REPENTANCE - Episode 2

Episode II

Keshav and Madhu got back home after sending off their daughter and son in law. The house really seemed empty. Madhu realised that it had been this way from the time Haritha’s marriage proposal had come in. She intensely felt the guilt but time and again she kept telling herself ‘’ let’s move on, time will heal the pain’’.

Next day Madhu went to temple and was getting back home when she got a call in her cell phone. She had been waiting to hear that Haritha and Aurav had reached safely. As she expected, it was a call from Aurav, ‘’Aunty we just reached home’’ he said. ‘’I was just waiting for your call Aurav’’ responded Madhu. All through the journey Haritha dint seem to have spoken to Aurav and he felt really upset about it. However he always assumed that it could be because she was being taken away so far from home. He couldn’t think of any other reason though. ‘’Alright Aunty, Haritha is taking a shower, I ll ask her to call you once she is done’’. Saying this he hung the phone and went down to get refreshed.

Minutes later he entered the bedroom and was surprised to see Haritha still bathing. ‘’Dear, is everything alrite?’’ he asked his wife, standing close to the door. ‘I m coming’’ She replied. He lolled in the couch waiting for his girl. He dint want her to be cheerless. With his eyelids shut, he was dreaming about wrapping her in his arms and cuddling her, giving her a secure and warm feeling. Disturbed by the sound of the door, he opened his eyes and saw her heading towards the mirror.

He got up slowly and reached his wife. ‘I m happy, you decided to share your life with me. I feel such love for you and I m contented with my life now. More than anything, I have an amazing level of respect for you’. Saying this he slowly inclined towards her to embrace her.’ Haritha at once snatched herself away from him and with enormous flow of nerves nous she asked ‘Did u call up mom, she must be waiting for our call’. Aurav replied’ oh yea, I did tell her that you will call her back’. She immediately took the phone and left the room.

‘Would you stop crying Haritha’ the voice on the other end sounded anxious. It was Madhu who could hear only a cry over the phone. After a few seconds, Haritha cleared up her voice and said ‘‘my mind is flooding with mixed emotions mumma, I m totally confused and lost’’. ‘’I just can’t live life this way. I m unable to cope up. I just can’t believe I m married’’ she added ‘’Haritha, these things are not something unusual in life, and this does not sound in fact wise to get struck and crib. Please be amicable with Aurav and I m sure he will take good care of you just like how papa and I did’’ Madhu shared few more talks before the call ended.

Haritha cleared her tears and was re-winding whatever she spoke with her mom, she was seated in the balcony; meanwhile Aurav had prepared coffee, ‘’I m good at making coffee and here is yours’’, handing over the mug to her he smiled and said ‘I hope you get impressed’’. There was a long pause, after which he continued, ‘’well...that was no joke; I can understand that it takes time to settle in a new place with a new person Haritha, but you can always find a good companion in me. Through any tribulations that we might have in life, I look forward to facing them hand in hand with you’’..... He got closer and said, ‘‘you are my better half. I hope and wait for the laughter and happy times that we will share together ‘’. Saying this he left the place and got busy unpacking the baggage.

Days of stillness, weeks of tranquillity and months of silence. Days kept quietly creeping out of their lives. Aurav soon realised that there was something seriously going wrong. Every time he attempted to ask her, she wasn’t giving him a firm reply. Occasional talks with parents and dinner out would change her frame of mind. Few friends would drop in and Haritha would mingle well with them and take all efforts in preparing dinner for them. But this was not good enough. In spite of asking her numerous times, he was confused and ultimately decided to speak to Haritha’s mother.

05 June 2003: At 8AM as soon as Aurav reached his work place, he called up Madhu. ‘’Aunty, this is Aurav, how are you all doing?’’he asked. ‘’Ya Aurav, we are fine. Calling up early.. is everything fine there?’’ Madhu enquired back. ‘’Well aunty..., I have been truly wanting to convey something important to you’’. ‘’I think’’ he continued, ‘’Haritha under no circumstance intends to live a happy life with me’’.

At this juncture Madhu was taken aback, ‘’She was perplexed and worried not knowing what Haritha did.

At every point in her conversation with her daughter, somewhere stuck a bit of advice and counselling, but she realised that it did not in fact help. ‘’What’s wrong Aurav? Any misunderstanding between you guys?’’ asked Madhu. ’’I cannot scan her mind and see what is troubling her aunty, but in spite of the enormous attempts that I have made, she is ignorant with me’’, I feel sorry telling you this, but I m not left with a choice’’. Can you please try speaking to her?’’ he asked Madhu. ‘’You don’t worry Aurav, I will take it with her and put things right’’. With this reassurance from Madhu, the conversation ended.

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EPISODE III - Will be posted on 03 June 2011

Click here for EPISODE I 

REPENTANCE - Episode 1

Episode I

The dawn cracked out to a gloomy day in Denver, North America and 28 year old Haritha sat beside the windowpane leisurely sipping coffee from her cup. Her palms wrap the coffee mug with extreme passion to get the cosy feeling tuning the external weather and her doldrums. Gazing at the landscape in front of her, she sits back thinking of the strong decision that she has taken to lay things in the right track. Tears occasionally roll down from her puffy eyes. What is running in her mind? She takes herself 5 years back to remember what made her take this verdict...

‘’Haritha was an Indian, born and brought up in Bangalore city. She was the daughter of Madhu and Keshav, a naval officer. She was the most loved one among all, since the couple made almost a decade’s wait to have her in their arms. Haritha was a very pleasant girl with an admirable character; she grew up with Ashwath who was younger to her by 3 years. She was a loving sister to her sibling and a very obedient daughter. People would always praise Keshav for his efforts in bringing up both children in an elegant way. She graduated from IIT, Bombay and was a consultant by profession.

‘’Madhu, I feel it’s high time we find a guy for Haritha, she’s getting older’’ said Keshav. ‘’Well....., I had always wanted to discuss this with you’’ Madhu replied in a stumpy tone. She kept moving her eyes around with her palms clasped. It felt as if she had been waiting for such a circumstance and there was an instinct from within pushing her to reveal whatever she knew. ‘’She has already made a pick and we aren’t left with a choice now’’ she finally conveyed this and exhaled as tears rolled through her cheeks. Keshav was stunned, he sprang up at once and said ‘’come on Madhu, that cannot happen, stop telling me these usual stories and be sensible, I just can’t tolerate such craziness in my own family’’.

Madhu knew what had happened with her daughter and so she tried to console her husband, but all in vain. He was not interested to listen. All that was running in Keshav’s mind was to get Haritha married to someone and send her off his house civilly.

During college days, Haritha developed an intense friendship with Vimal, a highly proficient boy, who studied with her. As days passed by, the accompaniment turned into acute companionship. Vimal was of her age and from a mediocre family. His dad was a bank employee and had struggled hard to get Vimal educated up to this height. College days had exhausted and it was time to bid adieu. Vimal and Haritha confessed to each other that it was time to focus on their career before sharing talks with families about their marriage. In order to proceed with this decision, they were certain not to make any kind of discussion and decided to wait until they got to see the fruits of success in their career. Shortly, Vimal got placed as a university lecturer in London.

Before even they got a chance to discuss with their parents, Keshav fixed up his daughter’s marriage with Aurav, a software engineer who worked in the US. Events that followed after the confession of her love affair were unstoppable and the marriage arrangements seemed to have happened within the wink of an eye. Haritha was pushed into a situation where Vimal couldn’t get back to India and take her along with him. They were deprived of time and she had no guts to open her mouth and discuss this with her dad. She had always hoped that it wouldn’t be a problem if Vimal had a good job and that was the main reason for making a long wait. Finally, the day came when the wedding between Haritha and Aurav took place as desired by Keshav.

23^rd of February 2003: It was getting dusky outside, and Keshav called out to his daughter, ‘’Dear, are you done with all your packing? Ensure you carry enough woollens, emergency medicines, and yes not to forget your certificates, and ...............................’’. Madhu interrupted ‘’Come on Keshav, She has them all safely packed, Aurav has already prepared a list of all the essentials’’.

‘’Listen Haritha, you got to be very careful as you’re going to lead a new life’’ this time Madhu intended to deliver some valuable advice to her daughter, ‘’ Aurav is a very good person and we wish to see you leading an idyllic life with him.’’ She held Haritha’s hand tight and said ‘’Hope is life and don’t bother yourself with your past’’. On hearing this, Haritha cried out and replied in a shrill tone, ‘’mumma, I have always tried to be honest with you, and all of you have cheated me by getting this marriage done’’.

It was time to leave and the final packing was done. All set to fly. Aurav and Haritha got blessings from both their parents and were about to step out of the house. Madhu wanted to share a few words with her son in law, ‘’Aurav, can you please come here?’’.He stepped into the room and said, ‘’You don’t have to worry about Haritha aunty, I will take care of her..Trust me’’. Madhu’s eyes were filled with tears as she bid adieu to her daughter.

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Click here for Episode 2