*What is the right age to be divorced?
*What is the right age to stand up for yourself?
*Who comes first? Self or family?
Trust me, no woman will be able to answer these questions when her own life is breaking apart.
And, I pray nobody should ha...
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The Malhotra family had retired to bed after a long day of mixed emotions, a bit of jubilation and a bit of remorse. Celebration over Paarth becoming the next CEO and having saved the company management from falling into wrong hands. But the way it had to be done inflicted a lot of pain on everybody. It should have been a graceful handing-over ceremony in the Board room and a party later to make the official announcement; like how Jagannath had done while announcing Chandrakanth as his successor.
Padmini sat in one of the lawn chairs, reminiscing the moments of the ceremony which was held a few years after their marriage. Her heart felt heavy at the turn of events. She had somehow begun feeling a bit alien inside the mansion now. She glanced around the property - perfectly manicured garden, large massive iron gates, the posh interiors, every nook and corner spelling luxury. These same halls and corridors, bedrooms and kitchen which had been decorated, cared and maintained with diligence by her; seemed cold and lifeless now. Ever since she returned, she had felt claustrophobic inside the mansion, they were nothing but a constant reminder of the life of struggle, neglect, pain and loneliness.
The noise of the courtyard door closing drew her attention, squinting her eyes in the dark she spotted Kabeer walking towards her.
"What are you doing here?" She angled her neck to look at him when he stood by her side.
"Kabir Pratap Rana reporting to duty Ma'am!" He stood in attention and mockingly saluted her.
"No need to babysit me inside the house Kabeer, that too at this hour." Padmini groaned in dismay, she knew Paarth would have set him up for this. "Also we were pretending for Chandrakanth's sake that you were my bodyguard, stop taking it seriously. I feel it is demeaning to call you so."
"I value every job as long as it doesn't involve immoral activities. Let's say this helps your son to sleep in peace" he shoved his hands in his tracksuit pockets as he spoke to her, the nights were gradually getting colder. He observed that Padmini hadn't worn any winter garments to keep her warm. "You're going to catch a cold".
"I'm fine. It's not the biting cold yet, it's pleasant." She hummed glancing at the indigo-coloured sky "early winters are my favourite." A few minutes of silence prevailed with just the gentle ruffling of leaves and chirping of crickets, the smell of bonfires lit by pavement dwellers filling the air. They both started walking back inside the house.
"I'm glad you were able to find the courage to do what you did at the office today. I'm really proud of you!" She responded with a gentle smile and a nod. He made sure she went inside her room and locked her door, before retiring to the room allotted to him.
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Have you felt a boulder compress you, unable to move or escape? What do the last moments feel like before you die? Do you recollect all your favourite moments? Or your whole life flashes before your eyes as they say? Or do you yearn for the last glimpse of your children?
