Ishq ki Kahaani

Illiterate: Inner Turmoil

The following day Siya woke up earlier than usual so that she could escape her husband, but little did she know that he himself was thinking the same, when Rudra came out of the bathroom, he came face to face with Siya making the bed.

Siya looked over at the bathroom when she hear the gentle click only to come face to face with her husband. He was also looking her way, dumbstruck that his wife may or may not have just caught him trying to get ready early. It was 5:30 in the morning. Usually, he gets up at 6 for his morning jog before getting ready for work, but today he was half an hour early.

"A-ap itne ja-jaldi uth jaate hain?"
(You usually wake up this early?)

"Hm, n-nahi. Actually mein 6 baje uthta hun, lekin aaj ek client ke saath early meeting hai toh issiliye thoda jaldi."

(Hm, n-no actually I have an early morning meeting with a client today so that's why I got up a little earlier.)

Siya nodded her head before continuing her task. He's going to work? Today? The day after he got married? Does he not want to be a part of the rituals for today? Of course, he doesn't, it's not like he wanted to marry me anyway.

"Tum bhi itna jaldi uth jaati ho."

(Do you also wake up this early?)

"N-n-nahi woh, meri aankh khul gayi. P-phir neend hi nahi aaye toh so-soch uth jati hun."

(N-no. Actually I just woke up by chance, a-and th-then I couldn't fall asleep. So I decided to just g-get up.)

Rudra gazed at her as she blatantly ignored his presence after, she didn't look his way when he was struggling with his shoelace, not when she came out of the shower and sat at the dressing table to get ready. She didn't even wish him goodbye as he left the room with his headphones on.

Throughout his jog, he was just distracted by the thoughts of his wife. She's taking my condition too seriously. I told her not to meddle with my business, not to ignore me. Or maybe she's upset with me. Did I do something? Did I say something? And why is she invading my thoughts so much? Why do I care if she didn't look my way with her pretty brown eyes, or if she didn't grace me with that gorgeous smile? She's doing what I wanted, so why does that bother me?

Soon enough, Ravi, Siya and Damini were gathered at the dining table for breakfast, waiting for Rudra.

"Yeh ladka! Aaj ke din kaam pe kaise jaayege? Mein dekhti hun."

(This boy, I'll see how he goes to work!)

Damini was furious at the idea of her son leaving his bride's home on their first day as a married couple. Rudra had told her it was an important meeting and something he would like sorted out as soon as possible.

"Aunty, rehne dijiye na. Koi zaroori kaam hoga." Siya says, trying to calm her now mother-in-law. Seeing as Siya was trying to keep everything calm, Damini quietened, not wanting to scare her daughter-in-law.

(Aunty, please leave it. His work is important.)

"Beta, abh mujhe maa kaho na. Abh toh tum meri beti ho."

(Call me maa. Now you're my daughter.)

Damini said as she lovingly smoothed Siya's hair. The display of affection and the request to be called "maa" overwhelmed the girl, causing tears to form and slip out of her eyes.

No matter how much she tried to wipe them away, they just kept going.

"Oh mera bacha, don't cry. Yahan aao, aare Maine meri beti ko rulla diya."

(Oh my child. . . . .Come here, I've made my daughter cry.)

Damini consoled the sweet girl as she took in as much affection as she could, trying to fill her empty heart.

"Acha, Rudra ko chodo! Agar jana hai toh jaye kam pe, aur jo khaana hai khaye, chalo Ravi bete, shuru karo. Hum kyun bhooke baithe rahe?"

(Okay, leave Rudra! If he wants to go then he can go to work if he wants to, and he can eat whatever he wants. Come Ravi, lets start. Why should we stay hungry?)

Siya smiled lightly as they sat down to eat, but she kept glancing at the stairs, waiting for her husband. When he made his way down, he noticed that his mother was eating breakfast without him, for the first time. And she was in no way shape or form was she looking bothered by it. Normally she would have been really upset when she had to eat without him. But here she was munching on her scrambled eggs and toast like there was nothing wrong.

Rudra came and took a seat beside his wife, greeting everyone with good morning. He gets a response from Siya and Ravi, but not his own mother. He knows she's upset and he knows why she's upset. Rolling his eyes he whispers, "Dramatic."

Damini glares at her son before huffing and focusing back on her food. He was in big trouble. He would have stayed home if the meeting wasn't about Vaishali and Suresh. He was going to meet a colleague, who was an expert in family violence, which meant Rudra would be able to get enough information and get started on the case.

Before leaving he tried asking one more time to talk to his mother.

"Okay maa, I'm going."

"Hmm."

"Aate hue kuch lekr aayun?"

(Should I bring anything gon my way back?)
"Siya, aapne pati ko bolo ki khud aa jaye utna kafi hai."

(Siya, tell your husband to bring himself back, and that will be enough.)

Siya looked at her husband who just shook his head and asked, "Siya, do you need something, I'll bring on my way home?"

She shook her head and he bid everyone bye, before heading to his meeting.