Seven Vows Part 1- Published

The Clash and the Celebration

Vindhya gently knocked at Suman's door. Suman opened it. " Come Sreedhar wants to talk to you."

Suman looked at Vindhya bhabi puzzled. Sreedhar wants to talk to her and bhabi has no problem. " Suman no time to think why I am calling you, just understand that I know about you and Sreedhar. Details I will talk later. Now just come with me"

Well she had no other option but to follow. In reality she was not interested in any discussion. She had prepared herself for whatever punishment they were planning for her. She was fed up. Being at fault always. Now if punishment can reduce the burden of being at fault so be it.

They reached attic and Vindhya asked her to go down the stairs to the underground storeroom. When she went, Vindhya gently closed the door towards storeroom and began to clean attic. A task which she herself did every morning even before servants came. So no one will suspect.

" Mahantji I was a little worried when that Chandelier came down, whether our whole plan flopped. But you are too clever Mahantji " told Pratap

" Well Pratap in a way it was good that the chandelier came down. Now many woman do believe it is because of the poisonous effect of that girl " he and Santguru laughed loudly.

They were at Harkishore's house. Pratap had checked whether Poornima was completely asleep before bringing them in. They were upstairs while the girl's room was in the ground floor. Poornima had no clue about her birth secret. For her, her mother was a widow and her father died before her birth. They had shielded Poornima from any harsh truth, but now it was time that she know it. They wanted the surname for Poorni, but they wanted Poorni to hate her father and his family. So they were cleverly ensuring the information will leak to her only the way they wanted and at this point it was not right. Poorni questioned lot of things, so they will take her tomorrow where Suman will be punished. Poorni will question and then they can talk about how the Varma family is bad towards woman.

" Tomorrow's trial will be fun to watch. Bahu of Varma family standing the trial. Alone in one corner" Mahantji laughed loudly once again. Harkishore was also having a cunning laugh. Their plan has more or less succeeded. Now only the icing remained.

Sreedhar looked at Suman as she entered. She was not looking at him. " Sumanji I have a request. To protect your honor I have taken a decision. I want you to abide by it "

" What decision" she asked her voice curt

" Sumanji I cannot tell you what my decision is at this point. I just want you to trust me that this is the only way I see at this point to protect your honor "

" I have not given anyone any right to protect my honor. I can take care of it myself " retorted Suman

" Sumanji you are not understanding.."

" What I am not understanding Sreedhar. Papa wanted to protect family's honor. So beat me, lock me up, give injections to me and then marry me off in a semi sedated state. His honor is protected. Now to protect my honor you take some decision, which you wont share with me. I have not done anything dishonorable, so why should my honor be protected in first place. Sreedhar just allow them to do whatever they want. I had enough of this honor business"

" Sumanji I am not tellling you have done anything.."

" Sreedhar if my honor has to be protected that means I have done something dishonorable" now her eyes were blazing with anger " and why, why honor is always associated with a woman. The whole business of honor is there because I exist as a person. If I am not there then no honor business is there also right. How I wish my mother had killed me also like my sisters in her womb. Atleast I didn't have to allow someone else take decision on my behalf. I am not abiding by any decision of yours Sreedhar. If they want to kill me, pelt me with stones, flogg me, or outcast me I don't care anymore. Anyways from the time I wore this white dress I am expecting it one way or the other. Raja Ram Mohan Roy shouldn't have stopped Sati. The pain burning in the pyre would have been much less compared to what you get everyday" she turned to go. Sreedhar caught her hand strongly and pulled her towards him

" Tell what you told once again looking into my eyes. Tell you wanted to burn in my brother's pyre, tell that was the lie you wanted to show the whole world. Tell it Sumi, tell it looking into my eyes " she looked into his eyes. There was rage, desperation, pain everything in them. Her hand was hurting. He had never held her like this, not with such an iron grip.

" Why silent. Why limit yourself to pyre. One more pyre could have lighted on the side for me to jump. As the biggest failure. Sreedhar Varma who could get an Economics gold medal for both his bachelors and post graduation unfortunately couldn't save the woman he loved " his eyes blazed.

" Sumi it is no longer a reqeust, it is an order from me that you are going to abide by my decision. And to your question what right do I have to order you, you and I both very well know about it "

She looked straight at him " Yes I will abide by your decision, not because I care for my honor nor because you ordered me, but for the fact that I love you, I don't want you to be a failure and I guess for that one thing alone I have to take this poison "

Sreedhar loosened his grip. It was then he realized how he had held her. The red mark was clearly visible over her wrist. He tried to look at it, but she held her hand firmly away from him, gave him a teary look and walked away.

He sat on the ground. What had gotten into him. What had happened to her. Why she was more fidgety and why he was more angry. He knew everything has its roots in what happened in the Jagratha Mandap between them.