Serendipity

25

Vanraj threw the TV remote in anger. The cover separated and the batteries dislodged themselves and rolled to unreachable places.

"Vanraj!"

His mother who'd just returned from the temple screamed. "What's wrong, beta?"

"Everything Baa, everything," he whispered. "Nothing is okay."

Worriedly she came and sat next to him. He simply leaned into her, hugged her, and sat there, deriving the much-needed strength from the only woman who had always stood by him. She was his anchor, his pillar.

"Vanraj!" Hasmukh Shah had raised his hand on his son. He had just heard from his friends around the block that his 16-year old boy had taken to smoking.

Vanraj closed his eyes and turned his face, afraid of the impact the crash would leave. He dared not say a word. His father was livid. 

"Stop," Leela screamed, rushing to his side.

"Leela, stay out of this. You don't know what this boy has done."

"What has he done? Smoked a cigarette?"

Hasmukh looked at his wife, shocked; his raised hand arrested in mid-air. Unmindful of her husband's rioting emotions, Leela ran up to Vanraj, and hugged him, shielding him from his father's wrath.

"You knew about this?" Hasmukh couldn't believe that his wife would hide something so big from him. 

Leela merely shrugged. "So what, all the boys in the neighbourhood smoke."

"Vanraj is not just any boy in the neighbourhood, he's our son."

"And our son should have the right to do what he wants."

"We're not stopping him from doing what he wants Leela, but as parents, it's our duty to stop our children from doing something wrong."

That statement irked Leela.

"If smoking is so wrong, then you should be fighting the Government, that allows the sale of cigarettes. My son hasn't done anything illegal. Stop picking on him."

As Hasmukh continued to stare at her in disbelief, she held Vanraj's hand and dragged him into the kitchen to stuff him with his favourite comfort food. Vanraj had just had a traumatizing experience. 

Caressing her son's back, Leela said: "Shhh, calm down, Kanhaji will take care of everything" she tried to infuse some faith in her son, who'd seemed lost ever since the divorce.

She had noticed the stark change. His new wife was not demure like Anupama, she spoke her mind, she didn't care about his reputation, and worse, Leela had a feeling that she didn't care about him.

Everything that Kavya focused on was to do with her - how she felt, what she was going through, what she wanted. There was no room for anyone else. Sure, there were the odd moments of fun and passion but by and large, her son was leading a lonely existence.

Anupama's departure from the house had changed its dynamics overnight. The family hardly got together anymore. Everyone took care of their own requirements, even the children. No one smiled or laughed. No one cared what Leela thought anymore - at least not her new daughter-in-law.

"Baa, this sari is so tacky," Kavya had been vocal about her homecoming gift from her mother-in-law. Her father-in-law had just stood there, unemotionally participating in the rituals.

"Kavya," Vanraj chided her. "Baa has got this for you with so much love."

"Yes V, but instead of picking something for me that she liked, she should've picked something that I liked. She could've simply asked me and I would've told her. 

"I'm not going to wear this, and you know it. This just isn't my style."

Vanraj had the decency to look ashamed but his mother brushed her pain under the carpet. "It's okay, she is young. Let's give her some time. She'll come around."

Vanraj looked at his Mom with gratitude, for understanding him, for working with his choice.

Two days later, Leela felt a pang of humiliation when she saw the house help wearing Kavya's homecoming sari. The house help informed her that Kavya madam had generously gifted her this sari to appreciate what she did for the family.

"What happened?" asked Leela, worried that another of Kavya's thoughtless actions had managed to hurt her son.

"Anupama..."

The name was whispered and yet it rang clear throughout the house as if it had been screamed.

"Anupama?" Leela asked quizzically.

"Yes, Anupama, that shameless woman announced her own engagement with Anuj Kapadia today."

"Anuj Kapadia, Anuj Kapadia," Leela tried to place him within her memory. "Oh, that famous business tycoon?"

Vanraj nodded in anger.

Leela smiled. "That's a good thing, isn't it? Anuj Kapadia would've been livid with her."

Vanraj looked at his mother, his eyes questioning her thinking.

"No Baa."

"And how do you know?"

"The press conference where Anupama made the announcement was telecast live on TV. Anupama was wearing one of Anuj Kapadia's mother's expensive chiffon sari's. She was looking like a queen."

"Baa, your red sari is so pretty."

"I know, now don't go eyeing my things. My red sari is for Dolly and the purple one is for Pakhi. The blue one is for Toshu's bride and the yellow one, for Samar's bride."

Anupama had become quiet, fidgeting with the stole of her sari, unhappy that she had been left out of Baa's list as usual. Babuji had just arrived and asked Leela: "You've selected saris for brides who're not even part of this family as yet. What sari have you picked to give Anupama?"

"Why do I need to pick a new sari for her?" she'd scoffed. "No amount of prettying can make an ugly woman beautiful."

"It's alright Vanraj. Anuj Kapadia will soon realize the true nature of Anupama - useless and good for nothing."

Like always, Vanraj wanted to believe his mother. But a little voice in his head told him that his mother was wrong. His karma had finally caught up with him.