har minor galti par daanta, maine aapko maa samajh ke ye socha ke aap mujhe perfect banana chahte ho. Little did I knew ke uss daant mein sirf mera low income background hai. Aapne kaha bacche karlo, responsible and mature ho jaogi, maine vo bhi maan liya. But, how come I didn't notice that you just wanted to divert my attention from my dreams and my career. Aap har baar mere pankh kaat rahi thi aur main bewakoof aapko apni maa samjhe baithi thi. Arey aapne toh Suhani ke baad dusra baccha bhi isliye karvaya kiunki Aryan ke bina aapka so called vansh aage nahi badh sakta aur aapke laadle Abhijeet ke budhape ki laathi kaun banega. Aapne mujhe aaj sirf Abhi ke paison aur naam pe dependent bana diya hai. My dreams died a slow death in this house. I was struggling before marriage but I was hopeful. Aur aap log mujhse kya baat karoge, jao mujhe kisi se khud hi baat nahi karni. Shehnaaz rejects your class because you can't reach mine." Kanika's fists were tight and eyes filled with anger as if she was waiting for Shehnaaz to stop so that she can take the revenge of her insult. She replied fuming in anger,"Samajhti kya ho tum khud ko haan. Iss ghar ki bahu ho bahu ban kar raho. Bohot zubaan chalane ka shaunk hai na toh ye zubaan tab chalana jab ek din mera beta hi tujhse aur teri harkaton se tang aa kar tujhe iss ghar se hi bahar phenk dega."

Shehnaaz's eyes were blood red by now as if she was at the verge of a breakdown. She had controlled herself way too much in all these years. She grew up from being a young immature college girl who had to quit on her studies, her career, her dreams in the name of duties that a girl has to fulfill to a married lady with two kids who is completely tired and suffocated within the four walls of a golden prison called house. And now the balloon of emotions bursted and she gave it back to Kanika, "Sahi kaha aapne, main iss ghar ki bahu hun aur mujhe bahu hi ban kar rehna chahiye. Shayad pehle mere andar kam se kam ek ummeed toh thi aapki beti ban ne ki par aaj aapne uss ek ummeed ka bhi buri tarah se gala ghont diya hai. It was my mistake to not notice the word 'in-law' coming ahead of the word daughter earlier." Just then a sleepy and shaky voice came from behind,"Ye kya chal raha hai iss ghar mein subah subah. Aap logon ko nashte mein roz teekhe shabd khaana pasand hai toh bolo mujhe, main bhabhi ko kehke roz 'witch', 'crooked' aur 'disgusting' jaise shabdon ki dishes banva dungi. Phir aap logon ki subah ki mehnat bachegi." Kanika passed a look to her daughter and shushed her by saying,  "Poooojaaaa enough... Go freshen up and then have your breakfast." Shehnaaz interrupted the mother-daughter duo and said, "Enough... Wow... Why enough Pooja? Sahi toh keh rahi hai aapki beti Kanika ji. Aapki beti toh kal raat ke hangover mein bhi kitni sahi baat keh rahi hai aur aap hain ke usse chup karvaye jaa rahi hain... Aapki beti toh Canada se graduation karke aayi because she is so perfect to not get an admission in a single college in India. Then when her studies got completed toh yahan aake she had to be chucked out of three jobs back to back due to her habits that led to employees being influenced from her. Kitni achi hai hamari bacchi, kal hi ek aur job chhutne ki party karke abhi 9 baje sokar uthi hai. Chhapan bhog lagvao iske liye aur yahan main jiska pura ka pura career destroy kar diya gaya hai isse apne haathon se khilaungi khaana."  Pooja ran back to her room crying and calling out words to Shehnaaz. Here, Abhijeet came into rage as this was the end of his too short lived patience. He shouted on top of his voice, "Ye kya badtameezi laga rakhi hai subah subah tumne Shehnaaz. Don't you realise that it's enough now ke abhi bhi bas bole jaa rahi ho. Agar ghar ke bade tumhari harkaton ko bardasht karte hain iska matlab ye nahi ke tum kuch bhi bas karti rahogi aur sab sunenge. Aur tumhara kaunsa career haan... Kaunsi life tumhari... Hamare yahan dancers ko nachaniya bulate hain. This profession looks cheap on people from business families. Koi standard ya class agar tumhare paas nahi tha toh yahan reh ke banana hi seekh leti. Office jaane ka saara mann hi kharab kar diya. Kam se kam agar kamaati nahi ho toh hum mehnat se kamaane valon ka din toh acha shuru hone diya karo yaar." Shehnaaz broke down and ran out of the house crying. She kept on running aimlessly and reached the corner of a garden that was at a height. She looked down and screamed, "Kyuuunn.....???? Why always me? Aisa kya kiya tha maine jo mujhe aisi family, aise log mile."

On the other hand, Sidharth was on the way to Chandigarh on his bike. He was breathing the fresh air and driving against the air as if he was himself the sky. His tuning with the environment was different. He was the nature's kid. All his worries always used to mix up with the air and run far away from him. He was lost in the environment and suddenly heard, "Mom-Calling!" on his Bluetooth. He parked the bike in front of the same park and took the call, "Haan maa, boliye." His mother replied, "Kya boliye boliye laga rakha hai. Pichle ek ghante se phone kar rahi hun. Par tera kya hai. Tu toh bike leke bas weekend pe nikal jaata hai bina kisi ki fikar kiye. Kam se kam apni iss maa ke baare mein hi soch lia kar aur apne baare mein inform kara kar..." He laughed and said, "Arey maa...aapke baare mein sochta hun, tabhi toh itna khush rehta hun." His mother laughed and said,  "Wow. What a standard reply you have for everytime? Chal bye. Ab bas apna khayal rakhio aur one piece mein ghar aa jayiyo." He replied to his mother and disconnected the call. He was about to leave but saw an almost lifeless figure crying, standing just at the corner of the park near the cliff.

To be continued....

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