"No, stop!"
All the eyes turned to look at Radha, she had just interrupted the most auspicious moment. Dev looked at her puzzled, what was going on in Radha's mind!? What was she doing!? He tried to read her eyes. Abhimanyu who was standing in the background got a hint of the commotion and walked towards the pyre furiously. He would teach Mehra a good lesson for screwing up the one thing she was supposed to do. He walked to her and gripped her left hand, ready to drag her out.
"You can't fill her parting just like that, use your ring" Radha instructed gently, pouring in relief on everyone's anguish as everyone broke down laughing.
"Oh Radha, you scared us! Hmm, you remember very well from your wedding ha?" Gauri quipped. Radha, nodded politely as she turned her gaze to Abhimanyu sadly and turned to look at Dev.
Do pal ruka khwaabon ka kaarvaan
Aur phir chal diye tum kahaan ham kahaan
Dev took a ring, smiled to Radha and scooped out vermillion with it and looked at Priyanka, delving into her eyes as a promise to her and assurance to Radha, he filled her maang.
The priest asked Radha to tie the bride and groom's clothes together, so they could rise up and take the Pheras. Radha did as required and the bride and groom got up. Dev and Radha's eyes met for a last time, where Radha pressed her eyes and smiled to him, giving him her full assurance. He smiled to her as he slowly held Priyanka's hands and led her for the pheras.
Do pal ki thi, ye dilon ki daastaan
Aur phir chal diye, tum kahaan, ham kahaan
-
Radha wheeled in a tray of tea in to the discreet conference room in the house, nobody was allowed there since there would often by important high profile meetings of the party members and the servants weren't allowed in there.
Today Sameer was having another meeting, it seemed pretty serious, the commotion of the voices and their high decibels could make it till outside the room.
As soon as Radha entered the room, all the voices quieted down.
She greeted everyone and poured in some tea for everyone and passed it around.
"Radha dear, I think it's high time you and Abhimanyu give minister sahib some good news, a grandchild to look forward to!" one of the party members commented, making everyone laugh. A flushed Meera smiled in her defense.
"I think minister sahib will give everyone good news before Radha here does" laughed Chaudhary. MLA chaudhary was a trusted friend of Sameer, he would often come over and have dinner with the family and have long conversations with Sameer in his study. Sameer and Chaudhary always watched out for each other in the gruesome world of politics.
Radha didn't understand what he was trying to say and didn't bother, she instead deviated the topic, "Chaudhary uncle, please don't take more than a sugar cube in your tea, when your sugar gets high, I have to deal with aunty's rebukes" she warned him
"Oh dear, kapoor sahab, your daughter-in-law will be the reason I stop coming to your house" he laughed.
"Chaudhary, my daughter makes our house seem like a home" Sameer said giving Radha an assuring smile and indicating her to leave everything there, he would take care of it. Radha quietly left the room.
She was too accustomed to the question about the good news, quite frankly from the day she got married. It was really tiring, but she stopped caring about it. The sooner she accepted that she would never be a mother, the better it would be, the noise around her would fade away eventually. She held her head, she had been feeling dizzy for the last week. Not to mention her Radha took her cup of coffee and sipped on it when she heard the shuffling of feet in the hallway, ascertaining her that the political party troupe had left. She walked to the conference room, so she could have her evening coffee in peace with her dearest papa.
"I see you didn't go to visit your sick friend today" Sameer said when she walked into the room and went on to sit beside him.
"No, she left the country, for treatment" Radha lied, making up something on spot, almost instantly!
"Oh well, I hope she gets better soon!" Sameer said as he continued looking at the papers he was holding. Radha took a sip of her coffee in silence, just sitting with Sameer made her feel so loved and cared for.
"What happened in today's meeting, things got a little loud, all okay?" Radha asked, the elections were coming up in a few months and that's why things had been a little stessful in the party and for Sameer.
"Yeah, we were just discussing, and- well, a large part of the party, err, they want me to contest as the chief minister" Sameer said very casually.
"What!? are you kidding me? Papa, that's so fantastic, and of course, you deserve it! in the last term you did so much for the public, so much for the welfare of the people, especially for women and kids. You did great for the education sector! That's so cool!" Radha said excitedly
"Oh no no, bete, calm down! The chief minister's son, that crook won't let it happen, he wants the CM's throne to himself, a part of the MLAs are on my side but he has the power to buy them out, I don't know what's going to happen, this internal fighting shouldn't get the better of the party" Sameer said as she rubbed his creased forehead.
"Who is this CM's son, crook, papa you just give me his address, I will beat him up, bring him down on his knees and make him know he deserves to be the CM!" Radha quipped
"Of course, because that is exactly how a democracy works and you who can barely kill a mosquito, is going to apparently teach a man a lesson, great papa and you want her as your advisor" Abhimanyu interjected as he entered the room and sat on the sofa. Radha widened her eyes furiously at him, as Abhimanyu smirked at her.
"Abhi, why are you troubling my little girl, I am telling you, I will punish you if you do anything to hurt her" Sameer warned him as he caressed Radha's head, she looked at Abhimanyu furiously while Abhimanyu turned away. "Just because you are least interested ha?" Sameer added looking at Abhimanyu
"Of course dad, Politics is just not my cup of tea, and the job of a politician, no way, I would never want that!" Abhi exclaimed as he mindlessly played with his watch.
"Papa, I think we should have a feast tonight, you might become the next CM, we should celebrate" Radha said getting up, "I am going to make gulab jamun and rasgulla"
"Oh, nice plan, assassinating the future CM, which organization put you up to it?" Abhimanyu asked sarcastically. Radha took a deep breath to calm herself down. The week since Dev's wedding had put her in immense stress, her worries about the future became more real, her worries about ending up alone become more real and all the anxiety made her prone to a hot temperament. She ignored him and looked at Sameer, before she could say anything Sameer interrupted her.
"Well Radha, you are right, this house could use some celebration, if not of me becoming a CM, maybe of something else" Sameer said as put his palm on her face with parental affection.
"I -err, didn't get you papa-is something going on-what celebration-are you getting Aman married?" Radha asked out of concern as Abhimanyu looked on thoughtfully, wondering what was brewing on in his father's mind. Radha was worried immediately, Aman was very young, a marriage for him now would jeopardize his entire career, like it happened in her case. Besides if Aman wasn't ready for marriage or in love with someone else, then it would be a total Abhi-Radha case. Before she could say anything further, Sameer got into a more dignified position.
"Abhi I called you early from the office today for a reason, I wanted to talk to you and Radha about something" Sameer declared. Radha turned all ears and Abhi straightened his posture and moved closer to hear his father.
"Papa, is everything okay" Radha said taking his hands into hers as she looked on with concern, while glancing at Abhi to understand if he knew anything about this. His blank face ensured her that he knew jsut as much as she did.
"Everything is fine dear, just, when your mom said it earlier, it felt wrong and I asked her to give you guys some more time, since Radha was young and Abhi had just come back home, but it's been three years now, you know each other better, you have settled in, don't you think it's high time you plan a kid!? I mean Abhi is going to turn 30 in another few months!" Sameer explained. Radha was taken aback. She didn't know what to say. Abhi sighed, almost as if he knew this was coming.
"What is wrong, tell me, is there something wrong? Radha do you not want kids?" Sameer asked as he glanced at her.
"No papa, there is nothing like that-"
"Abhi do you not want kids?" he turned to Abhi. Abhi stayed mum for his question.
"Papa, we just aren't ready for kids as yet" Radha said hesitantly. She didn't know what else to say. "Why are you discussing this today, I mean we found out that you are going to become chief minister, let's celebrate tha-"
"Radha don't deviate from the topic!" Sameer said sternly. In a manner that she had never heard her speak. She was shocked and stayed quiet. Abhimanyu could see the hurt on her face.
"Tell me Abhimanyu, where is the problem? Is there a biological issue? If there is let me know, don't be shy, we will consult the biggest doctors! Do you not want kids!?"
Abhi had never thought about children, he was clear he wouldn't let Radha be their mother. Especially since their relationship was a hoax and hence the foundation of the child would be so faltering. Suddenly Radha got up and she rushed out of the room, covering her mouth with her hand, the noise of her retching could be heard by them, they quickly followed her as she entered the bathroom and sat down next to the commode, pouring out all that she had eaten for lunch that day. Sameer entered the bathroom to pat her back as he handed her the towel and Abhi fetched some water. Meera continued retching until she finally felt like she could collapse, since she lacked any energy.
-
"I must applaud you for once, the acting that you pulled off today, to prevent papa from asking us uncomfortable questions, it was commendable!" Abhi said as he took off his socks while Meera lay on the bed under her sheet.
"What do you mean acting, Abhi-I, I was actually puking, you did see that right!?" Meera said, looking at him in incredulity.
"Of course, the way you suddenly out of no where started puking, I wouldn't be surprised if dad thought you were really pregnant" Abhi said sarcastically as he belittled her and then left the room. Radha was perplexed, she quickly opened her cupboard and looked for her calendar. As she flipped through it, she realized she was late for her period by two weeks. She clutched her mouth and then the stomach. She had been feeling dizzy, tired and fatigued for a week now, since the last time, she and Dev, did it. Radha gasped, her mind was racing, what if she was pregnant?
She didn't waste a minute, she had to find out now, she quickly got down out of the house leaving behind a note for Abhimanyu saying that she had left to buy sanitary napkins, like he would even care, and she drove to the nearest medical store. It was after the office hours, the traffic on the roads had subsided, she rushed to the medical store and asked for a pregnancy test.
"Madam we only have of this company, it is new, latest in market" the man replied. Radha didn't put much thought into it, she bought the test and jumped back into the car, driving back quickly to the Kapoor house.
-
Radha waited in front of the mirror with a timer on the phone for 2 minutes. She had declined dinner saying she was sick. She had a few minutes to do this before Abhimanyu kapoor would be back to make her life hell again. She had no idea what it would turn out to be and she didn't have any preferences, she wanted to be a mother and this was her only chance at it, possibly, but she didn't know what to do if the Kapoor's would find out, Abhi would finish her off, that would be fine but how would she meet Sameer's eyes who had treated her like a daughter.
The timer suddenly rung and she turned her head to the stick she had peed on.
It had two red lines on it.