Seven Vows Part 1- Published

Maa-Beta

Dinner time was happy for the Varma family. Rajasekhar was silent but others were in jovial mood. Sreedhar and Sudhir talked about their ordeal on the road where they took 5-6 hours to come out of the narrow forest road. Then the petrol of the car was almost finished. It was sheer luck they got a petrol pump nearby. And since it was a deviation it took them another 2-3 hrs to find a phone booth and call home. Renuka told about the happenings in the congregation and Poornima's request that she wants to talk to Sreedhar. Sreedhar said he will call Poornima. He told he and Sudhir had already discussed about the questions Poornima can have and he was kind of prepared to speak to her, answer her. Vindhya had prepared special Rasmalai and she first gave it to Sreedhar and then to Suman as she said the success belonged to both of them. Suman's courage dealing with the gundas as well as Sreedhar's conviction in speaking to the kids. Suman took it and fed Maheswari, Vindhya and Renu while Sreedhar fed the kids , Sudhir and then try feeding his father. " Sreedhar this success is yours, not mine " told Rajasekhar a little curtly. Sreedhar felt hurt and lowered his eyes. Maheswari glanced at Rajasekhar upon which Rajasekhar took the Rasmalai. " Beta I am happy for Suman, but allow your father sometime to accept Poornima" Sreedhar nodded.

It was night. Maheswari was alone in her room, lost in thoughts. Rajasekhar had gone to outhouse and she knew he will stay there for night till he is able to comprehend the reality of Poornima being his grand daughter. That place was her husband's stress buster. Maheswari never questioned such escapades of her husband. But now she felt she should have. If she had then maybe she would have been able to know many truths before it was too late. She thought those escapades were business related, but today it was proved that it is related to personal issues also. She heard a knock on the door. She looked and saw Sreedhar standing.

" Come beta, I am not asleep and your Papa is in outhouse " . He came and his usual practice kept his head in her lap. Maheswari caressed his hair. " You worried beta"

" Maa is Papa angry with me. He didn't seem happy today when I gave Rasmalai"

" Beta Papa is not angry with you. But he is upset the system that he upholds is slowly breaking "

" What system Maa. That a woman is inferior to man. That woman should be punished for the crime she didn't commit and a man goes scott free. Does Papa think so Maa"

" No Beta, he doesn't directly think that way. But then he accepts it as society's way and if pushed to the corner will try to adhere to that view. But your Dadaji was the follower of that rule though to the outside it never seemed so "

" Why are you telling that way Maa that from outside it didn't feel so "

" Beta you know right. I came from a very liberal family. Your nanu Shivpratap Khatri was a well known figure in Jodhpur as he as well as my elder brother was involved in freedom struggle. Your nanu was deeply influenced by Gandhiji's and Vivekananda's ideals and had ensured both his sons and daughters received good education. At that time he gave your mother an oppourtunity to study English and I am one of rare woman who passed matriculation at that time. Not only that your nanu started a school exclusively for girls in Jodhpur which is now run by your mamu and mami and is instrumental in the education of many a girl in Jodhpur. And your mami's you know 2 of them have completed graduation post marriage as your nanu and nani allowed their DILs to pursue education"

" But Maa why you studied only till Matriculation. Why you didn't complete graduation. Nanu could have allowed you to complete graduation right"

" Beta there were certain social norms which even your nanu couldn't change. One was the marriage of the girl. When I was 13-14 itself the pressure was mounting on him and there was no way for him to postpone it beyond 15 years during that time. And when the alliance came from the Varma's a prominent family for their only son there was no after thought. Varma's looked progressive, they had 4 daughters and they had a home tutor for the daughters. Making daughter's study was a rarity in those days and your nanu thought maybe post marriage your dadu will allow me to study"