Verdict

Unique you are

So am I,

But rigidity isn’t

A quality of mine.

 

Honour the choice

Of your dear one

You’ll be happy

With poise and peace.

 

See through your dream

What you want

And find your bliss

Through close ones.

 

Upset with her partner, Aditi slams the door behind her and leaves home. Unperturbed, Gautam takes a sip of his morning tea and delves into the nitty-gritty details of his much beloved newspaper. There is a reason behind Gautam’s nonchalance as he is well aware of Aditi’s impulsive nature and has learned to ignore her sporadic expressions of anger and has successfully observed that this method has worked for both of them. Aditi gets back her composure very soon and returns to him with a brighter smile than ever and Gautam loves her more for this temporary insanity. However, since Gautam hasn’t taken his eye off the newspaper, he fails to see a very different Aditi today, more resolute in her decision–anger and frustration both writ on her face.

Aditi and Gautam’s relationship goes a long way back, about thirty years ago. ‘Living Together’ was a taboo concept those days, even among the so-called intelligentsia otherwise eager to champion anything different. Aditi and Gautam’s self-proclaimed liberal friends also found it very difficult to accept when both of them decided to live together, although openly they would present their unsolicited, eloquent arguments in favour of such relationship pretending to be unaffected. Justifiably, when Aditi and Gautam announced their unique arrangement in front of their respective and respectable families, a shock prevailed in both the houses and did it for a long period of time. It took almost a week for both the families to come out of their silent cocoons and declare it quite loud–‘Not Permitted’ as if to prevent their children from going out and play in the rain. Neither Aditi nor Gautam expected a positive response. And quietly they left their dear old homes—one in tears, the other trying to swallow both anger and sadness like any strong male product of our society would do.

Thus their journey as twosome began. No sound of conchshell, no haldi, no celebration by friends or relatives. In an unlike and inappropriate quietness not demanded by such an occasion, they both entered their new set up. Surprisingly they didn’t mind. They were young and were very much in love with each other; their excitement as a unique couple overpowered the sadness of the rejection received from their close ones. Through their novel arrangement they wanted to make a powerful statement, powerful enough to endure all kinds of hardships–both physical and mental.

A settlement in an entirely new neighbourhood away from both the families gave them much freedom and breathing space that had a relaxing effect on both their minds. But very soon the curiosity from the eyes of their neighbours faded away and it was replaced by the uncomfortable awareness of a relationship that was “unheard of” or “unforgiveable”. They were showered with many unwanted attributes. This spiteful response from their neighbours as well as aloofness from their relatives bonded the couple more closely. They discovered their overlapping interests which became their sustaining force. Their otherwise secluded lifestyle used to be punctuated by infrequent visits by a handful of their college colleagues, some of them gradually learning to admire their courage and some probably too curious to find out if such relationships had enough power to last.

In the passage of time Aditi and Gautam were gifted a beautiful baby girl perhaps to complicate the whole scenario more. But the proud parents were just too ecstatic and determined more than ever not to pay any heed to any scathing remark. Now, they realized, they were given a power with the help of which they could ward off all their adversities. They devoted all their time in bringing up their little angel in their own unique way however strange it might seem to the eyes of the onlookers. They promised to themselves that they would give Anuja a taste of freedom that they themselves relished so much.

Dedicated and resolute in their mission, they even ignored temptations to mend their relationship with their respective parents. Reluctant to make their daughter bait, they were ready to let her grow in this unique environment as it was meant to be. They didn’t let any external force come between them and their daughter. Their determination was injected into Anuja from her very childhood that made her an unusual girl, a girl having too much of her own mind. Their parents were very happy to see the individuality of the child and knew that she was being rightly brought up to face the reality, the reality of her parents’ relationship.

However, the case became a little too complicated when Anuja started going to school much later than her contemporaries; for some strange reason, her parents wanted to keep her in a sheltered environment as long as they could. As expected, their secluded and well-protected nest started having holes created by unpleasant comments Anuja so attentively heard at school every day, comments that would sadden her so often. What Gautam and Aditi could endure as a couple couldn’t do so when they saw their darling daughter suffer. They tried to explain the queries put forth by their daughter as convincingly as possible with always the same conclusion that she was the apple of their eyes just the way her friends were of their parents. The concept of marriage or live-in-relationship was too complicated for the little one and her parents just hoped that one day she would respect their philosophy and incorporate it in her life too.

When the bewilderment of the child gradually withered away, Anuja turned out to be a private person having very few friends. She kept to her room and devoted most of her time to books only, a little unlikely of most girls of her age. Her aloofness at home distressed her parents. This sadness used to be more pronounced when Anuja’s contemporaries would come to them for advice. By then Aditi and Gautam had already become ideals for many belonging to the younger generation. Some of their young relatives and students even followed in their footsteps and rather proudly. Of course, curses from the older generation used to be showered on them for ruining not only their own lives but also others’. Aditi and Gautam learned to shrug off such abuses smilingly. However, in spite of their growing popularity they were not happy when they found themselves stranded on a remote island much away from their only daughter. With time Anuja’s detachment from her parents grew more and more.

Aditi and Gautam so dearly wanted Anuja to be like them in all respects, and she too in a way didn’t disappoint them because like her parents, she had a strong will and if anything she inherited from her parents was this resoluteness and her penchant for freedom of choice was as strong as her parents’. Unfortunately, her choice was in sharp contrast to that of her parents. And it became very clear to Aditi and Gautam the day Anuja still in her college, announced her marriage to a man much older than her. As progressive parents Aditi and Gautam had no qualms regarding the issue of age. But they had difficulty in digesting the concept of marriage. The shock was yet to come. Anuja declared with a lot of conviction that she wanted a traditional Bengali marriage because her partner believed in traditions and rituals. Gautam flatly disregarded Anuja’s proposal while Aditi being a mother wanted to give it a thought. Perhaps, she thought she could convince her daughter to think straight, the way she was groomed to think from her childhood. How could Anuja, her own flesh and blood come to take such a stupid decision especially when she was brought up so differently? For a week, Aditi’s brainwashing session went on but Anuja was Aditi’s daughter after all; she stuck to her decision.

A bitter truth though it was, Aditi knew she had no other option than to convince herself and her partner too to accept their daughter’s proposition otherwise she would lose her daughter for good. Despite being a doting father Gautam couldn’t compromise with his principles, the principles which became synonymous with his life, to adhere to which he had to struggle throughout his life. Today, for his daughter however dear she might be to him, he would not deviate from the path he had chosen, though the least trodden one. This is where Gautam and Aditi had started having differences perhaps for the first time over a really serious issue and Aditi left home in a tiff.

***

Gautam still thinks that Aditi will come back to him soon, perhaps with a logical explanation. Having taken his breakfast he gets ready for his college and finds out that Aditi isn’t back yet. He feels hurt. As a father does he not want good of his only daughter? He leaves for the college with a hope to find her there; instead he has to give excuses for Aditi’s absence in the college.

He feels that his life is disintegrating in a moment. He thinks of making a phone call to her but his ego stops him. Besides, he sincerely believes that Aditi who has been with him through thick and thin will surely not misunderstand him. He wants to give her some time and once she is back with him, both of them together would convince their daughter against such an impulsive decision. Through his life Gautam has proved a statement and has believed that hiding behind customs to oppose change is a cardinal sin and today when his daughter is all set to prove him wrong, he feels dishonored. But Aditi’s treachery hurts him most.

With a lot of arguments running in his mind he goes to bed. His sleep is intervened by fleeting visions; he sees himself giving away his daughter exactly the way she has wanted, to his son-in-law, a very handsome face. He clearly sees his daughter and her husband sitting in front of the fire around which they take seven steps and vow to love and protect each other throughout their lives. The best part in the whole ceremony is when Anuja’s husband applies sindoor on her forehead. Gautam feels so relieved at the end. He looks at a very happy and relaxed Aditi dressed in a beautiful saree. Oddly, he wants to let the whole world know that she is his wife. But his voice seems to have been choked. His vision too has been blurred as he sees Aditi fading away in the distance. Horrified, he wakes up and is glad to find out that it is a dream. In a very strange way he doesn’t seem to be in a quandary any more. It has become easier to take a decision.

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