03-12-2025, 11:16 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-12-2025, 07:20 PM by lee.jae.han. Edited 2 times in total. Edited 2 times in total.)
## Update 170: The Negotiation and the Threat (Avi, Meena Chachi, and Chacha)
A little while after Meena Chachi and I came home, Chacha also arrived, coming home much earlier than usual.
"Oh, it was Avi's result day today, wasn't it?" Chacha looked at me, rubbing his chin after he settled down. "What was the outcome?"
"I passed, Chachaji," I said proudly, puffing out my chest.
"What do you mean 'passed'?" Meena Chachi jumped in, her voice full of praise. "Our Avi came in eighth place in the whole schoool!"
"That's good," Chacha nodded approvingly. "What's the plan now, Avi?"
"What do you mean, 'what's next'?" Meena Chachi looked at him sharply, crossing her arms.
"Do you want to study further, or do you want to come work in the fields with me now?" Chacha explained, leaning back.
"I want to study further," I stated clearly, meeting his gaze.
"Study? What will you do after studying?" Chacha frowned, dismissive of the idea. "Come to the fields with me and learn the real work."
I looked desperately at Meena Chachi for help.
"He wants to study," Meena Chachi stepped in front of me, defending my choice. "Just let him study."
"What great thing will he do after studying in the city?" Chacha persisted, shaking his head.
"He'll do whatever he wants to do," Meena Chachi countered, putting her hand on her hip firmly. "Just let him study. You won't listen to this one request of mine?"
"If he comes to the fields with me, he'll learn the work quickly and start earning," Chacha tried to reason with her.
"If we don't let Avi study, everyone in the village will say that we are not taking good care of him or his future," Meena Chachi countered, her voice serious.
"Okay, Avi. Study as much as you want," Chacha finally conceded with a heavy sigh, giving up the argument.
I was instantly happy, my face breaking into a wide smile of relief.
"I wanted to talk about one more thing," Meena Chachi moved on to the next phase of her plan.
"Say it, then," Chacha waved his hand, inviting her to continue.
"Avi wants to study in the college in the district city," Meena Chachi presented the information carefully.
"Why?" Chacha looked surprised. "What's wrong with the schoool here in the village?"
"There is no science stream offered in the village schoool," Meena Chachi explained smoothly.
"What is this 'science'?" Chacha asked, confused by the term.
"Sweta said that Avi should take science so that he can become an engineer one day," Meena Chachi continued smoothly. "And Komal is also going to study in the city college. Avi will have her company and support."
"What exactly do you want, Meena?" Chacha looked at her, searching for the hidden request behind all the talk.
"I want Avi to go to the city and study," Meena Chachi stated clearly. "I've already told Pooja and Neha. They also strongly want Avi to go and study in the city with Komal."
"Okay, you can enroll Avi in the city college. But..." Chacha rubbed his chin, giving in bit by bit.
"But what?" Meena Chachi leaned in, waiting for the condition.
"We absolutely cannot send Avi to live in the city," Chacha laid down his condition firmly. "Avi will have to go by bus every day, no exceptions."
As soon as I heard "bus," my head snapped up, and I looked straight at Meena Chachi, sending a clear, angry signal of betrayal. Meena Chachi gave me a tiny, imperceptible shake of her head, warning me to keep quiet immediately.
"Okay, Avi will go by bus every day," Meena Chachi looked at him and quickly agreed.
I stared at Chachi again, completely confused. I couldn't understand what she was doing. Just hours ago, she had promised I'd get a bike, and Neha Bua had announced that I'd take Komal to college on it. Now she was telling Chacha I would go by bus. *What is happening?* I thought desperately, my mind racing. *I can't understand any of this. What is she ultimately trying to achieve? What complex plan is running through her mind?*
I was still reeling from Meena Chachi's strange reversal when she suddenly changed the subject, refocusing Chacha's attention.
"Seema Didi has fallen ill," Meena Chachi looked down, her tone urgent and worried.
"What?" Chacha's eyes widened, fear instantly replacing his sternness as he shot to his feet.
"Yes," Meena Chachi insisted, nodding once. "We have to take her to the hospital immediately."
"Then why didn't you take her this morning?" Chacha demanded, looking around wildly.
"How would we go?" Meena Chachi asked, her voice tight with helplessness. "By the time I was ready to leave, the bus had already departed. Now, how could we possibly go without a bus?"
"Take her tomorrow morning," Chacha commanded, his eyes still wide with concern.
"We will, of course," Meena Chachi sighed, her eyes now gleaming with strategy. "But what I was saying is that now we will have to make trips to the hospital every one or two days for her check-ups."
"We have to go, then," Chacha looked grim, running a hand over his face.
"I'm thinking we really should buy a bike," Meena Chachi proposed, her voice soft but insistent, capitalizing on his fear. "That way, we can go to the hospital at any time we need to, without relying on the bus."
"No, we cannot buy a bike," Chacha shook his head immediately. "Even if we did, I don't know how to ride it."
"But Avi knows how to ride a bike," Meena Chachi reminded him, pointing at me.
"No," Chacha repeated firmly, his jaw set. "We won't buy a bike."
"What did you just say? 'We won't buy a bike'?" Meena Chachi exploded, her voice rising with dramatic urgency. "What is it that you want? Today, Didi is sick. Tomorrow, I might fall sick, and then Suman Didi will get sick. And if we keep delaying going to the hospital like this, something could happen to the baby, too!"
As soon as she said the word "baby," Chacha froze completely. His face went pale with terror. After so many years, Chachaji was finally going to become a father, and the thought of anything happening to the child was unbearable. He couldn't even process such a thing.
"Okay," Chacha instantly capitulated, his voice shaky. "We'll go to the city tomorrow and buy one immediately."
Meena Chachi and I exchanged a quick, silent look of triumph.
So *that* was the complex plan running through Chachi's mind! She had agreed to the bus only to introduce the bike necessity as a way to protect the baby. It was brilliant. The bike would help with so many things—not just getting Seema Chachi to the hospital, but also getting me and Komal to college and, most importantly, giving me freedom.
----
A little while after Meena Chachi and I came home, Chacha also arrived, coming home much earlier than usual.
"Oh, it was Avi's result day today, wasn't it?" Chacha looked at me, rubbing his chin after he settled down. "What was the outcome?"
"I passed, Chachaji," I said proudly, puffing out my chest.
"What do you mean 'passed'?" Meena Chachi jumped in, her voice full of praise. "Our Avi came in eighth place in the whole schoool!"
"That's good," Chacha nodded approvingly. "What's the plan now, Avi?"
"What do you mean, 'what's next'?" Meena Chachi looked at him sharply, crossing her arms.
"Do you want to study further, or do you want to come work in the fields with me now?" Chacha explained, leaning back.
"I want to study further," I stated clearly, meeting his gaze.
"Study? What will you do after studying?" Chacha frowned, dismissive of the idea. "Come to the fields with me and learn the real work."
I looked desperately at Meena Chachi for help.
"He wants to study," Meena Chachi stepped in front of me, defending my choice. "Just let him study."
"What great thing will he do after studying in the city?" Chacha persisted, shaking his head.
"He'll do whatever he wants to do," Meena Chachi countered, putting her hand on her hip firmly. "Just let him study. You won't listen to this one request of mine?"
"If he comes to the fields with me, he'll learn the work quickly and start earning," Chacha tried to reason with her.
"If we don't let Avi study, everyone in the village will say that we are not taking good care of him or his future," Meena Chachi countered, her voice serious.
"Okay, Avi. Study as much as you want," Chacha finally conceded with a heavy sigh, giving up the argument.
I was instantly happy, my face breaking into a wide smile of relief.
"I wanted to talk about one more thing," Meena Chachi moved on to the next phase of her plan.
"Say it, then," Chacha waved his hand, inviting her to continue.
"Avi wants to study in the college in the district city," Meena Chachi presented the information carefully.
"Why?" Chacha looked surprised. "What's wrong with the schoool here in the village?"
"There is no science stream offered in the village schoool," Meena Chachi explained smoothly.
"What is this 'science'?" Chacha asked, confused by the term.
"Sweta said that Avi should take science so that he can become an engineer one day," Meena Chachi continued smoothly. "And Komal is also going to study in the city college. Avi will have her company and support."
"What exactly do you want, Meena?" Chacha looked at her, searching for the hidden request behind all the talk.
"I want Avi to go to the city and study," Meena Chachi stated clearly. "I've already told Pooja and Neha. They also strongly want Avi to go and study in the city with Komal."
"Okay, you can enroll Avi in the city college. But..." Chacha rubbed his chin, giving in bit by bit.
"But what?" Meena Chachi leaned in, waiting for the condition.
"We absolutely cannot send Avi to live in the city," Chacha laid down his condition firmly. "Avi will have to go by bus every day, no exceptions."
As soon as I heard "bus," my head snapped up, and I looked straight at Meena Chachi, sending a clear, angry signal of betrayal. Meena Chachi gave me a tiny, imperceptible shake of her head, warning me to keep quiet immediately.
"Okay, Avi will go by bus every day," Meena Chachi looked at him and quickly agreed.
I stared at Chachi again, completely confused. I couldn't understand what she was doing. Just hours ago, she had promised I'd get a bike, and Neha Bua had announced that I'd take Komal to college on it. Now she was telling Chacha I would go by bus. *What is happening?* I thought desperately, my mind racing. *I can't understand any of this. What is she ultimately trying to achieve? What complex plan is running through her mind?*
I was still reeling from Meena Chachi's strange reversal when she suddenly changed the subject, refocusing Chacha's attention.
"Seema Didi has fallen ill," Meena Chachi looked down, her tone urgent and worried.
"What?" Chacha's eyes widened, fear instantly replacing his sternness as he shot to his feet.
"Yes," Meena Chachi insisted, nodding once. "We have to take her to the hospital immediately."
"Then why didn't you take her this morning?" Chacha demanded, looking around wildly.
"How would we go?" Meena Chachi asked, her voice tight with helplessness. "By the time I was ready to leave, the bus had already departed. Now, how could we possibly go without a bus?"
"Take her tomorrow morning," Chacha commanded, his eyes still wide with concern.
"We will, of course," Meena Chachi sighed, her eyes now gleaming with strategy. "But what I was saying is that now we will have to make trips to the hospital every one or two days for her check-ups."
"We have to go, then," Chacha looked grim, running a hand over his face.
"I'm thinking we really should buy a bike," Meena Chachi proposed, her voice soft but insistent, capitalizing on his fear. "That way, we can go to the hospital at any time we need to, without relying on the bus."
"No, we cannot buy a bike," Chacha shook his head immediately. "Even if we did, I don't know how to ride it."
"But Avi knows how to ride a bike," Meena Chachi reminded him, pointing at me.
"No," Chacha repeated firmly, his jaw set. "We won't buy a bike."
"What did you just say? 'We won't buy a bike'?" Meena Chachi exploded, her voice rising with dramatic urgency. "What is it that you want? Today, Didi is sick. Tomorrow, I might fall sick, and then Suman Didi will get sick. And if we keep delaying going to the hospital like this, something could happen to the baby, too!"
As soon as she said the word "baby," Chacha froze completely. His face went pale with terror. After so many years, Chachaji was finally going to become a father, and the thought of anything happening to the child was unbearable. He couldn't even process such a thing.
"Okay," Chacha instantly capitulated, his voice shaky. "We'll go to the city tomorrow and buy one immediately."
Meena Chachi and I exchanged a quick, silent look of triumph.
So *that* was the complex plan running through Chachi's mind! She had agreed to the bus only to introduce the bike necessity as a way to protect the baby. It was brilliant. The bike would help with so many things—not just getting Seema Chachi to the hospital, but also getting me and Komal to college and, most importantly, giving me freedom.
----
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