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It was the hour before dusk, and the sky was painted with crimson shade. The lights of the houses were switched on. The sound of conch and sandhya aarti came from distant houses too. There was a temple nearby, it's shikara was visible from Trinayani's room. The sound of LordKrishna's bhajan was floating around from that direction.
Trinayani stood near the window, starring at the temple's shikara. Her elder sister in law Rajeshwari was stitching something silently. Her position in that house was worst because her only child was a daughter, who was mentally unstable, and her husband stayed with another woman. Just because of her son's wrong deed, Gayatri Devi had allowed Rajeshwari and her daughter to stay in that home. Moreover, maybe she had some sympathy towards her eldest grand daughter after whatever had happened with the poor girl! Nobody knew what was the exact reason of Gayatri's mercy upon these two people.
Samadrita came and stood near the door. On seeing her, Rajeshwari stopped her work and said,"bahar kiyu khadi se chhori? Andar aah!"
Samadrita came inside and she asked,"tu maari chhori ki umar ki hi hain. Bass kuch mahine ageh piche ki hain. Kya kare hain tu? Parhai?"
"Nahi! Mera parhai poori ho chuki hain. Main editor ki job...kaam karti hoon!"Samadrita replied.
"Areh wah chhori. Kaha tak parhi likhi hain?"Rajeshwari asked again while Trinayani was still lost in her thoughts.
"Jee! University...matlab voh Vishvavidyaalay tak parhi hoon. Aur phir special editorial and writing course...matlab...voh jo naukri karti hoon uske liye thoda training li thi,"Samadrita replied.
"Wah! Maari chhori ne bhi parhai ki thi. Bohot acchi thi parhai mein. Vishvavidyaalay par nahi gayi parr voh kaalej hoti hain na jaha shikshak log parte hain?"
"B.Ed training!"
"Haan...haan wahi...grejuation karne ke baad wahi parhi thi voh...aur teacherni bhi bani thi...parr durbhagya dekho....."Rajeshwari couldn't complete as Shankari called her from downstairs asking her to make evening tea for everyone.
"Main aayi haan chhori. Tu baat kar apni maa se!"she said and left hurriedly.
"Graduation and B.Ed. Wow! Iss ghar mein bhi doh doh degrees wali ladki hain?"Samadrita said while walking up to her mother and stood beside her looking towards the temple's shikara.
"Kya soch rahi ho Maa?"she asked in a low voice.
"Yahi ki what was the use of worshipping the lord everyday?"
"You're saying this Maa? You used to say that God takes our test at times. Papa is no more with us. I miss him everyday every moment, I know your pain is much more, you have been around him more than we did. Even in his last moment, you have seen him suffer. But Maa...."Samadrita said and held her mother's hand and added,"if we keep on breaking down and becoming weak day by day then what will happen to Bhai and Chhoti? They are yet to complete their studies. Taara ka graduation complete ho jayega phir she will go to University. Maan ka abhi bhi baaki hain kitna parhai. He's a medical student. Hum dono ko support karna hain unhe. We can't be weak!"
