Begusarai hasn't changed much from before, was the first thought that came to the Mishra family's mind as they stand infront of the one story house whose black iron gate still has the small dent where Niyati once crashed her bicycle as a kid.
Walking inside that gate, was even more nostalgic as the memories of good days comes flooding back to them. The alcove where the plant of the tulsi should be was empty and seeing that "the first thing we would do is to replace that" Manorama ordered.
The moving truck has reached two days before and was easily handled by Manorama's eldest son Raghuveer and his wife Roopa, Radha felt a bit of satisfaction at that. Her brother-in-law however strict, is a good man and his wife is one of the kindest person Radha ever has the fortune to meet.
Her brother-in-law's family lives near the ancient temple where Raghuveer is the head priest, the family also had a general store which is handled by either him or his eldest daughter Shivangi.
"I am so tired by the journey. The sun has taken on himself to scorch us all to death." Manorama speaks from the sofa where she was currently massaging her feet.
"And if that not would be successful, your overgrown tantrum surely will" Maithili murmur under her breath. Knowing well, what's coming next.
" I'm going out to visit Malti and will be back before the evening Pooja's time. So,I expect the place of my Krishna to be fresh and clean. " And with that the elderly woman left from the door and only when the sound of gate closing is heard that Niyati hisses "Yes. That would be real nice. We too traveled all the way from Indore to this craphole and yet she's expecting so much from us. "
" One would get confused between all of us as who is the child and who is an adult" back Maithili from the floor. The girl who is only sixteen but speaks like an overgrown adult who has seen everything in her life.
And truth to be told, Radha can't blame either of her children. When fifteen years ago,her husband Laxman left the home along with his family her mother-in-law has cursed them all along the way. Blaming the girls and her for brainwashing her youngest son, bluntly ignoring her own fault and action that leads to that.
And it is only three months before,when she choose to forgive them -him- because he was on his deathbed. Fighting from cancer,which has spread in his whole body sucking his life slowly untill one day it all ended. But there's that saying old habits die hard. And in Manorama's case: never.
She blamed Radha again for all of that, taunting her daily, not forgiving her granddaughters too, equally dragging them all along "if he had a son,all of this wouldn't have happened" like having a boy would have cured the cancer.
Going so far, as to drag her widowed daughter-in-law and her children from the city where they already had their small world woven to an unknown place where they only had bad memories associated with.
"Leaving a woman alone is same as giving meat to the vultures,they won't hesitate to create a mess. And I care enough for my dead son's virtue to take you all under my roof to protect you lot from this dark world which have it's claw sharpened..looking only for the right moment to attack. So be grateful."
Radha even though not completely agreeing with her mother-in-law,has nodded her head knowing to one extent she is right. For the other part of the offer, she firmly put her foot down and made it clear that if they're once again returning back to Begusarai she would not leave under the very same roof as her.
The reaction to her demand was not very preety, the old woman shrieked and roared loudly demanding an apology right away but her brother-in-law understand the hidden meaning behind that. And for that she would always be grateful to him.
The daughters who his brother treated and raised as flowers,sheilded from the world, loved more than anything, should be treated as only as that.
"No one would think that Meethu, afterall one could easily differentiates between a crow and a cuckoo." With full sympathy Niyati thumps her sister's back as the younger one snickered.
" Hush children..do not speak about your elder like that. If one would heard that they would think I didn't taught you any manners"
" If one heard our dearest Amma, they would already think that."deadpanned Niyati.
" You would actually be surprised to know, but many of the women's here share the same thinking as your Amma."
" Ofcourse,birds of the same weather flocks together afterall." Plopping herself on the sofa Niyati's eyes roamed the hall. The house was actually decent ; iron gate leading to small garden which then leads to wooden door which opens to the a decent size hall, across from the hall was bathroom which then connects to two bedrooms side by side. The kitchen of the house was a small room unlike the open kitchen they had back in Indore with the store room attached to it.
"Kaka did an exceptional job with renovating this place," obeserves Niyati. While the house did has its flaws as few places of the wall had their paint chipped and the outstanding mural Maithli had made of an old serial on the wall still looks at them with its star shaped -haunting- eyes , not to forget the stain of the chai on the old carpet under the tea table. But if one kick all of these small things from the small window, they would see the home. The home where once a family lived.
The tiles were clean, not a trace of cobwebs on the corner of the celling,store room filled with necessary items like soaps,detergent,mosquito repellent and one look at the kitchen was enough to say the same. Not to forget the small refrigerator which looks second hand but works just fine. Her Kaka had indeed done a very excellent job with the house. Or it could be kaki too, the lady is the incarnation of one of the deity, Maithili once had said.
"When are they coming?" ask the youngest, who is still sitting on the floor now drinking the packaged soft drink she found from the fridge. "I miss kaki and Shivangi dii-" gulp "oh and kaka and Ranveer too. "
" Just say you miss everyone and safe a breathe. "
Glaring playfully at her eldest Radha speak " tomorrow. Jiji said not to cook since she will bring the breakfast along with her.But Shivu and Gola has their college and school respectively so they will come in the evening along with bhaisahab. "
"Speaking of that, what about ours? Which school and college you have choosen for us? "Niyati ask now lying upside down on the sofa, leg dangling from the edge, long hair mopping the floor.
"First of all seat properly,-"
"This is proper for her MAA, otherwise you would see didi-"
"Who ask you? I don't remember being the one? "
And before the youngest can open her mouth and their bickering would lead to the headache " Silence. Children this is not Indore, your bickering no matter how much I enjoy is only adding to the stress of things I have to tackle soon. So please." Pinching the area between her eyes Radha says. And that was enough for the girls to know. To understand the depth of things here.
They were not in Indore, the city life they once had has left them for good already. And here in Begusarai, life would be different. The arms of a very conservative society where small things like speaking loudly and laughing openly is frowned upon, where their even the littlest of mistake can become issue of gossip for others' tea time.
Their carefree persona and bickering and fighting should now be replaced by calmness, seriousness and solemnity.
"When you are in Rome,be a Roman. Simple" was how their mother concluded her lecture about their new life style.
"As for your question, you both would be attending the same faculty as Shivu and Gola."
And once again Niyati forgot the timing and place where they are, " b-but Shivangi dii- she goes to a girls college. Ain't she?"
"Yes... what's the problem in that?"There was a weird calmness in Radha's voice, a look in her eyes like she's challenging her own blood to rebuke back and Niyati would not be her own child if she don't do "I have never been to all girls college,most of my friends in the school were both boys and girls if you forgot that. Papa had no qualm with that, always encouraged me to be-"
"Where you are right now?" And at that abrupt question niyati become silent. She glared at her mother for a short time lips wobbling, if her papa would be here nothing would have happened like this.
If he would be here...they wouldn't even be here.
" In a crap hole." She rebuke back.
"The admission is already done,you will be going there from the day after tomorrow.Bhaisahab said that you and Shivu will go to the college together and must be back before evening -no argument- "
Radha do not believe in the ideology of raising your child only with gentle hand like her husband, sometimes even the healthiest of the tree needs a bit of grooming. The line between mollycoddling and pampering them should be balanced by toughness of upbringing too.
"This is not your city,the faster you understand that the more good it would be for you" she say back to the retiring figure "accepting Begusarai is the only option you has."
And when the door closes with a thump she knows she got her point loud and clear.
From the floor where the youngest was watching the scene know the curtain has drawn and if she do not want to be the lead heroine of the next play -which she really does not want to be,her mother had temper of a volcano- she has to leave soon.
"Any demands from your side?" Maithli's mother turns to the side a hand on her waist the other one holding the vase and again that look in her eyes. "Reasonable one"
"I only hope the canteen of Gola's school prepares decent sandwiches." At that her mother's smiles and a bullet dodged is what Maithili thought in her mind.