by MV Kasi
One thing that had kept her sane and made her feel like a human again, was the fact that she could use the money in her account to spend on Rajeev's education. Her aunt had insisted that she didn't need help. But Mahi still offered and bought some gifts or new uniforms and then later covered portion of his higher education fees without having the need to take out any student loans.
"Ma had been so thankful to you. Even though she worked her fingers to bone, stitching and tailoring, we couldn't have afforded the good education I had without your added help," said Rajeev.
"I was more than happy to help. Okay, now enough sappy chit chat. Let's go visit Kamala aunty. What are the visiting hours?" she asked.
"Until seven in the night. But ma doesn't like anyone staying for more than thirty minutes long. She feels like she's imposing herself on people's lives and doesn't want to feel like a burden."
"Yeah. That sounds like something Kamala aunty would say," said Mahi fondly. "Give me a minute. I'll be right back."
After changing into a light colored thin cotton dress, Mahi grabbed her ID cards and other things that she would need for later. "Okay, let's go."
When she sat in Rajeev's car, she noticed that Ananya's red car was no longer parked outside.
CHAPTER 8
Ananya parked her car at Srishti's school parking lot and took a deep breath. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. She wasn't a helpless nerd anymore. She had everything, a handsome loving husband, a smart and beautiful daughter, an extended family, and she was also a successful author and an active blogger.
Being an adult, she had to deal with seeing a lot of unpleasant relatives or people on a regular basis. She knew how to handle them like a pro and always maintained good relationships with everyone. But Mahi was an altogether a different kettle of fish. Mahi wasn't someone who could do any real damage to her anymore, but that didn't mean she would leave her husband or her brother alone.
She was shocked to see that her usually stern and rigid brother of all the people, warming up to Mahi, and inviting her into his home for an intimate breakfast.
During their college days, whenever Mahi got into several scrapes, she was able to use her charm on boys and men of all ages. Whether it was someone from their neighborhood or a professor from their college, they eventually gave in to the flattery.
Well, I am not a man and Mahi cannot charm me or bother me in any way.
Ananya quickly sent a message to her friends' group that Mahi was back in Hyderabad.
Anita: OMG are you okay?
Ananya: I'm perfectly fine. Why shouldn't I be?
Why shouldn't I be indeed, her mind taunted back sarcastically.
The boy whom she had loved madly and passionately during the college days had been crazily in love with Mahi. And Mahi had taunted her enough times with that fact, while also making her life miserable for three long years.
Trupti: How does she look now? She isn't in any of our social networks.
Still strikingly attractive with a perfect curvy petite body and sexy hair, she thought resentfully.
But looking down at her dress, she calmed down, knowing that she looked good. She was still five feet nine inches tall, but no longer painfully thin or gawky. Her body was kept toned by running two kilometers each day, and her waist length plaited hair until fourteen years ago was cut in shoulder length fashionable layers.
She always made sure that she was well dressed, even though she worked from home, and didn't have to. It hadn't always been that way for her brother and her. They didn't dress in the most fashionable clothes. Mahi didn't let that fact go unnoticed and had humiliated her repeatedly.
Her brother didn't care about his clothes or what people said about him behind his back, but he was always protective of his sister, especially when Mahi and the gang terrorized her.
Disha: Did your hunky brother see her too?
She smiled slightly at the comment. A lot of girls in the college had a huge crush on her brother, especially when they knew the most handsome guy was already taken. They found her brother's broody expression which was actually his absent mindedness, sexy. They thought that his narrow eyed gaze, thin lipped sneer combined with his eyebrow scar from a childhood injury, irresistible. They also said that with his six foot three inches body and his bold masculine face, he looked like a very sexy, but slightly scary villain.
But he was teased and called 'Tarzan' by Mahi and her gang because they felt he looked like a savage and avoided human interactions. He, in his usual style, ignored their teasing, since his head was always filled with complex calculations or some or the other computer programs.
Ananya: Yes, he did. She hasn't changed much since the last fourteen years.
Disha: Does your husband know?
Shaking her head, she went inside the school and was soon directed towards the teacher's conference room. As soon as she entered, she was surprised to see her husband already waiting there.
Looking at her husband, she felt her stomach flutter as it always did whenever he was around. They had been married for nearly fourteen years, and had an almost thirteen year old daughter whom they both loved dearly.
Her life couldn't have gotten better. But she wasn't sure if her husband felt the same way. She always felt that he must think that his life was probably good enough, but not the best. She felt that Sidhu would consider it best only if he had ended up with his college girlfriend, Mahi. Everything else, including his wife would remain a consolation, something he settled for because he had to.
"Hi, you were able to make it," Ananya remarked with a smile and sat next to him.
Sidhu looked up from his phone and gave her a quick affectionate kiss on her cheek. "Of course. Didn't you see any of my text messages? I'm worried about Srishti's behavior too. I told Vipul that I would get back to work in the afternoon."
Ten years ago, Sidhu and his brother Vipul completely took over their family business of jewelry stores from their father. They had expanded into several major cities and soon diversified into real estate and construction businesses in the last few years.
Ananya smiled. "No. I didn't check my phone in the last hour. I just came from my parents' house and my brother told me that he was offering Srishti a summer internship at his company. I think it's a great idea to keep her occupied with something she might enjoy."
Sidhu grinned. "That's true. She'll be too exhausted to get into trouble...hopefully."
One of the teachers entered the conference room. "Mr. and Mrs. Shah?" she asked smiling.
When they nodded, "Hi I'm Pamela, Srishti's class teacher. I'm glad to see that both of you are here to discuss Srishti."
In the next thirty minutes, the teacher began to explain about how Srishti was involved in several physical fights and arguments with her cousins and their friends at school. And also that lately, Srishti was being very sensitive to any teasing or comments that her cousins and a group of boys made to her.
"Who are those other boys teasing my daughter at school and what do you mean by physical fights? Has she been struck?" Sidhu asked in outrage.
"No. Srishti was doing all of the striking and we've already notified the other involved parents regarding the bullying," said the teacher.
"We will speak to her again about not causing any disruption at school. But how is she otherwise? Is her behavior affecting her academic performance?" Ananya asked worriedly.
"No. She is still one of the top performers, but as you know that our school is not just all about the grades, we want to instill good behavior and character development as well," the teacher stated.
"We will talk to her and her cousins about their behavior at school," Sidhu informed the teacher grimly.
The teacher thanked them and soon left the room.
Sidhu sighed. "Abhinav and Abhijeet are the same age as her, and considering they live in the same house, they should be bonded more like siblings rather than cousins. I just don't understand why Srishti is not able to get along with
them like she did until last year."
Ananya shook her head. "She is always complaining about how your mother favors them and not her. I have told her more than a hundred times that we need to make some adjustments living in a joint family."
He thought about that for a few seconds. "Maybe we should both ask her again, about what is bothering her," he suggested.
"Are you saying that I'm not able to understand my own daughter? I have already spoken to her several times about it and she has to either bend or suffer the consequences. She is going to be thirteen soon in three months and you can't keep coddling and pampering her like your little princess."
He sighed. "Anu, I'm not saying that you are at fault here. It's just that...lately I'm too tired to spend a lot of time with her when I get back home. We are expanding our business to a few more branches and working on more construction projects in the city. I might not be able to help you much to deal with her."
She felt bad snapping at him, especially when she knew he worked really long hours each day including the Saturdays. "Don't worry about her, Sidhu. I know you work hard. I'm home most of the time, so I'll keep my ears open."
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I know you will. Do you want to go out for an early lunch somewhere? I'm free until one o'clock."
She smiled. "Hmm...Tempting, but I can't. I have got a deadline in two days and I also need to finish some last minute editing on my book."
"Okay, no problem. Let me drive back home with you and I'll ask my driver to follow us home."
When they walked out from the conference room, Ananya noticed that several teachers were staring at Sidhu and he was either oblivious or ignored them as usual. Usually other women staring at him made her smug or even amused, but after seeing Mahi that morning, she felt a little insecure and held his hand tightly.
When they got into the car, she was tempted to mention that she saw Mahi a while ago. But she held off, even though it wasn't a great big deal in any way. Except the fact that Mahi was Sidhu's first love who ditched him badly almost fourteen years ago.
"There's a birthday party that everyone is attending tonight. I was planning on staying home to finish up my work, but I'll be free from nine," she said coyly.
Sidhu smiled mischievously, his eyes still on the road since he was driving. "Hmm...Maybe I'll go to that birthday party. You know how I love attending parties."
She whacked him on his hand playfully.
He turned and gave her a sizzling look that she recognized. "Make sure the servants are gone as well. I don't want anyone disturbing us for anything."
She couldn't wait for the night to arrive. Being in a joint family they got very few chances of being truly alone and uninhibited in their house. Their bedroom was on the third floor and offered enough privacy, but she still felt the need to remain quiet during their lovemaking when everyone else was home.
When they arrived home, the watchman opened the gate and took the keys from Sidhu's hands to park the car in their seven car covered parking. Only three cars were remaining and the rest were being used by other family members from the household.
Sidhu's mother was in the living room watching a soap opera on the common room television set. She had her own television set in her room, but she claimed that she preferred to keep an eye on the help and other people in the house. When she saw Sidhu and Ananya arrive, she looked up briefly.
"Well, what did Srishti's teachers say? That girl is getting way too headstrong and stubborn. That's not how women should behave. No man will ever want a wife who mouths off nonsense and gets into physical fights like a street urchin."
Sidhu immediately came to his daughter's defense. "Srishti is still a girl ma, not a woman. Stop with your old fashioned nonsense on how a wife should behave."
His mother ignored him and continued as always. "Tsk tsk...why just this morning, she was shouting at me for serving Abhinav and Abhijeet more breakfast than her. They are the same height as her, but they are boys. They will need to get taller and stronger than her at some point. She was yelling at me, calling it unfair and some nonsensical words. She didn't respect her own grandmother."
"Ma stop—" Sidhu was about to ask his mother to back off from his daughter when Ananya placed her hand on his to stop him.
Ananya urgently intervened, knowing full well that Sidhu would be drawn into another unproductive argument with his mother about Srishti.
"I will speak to her maji. Sidhu...you left early without having your breakfast properly. Let's go have lunch. We made your favorite today."
When Sidhu and Ananya headed towards the dining room, they could hear his mother grumbling loudly, "If only they would have a second child who might be a boy, then that girl wouldn't behave like a spoilt brat."
"God! How can you bear being stuck with that woman all day at home? I can only imagine what Srishti is going through with her grandmother's antiquated ideas," Sidhu fumed as one of the maids began to serve food.
Ananya sighed. "They are our family Sidhu, and it is important to stay close and look after them in their old age. You know how your mother gets; she doesn't mean anything by it. She still loves us all."
He put some rotis in his plate and began to eat. "No. I don't think it's important to stay with an extended family. Not when it creates a toxic environment for our daughter. There is only so much I can tolerate and I need you to back me up on this. Stop coddling my family when they are not being fair to our child."
She knew that she sometimes bent over backwards to maintain peace in the household, even when she had to let down her own daughter or husband. She always wanted everyone to like her and that was her biggest flaw.
She was sure that he would think that the great Mahi would never put up with such nonsense from her mother-in-law and protect her cub fiercely like a lioness, even if they were wrong or being disrespectful.
"Let's not argue. Let's talk about something else." She served him one more roti. "By the way, I saw Mahi today at my brother's place. She's back to Hyderabad, either visiting or maybe staying for good," she said casually.
Sidhu was about to put a piece of roti in his mouth, but he paused for a second, before continuing to eat.
She hated that one second pause, and that one second caused a huge turmoil within her, almost destroying the feeling of security from the last fourteen years.
"I know. Samrat called me earlier this morning to tell me that she was in Hyderabad. Samrat and I are working on a venture that will need some of her lands. We wanted to buy it from her and she has agreed to sell them."
"What venture?" she asked, realizing there could be future interactions possible between Sidhu and Mahi.
"The senior community venture. I have mentioned it to you before. Anyway, pass me that curry, it looks good."
Mahi and Sidhu can meet for legitimate reasons. And what if Mahi wanted to be made a partner in that venture?
Looking desperately at Sidhu, she said, "Did you know that Mahi is divorced and her husband left her because she had an affair with a much younger man?"
He stood up to drag the curry closer and served himself some. He took a few bites before responding to her.
"Anu...you shouldn't engage in such gossip. It may be true, but one never knows what is happening in people's marriages for them to act the way they did," he chided her gently and continued eating.
And then he stared into his plate. "Wow, is this your new recipe you were talking about last night? It's amazing. Maybe I will write a good review on your blog about this recipe," he told her and winked.
Ignoring his compliment, she looked at him icily."Why would you defend her? And especially after what she did to you and me?"
Sidhu looked at her face and realized that she was upset. "Anu, that happened almost fourteen years ago and we were very young then. Why does it matter to you now? We are all adults here and we have our own problems to deal with."
She felt a little foolish about her reaction and calmed down. "Y
ou are right. Whatever happened fourteen years ago doesn't matter now. Sorry to jump on your throat about it just now."
He smiled at her charmingly, flashing his dimples. "Well, all you need is to relieve some of that stress caused by my crazy family and your looming deadlines. I'm going to ease that tonight in a very enjoyable way. I'm eagerly looking forward to tonight, so be prepared for me. I'll be home by eight thirty."
He kissed her on top of her head before leaving the dining table.
Ananya sat there for some more time, mulling over what Sidhu had said about not letting whatever happened fourteen years ago matter now. But she knew that she had him and Srishti only because of what had happened fourteen years ago.
The incidents that took place fourteen years ago had shaped her entire adult life, be in her dressing, her thoughts or her behavior. She had gone from being an innocent naive girl whose head was filled with romantic dreams and notions, to deliberately shaping her life to being a woman and a mother worthy of her family.
CHAPTER 9
Fourteen years ago
Sidhu had heard about Mahi's impending wedding from a classmate. He was heartbroken and was waiting outside Mahi's house in the rain, wanting to speak to her. Mahi's parents had told him repeatedly that Mahi refused to speak to him, and that she had willingly agreed to marry someone else who was better suited to their family.
Meantime, in Ananya's household there was another devastating blow caused by Mahi. Her brother's final year exams score was disqualified due to the cheating accusations. He lost his scholarship and admission to the university he was supposed to go for his PhD program. Their mother had wanted to travel to a temple to beg god to save them from their difficult times.
Her parents and brother had left the previous night, and she had to stay back to begin her project work that would be required for her fourth year.