Deciphering His Love

25 | The One With The Heart Attack

Yashoda comes running into Shree's room one fine evening.

"Aren't you done yet?" She asks panting as Shree marks the homework books of her students.

"Not yet. I am almost-" she said placing her signature on the last book she was marking. "DONE!"

"Go hide them in the attic almirahs! Madhav and RK are coming." Yashoda says as she sees RK and Madhav's cars come in. "Darling pick another almirah! RK kept a few important things in the usual almirah you hide them in!"

Shree takes the books into her hands and runs towards the attic.

She turns on the light to the attic and runs to furthest almirah in the room. She wipes the dust off it with the yellow sari she had been wearing since morning. She opens the almirah to find so many colourful silky saris. She places the books between a red silk sari and a green one, just as she is about to close it, an envelope falls out.

Shree picks the envelope and is about to keep it inside, but curiosity intervenes, and she opens the envelope and unfolds the letter within.

She is fascinated by the beautiful cursive handwriting and the elaborate signature at the end. Rukmini Ramakrishna.

There was a picture attached to it, Shree noted. She gasps seeing the picture. There was a couple, Shree could recognize Yashoda, standing very close to a dark handsome man, who held a baby in his arms.

"OH MY MATA!" She exclaims seeing the resemblance of the baby in the picture.

She puts the picture and the letter into the envelope and hides it with her sari fall. Shree walks into the living room where Madhav greets her with a kiss on the forehead.

"Long day?"

He nods.

"Have a warm shower. I'll ask the maids to set the table for dinner." Shree says.

* * * * *

"What is this picture?" Shree confronts Yashoda in the kitchen. Yashoda winces seeing the picture and tears form in her eyes.

"Where-where did you find this picture?" She asks as she takes the picture and holds it to her heart.

"In one of the almirahs in the attic." Shree says. "Who is this man and this baby? And why does the baby look a lot like-like-like-"

"Like Madhav?" Yashoda asks.

"Is Madhav your-your-your-"

"No darling. Madhav is Rukmini and RK's son. This is my son Chandru." Yashoda says. "I was previously married before I married your father in law. I met him: Dhanush at a psychology conference in Bangalore. We fell in love, got married and we had Chandru."

"We were such a happy family. Once we were on the way to Lonavla, when our car had a very bad accident. I lost my husband and my son in that accident. I was never the same after that. I tried to overcome my grief but the thought of losing Chndru who had barely began has liv haunted me. My friends asked me to focus on my career and I did, I became a famous psychologist. One day I had a very wealthy man seek me for consultancy-"

"RK sir."

"Yes. He was distraught because his wife-Rukmini had left him. I treated him at his house. One day when I was delivering my consultancy Rukmini arrived. She misread the situation and assumed the worst. She looked lifeless. I convinced her but she walked away. I followed her to a small apartment in Juhu and I begged her to listen to me. She asked me do one thing: Marry RK. I refused outright, stating I am a widow. I was about to leave the apartment when I saw Madhav and Deva playing in the corridor."