River & Desert

Part 2

Two Days Ago

"Have you considered the idea of meeting other men?" Shanti Sinha reminded her granddaughter that one negative experience should not discourage her in her pursuit of happiness.

Purvi refrained herself from rolling her eyes. Her grandmother was no stranger to expressing her disapproval of her love life, and that was not the first nor the last time.

"I'm just not interested, Dadi. At this moment, I cannot commit to a relationship," Purvi stated, grabbing her phone from her purse and pretending to be engrossed in work. Shanti snatched the phone from her granddaughter's unsteady hands. "What did that work of yours even give you? Huh?"

"Dadi..."

"Your unborn baby would have been alive and your marriage would have been happier if you had devoted a part of your work devotion to your personal life."

Purvi held back the sobs that were ready to spill out of her aching throat by biting the inside of her lips. Her grandmother was met with a glare and tears in the corners of her granddaughter's eyes. Fury and anguish overtook her, causing her chest to constrict and her face to turn crimson.

Despite the cold air from the air-conditioner and the shelter of the palatial mansion, she was still burning inside and being shaken like a palm tree in a storm.

Shanti persisted with her angry outburst, showing no mercy towards her eldest grandchild. "The idea of remarriage doesn't appeal to you, and your brother has no interest in marriage at all. The fruits of your grandfather and father's labor will be donated to charity."

The mention of her younger brother caused her to go into overdrive, her mind being both desperate and desolate. The man had escaped unharmed from their grandmother's vicious remarks and left her to fulfill her every whim and fancy.

When their parents' marriage ended in an ugly divorce, the Sinha matriarch took them under her wing, immersing them in a sea of thankfulness. Their mother ended up in a mental rehabilitation center after leaving an abusive marriage to their father, who drank himself to death because of his alcoholism.

Purvi's marriage to Sanjay resulted from her grandmother's insistence, and the pain from its ending still lingered within her. Trapped on the island of hopelessness, encircled by waves of helplessness, she saw no other alternative but to transfer the responsibility to her brother.

"How about I help you convince Adhrit to marry, Dadi?" she asked, hiding her tears behind the facade of a determined woman.

****

"Can I expect you to repay the amount before I close my eyes, or do you plan to return the money to me at my next birth?" asked Vijay Singh, glaring at a cowering Pushpa with a twisted upper lip.

Pushpa's palms were joined when his snarky comments made her turn crimson. Passersby slowed down to watch the exchange with curious eyes, she noticed. Their smirks were like a thousand daggers piercing her soul.

"I'm asking for your understanding..."

"Pushpa, my understanding is the reason you've had this house for so long. I went beyond my usual lending practices to loan you more money when you mortgaged your house eight years ago for your husband's treatment. Both the interest and principal are being neglected by you in terms of timely payments. What do you want me to do?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief and annoyance.

It filled her eyes with tears and her temples were dripping with sweat because of the intense heat. Vijay had taken his seat at the threshold of her humble home, and without the shelter over her head, the vulnerability of a prey circled by the predators rattled her. Her heart sank as she saw the crowd enjoying her helplessness as a spectacle.

She dropped to her knees and gripped Vijay's feet. "Bhai sahab, we have nowhere else to go. There is a young female in our home. How do we make it work living on the roads with her in tow?"

His eyebrow arched as he looked at her. "Young female? That niece of yours? Mitali? Remember when I told you, Pushpa, that she's the harbinger of terrible luck and death? An unfortunate incident caused her parents to pass away, and your husband developed cancer after she came to live with you."

Mitali found her heart breaking into countless pieces after walking back from her job at the call-center. The moneylender's titles pierced her heart and tore into her self-esteem.

"My precious angel! The bringer of fortune and joy! My darling child!"

Her father placed a loving kiss on her temple and her mother hugged her toddler and husband, wearing a broad smile.

Her lips formed a sad and regretful smile as a bittersweet memory played in her tormented mind. It was one of her last memories of her parents who died in a building crash when she was at school.

Pushpa, who was the sister of her father, and her husband Vimal, had stood with her and had provided the support during the unfortunate crisis that shook her life. The sight of the same caring woman begging in front of the heartless crowd was heartrending for her.

As she made her way towards Vijay and Pushpa, she tried to stifle her sobs and wiped her tears. The foster mother clung to Vijay's legs as if they were the only thing keeping her from drowning in the whirlpool. She knelt beside Pushpa, who was taken aback by her sudden presence.

"Mitali..."

"Uncle ji, I'm requesting a week's time. We will pay the unpaid interests without delay and we will attempt to organize the principal in a month. Uncle, I'm begging you! One last mercy!" she said, joining her palms together as she bowed her head in complete surrender.

A smirk and a nod accompanied Vijay's acceptance. "How can I refuse this poor child? One week is what you have, my dear. Selling your house is the only option if you can't pay the interests. Understood, dear child?" he asked with a saccharine sweet smile playing on his dark lips.

Her brief nod of acknowledgment took aback Mitali's foster mother. She had neither a way out nor a visible path to her desired destination. Even if it meant venturing into the unknown wilderness and darkness, she would do whatever it takes to secure a dignified life for her family.

The unmeasurable debt she owed her foster family would cause her conscience to put unbearable pressure on her if she abandoned them in their time of need.

What do you about the unfortunate situations of our characters? Definitely not a fan of Shanti, but too many elders like her to hope it's just a part of fictional world.

Please VOTE and COMMENT!