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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