Radha ki leela

Foolish.

"Beta, meet me in the chemistry lab after the seventh period." Radha spoke closely in Sejal's ear as their chemistry class ended.
"What did she say?" Tanvee, ( Sejal's classmate) asked her.
"Ohh not-nothing." Sejal answered quickly and ran off into the other direction behind, Anwesha, and just when she caught up, she asked her straight up,
"Radha ma'am asked me to meet her. Did you tell her?"
"What? No. Why would I? Are you crazy?" Anwesha answered nervously.

Tamoghana had started up on her P.hd work and had joined a small coaching centre to teach mathematics to JEE aspirants. She had also sent out resumes to certain colleges and school, but the college's had no vacancies, and the school needed a new Hire, from a new session in 2024. So as of now, her days seemed pretty simple with her PhD and coaching work, and being home, the same time as her father, around 5.30 pm. As, Tamoghana opened her house's gate, her eyes met with her father's. She ran in As fast as she could, hiding a bag. She stepped in. And ran straight upto her and Samarthya's bedroom, who was on his study table, scrolling
"Oh uh-uh- I-I-I- I was not scrolling, I was jus-"
"I don't care" Tamoghana interrupted uninterestedly and hid the bag inside her cupboard.
"What is it?" Samarthya asked.
"Mind your own business" Tamoghana smacked his head and went straight to the bathroom.

Namita was folding the laundry, just when her son, Keshav came in, asking for lunch.
"I'm doing somework. Go serve yourself. Heat up the Dal." Namita replied back.
"How can I?" Keshav whined loudly from the kitchen
"Just turn on the gas and heat it. Or use The microwave." Namita responded from the room.
"You go and sit down beta. I'll serve you." Keshav' grandmother (namita's MIL) answered.
Upon hearing this, Namita pouted angrily and walked out the kitchen and whispered to her son angrily. " I asked YOU to serve food. Go and do it." Namita clenched her jaw.
"Ah, unnecessarily troubling the child. How can a child serve his own food. Sit down my child. I'll do it for you." His grandmother spoke to herself.
"First this woman, didn't teach her son anything, then she doesn't let my son learn." Namita mumbled and went to the kitchen and told her MIL,"Mummy, why aren't you letting him serve himself. Just because he is a boy, he shouldn't do any housework! That's why all wives are frustrated." Namita went angrily and her MIL followed her back in a spoke in a louder tone
"Men work outside and women work inside the home. Simple as that."
Namita heard this and went to her room and started contemplating as to why she made all these sacrifices for this family.
"I married her 27 year old son when I was 21, brought them a whole suitcase of dahej (dowry), left my studies, quit my job, treated his parents as my own, all for what, to deal with their individual opinions and crueluties. I don't care what this woman says now, I am going to look for work." Namita said, as she angrily folded all the laundry.

"Good afternoon mam" Sejal walked into the chemistry lab in the afternoon, only to see Radha pull up her pallu and ask her to come to the school's reception.
"I called your father to school. I wanted to talk to him about something." Radha said
"Mam im-" Sejal was about to stop her, but as soon as she heard that only her father was called, she stopped and just walked with her teacher. At the reception, she saw her father coming in from the parking, still in his usual college attire, a pants and white shirt-sweater.
"Good afternoon, si-sir" Radha fumbled a bit.
"Good afternoon, Radha" Tejpal said and continued, "what did my daughter do?"
"I wanted to discuss something about the possible conditions at your home, that maybe indirectly affecting her studies, also being reflected by her marks." Radha said.
"There are no such conditions at home ma'am" Tejpal answered.
"Mr.Tejpal, I distributed their periodic tests today, and your daughter has gone from getting 18 to almost 5 out of 20."
"Well, maybe, she didn't study enough for her test." Tejpal giving his daughter a side eye.
"Sir, can we-" Radha tilted her head towards a more isolated corner and asked Sejal to stay there. They were both out of sight of Sejal.
"What is it ma'am?" Tejpal asked, sounding bitter.
"The effects of your household are affecting Sejal." Radha answered.
"There are fights and disagreements in every household, what's the big deal about it ma'am?" Tejpal asked keeping his hands in his pockets.
"Tejas, don't make me spell it out for you." Radha pointed a finger.
"Huh! So you still use thus favourite phrase of yours?" Tejpal sighed.
"I am her classteacher, and I don't want one of my best students to fall back in class. Its not like I don't know about your divorce, and I know you're hurting, I know that you loved your wife a lot but can't let your daughter sense-" Radha stopped as Tejpal started moving away.
"Come back here." Radha angrily whispered.
"For what? So that you can tell me where is my fault. Its my fault everytime, isn't it, and you are the 'smart' girl who tells me where I'm wrong."tejpal answered
"What?" Radha pretended to be confused .
"Its was not my fault Radha. It wasn't my fault." Tejpal cried out, holding Radha's wrist. Radha seemed a bit shocked, yet she pulled back her hand.
"Take this." Radha handed him a card.
"Why are you giving me- why are you giving me your husband's card." Tejpal asked frowning.
"He handles divorce cases. He has handled  unfair custody and alimony deals. Contact him Tejas." Radha said.
"Did he ask you to do-"
"No, I know about you and your wife, but I don't know the details. But here is the card, and he handle your divorce."
"I don't need-"
"Tejas, he can help you. Also, once your case is handled, and trust me, Eklavya is a very good lawyer, you can rejoin life." Radha took Tejpal's hands into her own and said,"you need it. Just reach out."
" YOU are the one I need." Tejpal mumbled. Radha heard him, but pretended like she didn't and walked out.