Begusarai

Tantrums

Begusarai hasn't changed much from before, was the first thought that came to the Mishra family's mind as they stand infront of the one story house whose black iron gate still has the small dent where Niyati once crashed her bicycle as a kid.

Walking inside that gate, was even more nostalgic as the memories of good days comes flooding back to them. The alcove where the plant of the tulsi should be was empty and seeing that "the first thing we would do is to replace that" Manorama ordered.

The moving truck has reached two days before and was easily handled by Manorama's eldest son Raghuveer and his wife Roopa, Radha felt a bit of satisfaction at that. Her brother-in-law however strict, is a good man and his wife is one of the kindest person Radha ever has the fortune to meet.

Her brother-in-law's family lives near the ancient temple where Raghuveer is the head priest, the family also had a general store which is handled by either him or his eldest daughter Shivangi.

"I am so tired by the journey. The sun has taken on himself to scorch us all to death." Manorama speaks from the sofa where she was currently massaging her feet.

"And if that not would be successful, your overgrown tantrum surely will" Maithili murmur under her breath. Knowing well, what's coming next.

" I'm going out to visit Malti and will be back before the evening Pooja's time. So,I expect the place of my Krishna to be fresh and clean. " And with that the elderly woman left from the door and only when the sound of gate closing is heard that Niyati hisses "Yes. That would be real nice. We too traveled all the way from Indore to this craphole and yet she's expecting so much from us. "

" One would get confused between all of us as who is the child and who is an adult" back Maithili from the floor. The girl who is only sixteen but speaks like an overgrown adult who has seen everything in her life.

And truth to be told, Radha can't blame either of her children. When fifteen years ago,her husband Laxman left the home along with his family her mother-in-law has cursed them all along the way. Blaming the girls and her for brainwashing her youngest son, bluntly ignoring her own fault and action that leads to that.

And it is only three months before,when she choose to forgive them -him- because he was on his deathbed. Fighting from cancer,which has spread in his whole body sucking his life slowly untill one day it all ended. But there's that saying old habits die hard. And in Manorama's case: never.

She blamed Radha again for all of that, taunting her daily, not forgiving her granddaughters too, equally dragging them all along "if he had a son,all of this wouldn't have happened" like having a boy would have cured the cancer.

Going so far, as to drag her widowed daughter-in-law and her children from the city where they already had their small world woven to an unknown place where they only had bad memories associated with.

"Leaving a woman alone is same as giving meat to the vultures,they won't hesitate to create a mess. And I care enough for my dead son's virtue to take you all under my roof to protect you lot from this dark world which have it's claw sharpened..looking only for the right moment to attack. So be grateful."

Radha even though not completely agreeing with her mother-in-law,has nodded her head knowing to one extent she is right. For the other part of the offer, she firmly put her foot down and made it clear that if they're once again returning back to Begusarai she would not leave under the very same roof as her.

The reaction to her demand was not very preety, the old woman shrieked and roared loudly demanding an apology right away but her brother-in-law understand the hidden meaning behind that. And for that she would always be grateful to him.