A BEAUTIFUL COMPROMISE √

hypocrisy

The next day I was really nervous. I have no idea what was going to happen today. When we all sat together for discussion It was Krish who broke the silence. ''what happened to you all. I thought that she is your daughter. you are supposed to accept her even with her faults. Hell it took me 2 days to see her innocence and you are doubting her. believe me we are not together. nothing happened between us that can make you doubt her character.'' I glared at Krish. Him taking my side was not helping the matter at all. He just looked down. Now he was quiet too. ''Do you love her?'' my uncle asked Krish. ''No I don't'' he replied immediately. ''Look all is well!!!'' I exclaimed. ''So what you two were having was casual.'' my uncle finished.

I looked at them. "You all know me I am not like that. I followed every order. I never protested in anything that you guys asked for. I gave up my love for lord Krishna to make you all happy. I promised to marry wherever you wanted me too. I can never even think of that." Listen no offence to you Kriti but just look at him. Any girl may commit mistake. I can see a faint smile on Krish's face. "Look he is a really busy man and a workaholic at that. There is nothing between us. He didn't even know of my presence most of the time." "We believe you beta but what about society." It was ma. "Ma you too," I said in disbelief. "What's your full name Krish," my ma asked him. "Its none of our business," I yelled. "I am talking to Krish. The way you too jump to save each other I can't help with the doubt." My mom replied.

Before our family meeting can proceed though few of the elders of society came to our house. They interrupted our discussion.

"What happened here is really shameful. For few ages Jha family is known for their honour but your eldest daughter she brought that all to dirt."

"But how do you know about it," I asked one of them.

"You brought a boy home. Everyone saw that." He replied.

"And who are you guys"Krish said.

"Oh so he is the boy.  I understand why she committed a sin. He is tempting. What's your full name."

"I am varshney." he replied.

"How could you touch our daughter."

"But I didn't," he said.

"You belong to OBC category."

"So you mean to say that if I was Brahman I could touch her," he said in a careless attitude.

"He is really rude,"one of them exclaimed. I can see that Krish was loosing his calm. I hope that he won't pull the gun now.

Look in what language you will understand that there is nothing between us.

"That's what I am saying,"I added.

" Today's generation has forgotten to respect the elders."one of them said.

Elder's like you do not deserve respect. Look I already have temper problem do not aggrevate me.

I calmed him down and for once he listened to me.

'So she has power over you' it was another of my uncle.

''Look everyone'' I said. ''It's not Krish's fault. I should have asked him his cast in my dying breaths before freezing of cold so that I can allow him to rescue me. Punish me but do not punish my family and let Krish go."I added with sarcasm.

"So he saved you from cold and how may we ask." Now I knew what they were thinking.

I have no idea what was I supposed to say except that its not what they are thinking.

"okay listening to you two we have a solution. It's obvious that no boy of our society will marry you. Now we have two options. First your whole family would be discarded and boycotted from this society." My heart stopped at those words and what's the other option I asked in a low voice. "Well you can never show your face to us. You can't be seen anywhere close to your family. Leave and get lost. You should have died that night. You have brought disgrace to our society." They completed. I looked at my family but none of them protested. He then looked at my mother and continued  "your mother in law was right about your daughter. She killed her father. She is nothing but misfortune. You should have killed her at her birth. Must have did us some good."

All those words were like arrows piercing my heart I fell to the ground not able to take the burden of those blames. They were right. I have brought misfortune to my family. I will die and everything would be all right. Krish had said something similar to me that day. They were all correct I will kill myself. Then everyone would be happy. I deserve to die. My mind made up I started to walk towards our kitchen but a hand grabbed a hold of my wrist.

Where do you think you are going? It was Krish. "Just let me go,"I begged. I promised to keep you safe didn't I and you think I will quit that. All the words they said about you do not hold. You are a great person."You hate me too. You wanted me to die as well." Look I have temper problem. I don't know how to show care. I didn't mean a word I said to you that day. I was angry and annoyed and took it out on you. Believe me I want you to be safe. I didn't save your life and brought you here to let you end your life. Stay with me. He then loosened his grip on my wrist but took my hand into his own and interlocked our fingers.

" Look at the love birds. Our hair have not turned gray in sunlight. We have experience. We can see it what is between you two."One of the so called 'elders' of our society said.

Krish's POV

After seeing what was happening here I can't help but think that these people who claim to be the virtuous paradigm of society are the real criminals. How easily they all proved her guilty and how easily she believed them. Now I felt bad for treating her the way I did back and seeing her this broken made me feel something I had stopped feeling completely. I don't have a family. I was adopted and raised by the person I work for. Our relation is professional but if this is how family is supposed to be I am lucky to be alone. I wanted to hug her tightly and tell her that everything would work out but when I saw her leaving I had no doubt what she was going to do. She wanted to end her life. As if I would let her.I held her wrist to stop her. When she said that I wanted same thing I really felt guilty and for the first time ever realized that how words can effect someone.

Listening to same thing again and again she had believed them. No matter how strong she acted from outside but from inside she was broken. What I had in mind was a bit complicated but I needed to talk to her so I told her that I wanted to talk to her alone and without paying attention to chatters going outside I pulled her to the room I was given in her home.

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