COMPLEXITIES

THINGS COME BACK

Aashi stood shattered after reading Ryan's letter of deceit. The man did not turn up. 

The days after the debacle were difficult. She would sit and sleep. Rani was concerned about her daughter. Nothing could change her mood to the better. Even as a kid Aashi was vivacious and exuberant. A slight change of tide and air would lighten up her mood. 

Rani tried asking about the  changes to Shriya and Rishi. But her attempts failed repetitively. Both gave her fake assurance of everything being well.

"Why do you take so much tension beta? Its okay if you don't score as a topper. Don't stress yourself coz of exams.", Rani told Aashi giving her medicine.

Fever was her friend in stress. An uninvited loyal partner who never ditched her in pain. 

Things were clear. Rishi and Shriya had cooked up a story and the sole bearer of all the blame was academics. 

" Shriya di was extremely lucky", was the only thought that echoed in Aashi's mind. But this was immediately followed by the inauspicious letter which broke all her dreams. 

Her dream was simple, a partner in a friend. The pink city did make her blush but the crimson was short lived. 

"How long will you lament the loss?" Rishi was consoling her for the past one hour. But his every trick failed to bring Aashi out of the nightmare. 

Trust was tough. Betrayal was tougher. 

"Please Rishi. Am in no mood to talk" 

"Then don't" 

Both sat in silence for the next 15 minutes till the noise outside scared them.

"What the hell was she thinking?", they heard a man's voice.

Rishi and Aashi peeped out opening the door a little. The gap was small but they saw Gajendra uncle in anger immeasurable. 

"Call her." 

"What happened?", Rani stood in the way with her back to Aashi's room

 

" Bhabhi please do not intervene. I want Aashi out" 

The duo was startled at the scene. They looked at each other petrified. 

"How can your daughter get away like this?"

"What has she done? Will you tell that first?", Rani had lost her calm. All the noise had disturbed the lady of house. She always loved peace. 

" I don't even have the guts to tell you that. You wouldn't believe me. Why don't you ask your princess." 

Rani had no other option than calling Aashi out.

Aashi shivered. The quarrel was intense and Gajendra was in bad mood. His bad mood was synonymous to the volcano which once erupted destroyed everything. Gajendra was sure to spoil the foundation of their house. His wound of becoming faceless in the society wasn't healed. Rani was the one to criticize everything openly. Her unhappiness over Shriya's decision was not hidden. 

Shriya's wedding was an uproar. The family meeting after her wedding was nothing less of a "village panchayat" and later a "parliament" where Gajendra would not think once before breaking anything or hitting anyone. His anger knew no limit and Rani's mockery of their values had shot up his outrage to the peak. Virendra had tried to make peace but nothing helped. 

"Gajendra either accept the truth or forget it as a nightmare. You always have two options. To accept or to reject. My advise would be accept Shriya.", Virendra pacified his sibling.

But all his words fell either on deaf ears or a dead brain. Nothing helped. Instead Gajendra cursed the couple with his harsh words.

" I would really want to see your face if Aashi does something like this. Will you forgive her or forget her. I really want to see." 

If Shriya had won on her partner she had to lose her family. Kavish was a caring man and his family was equally affectionate but Gajendra's anger ruined her ties with her maternal home.

The past had come back with a twist. 

Aashi stood in front of her uncle and he began interrogating her. 

"Where were you on Friday?" 

"Home" 

"Lie" 

"I was at home" 

"Don't lie." Gajendra threw a mean look which Aashi knew as a kid. 

His threats were so fresh in her mind. To cover his sin he used all his power to shut her mouth. She was a lively girl but was haunted by fear throughout her childhood. 

Rishi, Ryan, Tia had become like the perfect lands for her to escape from the deadly reality. 

"If you were home, how did I see your name in a register?" 

"What nonsense is this?", Rani fumed. 

" I am calling virendra right away." 

There was a pin drop silence till Virendra reached home.

"What's the matter?" 

"He's shouting and screaming since the time he has arrived", Rani was exhausted.

The inhabitants missed the fact that there was a mute spectator to this scene. It was Rishi, who stood behind the door watching everyone intently trying to figure out what Friday had meant. 

" Shit!!!", Aashi heard Rishi clearly. She turned back towards the room as the three elders were busy pulling each other's hair. 

"What?", Aashi prompted as their eyes met.

Rishi signalled her with the action of putting varmala in wedding. He hit his forehead hard and spun round on one feet.

Aashi stood in dismay. How could this man had probably known? 

She stared at her elders widening her eyes in disbelief. Gajendra had hit jackpot. But how? 

She had their names registered at the marriage office. But the records are always confidential. How did this man got his hands on them? Was Ryan's absence the reason to it? Maybe it triggered gossips in the court vicinity. 

Aashi saw everything coming back to her. Her silence as a kid, her robin hood act of helping Shriya and her blind trust on Ryan.