England is somewhat notorious for its fickle weather. I moved in three days ago, though just like Rajkot, days are longer and the sun is inching its way toward warm, something about the surroundings makes me feel at peace. I'm here only and only because of bhai. It was Abir bhaiya who convinced Maa and Papa that they should get serious about my higher studies, and to enroll me for the Master's Program. For the first time, a decision without Bua's consideration was taken by my parents. I have never been this proud of my parents. But I wouldn't have been here if bhai hadn't stood up for me. Abir bhai always stood up for the family. He had so many problems going on in his life, but he kept his sister a priority. He knew the value of education and understood my need to be independent. The last six months have been the toughest, not only because it was my last year of undergrad and it was difficult to convince my parents, but also because life wasn't how it had been for twenty-one years of my life. Rajkot hasn't been the same since the family split.
The white curtains hid the beautiful view. Lines of independent houses, each with beautiful gardens and outdoor swimming pools. As I looked through the window, the two residents of the house left for a jog. It was six am.
I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth, took a warm shower and slipped into a flowery dress that I was gifted on my birthday. The house was huge but not as large as Rajvansh Sadan, I tiptoed downstairs towards the kitchen.
"Good Morning," a cheerful smiled wished him, "Ketu!"
"Masi!" I hugged her, and smiled while she flipped the paranthas, "You are up early, jet lag is over?"
"Yes Masi, it was merely five and a half hours!" I replied, though honestly I hadn't slept the whole week before coming here.
There were regular disagreements between Abir bhai and Bua about where I would be staying. Bua didn't want me to live with Kunal bhai, who she thought had abandoned her and betrayed her. But it wasn't bhai who had betrayed her, he just wanted to step out of the Rajvansh label and do something by himself, to be someone besides the surname that wasn't his. It had been a tiresome week, where Bua refused to pay for my master's program. Papa had never bothered to save up money besides a joint account with Bua. There were these small things that annoyed me the most, we were dependent on Bua for everything, financially too. Somehow Papa and Nanu convinced her that she shouldn't control me and let me study just like Abir bhai had studied. The discrimination I felt because I was a girl was nothing new, but truly it sucks to be a girl child in India, no matter if you are born in a poor family or a rich family. If your family is conservative, you are bound to be discriminated and if your family is liberal, then the society is bound to discriminate towards you. Either way, a girl can feel pretty insignificant. Bua made me feel insignificant in the marriage alliance she got me into and so many other times.
"Good!" Masi broke my thoughts, "I've made some potato paranthas." She handed me a plate with two and she put two in her place. "Come on, let's eat while the other two return from their jog." We sat down at the dining table, a simple wooden table.
"Masi," I took a large bite, "I missed your paranthas so much. Mom doesn't know how to cook quite like you."
"I thought someone would replace me..." She said sorrowfully.
I shook my head, "you can never be replaced in that house."
She looked at her hand and gloomily looked up, "I was still just a servant. Ben Baa should have gotten a new cook." She looked at the paranthas, "Oh well, it's been six months, we don't talk about what happened much since we moved here."
It was a series of events. First, Abir bhai left the house. By the next morning, Kunal bhai was missing too. Parul Masi packed her suitcase and went to live with her sister, to reunite with her family in the other city. While Nanu knew about the whereabouts of bhai, he didn't tell anyone. Then after two days, Kunal bhai returned to hand over the company to Bua and to inform us that he couldn't stay here longer and will leave for Mumbai. It was a drastic step, Kuhu bhabs had returned to the house to pack their belongings. They both left that night, leaving everyone crying at the doorsteps of the Rajvansh Sadan. It was until much later when I got to know that Abir bhai and Kunal bhai were living in the Mishbir House. Atul bhai took me to meet them when he came for his winter vacation. They didn't want Bua to ever find out where the house was and we swore we wouldn't tell.
"Masi, how did bhai and you reunite, I mean what happened in the 3 months" I asked her, I knew what had happened in the first three months when they were in Rajkot, but I didn't hear the actual story.
"The last three months?" she sipped the tea, "When Kunal came to meet me at my sister's place, he had three things with him, tickets, passport, and acceptance, it took him three months to accept that I was his mother, to embrace it. Abir helped him understand and accept the situation. He came to give our relationship a chance. When he and I moved here, it was strange at first. He saw me as his responsibility but didn't feel the emotional attachment," she smiled, "we are still figuring that out I suppose."
"So has it been....?
"Not easy, very different. Our lives and lifestyles have changed. He was always a workaholic, he works throughout the weekdays. During the weekends, he works in a small cafe to save up more money. I have been helping out," she felt her fingers, "I've been making rotis and I have this young boy delivering it to many Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani people," smiling she looked up proudly, "earning a little of money along the way, I wanted to help out and Kunal accepted that, he understood my need to be independent. Though he doesn't allow me to spend my earnings on him" Seeing my shocked face, she smiled a little and resumed, "We came here with nothing Ketki, just Kunal's good degree, experience and an offer letter from the company he is working for. We had very little money, some savings he had done separately from Ben Baa. Thanks to Nishant," she looked up at the house, " for letting us stay in his house and loaning us some money to buy a car." She checked the desk calendar, "he will be returning from Wales today."
She took another bite of the parantha and sipped the tea, her face illuminating from the sun rays, "It has been tough, the last three months. Though Kunal is earning handsomely, it isn't easy to start a new life in a new place and with new relationships."
I looked at her, a little confused by Masi's statement. New Relationships?
"We are living in Kuhu's cousin's house. Kunal and I are stuck between the Maasi - Maa dilema. He gets weird out when someone mentions me as his Maa but when he calls me Maasi, he gets confused about what to do," she laughed lightly, "we both know who we are for each other, he is my strength and I'm his mother." Finishing the tea and taking the last bite, she stood up to put our plates away.
"Masi, what about bhaiya and Kuhu?" I broke the silence. For the past three days, it wasn't clear what was going on between them.
Masi looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed," it's their time to return," she turned towards me, " In short, Ketu, it is a mutualistic relationship where both of them are benefitting by being here." I frowned. She thought of a second, "Just like how a honey bee and the flower need each other. Bees need the nectar from the flower and the flower needs the bee to help pollinate the flower by moving pollen from one flower to another." Putting the green tea leaves into a pot to boil, "they share a similar relation, a healthy relationship."
"You are a cheater!" We heard a shout from outside.
"Right, I always win and you always say that. Grow up Kuhu!" Bhai and Kuhu entered through the main door, they turned went towards the hallway and bhai went to the left and she entered the right, banging the doors shut.
Masi laughed as she saw my frightened face, "It has become normal, don't worry."
"So they don't share the same room?"
Masi smiled diminished, she shook her head and strained the tea from the leaves and herbs. Then we got busy making more paranthas. Listened to classic songs while making the food felt like I was transported back to the Rajvansh Sadan. Within a few minutes, the two walked out of their rooms, dressed in formals and sat down on their respective seats.
"Good Morning Ketu-Setu!" Kunal bhai greeted me when I emerged from the kitchen with their cups of tea.
"Ketu, good morning!" Kuhu greeted, "you woke up early!" She pulled out her diary and jotted down a few things, "What's for breakfast?"
"Can't you smell?" Kunal shook his head, "Paranthas!"
"I can't smell because your smelly socks burn my nostrils each morning!" she shouted back, the laundry room was next to her bedroom.
"My socks don't smell!! He looked at her, "And I've told you to move upstairs!"
She scoffed, "Why should I move to a small room?"
"Do whatever you want, but stop killing my brain cells each morning!" He turned the newspaper's page.
"Who wants to talk to you? I'm so glad we are divorced, happily divorced!" she replied loudly, then went to the kitchen, wrapped up her two paranthas, "Thank you for the paranthas Masi, I'll eat at the office. Oh and Masi, bhai is returning today at four!"
"I remember Kuhu," she replied.
"So please make Paneer for him, he is returning after nearly two weeks!"
"Maa! his favorite is Chole!" Kunal shouted back.
Kuhu shouted, "No one asked you, hashtag Cheater Rajvansh!" she stuck her tongue out at Kunal bhai and left the house, a little running as she was late for the bus. Kuhu was working in Nishant's friend's company as an intern for the past three months.
Masi entered the dining room with a lunch box and some slices of melons for me. She sat down next to me and looked at him, "Kunal, you should be kind to her."
"I'll try," bhai replied, not once looking up from the newspaper, after a few seconds, sighing he looked up at her, "I know you are still upset about the divorce, but we are better this way. And these little arguments are honestly fun," he grinned, "mornings feel incomplete if she doesn't leave without taunting me. I like it this way," he held her hand in his, "our relationship is best not defined." He checked his watch, "thanks for the paranthas!" He stood up and looked at me, "Ketu, help Maasi with her Roti entrepreneurship, the ishan, the new delivery boy will be here to pick the rotis around noon. Make sure he has the right addresses." He started walking to the other direction and then retraced his steps, " Maa, there is a bakery diploma I think you should enroll in, it is online, I'll send Ketu the link, check it out and let me know if you would want to join it." Then pulling out the sheets of paper from this bag and handing it to me and looking at Masi," I've enrolled you in English speaking classes in a nearby center. It'll help you stay busy and also to be productive and since we are in London, you should learn English, it will come useful."
She looked at him, "Thank you Kunal!"
He smiled at her and waved at me, "Ketu, think what you want to do for the next four months, staying home will be boring, think of acquiring new skills, online or offline, and if you want to work, tell me, but I want an answer by the evening," leaving the house with a huge grin on his brightened face.
I moved out of Rajvansh Sadan three days ago, a little scared, a little excited but now I feel at peace. I moved in with my family, my masi, my bhai and my bhabs. They were figuring out their new relations with each other while I came to the old ones I always had. I always wanted to move out of the house, live on my own and learn new things, do new things. Live the dreams and with this new avatar of bhai, I think he will make it happen. He became a feminist and I am so happy about that! Just one year ago, he told me I didn't have to work because my brothers were working and earning for me, but now he finally understood the dream of a girl to be empowered and to become independent. And not just my dreams, he wanted Masi to progress too and to work on improving her skills.
So we are in the last few chapters of the story, it has been a pleasure writing Bonds for Life. Do Vote and Comment your views. Let me know what you all think about this point of view!