A Second Chance

•Fourth

Releaxed, this is how Malini felt after a head massage given to her by Imlie's mother, Meethi. And just like her name, she is the sweetest person Malini has ever met. A person with a lovely and brightest smile.
It is her 3rd day here, and all she got to know about Imlie is that she is married. Yes, she is married, and this came as a shocker to her. She knows Imlie for months, but she never mentioned it. And who her husband is, she still doesn't know.

Malini moved inside the house after the head message.
"What are you doing?". And here she is, Meethi's mother, a big troublemaker.
"What are you looking in my bag?"Malini raised her voice in anger. She never likes it when someone touches her things.
Meethi came running inside, listening to Malini's voice.
She snatched the bag from her mother's grip.
"Amma, why do you always do such things." She asked her.
"Mujhe koi shauk nehi hai yeh sab karne ka lekin kya karu. Agar yeh nehi kiya toh kuch khaane ko nehi hoga. Teri wajaha se koi kaam par bhi toh nehi rakta." Her mother bittereed out.
"Amma, please stop it." Meethi pleaded.
"Please don't talk to her like that. She is her daughter." Malini could not stop herself from interfering between the mother and daughter.
"If she was my daughter, she would not have spent the night with that painter and got pregnant. The man left for the city, leaving this woman and her daughter on my head. I have lived my whole life listening to the people insulting me. She is nothing but a disgrace for me." Meethi's mother spoke venomously.
Meethi broke down into tears. She could not bear the harsh words of her mother. But they are true. "Meethiji, please don't cry. It's OK. Everything will be fine. " She said, hugging Meethi.
Malini felt her heart breaking, looking at her crying.
"It's OK. You do not have to think of all these things. I am always there for you. If you want, we can talk." Malini knows that she can not do anything for her, but maybe talking to her could ease her pain.
Meethi walked to the trunk kept in the corner of the room.
"Yes, keep looking at these photos and keep remembering those disgraceful days." Meethi's mother turned around and walked outside the room.
Malini sat in front of Meethi. "I met Imlie's father in this village only. He came here for his inspiration for his painting. He didn't know this area and asked me for help. We used to meet regularly and slowly fell in love. And after a while, I got pregnant. At that time, he already had retured to Delhi." Meethi spoke, remembering her past.
"Imlie's father stays in Delhi." Malini asked.
"Yes, on Meera Road." Meethi continued. Malini felt this very familiar.
"Did he know about you pregnancy." Malini asked further.
"I went to him when I found out. And there I got to know that he was already married and even has a daughter. I was heartbroken and wanted to die. But I failed in that as well. I could not bring myself to kill my baby and decided to live for him. And on the day Imlie was born, he came back to meet me and my daughter. But I asked him to go away. He broke my heart and my self-respect, and I would never go back to him. After that day, it was just me and my daughter. The world mocked us, and people disgusted us, but we never left each other."
Malini felt anger bubbling inside her. She already loathal that man.
"I was so in love that I could not differentiate between right and wrong. But I was a fool."
Meethi cried, looking at the pictures. Malini moved towards Meethi to wipe her tears. But as she glanced at the pictures in Meethi's hand, her blood went cold. She could not believe her eyes.
"It is him, Dev Chaturvadi." Meethi pointed towards the person with her in the picture. Malini's world crashed down. It was her father. Tears poured out of her eyes. She could not believe her father was such a low person. Suddenly, her father started to disgust her. Her breath shortened as she moved moved outside the room, leaving a crying Meethi behind. How can she tend a person when she herself was not in her sense.

......
Night came early then expected, but the pain Malini was feeling didn't lower down a bit. The worst part is that she can not even complain about it because her pain is nothing compared to Meethi. That woman has lived her whole life with this pain. She peeked a look at Meethi working in the kitchen. The pain in her eyes is clearly visible.
"Namaste Meethi beta." Malini saw a man on the door with a huge bag on his bike. Meethi came outside listening to the voice. "Namaste Bhaisahab. How are you? Did you bring Imlie's wedding pictures with you?" She asked.
"Yes, beta. I came here to give that only." The man replied. He handed an envelope to her and moved out.
Meethi sat beside Malini on the coat in the lawn.
"You printed Imlie's wedding pictures."Malini asked.
A small smile formed on her lips after seeing Meethi smiling after the whole day.
"Yes, why not she is my only daughter. Come I will show you!" Meethi said excitedly. She opened the envelope and pushed the photos in her hands.
With each photo, Malini's world shattered. In the photos Imlie was sitting wearing a simple red sari and with her was Aditiya. Her Aditiya her husband. She could not believe her eyes. Her eyes teared, and her breath stopped. Everything numbed around her. Her heart stopped breathing, and she felt suffocated. She could not understand anything. What was Aditiya doing with Imlie? Why were they sitting together? And why are they getting married? Don't Aditiya love her? Yes, he does, and she knows it. But she could not understand this. Why was Aditiya with Imlie. She needs to talk to Aditiya.
Pictures fell from her hands as Malini got up.
"Meethiji, I need to go." She told Meethi hurriedly moving inside the house.
"But why beta? What happened?" Meethi asked Malini. Meethi was worried for her. Where will she go at this time of night.
"Please, Meethiji, let me go. It's very urgent." Malini picked up her bag and walked out. Tears that she was holding poured freely from her eyes.

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