Despair to Hope (completed)

Chapter 13

"Sacrifice arises from Love. It is not required to maintain Love," I was talking to Anitha.

It was a Wednesday evening in the mid February. Geetha and Anitha were seated on chairs to my right and left in triangular positions in the front courtyard of our Neyveli home. It was already dark. Two months have gone since Anitha came here.

Geetha intervened. "Am I not compromising my personal interests to please you?"

"Did I ask you to?"

"I thought you'd like"

"I like and love Geetha, not Vignesh imposed on Geetha."

"Auntie, uncle is saying something for me. It is important for me. Let him talk."

"Okay, then. I'll go to kitchen and prepare tea for us."

Geetha went in.

I continued. "Love doesn't demand sacrifice from partner. Love doesn't do sacrifice with a view to maintain partner's Love. On the other hand Love does sacrifice simply to express itself."

"What if Love demanded sacrifice from partner?"

"It is not Love. It is Fear."

"Fear of..."

"Of losing the Love of partner."

"So, I sacrificed my life goals and preferences just to placate Karthik's Fear."

"Correct."

Anitha was silent for a while. I explored the western horizon. Moon was absent as it was close to new moon day. Venus was shining beautifully through the leaves of tall mango tree standing on the opposite side of the road.

"Now what if Love sacrifices with a view to maintain partner's Love?"

"Love may do sacrifice to placate partner's fear. But if it does sacrifice expecting Love of partner, it cannot be Love. Again it is Fear."

"Fear of losing the Love of partner."

"Exactly."

"Let me try. Karthik was demanding sacrifice from me fearing the loss of my Love. I was complying with him fearing the loss of his Love."

"That's right."

"And then?"

"It made you dependent on him. Love sets you free but Fear makes you dependent."

"Got it."

"A dependent cannot express Love. She can only express Fear."

"How?"

"By attempting to make her partner dependent on her."

Geetha brought tea for us. Anitha sipped it silently. Geetha collected our cups and went to the kitchen.

Anitha said, "Karthik, don't go to the club; give me company. Karthik, don't do office work at home; take me to cinema. Karthik, enough watching cricket; let's go to restaurant. And so on. I was also demanding sacrifices."

"Fear is infectious. He robs your freedom. He makes you dependent. And then you rob his freedom."

"And then what happens?" Anitha was curious to do post-mortem analysis.