“Dhivya….One last time! Let us discuss and solve…”
She gasped.”What now Sanjay?? I told everything already.Please don’t start again. The last, last time is over!”,her anger spoke in her place.
I am terrified because I never knew about Dhivya’s anger. She was the most sweetest and patient human being, I have ever known in my life. I am speechless and I silently watch her moving away. I find that the memories of mine with her is gradually starting command over my mind. For each inch she moved away,each memory conquered my mind.
We both found each other in our college. The moment we met, told us we were made for each other. She loved me like nobody in the world could love other beings. I loved her like she and I were the last living creatures on earth.Perhaps, that is why I lost her today.
Gradually,my memories shifted to how I lost her. I remember every detail of that day.We met in the most famous coffee shop in Vizag. She wore a pink kurti with a matching olive green legging .Her silver nose ring and earrings pulled my eyes to them the most.
“You look amazing!”, I compliment her.
There was a blush in her smile or rather the other way round.
“I spoke to Mom about us. She said she wanted to meet you. She told me to bring you home this Sunday.”I said.
“Ohh. But I couldn’t analyse if it is a yes or no from your mother. And, why Sunday? I have fixed an appointment for Amma at the Fortis.” I couldn’t guess what was going on her head.
“You could not analyse now babe. Rather my mom. You could do only when you meet her.And I already told you, my mother is busy with her yoga classes these days. She is free only on Sundays.”I explained.
“But I can’t postpone the appointment, right?Can we meet the next Sunday?”She asked me.
“Hey babe, I am making you meet my family. Do you even know how much we expected this day?Plus,my father is leaving to Delhi to Meethi akka’s place on Monday. And you know nobody from our family visited since she gave birth.Please cancel the appointment for my sake.For our sake.”
She is quiet.She sips some water from the glass.She said,”Look Sanju, you too know about my mother’s health. I cannot risk her health for our sake.”
“But this is important right?….”
“Amma is also important Sanju. You told you didn’t like to spoil your mother’s interest,so you arranged her yoga classes.You are happy because she is making money out of it.Why don’t you realise that it is the same care I am showing to my mother..”
“Dhivya don’t complicate things.You need to see things practically.You can take your mom’s appointment some other day.”
She now turns her voice harder.
“No”
And I let myself go with the flow of the conversation.
“No? What do you mean by a no? You need to see your life too Dhivya. Dont be behind your mother.She has seen life.She knows life.You have a life to live yet.” My voice sounds harder to my own ears.
“Wow Sanjay!! You surprise me every moment. And this time I am not able to handle myself in shock! Now listen, she is my mother. She is old enough. She has seen life.But I won’t leave her because I will not have had a life till now without her.”
I get angry.It sounded reasonable, because Dhivya didn’t understand the situation.But I control myself.
“Looks like, you would be parenting your mother instead of MY KIDS in MY PLACE after marriage”, I said sarcastically.
Her eyes grew big. She wanted to tell something, Her lips told me. Tears rolled down out of her eyes.
“Enough! Enough Sanjay! You proved your love to me.YOUR KIDS, YOUR PLACE!! But isn’t she YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW?? You wanted me to treat YOUR MOTHER and YOUR FAMILY as mine. But what about MY MOTHER?? Thankfully, I am not having a family.Things would have been more worse with you then.”she stopped. She prepared to leave.
I bang the table in wrath.My inability to answer her questions gave me that wrath.
I called her a number of times after that incident. She didn’t respond.It increased my wrath.
How is she not able to understand this simple thing? I am telling her what every girl does after marriage.What is wrong in that?Is she thinking to change the rules? Change the society? Change the world? Why is she not knowing that those are just day-dreams and won’t apply for reality?
Days passed in a jiffy. I didn’t know that this fight would bring our relationship to this extent. I was desperate.
I went to her home.Her mom opened the door. The way she saw me told me that Dhivya didn’t say anything about me to her.
I introduce myself as Dhivya’s friend. I noticed how she was. It wasn’t wrong that Dhivya didn’t want to postpone the hospital appointment of her mother.But she should have prioritized meeting my parents first.Because it’s her life and she loves me.
Dhivya came downstairs to meet me.She sat on the couch while her mother went to make coffee for me.
“Look Dhivya, I am really sorry for that day and I mean it. I will make you meet my parents this Sunday.Okay?” Somehow, I managed to complete the sentence.
She gave me an annoyed expression.”After that long argument, you don’t even know what was the reason we fought for, Sanjay! The problem is not about meeting your parents.Its about you and your thoughts.”she said.
“Me? How could you even say that Dhivya?”
“You didn’t know me well Sanjay. You don’t know what my world is.You don’t know how a girl’s world is .What her thoughts are.How much I had to sacrifice to live with you. I… I just wanted to look after my sick mother after marriage.She has nobody other than me.You don’t want to give her a place in your home.But remember, I will be there living with you, just because this lady gave life to me and fed me to survive here.”She wiped off her tears and prepared to move up.
“Dhivya!…One last time,Let us discuss and solve…”
As I say this, I am shattered. I knew Dhivya. We didn’t part away yet we are not fixed together.There was no life in our life.We loved each other now too, but with this transparent screen in between us.
Days passed.I am not able to tolerate this transparent screen in between us. I wanted to shout out. I wanted to scream my lungs out.
I go to my mother and silently lie on her lap.She sensed something was bothering me.
She let her fingers play with my hair. Her act made me open up. I tell her everything.Everything that happened between me and Dhivya. I cry. Like the little boy who lost his mother in a huge crowd.
I thought that telling things to my mother will ease me. I would relax.
“I don’t know what to say,son.As a mother, I am having lots of anger on her for putting my son in a trauma.But , I am a woman before a mother.What she thinks now, was what I longed for when I married your father and even now. I now think I made a mistake in raising you this way.”My mother’s words are piercing my body.It hurts.
“Beta, what is wrong in she caring for her mother just as you caring for me? I am telling you now.She is the right woman for you.For our family.And now onwards, you have to take care of her mother because after marriage, your mother-in-law becomes YOUR MOTHER! Bring your wife and your other mother home.”She smiled.
I stand right there, awestruck.
–END–
