It had been less than three hours and her world had already been turned upside down.
Don't they say 'Trouble doesn't come alone'. That's exactly what Nandini and chachi telepathically realized, when they saw Mr. and Mrs. Dixit's mismatched frames pop out from behind the broad silhouette of Amms. Everything has a breaking point, even anger. If you stretch it too far, it turns into hysteria. That could perhaps explain the gross abnormalities in Nandini's behaviour at the moment.... For, instead of yelling or breaking things, she was reactionless.
She was blank when Amms announced in front of everyone that her marriage was to take place in 48 hours. She was blank when that laurel-hardy couple handed her a bunch of heavy sarees and a box of feather light jewelry to be worn on HER WEDDING. And she was still blank when they told her, her groom had already boarded the flight from Switzerland.
It was only much later, in the kitchen, while helping chachi, that the words actually sank in and fat tears started rolling down her cheeks, one after the other. On the other hand, chachi was panic stricken. Amms had told them she would come and arrange the marriage, she hadn't told them it would be in 48 hours. It almost made her feel like they were thieves, that Nandini had committed a sin and this marriage had been arranged in a hush hush manner, to cover up her scandalous deeds. And as if that wasn't enough, this Dixit couple were getting on her nerves. How would she put a stop to this mayhem and save her child? What was Manik doing, where was all of this leading.... these thoughts were literally chewing up the insides of her brain. How could she console the little girl when her own heart was thumping with fear.
Trying not to create a nasty scene before Neel's parents, both Nandini and chachi were cautiously keeping a distance from Amms. But her inflated ego, wouldn't have let Amms sit through and swallow this. She had to throw her weight around and show her authority, especially now, infront of the Dixits. So she deftly walked up to the kitchen and summoned both the women for an urgent and important discussion.
"Kya chal kya raha hain yahan? " She barged upon as soon as she closed the bedroom door after dragging Nandini and chachi inside.
Nandini and chachi exchanged helpless glances.
"Do you think I am blind, I can't sniff the games you two are plotting here. And you Shanno, sharam nahi aati tumhe, you are supporting this dumb girl in her mistakes. Uske sath milke mere against plan kar rahi ho, itna gir chuki ho? This girl has already embarrassed us before and this time it will be beyond repair and you will be responsible for all this."
Chachi had had enough. The more she tried to avoid a confrontation, the more Amms instigated her. She had to take a stand before things slipped out of her hands altogether. "Maaf kijiyega, par galti to aap kar rahin hain is tarah Neel se Nandini ki zabardasti shaadi karake. Aapko pata bhi hai ki wo larka kaisa hai. Nandini to choriye, wo to kisi bhi larki se shaadi karne ke layak nahi hai."
{With due respect, it you who's making a mistake here by forcing Nandini to marry that jerk. Forget Nandini, no girl deserves to marry him}
"Oh so now you will teach me what's right and what's wrong. Tumhara aur Venkatesh ka bas chale to Nandini sari life kunwari hi pari rahe."
{If it comes to you and Venkatesh, Nandini might never get married}
"Amms.. Aap kuch bhi bole ja rahi hain. Nandini meri beti jaisi hai, beti jaisi kya, beti hi hai. Main uske liye kabhi kuch bura soch hi nahi sakti. Har maa ki tarah, usko khushi khushi vida karna to mera sabse bara sapna hai, par yeh jo aap kar rahin hain wo sahi nahi hai...bilkul sahi nahi hai. Isshe pehle bhi aapne us pandit ko certify kiya tha aur hum sab jante hain ki usne hamari bacchi ke sath kya kiya. Aur ye Neel to usse bhi kai guna zyada gaya guzra hai. Aapko dikhta nahi ya apni Zidd mein aap dekhna nahi chahti?"
{ How can you even say that. Nandini is like my daughter, no not like, she is my daughter. I can't even imagine hurting her. Like any other mother, I wish to see her happily settled. But Neel is not the right guy for her. Whatever you are doing is grossly wrong. Even earlier you had certified that Pandit and we all know what he did to our child. You are repeating the same mistake again, with someone who is far worse than Pandit. Are you blind or have you intentionally shut your eyes to the truth?}
Sometimes, people choose to shut their eyes to the truth, because their egos take precedence to everything else. When people get desperate to prove their point, nothing strikes their conscience, not even the fact that they are jeopardizing someone's life. This pandit thing that she was often reminded of, added salt to her injury, and in retaliation she spewed venom. "maaa..." She laughed out loud, sarcasm dripping of her toungue. " In 10 years you couldn't give birth to a child, do you even know what it is to be a mother? Maa hoti to 3 years ago you would not have given in to Nandini's childish demand of accompanying Manik. Maa hoti to 3 saal tak use suffer karte hue dekhne ke baad bhi you wouldn't have let that spoilt brat come close to her. Sach to ye hai ki you are damn greedy. That's why you have given a freeway to that Manik, wo jab chahe aye, jab chahe nandini ke sath khele aur jab chahe disappear ho jay. Chachi ki responcibility to tumse nibhai nahi jati, and you call herself her mother?"
Nandini had not imagined in the worst of her nightmares that one day she would have to stand through this. How could her own grandmother be so ruthless? How could she utter those words to anyone, much less to her beloved aunt who had indeed taken care of her like her own daughter. She couldn't even dare to think how much these words must have hurt her chachi...and all because of that wierdo. He was the one who had complained every single thing to Amms. How else would she have known about Manik's return. But the point was not how or what she knew. The point was how could she, her own granny trust an outsider going against her own family. Chachi open the door and left immediately with a tear stained face. Nandini's heart ached to see how chachi had pressed her palms tightly over her mouth to stifle the incessant sobs.
Nandini decided to stay back and put some much needed sense into Amms stubborn head. "Amms you know nothing about that wierdo. Has he told you that he has a history of molesting women? Has he told you that his mother has been supporting him all through, has he told you that he tried to kill Manik, has he told you that usne chacha ko jhoot moot ka fasaya so that he could blackmail me into marrying him? Kya abhi aap yahi kahogi ki Neel is right and all of us are wrong?"
"This is not you, this is that Manik speaking through you. Uski zabaan bol rahi ho tum. Kal tak Neel Dixit was saving Venkatesh and today suddenly, he became a molester, a liar, a blackmailer? Itne time se tumhe uske saath koi problem nahi tha, you had no complaints against his family, you agreed to get engaged to him and suddenly he becomes a villain, his family becomes a villain? Get one thing straight in your head. I am not Shanno nandini, that you will convince me with your dumb logic. I have seen enough life to know that Manik Malhotra is making a fool of all of you and you are willingly letting him do so."
"Aap iske beech mein Manik ko kyun drag kar rahi hain? Kya aapko mujhpar, apni family pe thora bhi trust nahi hai. Everyone is lying??? Except Neel Dixit??? Why are you doing this to me??"
"How dare you try to reason me Nandini, how dare you even stand here and argue with me like this. Yahi sikhaya hai tumhari chachi ne tumhe? After the death of your parents, it was me who singlehandedly raised you and your brother. Don't ever forget that. Don't forget that I am your grandmother and the head of this family. Meri marzi ke khilaaf yaha ek patta bhi nahi hil sakta."
Nandini realized that it was absolutely futile to talk to Amms. She wasn't going to back out and Nandini alone or even with chachi weren't going to match up to her blind rage. Disgusted, she too began to leave the room when Amms grabbed her hand forcefully. "Kanna, Agar tum yeh soch rahi ho ki ek baar fir se us Manik ko is ghar mein entry dogi, do bohot galat soch rahi ho. Insan ek bar galti karta hai, aur maine mysore mein Manik ko maaf karke wo galti kar di. Iske age wahi hoga jo I want. Shaadi to tumhe Neel se hi karni paregi. Yeh khud bhi dimag mein ghusalo aur apni chachi ko bhi samjha dena."
{Kanna, if you are thinking that you would open the doors to this house to Manik one more time, then you need a reality check. We all make mistakes, and I made mine when I forgave him in Mysore. From here on, there would be no more repetition of the same mistake. Its Neel and only Neel that you will marry. Get that fixed in your head and let your chachi know that as well.}
Nandini didn't even acknowledge her words. She pulled her arm out of Amms grip and dashed out of the room banging the door behind her. Neel's parents, who were sitting in the lobby and perhaps eavesdropping on Nandini, gave her an evil look as she walked passed them. Nandini made a 'Don't give me that shitty look' face at them and went upstairs to check on her chachi.