Deciphering His Love

41 | The One With 2018

-S H R E E    P R A S A D-

We texted throughout the day, exchanged snaps on Snapchat and sent voice notes. He called every night through Skype, just as promised; well it was evening for him back in India. Our calls lasted for half an hour at first, but as days passed it went on till late in the night. I can't remember what we talked of but there was a lot of laughing and teasing. We could be at the ends of the earth and still I would feel pulled toward you.

2018 was the year that Madhav got his glasses. He looked irresistible than ever before. I caught myself gaping at him countless number of times. But there was more than ever before, he was laughing and smiling a lot. Hearing his voice and seeing him at the end of a tiresome day at campus was definitely a stress buster for me.

We were on Skype throughout the weekend. We talked as we had our meals and did our chores. I made Madhu sit on my lap and I made her wave to him. She squealed and flapped her arms in excitement seeing Madhav. He tried so hard to control his tears.

On January he sent 20 red tulips for me and one dandelion for Madhu. He sent us flowers every month. Red tulips for me and dandelions for Madhu; I noticed how the quantity kept increasing with every month. On February I got 21 red tulips, 22 in March and so on.

The months went by so fast. I finished my first year and I was half way through the second year of my degree. Devi would be finishing in April 2019. Her current GPA alone was enough to get her a first class honours.

Amma was so proud of both of us indeed. Also Amma had taken up a diploma in embroidery. Shyaam graduated with a second class upper; and Madhav had gifted him a black BMW car.

My business became a successful and famous too. I had to hire two trainees to take care of the delivery and packaging- I was determined on baking the cookies myself.

My relatives in the small town in Andhra Pradesh have already started to hunt for a suitable groom to get Devi married to. Someone of the same caste. That was the key qualification, other factors like education and ethics weren't primary concern.

This is because my marriage to Madhav sent our caste organization, into a state of shock. They disapproved of our marriage since Madhav came from a lower ranking caste in Tamil Nadu. They weren't happy that I got married to one of India's richest bachelors. My father'so older sister: Aunt Vimala was one of the few people who objected it. She went around town announcing that I was marrying a man from the lowest caste. Elder relatives shook their heads in discontentment.

When I was pregnant and living in Lewisham, I got calls from relatives from India who lashed and cursed at me. They called me a woman with low self-respect for having sexual relations, with Madhav, even though our marriage was legal and the sex was consensual. They asked me how I allowed that lowlife's sperm to grow in my womb.

They said I would invoke the anger of our family deity for this. They said the Gods and Goddesses would ensure I gave birth to a diseased and crippled infant. How they had the audacity and monstrosity to say such things especially about an unborn child is something I would never understand.

I told Amma about all this and she told this to her brother and his wife: Ajayan Mama and Aunt Ayesha. Aunt Ayesha was distraught. She included me in her thoughts and her Dua. Mama too prayed sincerely. They called me every day and asked if I was doing well.

I gave birth on the most auspicious day in the Hindu month of Ashwini. A healthy baby girl was born, and I was finally relieved that she was fine. Amma, RK and Yashoda Ma told me the best we can do is ignore the negativity. 

I told Madhav about this later around February that year. Madhav was infuriated when I told this, he said let the barking dogs bark. He also said they couldn't digest the fact that I got married to a very reputed family and the mere fact of my progress in life has been intolerable.