Dinner time was happy for the Varma family. Rajasekhar was silent but others were in jovial mood. Sreedhar and Sudhir talked about their ordeal on the road where they took 5-6 hours to come out of the narrow forest road. Then the petrol of the car was almost finished. It was sheer luck they got a petrol pump nearby. And since it was a deviation it took them another 2-3 hrs to find a phone booth and call home. Renuka told about the happenings in the congregation and Poornima's request that she wants to talk to Sreedhar. Sreedhar said he will call Poornima. He told he and Sudhir had already discussed about the questions Poornima can have and he was kind of prepared to speak to her, answer her. Vindhya had prepared special Rasmalai and she first gave it to Sreedhar and then to Suman as she said the success belonged to both of them. Suman's courage dealing with the gundas as well as Sreedhar's conviction in speaking to the kids. Suman took it and fed Maheswari, Vindhya and Renu while Sreedhar fed the kids , Sudhir and then try feeding his father. " Sreedhar this success is yours, not mine " told Rajasekhar a little curtly. Sreedhar felt hurt and lowered his eyes. Maheswari glanced at Rajasekhar upon which Rajasekhar took the Rasmalai. " Beta I am happy for Suman, but allow your father sometime to accept Poornima" Sreedhar nodded.
It was night. Maheswari was alone in her room, lost in thoughts. Rajasekhar had gone to outhouse and she knew he will stay there for night till he is able to comprehend the reality of Poornima being his grand daughter. That place was her husband's stress buster. Maheswari never questioned such escapades of her husband. But now she felt she should have. If she had then maybe she would have been able to know many truths before it was too late. She thought those escapades were business related, but today it was proved that it is related to personal issues also. She heard a knock on the door. She looked and saw Sreedhar standing.
" Come beta, I am not asleep and your Papa is in outhouse " . He came and his usual practice kept his head in her lap. Maheswari caressed his hair. " You worried beta"
" Maa is Papa angry with me. He didn't seem happy today when I gave Rasmalai"
" Beta Papa is not angry with you. But he is upset the system that he upholds is slowly breaking "
" What system Maa. That a woman is inferior to man. That woman should be punished for the crime she didn't commit and a man goes scott free. Does Papa think so Maa"
" No Beta, he doesn't directly think that way. But then he accepts it as society's way and if pushed to the corner will try to adhere to that view. But your Dadaji was the follower of that rule though to the outside it never seemed so "
" Why are you telling that way Maa that from outside it didn't feel so "
" Beta you know right. I came from a very liberal family. Your nanu Shivpratap Khatri was a well known figure in Jodhpur as he as well as my elder brother was involved in freedom struggle. Your nanu was deeply influenced by Gandhiji's and Vivekananda's ideals and had ensured both his sons and daughters received good education. At that time he gave your mother an oppourtunity to study English and I am one of rare woman who passed matriculation at that time. Not only that your nanu started a school exclusively for girls in Jodhpur which is now run by your mamu and mami and is instrumental in the education of many a girl in Jodhpur. And your mami's you know 2 of them have completed graduation post marriage as your nanu and nani allowed their DILs to pursue education"
" But Maa why you studied only till Matriculation. Why you didn't complete graduation. Nanu could have allowed you to complete graduation right"
" Beta there were certain social norms which even your nanu couldn't change. One was the marriage of the girl. When I was 13-14 itself the pressure was mounting on him and there was no way for him to postpone it beyond 15 years during that time. And when the alliance came from the Varma's a prominent family for their only son there was no after thought. Varma's looked progressive, they had 4 daughters and they had a home tutor for the daughters. Making daughter's study was a rarity in those days and your nanu thought maybe post marriage your dadu will allow me to study"
" But it didn't happen Maa" asked Sreedhar.
" No it didn't happen. Only after I entered this household I understood how it worked. Your Dadu was happy to have me as DIL as he could tell the world he had married from a freedom fighter's family. But the connection with freedom fighter's family ended there. Though your bua's had home tutors I came to know they were teaching them not Maths or science but basic language and grooming sessions. Especially the English lady like behavior on how a woman should be. First thing your dadi told me was that to survive in the household atleast my second child has to be a son, else your dadu might think about another marriage for your Papa. She said she herself survived because your great dadi asked dadu to give her another chance after 2 daughters were born and luckily for her, her 3rd born was your Papa. Once she had Papa the other 2 girls came didn't bother anyone"
" Maa our family favoured sons to that extend"
" Yes Beta. From inside Varma family reeked patriarchy and gender disparity and if not for your Chitra bua's death opposing her marriage even your father would have gone that way. But Chitra bua's presumed death before her marriage which your dadu had arranged as part of getting a good business partner mellowed your Papa somewhat. That is what your dadi told as it happened before our marriage"
" Why did Chitra bua die. We all thought it was accident"
" It was not accident. It was suicide. Which girl will want to marry a 40 year old man marrying 3rd time while she herself was a paltry 16 year old. It is said she jumped from a cliff as her dupatta and some ornaments were found in that area. Her body was never recovered. But it didn't change dadaji a bit and as per dadi he would have gone ahead and did the marriage with the then 13 year old Neelima bua. But dadi told he will touch Neelima only over her dead body. Hence the marriage was cancelled finally. But we suffered huge business losses and dadaji ended up controlling both Neelima and Chandini bua like anything"
" So Maa how did you manage then. It would have been difficult for you"
" Actually beta in a way Mata Gowri has been merciful on me. First thing your dadi Rajalakshmi Varma was a remarkable lady and she groomed me. Second thing with the arrival of Tilak and Sudhir I got some freedom as I had given boys to the family. And when Murali and you also came along your Dadaji was very happy. 4 grandsons and he allowed me quite a bit of freedom which I used to groom my sons on my way of life as much as I could. But it was your grandmother who warned me that if I don't manage my sons and DILs properly I will have disaster in waiting and my family will be broken. So I had ensured that every DIL I chose I asked her willingness for the marriage and to be part of the family as an unwilling woman can never be happy herself and then her unhappiness will slowly but surely will spread like poison in the whole family leading to it breaking. But I made mistake with Suman"
" Maa you think Sumanji is a family breaker " asked Sreedhar now looking at her
" No Beta she is not a family breaker. That girl will not hurt anyone intentionally. But the problem with her is that she will hurt herself just like Chitra bua. She has that kind of fierceness in her. And I can vouch from what I know of her till date she would have attempted suicide if Murali was alive. Problem is if that had happened what answer I would have given Murali who had liked her and wanted to live with her. How would I have been able to handle the brutal rejection she would have given my son with her death. Murali would have been broken for sure. But I had liked her. A kind of deep attachment when I saw her photo as if she is a girl I know. Close to me. Irrespective of all the apprehensions I felt I agreed for the marriage. It is like this tragedy had to happen. Else there were so many warning's beta. My own instinct which wanted to meet her and ask her the question, her father's need to rush the marriage, your absence which Murali cribbed etc..
" Maa please don't worry. Just like Poornima's problem solved, Sumanji's problem will also be solved " told Sreedhar.
" I hope so beta. By the way you have not seen the photo of Suman we got. You will then understand why we all liked her so much. Wait. I will show you" Sreedhar wanted to tell his mother no need. He has seen Suman up, front, close but he knew he cannot. It was not the right time. Maheswari gave a photo in Sreedhar's hand. Sreedhar looked at it. Suman was wearing a green lehenga choli. She had maang tikka, bindi, fashionable earrings , beautiful coral necklace and hands had matching glass bangles. He suppressed his pain as he saw it. She looked beautiful. He gave back the photo to Maheswari.
" Maa now you sleep. Don't think too much. I am also tired"
As he walked out Maheswari looked at him and said in mind " How can I tell you my son the solution to Suman's problem is you. How can I tell you the mistake we committed? How can I tell you, I had understood Maa Durga's indication that she considers you both as a couple and expects me to bring that union in front of the society". Maheswari closed her eyes
It was after Jagratha fiasco. Rajasekhar had somehow fallen asleep. But Maheswari was restless. First kumkum, now haldi and kumkum had fallen on Suman. What is Maa Durga indicating. She got up. She had to take Suman's kundali, Murali's kundali and the kundali milan book to Dinakarji. She had to tell him the omens she has seen, maybe he will be able to help her in deciphering the divine message. She got up. Took the file where she had kept the kundali's in order. She took Suman's kundali, Murali's kundali and the suman-murali kundali milan book. The book fell from her hands and it landed on the ground open. Maheswari took the book and stared at the page. As she read the contents of the open page she felt her head spinning. " 18-Aug, Shravana month, Rohini star, Asthami 12:00 am" she couldn't read further. How did it happen. She had asked Rajasekhar to take the 3rd kundali from the green file, how did her husband took the bottom kundali. How did he take Sreedhar's kundali. Agreed Murali and Sreedhar had same star and their date was same but different month. Didn't her husband read the kundali. In his hurry to get the alliance from Rajput family he just rushed.
How could Rajasekhar make such a mistake. Wasn't it known to them the issues related to Sreedhar's marriage. The precautions that needs to be taken even before starting to look for a bride for him. Dinakarji had told the solutions to thwart the problems related to Sreedhar's marriage. And see what happened, haldi –kumkum was put on this kundali-milan , with him as the groom the kundali milan book was kept in front of Maa Gauri and shagun was sent to Suman's family. It was with this book with Swastika put on it, the engagement ceremony happened. And what happened had it got something to do with Sreedhar's kundali prediction related to marriage. Maybe. Then she remembered in Jagratha haldi –kumkum was not just fallen on Suman, but it has fallen on both of them when they were together.
Maheswari came back to present " Beta I cannot tell you the truth of your kundali. As a mother I do not have the strength in me for that. But as a woman I have to do justice to Suman. But I neither want this document or the indication from Maa Durga to be the basis of your relation. I don't want to tell you marry your widow bhabi or tell her start a new life with her devar. But I will try in my own way to ensure you see Suman as your life partner and Suman is able to see a new dawn with you. I committed a grave mistake in not opening and reading the kundali milan book in all the hurry and the only way now to correct that mistake is to bring Suman as your bride in this family.
She pulled the bedsheet covers as a sudden thought came to her mind " If Suman didn't wanted to marry Murali why did she cry seeing Sreedhar. By any chance Sreedhar know Suman as he also was in Delhi and know something about her which she was afraid he might tell. But Sreedhar had not told anything. She was confused, but then decided to think on it later.