Seven Vows Part 1- Published

The Inheritance

" Arey Chandrakalaji come come ushered in Maheswari. " Renu your Maa has come . Vindhya call Suman downstairs"

As Renu came from the kitchen she could sense her mother's uncomfortableness on the need to see Suman. Renu very well understood why her mother has come suddenly without any announcement

" Maa Tilak doesn't treat me a wife. 6 months have gone by, I am only a namesake Suhagan. We sleep separately. He loves his first wife. Now people have started asking me about good news what will I tell "

" Renu listen to me. Your Papa knew very well about Tilak's first marriage. It is not a big deal. Such things happen with men. We woman has to learn to live with it. You are a woman. Arent you ashamed to tell your husband doesn't look at you. Do some good sringaar. Go close to him subtly. Men cannot restrict such things. Understand one thing. Don't even think of coming back here or raise a hungama there with your marital status. Learn to live your life without fuss. Keep your husband happy in everyway"

Renu looked at her mother and their eyes met. Chandrakala felt uncomfortable now not thinking of Suman, but seeing the sarcasm that was written in her daughter's eyes. Vindhya came down with Suman. They all chatted for sometime and understanding what Chandrakala was feeling Suman excused herself. Maheswari told by the time lunch is prepared Renu can have a personal chat with her mother in her room. Renu led Chandrakala to her room.

"Inheritance, how dare Vaishnav Samrat ask for inheritance and who is Amit Rathore. I will ensure that boy doesn't get one penny" screamed Praveen Samrat.

" Praveen there is no point in shouting. There is only one way you can deny Vaishnav Samrat inheritance . Prove Prakash Samrat is not your brother. Can you do that in front of the court" told his family lawyer Ravikant

" Court what court, why should I go to court"

" If you are not agreeing to the demands put forth by Amit then it will become case. And note that cases are decided in courts, not the kangaroo courts run by your Mahantji and co. It is based on IPC. Indian Penal code. If you have not read about it, read about it now. You can go to Supreme Court but you will have to give Vaishnav Samrat one third of your total property as inheritance. So listen to me, instead of spending crores to create proof Prakash Samrat is not your brother and running around in courts go for out of court settlement. Also if you want me to fight this futile case, I will be demanding double my usual fees "

" Ok now what is the demand"

" 15 crores and the Haveli on the Jaipur waterfront"

" My foot on what basis it is done and I really have to give this. We will go to court" shouted Praveen

" Amit has accessed the income tax raid papers based on which they have evaluated your net worth. Extrapolating on business income Amit is demanding one time settlement. See we will negotiate the actual amount and all, but the fact is you will have to give something considerable "

" What if this Amit Rathore is not there"

" Don't even think of it Praveen. Amit is the defense lawyer of Mahima Das rape case. CBI has made real progress in that case and people including your Mahantji are on the radar. Heard that Sartaj's son wont escape this time. Media is closely following this. If something happens to Amit, even your buddies will tell your name if they can escape Mahima Das rape case accusation by doing so. So if you do something to him now, well you can spend more money to create proofs to come out of that mess"

Praveen slammed his fist. " One side income tax fine  being asked is 5 crore and now this inheritance. On other side Pradeep Bhaiyya paralyzed medical expenses. To offset all this there is only way. Sarangi. I need to find someone who will take that baggage and give me some money. You negotiate Ravi and make sure you bargain well "

" I can bargain Praveen, but understand Amit is shrewd, very shrewd. Anyways will let you know"

" What are you upto Renu. Your father is very much disturbed with your antics. First why are you allowing your widow devrani so much freedom with you. If Maheswariji wants to do things her way it is fine. But you forgetting our culture and standing for all this. If that is not enough bringing Tilak's daughter born of his relation with a low caste woman and claiming her to be your daughter. Arent you ashamed"

" Maa first let me say one thing. Poornima is not a child born out a relation with a low caste woman. She is the daughter of Tilak Varma and Anusree Varma. Tilak has married Anu as per our customs and she is his first wife.

Coming to Suman. I can trust myself and my kids more with her than with you. Tell father that atleast if she has a choice to do what is in my best interest and in her best interest, she will do what is in my best interest, than what is for her best interest. My marriage was a deal right Maa. A business deal with Varma family. Expansion of our business footprints beyond Jaipur. There was no problem right when you did the kanyadan knowing well the man to whom you are doing it is already married. So why it hurts now when it is out in the open"

Chandrakala looked at her daughter. Renu continued " Maa you asked me to keep my husband happy in everyway. I have done that. Yes I didn't use sringaar or subtlety to seduce him, instead I worked on a relation based on trust and mutual respect. I became his friend, balm to his wounds and promised him if ever his child from first marriage comes I will not stop him from giving him or her Varma surname. Our relation's foundation itself was that trust Tilak placed on me. Today a motherless child has come in front of me. I decided to become her mother. My husband is happy"

" What about your kids inheritance Renu. Now Tilak will have to shell out dowry to marry off his daughter whose mother is from low caste. Else who will marry her. It will be loss for Aakash and Adwaith"

" Maa you are under estimating Poornima. The way her maternal family has bought her up, I am sure young men will stand in queue to get the hand of my daughter in marriage. She is educated, beautiful and well behaved. And I am sure this family wont send out its daughter to a home which demands huge dowry. Atleast my MIL doesn't treat her grand daughter's property that is needed to expand business"

" You have no shame Renu. I am surprised. Your father had ordered you not to spend time on the girl"

" Maa I would request you to tell my father that my husband is not running behind any prostitute. He doesn't have any extra marital affairs. He loved a girl, married her and had a child in her. Post our marriage he has tried in everyway to be completely loyal to me. Loved me in his own way. If a woman has to tolerate a man going to prostitute, having extra marital affair and even the marriage her parents fixed up knowing the man has first wife and they are not ashamed of it, I don't see any reason to be ashamed of accepting a child born to my husband through his first marriage. Tell him that it had taken a lot of time and effort for me to bring stability to my family. Since he had preferred to stay out of it when I needed him the most, I humbly request him to stay out of my family matters at this point of time. I need to help Vindhya to pack lunch boxes Maa. Driver will be waiting to take them to office for Papa, Tilak, Sudhir and Sreedhar"

Chandrakala looked at her daughter startled unable to utter a word as she ended their conversation smoothly .