Seven Vows Part 1- Published

The Raipur diary, Your Sister

Sudhir showed the address to the hotel manager and asked directions to reach the place. The manager told them the direction. Sudhir and Sreedhar reached the place mentioned. It was a 2 storey building , quite old. Sreedhar rang the bell. A young girl opened the door. Seeing Sreedhar she shouted " Maa, Bapu look who is here. Sreedhar Varma" . Sreedhar blushed deep red as Sudhir smiled. Well maryada ya bandhan has got Sreedhar good mileage. An old man followed by his wife came. " Sreedhar babu, come come. We are honored " told the man.

The lady asked the daughter to bring tea. The man looked quizzingly at Sudhir. " Ji Namasthe" Sreedhar told. " This is my brother Sudhir Varma "

" Namasthe Sudhir babu, may we know what brings you here. How can we poor people help you "

" Ji we are here to know more about a person called Harkishore and his family. We got this address. Do you know him and family "

" Sreedhar babu they were our tenants for close to 15 years, only went back to Jaipur this year after his wife's death. What do you want to know about them. He is a good respectable man saabji. Has a very loving grand daughter called Poornima. Poor girl lost the father before birth and mother well that girl died when she was just about 5 years. "

Sreedhar showed the photo and asked " Are these the same people you are talking about"

The lady and the man took the photo and then told " Yes same people. The woman looked at Anu's photo. " Sreedhar babu how beautiful Harkishoreji's daughter look in this photo. How different she looked when she came here. Poor thing had even shaved her head and never came out of her room except when we took her to hospital for her delivery"

" She had delivery in hospital" asked Sudhir as those days delivery in home was common and rarely people went to hospital especially in small towns like this

" Yes Sudhir Babu. The midwife had come. But what to say, she didn't give birth even after having pain for atleast 9-10 hrs. I remember it very clearly because her mother had called me. Poor girl. She was crying and was terrified also. Then her brother told they will go to hospital. In hospital they told that what you say cutting the stomach"

" Caesarian" told Sreedhar " That only Caesarian they took her for that. The girl told she will die or something and asked her mother to keep the child's name Poornima if it is a girl, Adithya if it is a boy as that was what the child's father wanted"

Sudhir and Sreedhar looked at each other. Once again the name. Renu Bhabi had confirmed that was what Tilak Bhaiyya had wanted. That's why when Aakash was born and Maa had suggested Adithya he had disagreed and had kept Aakash.

" But Sreedhar Babu, why you want to know about them" asked the man

" That you know Poornima is driving a initiative to get widows entry to temple. So the district collector wanted information on her so that they can give it to media. We are just helping the collector as I have been supporting Poornima for this noble cause"

" Ok ok I know that girl will go places one day. She is a very bright student " told the man.

" You have any photos of them being here. Something" asked Sudhir

" Yes babu, I will give you their photos from the wedding album of my eldest daughter. They were here only then. Sudha beta take Supriya didi's wedding album and give the photos to Sudhir babu"

" Yes Bapu I will get"

" Sreedhar babu tea will go cold. Please have " told the lady. Sudhir and Sreedhar took the tea

" One more question. Do you know anything about Poornima's father" asked Sudhir

" Her father no Sudhir babu. We don't know anything about him. Harkishorji and his wife never talked about their son in law. Maybe Anu was treated badly in her sasural post her husband's death. Or her sasural might have thrown her out after knowing she is carrying a baby girl. A widow, then a baby girl. All these things happen right. Maybe if she was carrying a boy the sasural might have kept her. She would have been atleast 4 months pregnant when they came here" told the lady.