CHAPTER-22

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After offering a prayer to the temple of their clan's deity, Savitri and Aruna had returned home.

As they entered their home, they found Arun, Savitri's husband in the living room, reading today's newspaper. They offered him prasad and went upstairs where Aruna could give Gautam Prasad, who was in his study while Savitri could get some rest in hers.

"It had been a long time we went to the temple. Finally, after we visited, I am sure everything is going to be fine with the return of happiness in this home." Aruna stated satisfactorily. Savitri also nodded in agreement.

"You are right. These few years were very...." before Savitri could complete, she heard a sound coming from her daughter's room.

A bewildered Savitri shared her look with Aruna and rushed to check the source of the breaking sound.

"It might be a cat," Savitri assured her, knowing her devrani believed in spirits more than God.

"It was supposed to be closed. Can here be a burglar?" Aruna frightening countered back.

"Aruna open the door." As they saw the door shut, Savitri summoned her because she was standing in front.

"No Jiji, you check inside. I am feeling scared." She timidly rushed hid behind her.

As Savitri was to open the door, Aruna meekly spoke, "Should we call jethji or Radhika' father?"

"Why should we trouble them uselessly. Let me check." Aruna half-heartedly nodded in agreement.

As Savitri opened the door, her eyes roamed around in the space, quickly followed by Aruna from behind. Everything was fine as supposed except one corner where Radhika was standing, giving a sheepish smile to them while rubbing the back of her neck nervously. They grasped at the sight and soon Savitri grimaced seeing the mess, she had created around.

"That..I..." Before Radhika could say anything in her defence/excuse, Aruna cut her off and said in a horrified voice. " Thank God, everything is fine. This girl. I am damn sure this girl will give me a heart attack someday. What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in the office?" She ran her gaze around the scattered piece of the vase beneath and frowned," That was Sneha's favourite vase. She didn't even let us touch her things. She will be angry to know its fate."

"But don't worry. It's not that it was a single piece in the whole world. I will order it online." Radhika tried to assure the two ladies. However, Savitri was extremely quiet with a neutral face who was keenly observing the conversation between the duo.

"It was," Savitri said monotonously, estimating the damage created.

She just broke a single unique piece. Radhika sadly thought.

"What can we do, when damage is already done. Don't worry. I will try to amend the mistake. And why don't I start with cleaning this mess till then you both could get adequate rest? You may be tired after a long journey." Radhika tried to divert the topic and shoo them off from this site before her secrets could get exposed.

"Leave it, Geeta will do it. By the way, what are you going here and how do you know we are returning from long travel?" Savitri questioned. Seeing her stern face, she got frightened as it was not easy to make her believe any lie. She hurriedly wiped the sweat from her forehead before continuing, "Oh.. that... actually I-I... Yes... I came to meet you all but alas you both were not here. Geeta told you went to some temple and may take some time. So I thought to utilise this time to pamper myself with the house tour."

"At this hour and in this room?" Savitri asked raising her eyebrow. Slowly she turned her gaze in her daughter's room in seek of something unusual which was followed by Radhika's in fear to get doubled assured that nothing was out of its place except, of course, that unfortunate Sneha's favourite cum expensive vase.

"Missing...Yes...missing my dearest sister. So I came here to revive old memories and I also wanted to talk with dad. I decided to pay a visit in this early morning as I have an important meeting in the office today with the employees, it may take a whole day."

"Aww, my daughter finally become a bit responsible or else who could have thought this Kumbh Karan to wake up this early that to willingly. What do you think Jiji." Aruna pinched her cheeks playfully, slightly pulling her leg. Even though Aruna believed her but the same couldn't be said for Savitri.

"You did well as you decided to come here. It has been quite a few weeks, you visited us. Have the Prashad." Aruna put a besan laddoo in her forwarded hand.

"Where did you both go?" Radhika asked

"Oh that, It is Parana of Jitiya puja today's evening. So before ending our fast, we went to Kuldevta temple for his felicity." Aruna replied.

"It was a long travel. You might have to wake up before dawn and that too with this fasting. Why don't you both rest? I was just going to the office." Radhika suggested to them so that they could move away from this room and let her run outside this house. She had concluded the more they will hover here or around her today, the more she could get in grieve danger.

"You are here. I am sure you haven't eaten anything since morning. At least join your fathers for breakfast."

"Sure why not." She couldn't decline the offer and act more suspicious in Savitri' eyes. She half-hearted accepted but with a promise to rush to her office as soon as her breakfast finished.

"Aruna, give me the thal. I will give the Prashad to devarji and retire to my room. Meanwhile, you enjoy your mother-daughter meet. Call me when needed." Radhika couldn't believe her eyes that finally, she was going out of her way. According to her equation, Savitri meant danger which was going away. She smilingly in relief with the removal of hovering danger named Savitri.

"Okay, Jiji.." She passed the thal to Savitri who went toward the right corridor where Gautam's study was situated.

"Where is Vivaan?" She asked casually.

"He is busy. You know na, no Sunday or Monday matters. Every day is the same for work for us."

"It is 70'clock. Don't you think it is unusual for meeting this early?" She doubted.

"Ohh.. that...Yes..we have to cross-check many arrangements and prepare for a meeting beforehand."

"Any important delegates are coming?"

"No, it is as in a boss-employees meeting. Why are we still standing? Let's go downstairs." Radhika grabbed her palm, literally dragging her downstairs away from that jinxed room, not before grabbing her purse and mobile phone.

"She is still angry with you." Aruna sadly said as she reached the ground floor. Radhika nodded in agreement.

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Even though Savitri didn't want to accept She missed her daughter's presence every day. It was Sneha who was living outside but She was feeling the pain of exile. She decided to never let her disappear from her eyes again once she returned but not before twisting her ears for her mistake.

She had already decided she would fake her anger at first and after her daughter would give a reason for her actions, she would accept her with the wide arm. She knew her raising will never turn wrong. She trusted her daughter that she couldn't be selfish and go on the wrong path or do harm to others for her own benefits. She just needed to have a proper reason.

The mother inside her carved to take her in her arms and like old times make her sleep in her lap, singing her favourite lullaby. She wiped the lone tear from her eyes, trying to control her busting emotions.

She entered the study room where Gautam was present and offered Prashad, which he gladly accepted.

She then retired to her room after passing the pooja thal to Geeta who was done with the task of cleaning the mess created in Sneha's room.

She went toward the cupboard and brought a piece of paper from a silvery box kept inside.

Dear Maa,

I know what I am doing is very wrong but I have already estimated the aftermath. Trust me I can't do it anymore. Things around have already surpassed my saturation level and started suffocating me inside. If I give in this situation now, My inner self will always mock me, every night I go to bed, leaving no peace to my soul. And I can't let it happen anymore.

Wish I could share my worries and explain the problem but it is not the right time. I can't even ask for forgiveness out of shame because what I have done or am going to do is totally undeserving but I know, one day, when the truth will come out, you will wholeheartedly forgive me.

I am going somewhere away for you all but don't worry I will return someday when I get the courage to face everyone. Till then hold some patience and take care.

Love ya all always.

Yours lovingly,

Sneha

She reread the note until her vision got blurred. For the last six months, she has been asking only one thing- her bitiya's quick home return.

It was the letter Sneha left behind before she eloped. Till then Savitri had been building the bridge of her patience but now it seemed to start overflowing. She had no patience left or she didn't want to wait for more.

In between, she could not understand from where Radhika was mentioned just a day before her disappearance by an upset Sneha for the first time after that incident discussed Radhika and requested her to forgive her for her immature mistake which seemed unusual to her.

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"She is still angry with you." Aruna sadly said while Radhika sighed knowing where the conversation was leading to.

"She deserves an apology." Radhika curtly nodded, knowing very well who deserved an apology. Above everything, she doubted even by any chance, which was supposed to be nil, she apology, would her Badi maa forgive her for her never existing mistake?

"For the mistake I never did." She replied monotonously. For some reason she wanted this incident to be buried forever.

"I want to ask if you and dad love me so much, why didn't you both raise your voice when she decided to throw me outside. Didn't you both care where I will go that night or how will I survive in this world?  I was just a minor." She asked. Her face was mirroring the pain and hurt behind the facade of her unshaded tears.

Aruna affectionately caressed her hair with a sad smile.

"My heart was bleeding too along with your father's. I agree what happened was wrong. But you also know your Badi maa. No one could do anything against jiji's decision." Radhika humorously chuckled.

"Changing place, clothes, the position doesn't change the values, culture and tradition we follow. And yes you were a minor which ultimately gave us the right to decide what you should do and not do and show you the correct path." It was a sensitive topic for Aruna too. And when she was pricked, she couldn't help but let out her every emotion.

"I am not blaming you but you choose this fate yourself. It was you who left this home dismissing everyone's pleas. Sneha had locked herself in her room while Maya kept running between Jiji and you for reconciliation. Maybe we were wrong and Jiji took the impulse decision but wasn't everything against you. I understand, hormonal changes happen in the body and also attraction is normal at that part of life which everyone understands. I consider you wise enough to understand what triggered Jiji more was not your actions but your constant denial. She did ask you to enter inside after accepting your mistake and apologising to everyone. But you were adamant, weren't you?" At that time, teenager Radhika felt I disgrace to ask an apology for what she never did. Instead of coming inside, forgetting her self pride, she went away.

She wondered when her self pride disappeared when she was called here and literally begged to get married. Where it was when Vivaan maltreated her in the initial days of the wedding. She was a fool to agree to everything with a hope for a better tomorrow but alas it never came.

"Trust takes years to build but just a few seconds to break. No one cares about the past now except Jiji. If you can prove her wrong, I will be the happiest person. But if not please apologise. I don't want harmony of the family destroyed." Radhika turned speechless as she had no prove of her innocence and nobody could value her words. They believed what they saw which was not their mistake though. As it is said people may not believe what they listen but will surely trust what they see.

Well, play Sneha. She mentally praised her brain.

"We all were restless about you when you were with Kavya's family. Every day, your father had called you and pleaded to return home but you being determined that unless the slurs are not removed, you will never return. You know how worried we were. Every day your father had been calling Guptaji to get updated with her daughter's life for the last five years when she decided to ignore her family. It was so shameful." It was true. Everything was true. But she herself was in inner turmoil and fighting with her own demons. Moreover, she not once wanted to face Savitri or Sneha again. She did everything in her anger and childishness.

Radhika lowered her head ashamedly she had no counter replies despite being right.

Seeing her upset, Aruna sighed tiredly and muttered slowly enough for her to hear, to make understand

"It doesn't matter who was wrong or right. But if an apology can mend a relationship, I will say it is wise to choose. "

"I will look at the work in the kitchen while you go and talk to her. And think again what I said." Aruna patted her cheek and went towards the kitchen to supervise the preparation for the breakfast.

"Rahiman dhaga prem ka, maat toro chatkaye. Toote pe fir jore, jore gathh parijaye."

(Meaning - Rahim says, don't allow the delicate thread of love between people to snap. If it breaks once, it cannot be amended, even if you mend it there will be a knot in it, which means there will always be some awkwardness in the relationship.)

They used to teach this dooha in schools but it was today she understands its true sense.

But besides everything, was she a Devi to forgive and forget everything.

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Here Radhika has to realise no one will fight for her right except she herself. Maybe in reel life, there is a hero to save for difficulty anytime but in reality, it is us who have to fight for ourselves in this evil world. In between, we fall but again get up with new energy.

What do you think, should Radhika apologise?

Who is right - Aruna and Radhika? Even with a meaningless apology, if a relationship can get amended, then what is wrong?

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