Rajasekhar was angry with Maheswari for leaving Suman alone and told everyone that henceforth if Suman was going to be in a crowded area someone from family will always be there with her. Sudhir had taken Sreedhar to hospital and when they came back Sreedhar had two stitches just above the upper lip and the doctor had asked him to keep icepack on his cheek. Sudhir was holding his brother and told Vindhya that he will be with Sreedhar that night.
Maheswari gave medicines to Sreedhar and asked him to take rest as he was running a slight fever also. Once Maheswari went out Sreedhar tried to speak to Sudhir but it was paining and Sudhir asked him to keep quiet as he kept ice pack gently on Sreedhar's face.
Tilak told since he is going to Raipur in two days he has some work to finish and went to his room after ensuring Sreedhar is doing fine except for the minor bruises.
Suman sat in her room. She had changed into the plain cotton saree and had also removed all the trappings. The scene where Sreedhar was hit played multiple times in her mind and the vision of his bleeding lip and puffy cheeks pained her. Her father had always told she was inauspicious for him, the man who married her in front of the society died in matter of hours, the man who loved and had promised her his love for eternity got nothing but only pain. From the time she is here this family is struggling and facing one problem after another because of her. Was she really inauspicious as her father claimed, there was nothing good about her, but Maa was telling she bought light to many lives. She didn't know what to believe, what to understand. What was she, darkness or light, auspicious or inauspicious.
Her chain of thoughts were broken by Maheswari who entered her room. Suman tried to get up but Maheswari made her sit on the bed.
" Suman again planning to go back to your parent's place" asked Maheswari.
" Maa.." Suman tried to talk but Maheswari stopped her.
" Suman I had told you earlier also try to feel part of the family. Your problems..."
" Maa" Suman interrupted. " Maa I know a daughter in law is not supposed to question her mother in law. But Maa today I want answers to my questions. Without those answers I don't think I will have peace of mind. Do I have the permission to ask you" Suman was crying profusely now.
Maheswari held the girl's shoulder " Suman if the answers to the questions that rage your mind can give you peace ask me beta. I will try to answer them as much as I can"
Suman composed herself and looked at Maheswari " Maa when I went to Jodhpur I came to know from Mamu that you had sent Rakhi to take care of me in the hospital. You were the one who stopped those ladies from shaving of my hair. You were also the one who stopped my father when he was trying to take me away forcefully.
Why Maa. Why you didn't hate me Maa. Didn't you feel even for a second it would have been better Murali had survived the accident than me. Don't you feel angry from the time I am in this house Sreedhar is facing one problem after another. Why do you care so much for me Maa. What is so special about me whom the world terms inauspicious."
Maheswari wiped Suman's tears. " Suman to answer your question you have to know the 15 years of my life beta where I grew up as Shivprasad Khatri's daughter and Jaideep Khatri's sister. My mother passed away due to brain fever when I was six. There were people around our neighbourhood who survived brain fever. But my mother was not among the lucky few.
My father was asked to remarry as he had three young children and my Chachi was unable to manage everything. But my father was unwilling to do so as he said he cant have another woman in my mother's place. So everyone turned to my elder brother, who was all of 20 years and like many young men of those days was not thinking about family. He had given himself to the cause of fighting for India's Independence.
My brother didn't agree. Lot of arguments followed and finally Jaideep Bhaiyya agreed on one condition for the marriage. If he died a martyr in the freedom struggle his wife wont be given inhumane treatment inside the house. Our family will not put the blame of his death on his wife nor will any other taboo related to widows will exist inside the house. His wife will have all the freedom and will be given rights to do poojas and all even in his absence. In short he told when destiny had chosen her to live, we will not make her a living corpse.
My father agreed to the condition and thus he was married to Latika Bhabi who was then 17 year old. She was not just bhabi for us, but mother too. My bhaiyya came back post the freedom struggle, they lived a good life with children and are now great grandparents to Pihu.
Fifty years later in the hospital when it was told to us that Murali had died but you might survive the only thing that came to my mind was what my brother told. Destiny had chosen you to live and I should not be making a living corpse out of you.
Suman it was a very tough decision for the mother. I knew from the moment the news came my brother was looking at me. He was checking whether his sister will live upto the values he had given her in the most tiring circumstances. It was a battle between Murali's mother and Jaideep's sister in which Jaideep's sister won because that was the truth.
Life and death was not in my hands and Mata Gowri had chosen you to live. And if she has chosen that way she knows the reason why she made that choice. Accepting life is given to you for a purpose was a better option Suman.
I didn't hate you Suman and I don't hold you responsible for any problems in this family. I always had the power to send you away from here the day your parents came. But I took the decision to keep you because I wanted my bahu here but couldn't tell it openly as I didn't want to force you to stay here as a widow. Only mistake this Maa made is that I liked you so much that I wanted you as my bahu, didn't try to ask you whether you wanted to be my bahu.
You are not inauspicious Suman. Many good things have happened post you have come Suman. Not just to this family, but to the society also. Take that thought from your mind. The girl who ran down to protect my son can never be inauspicious. Neither the one who fought tooth and nail to protect Aakash can be inauspicious. How can she be inauspicious when because of her the long cherished dream of Murali in venturing out to retail segment is going to come true? Murali's soul will be smiling somewhere. I know he will be very happy.
Suman was overwhelmed and she hugged Maheswari. " Thank you Maa. Thank you for telling I am not inauspicious. I am happy to know you wanted me here as your bahu irrespective of what happened to Murali ."
Maheswari held her " One more thing Suman. I have answered your question. But now I am telling as a mother in law. You are the bahu of this house and don't expect permission from me to go away from this house. I am not going to give you that. "
Suman smiled through tears. She thought whether she should tell the truth of her relation with Sreedhar. She thought she should. " Maa " she started ,but then Rajasekhar called Maheswari
" Suman your Papa has to go to Delhi for some meeting. I need to do his packing. Take rest and don't think too much."
As Maheswari walked out Suman thought " Maa I hope you will say I will still be your bahu when you know the truth of Sreedhar and my relation in college"
Maheswari as she walked down the stairs thought about Suman, everything about playing in her mind
" Suman I knew you wanted to talk about your past. I will reach your past Suman. What I have seen and understood of you Suman in last one year, I don't think there will be anything in your past that will make me change my decision of making you Sreedhar's bride. I will not allow the shadow of your past to fall on your present". She smiled to herself as she entered her room and closed the door.
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