To Love Again !!!

Chapter - 57

Roop knocked on the door and entered. She didn't wait for a reply. Inside she found Simrit lying on the bed with puffed red eyes. Varun was nowhere to be seen and Rahul was with Amar anyway. She walked in and closed the door shut. Simrit looked at her mother and sat up.

"Mummy," Simrit said in a hoarse voice, "did you see what she did? How am I going to face everyone? Varun was so upset he has gone out for a walk so he doesn't end up in a fight with Amrit or her husband. She should apologize to me mummy, and in front of everyone," she grumbled.

Roop didn't say anything. She just listened. Beeji's words rang in her ears. And it all seemed to be true. For the first time she was able to see what beeji had been trying to show her for so long and she had refused to see. She had always associated beauty with goodness. For some strange reason fairness of the skin was seen as the face of all that was angelic. Not that Amrit was not beautiful but Simrit had always been more so. In all her life Roop had never felt she was uneducated but today she did. The wise weren't wrong when they said beauty was skin deep. Only it took her so long to understand what it truly meant. She couldn't blame Simrit for it. Maybe she had it in her nature to be like this but it was Roop who had made it a habit with her by supporting her every step of the way. Had she curbed that nature when Simrit had been young she wouldn't have to see this day where her one daughter hated her and the other only used her.

"I am here to talk about Kulraj's engagement," Roop said a little gruffly.

"What about it mummy," Simrit said and without glancing at Roop went ahead, "she will get engaged tomorrow to the man she loves, soon Preeti will find someone eligible too only I will be left with what I have," she said pouting her lips.

Roop refused to give in to the tactic. Instead she used her brain and not her heart to see how far Simrit could really go.

"Yes," Roop said, "then all the children would be happily settled," she said watching Simrit carefully, "just like you," she said, "you had a love marriage too didn't you?" she asked.

Simrit looked up at that. She narrowed her gaze searching Roop's face. There was something odd about her mother right now. The tone she had used Simrit had never heard it before at least not in reference to her. Even the way she held herself. Normally when Simrit got upset her mother would fret and fuss over her moving around her to calm her down but today she stood by the door, stiffly. Something wasn't right.

"Are you alright?" Simrit asked.

"What do you care if I am or not," Roop responded, "let me ask you something," she said and crossed her arms over her chest, "are you not happy with Varun?"

Simrit didn't know how to respond to that. Why was she asking her this question? She had always maintained that Varun was very affectionate and they were very happy. Did Varun say something? It was for appearances sake but Varun had never shown indifference towards her in public.

"Mummy, why are you asking me this?" Simrit said trying to evade the question and smiled, "Here I am talking about something else and you are taking the conversation to a different tangent," she said changing her voice to being pleasant.

Maybe her mother had been influenced by the rest of the family. Or maybe she hadn't liked what happened today. She needed to pacify her mother before she made her demands of an apology again. Amrit will have to apologize to her she will make sure of it.

"Answer the question Simrit," Roop said as she refused to give in to the beguiling smile of her daughter.

"Mummy, you do know how happy I am..." she said but before she could say anything else Roop cut her short.

"Then why are you so jealous of your sisters?" she asked.

"I don't understand," Simrit said a little nervously.