Chapter 19

Rishi stopped the car and Aadhi quickly got down before anyone noticing her get down from the back seat. She waited for Rishi and followed him inside home. Raghavan and Vani welcomed them and enquired about Aadhi’s injury.

Raghavan: Aadhi, how did you get into accident in the first place ? Didn’t you go by car ?

Aadhi: No uncle, the shop was close by so I thought of going by walk.

Vani: You should have informed Rishi to get whatever you want and this would have not happened.

Aadhi: Actually he wanted to accompany me and infact he said he will buy for me but I didn’t want to disturb him. He works so hard and hardly find time to stay home and relax for a while so I let him be home to rest for sometime.

Vani: You are right, he always care about his business and never take care of him. Look at him he lost lot of weight too.

Rishi rolled his eyes and decided to leave the place before his mother would double his guilt. He was in the garden when his grandpa came in search of him.

Rishi: You could have called for me grandpa. Do you want me to take care of something ?

Grandpa: I did but not now. Actally I was waiting to talk to you. Lets get seated, your grandpa is too old to have a discussion standing all the while.

Rishi held his grandpa’s hand and they got seated in the chairs in the lawn.

Grandpa: You had lot of questions on my why I forced you to marry Aadhi but I never gave you my answer. Today I want to talk to you about the reason behind it. I have a lot in my mind to share with you Rishi. I missed the real Rishi, the one who was a rebel and did everything to his wish, made pranks, watched his favourite cartoons, always questioning about things you were told not to do, in short you were a hyper and naughty child. You never left a chance to hug me,  your parents and you loved your sister so much. You were the exact opposite of how your grandma wanted you to be, you were exact opposite of how you are today.

Rishi hung his head while his grandpa continued but his voice now laced with disappointment.

Grandpa: I loved watching you as a naughty child but everything changed the day Manjari got hurt when you accidentally pushed her while you both were playing. Your grandma got the one opportunity she was waiting for. You were scared and in guilt which favoured her. She started influencing you and slowly turned you and Manjari the way she wanted, the very calm, humble, obedient, following all her stupid customs or whatever rules she had for her orthodox family.

Rishi: Weren’t you the part of this orthodox family ?

Grandpa: Me and your grandmother had a love marriage. My love for her was so strong that I gave up my happy and free going nature for her orthodox family. I was too blinded in her love and lost in focusing on my business that I failed to see that my son and daughter were growing up the exact or may be even the worse version of her orthodox rules. I was too late to realize that I was only the bread winner and all the rights and decision maker was my wife. It didn’t stop with your father and aunt, I tried to find a girl who will bring the lost happiness of my life, in my family but once again I failed and she chose a daughter in law. Not that I m complaining about your mother, she is the best wife to your father and best daughter in law and mother too but she couldn’t bring the life that I felt was missing in my family. I was done living by rules, for once I wanted to see our family waking up late and rushing around and fighting with love to get ready for school, college or even work. I wanted to see a family sharing chores, smiling and being expressive when someone deserves a appreciation.

Grandpa started coughing and Rishi pat his back and was about to leave to get water but he was pulled back and Rishi saw his grandpa shaking his head.

Grandpa: The day I lost when you grandma I felt devastated and it was also the same day which was eye opening for me when I saw you, Manjari and infact our whole family standing without shedding tears for the woman who raised you all for years. Your father didn’t cry for his mother, you and Manjari never cried for your grandma, your mother alone shed few drops of tears. That day I felt I should have loved her a little less than the love she felt for me. May be my family would have been the way I wanted. That day I took over the leash not to continue what she left but to change everything. When I got to know that Aadhi’s family was nothing but another version of our family I never wanted Manjari to be married to Vimal so I was thinking of a way to stop the marriage but when I visited the family I decided that Aadhi is the one for you, she is the one I was looking for.

Rishi was shocked on hearing his words and saw his grandpa who was looking at him now.

Rishi: You are confusing me now. You were there to fix Manjari and Vimal’s marriage.

Grandpa: Yes and I felt Vimal is the right choice for Manjari but Aadhi was the one who caught my complete attention. She looked the calm, obedient, humble and whatever your father wanted in a girl for you.

Rishi: But grandpa..

Grandpa: Let me finish Rishi. She was everything your father and mother wanted in their daughter in law but I saw the real Aadhi. I saw the glint in her eyes that I saw in you before you changed into what you are today. Her eyes were full of mischief just like you had once. I decided that she is the one who will bring back the real Rishi, the real happiness in our family so I forced you to marry her. You remember the day we had lunch together after the shopping ?

Rishi’s memories flashed with the kick he received from her and bobed his head. Grandpa smiled as if he was thinking of something funny.

Grandpa: The moment we walked out after lunch I was limping and Aadhi helped me to your car. That was the reward given by Aadhi. She thought it was you and kicked me under the table.

Rishi: I m sorry grandpa.

Grandpa: Don’t be Rishi. I was so happy that I made the right decision by choosing her for you. After your marriage I felt your mother behaved the typical mother in law and I felt my plan was failing so once again I made a decision and sent you both to live independently but I regret my decision. I regret being there that day, I regret forcing you to marry her, I regret for my decision to let you both live a life all alone.

Rishi: Grandpa…

Grandpa: Despite being under the wings of her parents she looked lively and her eyes held happiness in them. Yesterday when I saw her she was smiling, talking but her eyes carried no emotions, there wasn’t any glint in her eyes, no mischief nothing, she looked like a still water the one I hated seeing in your grandma’s eyes, your eyes, infact in all your eyes. I brought the girl into your life and killed her real self for my selfish reasons. How would she pretend to you Rishi ? She saw you as the one person with whom she could live a real life, she didn’t want to pretend the way she did with her parents or your parents, she was being herself around you. She doesn’t deserve this life and let me tell you something. You never had her mobile number with you yet she covered up for you.

Rishi knelt before his grandpa and sobbed holding his hand.

Rishi: I m so sorry… so sorry grandpa. I hurt her, I broke her, I .. I ruined her.

His grandpa pulled him to sit and Rishi wiped his tears and gulped looking at the old man.

Rishi: I was annoyed and felt frustrated that I had to marry her. She was exact opposite of me, she never talked normally, she was always behind me talking non stop, annoyed me with loud music in the morning and even at night, I couldn’t sleep due to the creech noise of the swing that she prefer to sit and play at night, she was clumsy and always messed the room. You know she did all this only with me and with you all she pretended to be the perfect girl like mom and grandma so I hated her for living a fake life but… but grandpa..

Grandpa: Before you continue with your but let me tell you something. It was not hate that you felt on seeing her Rishi. You were jealous.

Rishi was shocked and his grandpa bobed his head.

Grandpa: You were jealous that she lived a life that you missed all your life, you were jealous that you weren’t brave and strong like her to live your life the way you wanted, you were jealous and scared that she was changing you. You were scared that you might change into the real Rishi and you were scared that your parents, every one around you might hate to see the real Rishi. You were scared that Aadhi was breaking the walls that you, your grandmother and parents built around your heart. I have more to say but let me hear your but…so continue.

Rishi who was still in shock gulped and there was no going back. He was done fighting within himself so he decided to open up and vent out everything.

Rishi: Before I broke her, I wanted her to stay away from me, I never wanted to hear her talks starting from the good morning to the good night, I hated seeing her being clumsy, the way she talked all the while we had our food, the way she danced around, watched TV with loud music, I felt like breaking the speakers but now ..now…she doesn’t play music, no creeching sound from the swing at night, I m not welcomed by loud music at night, no good mornings, good nights, she doesn’t follow me around and I don’t get to see her clumsy nature, my room is no more a mess but…

Grandpa: Go ahead Rishi… but what ? are you happy that you got the life you wanted ? are you happy that you are not disturbed anymore ?

Rishi: No grandpa. I should be happy and feel at peace because she gave what I asked for but I m not happy, I don’t feel a bit of peace in my life. I m unable to sleep at night and I m no more an early riser, I couldn’t eat in peace. It feels like I lost my sanity. I think my guilt is killing me. I don’t know how to come out of this.

Grandpa: You won’t be happy to know the reason behind why you feel this.

Grandpa picked Rishi’s mobile and gestured Rishi to enter the password to unlock it. Rishi hesitated a lot to do it but one glare from his grandpa he unlocked with trembling hands. his grandpa opened the gallery and smiled on seeing the pictures in it. He turned the screen towards Rishi who shed tears on seeing the images of Aadhi from their wedding and the one his grandpa sent from Aadhi’s haldi ceremony.

Grandpa: This is the truth Rishi, that you like her deep from your heart. You couldn’t sleep because you are used to her presence around you, you couldn’t eat because you miss hearing her talks while you have your food. You are not at peace because you started liking her lively nature, somewhere in your heart you were loving the way she was behind you all the while, your heart which was yearning for a company finally found someone but your ego is twice as your height and you made an illusion that you are strict person with some rules but the real Rishi in you wants the life he was living all these months with Aadhi around him. Your are torn between your ego, the rules you had lived all the years and your yearnings for a real happiness.

Rishi shut his eyes and grandpa knew he got the right strike.

Grandpa: I don’t know what exactly you did to her but you can’t be hurting her forever and I won’t sit back and watch Aadhi’s life being ruined anymore. She is mature enough to know what she wanted in her life but you are immature to accept what you want. She is bold enough to fight for what she wanted and she did fight you all these months but you are a coward to agree your jealousy, you are coward to agree that you did like her and now you are missing her.

Rishi hugged his grandpa and burst out crying.

Rishi: Grandpa, I can’t so please. I hurt her a lot but not anymore.

Grandpa: Good then. I won’t force you. But like I said I won’t sit back and watch you both living like this. So you have 6 months to decide what you want, either fix your relationship with Aadhi else at the end of six months I will talk to Aadhi to divorce you. I tried to fix your life but I broke her in the process of healing you so it would be fair that I now stand by Aadhi.

Rishi was shocked on hearing the word divorce and rose to his feet gulping down the fear that was creeping in his heart.

Rishi: Divorce ? Grandpa, please. She once talked about this and I made it clear that I won’t divorce her. I can’t do that, please.. please..please..

Grandpa: Don’t be selfish Rishi. Don’t you think she would be having dreams of a family with her husband and children ? Imagine Manjari and Vimal in place of you and Aadhi. Do you think she deserve all these ?

They heard the sound of horn and saw Vimal park his car and Manjari getting down from the passenger seat. Rishi saw his parents rush out and help her inside home while Aadhi ignore her brother and follow his parents.