Ratneshwari

Chapter 10

Shivan returned home after his encounter with the mad person. He was disturbed.

He entered his room to find Ratneshwari combing her long black hair. She turned back and smiled at him. Then, she started combing her hair again.

Shivan sat on the bed and watched his wife combing her hair. When she was done, she left the room.

Shivan closed the door. He took his phone and dialled a number. The person on the other side picked up the phone and they started talking.

"Hello Shivan"

"How are you, Sheetal?"

"I am fine. How is she? Did you tell her anything?"

"She is quite happy here. I haven't said anything to her till now. She is happy..... she is happy with this marriage. Perhaps, she likes me......"

"Hello?"

"I am afraid. I don't know how she will react to all this. I have to tell her everything. But I am not able to do so."

"I can understand. When you be returning to Chennai?"

"I took a week's leave from work on the day before my marriage. I will be returning next week."

"Tell her everything after returning to Chennai."

"Yeah, that will be good."

"Take care of yourself Shivan."

"I will take care of myself. You also take care of yourself. Bye. "

"Bye"

(Call ends)

Shivan's life was not easy. He was in a dilemma. He could not understand what he should do. He threw his phone on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was trying to calm himself down.

He was thinking of his past.

Shivan was a bright college student. He fell in love with Sheetal.

Sheetal was the second child born to a Telugu father and a Gujarati mother. Her father was a civil servant. He met her mother when he was posted in Gujarat. They fell in love and got married. They had two daughters named Karuna and Sheetal. Sheetal had seen her loving parents. She wanted a life like them. She also wanted to marry the love of her life and live happily. Her father had a transferable job. So, she got a chance to live in different places all over India. However after passing class 12, her father decided not to keep her along with him anymore as this would hamper her studies. She decided to complete her graduation and post graduation in Chennai. This was where she met Shivan.

Both of them were deeply in love. They spent time together and shared all their feelings with each other. They created their dreamworld where Shivan was the king and Sheetal was his queen. They wanted to get married and live like a happy couple.

After completing the post graduation, Shivan got a job as a police officer. Sheetal was working towards her PhD.

One fine day, Shivan said to his beloved, "I will talk to Amma and Appa about us. I am sure that they will agree for our marriage." Sheetal said, "That's the best thing I have heard this week! Yes man, tell them as soon as possible. I too want to get married to you." They talked to each other about their future for a long time.

But all expectations donot come true.

Shivan's father fell terribly ill. Shivan took a leave from his work and went home. His father was on his death bed. He was happy to see his son. He put his hand on Shivan's head. Shivan started crying. He hugged his father tightly. His father said to him, "Son, my time has come. I have to go. Now, you have to take care of this house. Take care of your Amma. My dear friend Elamaran, has a very nice daughter. She is very lovely. I know that she is perfect for you. Marry her."

Shivan's mother was sitting beside her husband. Her husband said to her, "Adhini, I have always loved you. Forgive me, if I ever hurt you." Saying this he breath his last. Shivan and his mother cried holding his lifeless body.

It was Shivan's father who wanted to get him married to Ratneshwari. He never knew who she was. He did not want to marry her. But still he decided to do so as he wanted to keep his father's last words. His mother was devastated after his father's death. He did not want to hurt her more. So, he agreed when she asked him to marry Ratneshwari.

But his heart pained whenever he saw her. His brain thought that whatever he did was right. He married her to keep his father's words and they could just get divorced after marriage. But his heart did not want to do that. He felt as if he was lifting Ratneshwari in his arms and throwing her in the fire to burn. This was disturbing him. This thought was burning him from inside.

"Who knows what lies within the stone heart which crushed fer feet? It broke her trust, shattered her dreams and burned her hopes.", said a man. His companion said, " No one knows the flower better than the stone which crushed it. You do not know how painful it was for the stone to crush the beautiful flower. The stone wanted to free the flower of its grief. But ended up killing it."