Seven Vows Part 1- Published

Indications

" You are afraid Tilak" asked Renu as she sat beside him in the bed.

" Afraid for what Renu" queried Tilak

" That what happened to Anu can happen to Poornima. Isnt that the reason you stopped her over enthusiasm over a romantic song during dinner"

" How do you read me so well Renu. Yes when a daughter came to my life I realized what would have been the pain of Anu's father. For that matter your father who I guess know the truth but didn't tell anything about it as his daughter is married. Not only Anu, Renu I will not want my daughter to be in your position also. "

" Your daughter, so who is she to me Tilak. Don't ever think that I will make her go in my position. More than the family I will ensure the boy is critically evaluated before I give my nod to the person who is going to marry my daughter. And she in Anu's position. Don't worry. If our daughter falls in love with someone whether she will tell us is a secondary question, but one thing I know is that she will surely tell her Sreedhar Chachu. She trusts him that much. And Sreedhar there is no way he will allow her to be in Anu's position. By the way I now has to think about making jewels now. Daughter is there and another 5-6 years time she will be of marriageable age" she laughed.

" Why you woman think about jewellery even before a groom is found " asked Tilak

" Only a mother knows that Tilak, it cannot be explained to father. The pleasure of seeing her daughter in bridal attire " Renu laughed and for the first time Tilak pulled his laughing wife in his arms and shut her up with a kiss.

" What are you thinking " asked Sudhir

" Same thing you are thinking" told Vindhya as she took the news paper from his hand and sat in front of him. "

" What does that mean" Sudhir had a twinkle in his eye.

" Why you were sent to Gurgaon Sudhir when Nami was born" counter questioned Vindhya

" Maa knew I wanted a son and also my friends circle, men of mohallah. She wanted to keep me away from them" Sudhir told smiling.

" So we both understood what she did. So sending Sreedhar with Suman"

" Problem is Vindhya I am not understanding even if Maa has any ulterior motive, why would she want to pair Sreedhar with Suman. I don't think she knows about them" told Sudhir

" You think there is a reason that we doesn't know" asked Vindhya

" Obviously Vindhya. See Sreedhar is her pet. He is the most eligible bachelor around now. Parents of girls will stand in queue to get him as their son-in-law. And his popularity meter around girls is very high. So why would she make her laadla marry a widow" mused Sudhir

" Sudhir how are you telling she doesn't know about Sree-Suman. What if she knows and she is directing towards family seeing them as a pair" asked Vindhya

" No Suman. If she knew Sree-Suman she wouldn't have asked Suman whether she had any disagreement for marrying Murali. Because she would have guessed that Suman would have been tortured to marry Murali. That question to Suman kind of confirms she doesn't know. " told Sudhir

" Oh yaa I completely forgot about that. You want me to snoop around. Find what is in her mind" asked Vindhya

" Do I have to tell that. If mom is in agreement half the battle of Sree-Suman is won. But please be careful. In your over enthu don't give away our position and jeopardize whatever is done till now" Sudhir looked at her with mock warning

" Oh I mess around plans. I have to get information and then warning too don't jeopardize. Hello your elder brother have one prem kahani, your younger brother has another prem kahani. God knows what other Prem kahani is buried in this khandaan. You are the only one with no Prem Kahani How did you end up in this zoo Sudhir " . Before he could catch her, she ran away. Sudhir went behind her , held her and pinned her arms behind. "You want to hear my Prem Kahani" . Vindhya turned and smiled at him as he carried her to the bed.

" What are you thinking " asked Maheswari to Rajasekhar.

" Do you have any thought on who will marry Poornima. Do you think any decent alliance will come for her, knowing who her mother is. Leave her what about good alliance for Aakash, Nami and Adwaith " asked Rajasekhar

" It is only 2 days she has come here and well you are worried not really about her, but about other grand kids. Who will marry them. Rajasekhar when time comes the marriage will happen. First Poornima will get a groom and so will be other grand kids. Now leave this thoughts and try to be more cordial towards that girl"

"Maheswari when someone does what they want. Others pay the price. Just like my Chitra Didi's act did"

" Now why Chitra didi is dragged into this. She is no more"

" She is there " told Rajasekhar

" Where" asked Maheswari

" I don't know" told Rajasekhar

" Then how do you know she is there" asked Maheswari

" Because I helped her run away with her lover Anshuman who was the doctor in the government hospital , creating the illusion of suicide. I know she went to Delhi with him. But no news after that. Obviously so as Papa would have killed him and her if he knew she was alive"

" What you helped your sister run away and you couldn't accept your son's love marriage" asked Maheswari startled.

" Maheswari I didn't complete. Chitra didi went away. But Neelima and Chanchala. I still remember mother standing in kitchen pouring kerosene over and 2 of my sisters telling they all will die if Papa thought of marrying Neelima with that 40 year old man. Then of course Neelima and Chanchala got very bad alliances as Chitra didi's defiance has caused family a bad name. You know Neelima's husband has another wife as she has 2 daughter's. Chanchala escaped such a fate because she had 2 sons . Well Neelima is no longer there now as she was in the car with Murali and Suman"

" With what Tilak did it would have been the end for Sudhir, Murali and Sreedhar and a good life for them. What I am supposed to do"

Maheswari got up and went near Rajasekhar " Rajasekhar what have you got after doing what you did with Tilak. Coming to bad alliances. Rajasekhar is less wealthy family a bad alliance for you. You forgot Chitra didi's defiance gave both your young sister's husbands more or less at par their age. Coming to Neelima's husband having second wife, don't forget Renu is Tilak's second wife. Irrespective of pressure from his family her husband didn't threw her out and he has done the marriage of his daughter's as a responsible father. Son craze exists in every family. Why cant you give some benefit to Neelima's husband as he also did second marriage under difficult circumstances. Chanchala she is quite ok in her married life with 2 sons and 1 daughter. What you did with Chitra didi was right. But what you did with Tilak was wrong. We have lost Murali Rajasekhar. You thought by discriminating against Anu our family will be safe. No. Murali paid the biggest price of that decision. I don't know how to make you understand. Think over it Rajasekhar. Don't try to justify your stand on Tilak and Anu. You could have told me. I could have talked to my father. They would have done something. Yes there would have been skirmish. But it would have been at equal level. You are not just son of Tribhovandas Varma , you are also son-in-law of Shivpratap Khatri.You very well know the social standing of my father and my family in Jodhpur. Only if you had thought about that relation. Not every solution is linear Rajasekhar. It has non-linear shades. What matters in the end is whether our action delivers justice to everyone concerned to the best of our knowledge. Injustice to one cannot give justice to another. Think about it and one more thing, if you think Chitra didi is there please search for her. I don't think she will have to fear anyone now and I would really like to meet my courageous sis-in-law who defied the so called fate of a woman 48 years back"

Rajasekhar looked at his wife and after a long time smiled. She was right. It was time to search for his sister.

Maheswari mused " No wonder I felt Suman to be like Chitra didi. The same defiance. The same confidence. Chitra won only half the battle as she had to run away never showing her face in public. Why do I feel Suman will complete it "