09-01-2019, 12:45 PM
Chapter 5. Winter in Eden. (#2)
Jhinuk looked at the door, her aunt Ambalika was waiting for her. She came inside and looked at Jhinuk from head to toe. Her aunt caressed her soft pink cheeks and kissed her forehead to give her blessing. Jhinuk sported a fake smile of content; no one knew what was going inside her heart. She looked at her room, the walls, the curtains, her bed, her table, everyone was smiling at her and expressing congratulations for her forthcoming life.
Ambalika took Jhinuk to the room where Rishu was waiting. Ambalika asked everyone to give them sometime alone so that she could speak to both of them. Between both the families, only she was aware of the gravity of both hearts.
Jhinuk looked into the room, a stout person sat on the couch with his head resting on his fist. His dressing sense was immaculate but he looked tired. What was going inside his mind? Why that person agreed to marry her in that situation? Was he doing a favour to her and her parents? Has her parents bought her future with money, again?
Rishu heard their approaching footstep and looked at them. He stood up and gave a courteous smile at her. Their eyes met for a second and she felt shy to look at him. He looked at the fresh bathed tulip adorned elegantly. Her face bore few contours of pain yet there was a smile on her pink lips. How a person can deceive a beauty like that? He knew that she was educated and intelligent, yet he could not fathom how she was deceived.
Jhinuk sat on the couch infront of him and her aunt sat beside her. Ambalika took her palm in hers and rubbed her hand. She felt a soothing breeze of strength inside her chest.
Ambalika looked at both of them and asked Rishu, “You are aware of the fact as what happened. Do you have something to say?”
Rishu looked at his sister’s face; there was a smile of content on her lips. He was pleased to behold the smile so he shook his head, as he had nothing to say.
Ambalika looked at Jhinuk and said, “Everyone has a past, Jhinuk and so does my brother. It is always better to build a relation on faith and not on a bunch of lies and deceit.”
Ambalika narrated the incident that happened with Rishu. She asked both of them whether they had any queries. They looked at eachother and exchanged another courteous smile. Both of them were calm as deep ocean, there were no turbulence in their hearts.
Jhinuk kept on thinking about the incident of misunderstanding. The person sitting in front of her had the breakup out of a huge misunderstanding and not by deception like her. Does he still love that lady? May be he does. What would happen if in future the old flame appears in her life and clear the misunderstanding? Should she ask him anything about his past? Why should she? Her wedding was nothing more than a compromise.
Rishu looked at Jhinuk’s hand, who was fidgeting with her soft serpentine fingers. He kept thinking as how to start the conversation, what to ask her? He had to be cautious with his queries, as she was perturbed. Her body language was telling him that a flurry of queries was there in her mind. What was going inside her mind? How fortunate he would be if he could read the beautiful girl’s mind. Alas, Almighty has not given any such powers to any person.
Rishu looked at her sister and said in a deep calm voice, “I don’t have any queries.” Her turned towards Jhinuk and asked, “If you have something in mind then you can ask.”
She took a deep breath and looked at him. Thousand queries were flooding her mind but she answered in a calm tone, “We don’t have any choice other than walking on the path that has been laid before us.”
Her voice seemed to be very cold and polished it was not difficult for Rishu to fathom the dilemma of Jhinuk’s mind. Their first meeting was the onset of the chilled weather that would overshadow their life. He looked at his sister and asked that he needs to take some rest after a long day. Ambalika patted Jhinuk’s palm and persuaded her not to worry about anything, she would be on her side always and forever. After his sister went away with Jhinuk, Rishu called Deep and Diya to his room, only their sight could silence his disturbance. Jhinuk returned to her room to take rest, she was also very tired all due to the perturbence she had in her mind.
By next day noon, Indrajeet and Shalini arrived and took the reins to give company to Rishu. Shalini met Jhinuk and expressed her compliments. Indrajeet informed few of their close friends about Rishu’s marriage. Rishu informed his HOD, Dr. Khairon about his sudden wedding. Everyone in his circle was surprised when they came to know that the young man was getting married at last. Dr. Khairon promised to attend their reception and few of his friends promised to attend his reception.
Everyone was on their toes as the time was very short. Ambalika and Niladri were busy in arrangement of the groom part of the wedding, informing their relatives and friend about the marriage. For the next whole day, Rishu’s father-in-law Somesh was busy in shopping with Rishu. Indrajeet also accompanied Rishu with his shopping. Somesh was on his toes to satisfy Rishu, repeatedly he asked him as what he would like to have, what was his choice of dress or anything he might need in their home in Delhi. He politely answered that his father-in-law needs to speak to his sister for those matters. By evening, every bone in his body was cracking, as he did not sleep for past two days.
Jhinuk pulled a fake smile on her lips to show everyone that she was satisfied with the decision. Whenever her mother asked her about Rishu, she nodded her head to express her satisfaction. No one fathomed her intention that whatever she decided was outcome of her angst. No time was provided to her settle down, to have her pains subdued. She was forced by her surroundings to sit before the sacrament flames. Mostly she kept herself confined to her room with Diya and Jhilik around her.
Jhinuk packed all those dresses she bought, which she thought to wear after her marriage. She kept away all those in one corner of her cupboard and asked her sister to give those away once she was gone. Most of those dresses were of Sitavro’s choice and the mere sight of those dresses enraged her to the core. She knew that after reception she had to fly to Delhi, so she packed her bags accordingly with the help of her sister and Diya.
Rishu was inundated with anxiety as how his life would be once he returns to Delhi with his newly wedded wife. He does not know her likings and disliking, he does not know what she loves to eat or loves to wear, he was unaware of her future prospects whether she would do a job after marriage or not. He even forgot to buy any present to present her on their first night together. He shrugged all his anxiety by murmuring to himself that whatever would come in future they both would solve them together. He tried to drive away his anxiety by talking with his friends. Diya was beside him all the time. She tormented him with her queries whether he liked Jhinuk or not. Everytime he tried to give a proper answer, his intelligent niece caught him.
Diya persuaded Rishu, “Rishu please, smile. I know Jhinuk Didi is very much perturbed and hurt due to all that happened to her. She is very lovely lady. With passing time, everything will fade away.”
He pinched her cheeks, “Naughty girl, don’t try to be my grandmother.” Both of them burst into laughter.
The music of shehnai flowed in the air. Guests started to pour in after noon. The house rumbled in jubilant ambience. The beautician arrived and Jhinuk started getting ready for her final surrender. With each passing second, her heart started to beat like an insane ram. She tried hard to control her anxiety however with passing time she started to fail in her fight. She was bedecked in a red benarasi saree, with several gold ornaments. Her mother entered her room to behold her daughter in the red wedding attire. Her mother was very pleased to behold smile on her lips, only she knew that the smile was fake. She looked at her mother’s eyes which was filled up with tears of joy and pain of part.
She asked her mother, “Tell me one thing, what is going to happen to all those money that you deposited in my account? Are you going to withdraw all those?”
Her mother was surprised to hear that, “Why are you asking this question at this penultimate moment?”
“I just want to know. Twelve lakhs is a huge amount of money.”
“No Jhinuk, we have decided to give that money to you. It is a small token for both of you.”
She winched her brows and asked, “Why are you interested in keeping those money with me? Have you again bought my security with that money? What is the difference between that lewd fox, Sitavro and the suave educated Doctor?”
On hearing such words her mother got angry yet she kept calm and asked her to sit down and listen to her patiently, “Jhinuk sit down here. I know you are angry upon us, but that does not mean that you disrespect Ambalika and Niladri. They never asked for a single penny. They came up with the proposal. Jhinuk, they are very rich. What your father earns in a year, your father-in-law earns in a month. He has his own architect firm, Ambalika runs a Montessori college which is famous in south Kolkata and Rishu is an orthopaedic surgeon in a prestigious medical college of India.”She queried again, “But Ambalika auntie is not Doctor’s mother, right? She is his elder sister.”
Piyali’s heart was about to burst out in angst, she bit her lips and closed her eyes. She took some time to answer her insolent daughter’s queries.
After few moments, she opened her eyes and gave a calm look at her daughter’s quizzical face, “Remember one thing Jhinuk, Ambalika is more than a mother to Rishu. Someday I will tell you about her as what she did. Just know one thing that she is Rishu’s mother, father, sister, brother, everything you can think of. Never ever dream of disrespecting them. It will break them shatter them. Give the same respect to them as you show to your parents.”
From the deep fiery tone of her mother, she fathomed that she stroke a wrong chord at that moment. She profusely apologised and hugged her mother, “Sorry Ma, I am very sorry. I promise to give them the love of a daughter they did not have.”
Her mother kissed her forehead and whispered in her ears, “That’s my sweet darling daughter. Now come and live a life of your own.”
Her voice choked, “I lived a very happy life Ma, I am sorry to hurt you all.” She broke down clasping her mother’s hand.
Piyali tried to persuade her daughter, “Don’t feel sorry about anything. Life is full of vicissitudes. We gather experience in every step of our life. You will be happy there, their family is very close knitted and they love each other very much.”
She looked at herself in the mirror for one last time, a marble effigy smiled to her from the mirror reflection. Diya and Jhilik took her to the podium, where she sat with a fake content smile on her lips. She had sweat beads on her forehead even in the chilled winter evening.
Continued.....
Jhinuk looked at the door, her aunt Ambalika was waiting for her. She came inside and looked at Jhinuk from head to toe. Her aunt caressed her soft pink cheeks and kissed her forehead to give her blessing. Jhinuk sported a fake smile of content; no one knew what was going inside her heart. She looked at her room, the walls, the curtains, her bed, her table, everyone was smiling at her and expressing congratulations for her forthcoming life.
Ambalika took Jhinuk to the room where Rishu was waiting. Ambalika asked everyone to give them sometime alone so that she could speak to both of them. Between both the families, only she was aware of the gravity of both hearts.
Jhinuk looked into the room, a stout person sat on the couch with his head resting on his fist. His dressing sense was immaculate but he looked tired. What was going inside his mind? Why that person agreed to marry her in that situation? Was he doing a favour to her and her parents? Has her parents bought her future with money, again?
Rishu heard their approaching footstep and looked at them. He stood up and gave a courteous smile at her. Their eyes met for a second and she felt shy to look at him. He looked at the fresh bathed tulip adorned elegantly. Her face bore few contours of pain yet there was a smile on her pink lips. How a person can deceive a beauty like that? He knew that she was educated and intelligent, yet he could not fathom how she was deceived.
Jhinuk sat on the couch infront of him and her aunt sat beside her. Ambalika took her palm in hers and rubbed her hand. She felt a soothing breeze of strength inside her chest.
Ambalika looked at both of them and asked Rishu, “You are aware of the fact as what happened. Do you have something to say?”
Rishu looked at his sister’s face; there was a smile of content on her lips. He was pleased to behold the smile so he shook his head, as he had nothing to say.
Ambalika looked at Jhinuk and said, “Everyone has a past, Jhinuk and so does my brother. It is always better to build a relation on faith and not on a bunch of lies and deceit.”
Ambalika narrated the incident that happened with Rishu. She asked both of them whether they had any queries. They looked at eachother and exchanged another courteous smile. Both of them were calm as deep ocean, there were no turbulence in their hearts.
Jhinuk kept on thinking about the incident of misunderstanding. The person sitting in front of her had the breakup out of a huge misunderstanding and not by deception like her. Does he still love that lady? May be he does. What would happen if in future the old flame appears in her life and clear the misunderstanding? Should she ask him anything about his past? Why should she? Her wedding was nothing more than a compromise.
Rishu looked at Jhinuk’s hand, who was fidgeting with her soft serpentine fingers. He kept thinking as how to start the conversation, what to ask her? He had to be cautious with his queries, as she was perturbed. Her body language was telling him that a flurry of queries was there in her mind. What was going inside her mind? How fortunate he would be if he could read the beautiful girl’s mind. Alas, Almighty has not given any such powers to any person.
Rishu looked at her sister and said in a deep calm voice, “I don’t have any queries.” Her turned towards Jhinuk and asked, “If you have something in mind then you can ask.”
She took a deep breath and looked at him. Thousand queries were flooding her mind but she answered in a calm tone, “We don’t have any choice other than walking on the path that has been laid before us.”
Her voice seemed to be very cold and polished it was not difficult for Rishu to fathom the dilemma of Jhinuk’s mind. Their first meeting was the onset of the chilled weather that would overshadow their life. He looked at his sister and asked that he needs to take some rest after a long day. Ambalika patted Jhinuk’s palm and persuaded her not to worry about anything, she would be on her side always and forever. After his sister went away with Jhinuk, Rishu called Deep and Diya to his room, only their sight could silence his disturbance. Jhinuk returned to her room to take rest, she was also very tired all due to the perturbence she had in her mind.
By next day noon, Indrajeet and Shalini arrived and took the reins to give company to Rishu. Shalini met Jhinuk and expressed her compliments. Indrajeet informed few of their close friends about Rishu’s marriage. Rishu informed his HOD, Dr. Khairon about his sudden wedding. Everyone in his circle was surprised when they came to know that the young man was getting married at last. Dr. Khairon promised to attend their reception and few of his friends promised to attend his reception.
Everyone was on their toes as the time was very short. Ambalika and Niladri were busy in arrangement of the groom part of the wedding, informing their relatives and friend about the marriage. For the next whole day, Rishu’s father-in-law Somesh was busy in shopping with Rishu. Indrajeet also accompanied Rishu with his shopping. Somesh was on his toes to satisfy Rishu, repeatedly he asked him as what he would like to have, what was his choice of dress or anything he might need in their home in Delhi. He politely answered that his father-in-law needs to speak to his sister for those matters. By evening, every bone in his body was cracking, as he did not sleep for past two days.
Jhinuk pulled a fake smile on her lips to show everyone that she was satisfied with the decision. Whenever her mother asked her about Rishu, she nodded her head to express her satisfaction. No one fathomed her intention that whatever she decided was outcome of her angst. No time was provided to her settle down, to have her pains subdued. She was forced by her surroundings to sit before the sacrament flames. Mostly she kept herself confined to her room with Diya and Jhilik around her.
Jhinuk packed all those dresses she bought, which she thought to wear after her marriage. She kept away all those in one corner of her cupboard and asked her sister to give those away once she was gone. Most of those dresses were of Sitavro’s choice and the mere sight of those dresses enraged her to the core. She knew that after reception she had to fly to Delhi, so she packed her bags accordingly with the help of her sister and Diya.
Rishu was inundated with anxiety as how his life would be once he returns to Delhi with his newly wedded wife. He does not know her likings and disliking, he does not know what she loves to eat or loves to wear, he was unaware of her future prospects whether she would do a job after marriage or not. He even forgot to buy any present to present her on their first night together. He shrugged all his anxiety by murmuring to himself that whatever would come in future they both would solve them together. He tried to drive away his anxiety by talking with his friends. Diya was beside him all the time. She tormented him with her queries whether he liked Jhinuk or not. Everytime he tried to give a proper answer, his intelligent niece caught him.
Diya persuaded Rishu, “Rishu please, smile. I know Jhinuk Didi is very much perturbed and hurt due to all that happened to her. She is very lovely lady. With passing time, everything will fade away.”
He pinched her cheeks, “Naughty girl, don’t try to be my grandmother.” Both of them burst into laughter.
The music of shehnai flowed in the air. Guests started to pour in after noon. The house rumbled in jubilant ambience. The beautician arrived and Jhinuk started getting ready for her final surrender. With each passing second, her heart started to beat like an insane ram. She tried hard to control her anxiety however with passing time she started to fail in her fight. She was bedecked in a red benarasi saree, with several gold ornaments. Her mother entered her room to behold her daughter in the red wedding attire. Her mother was very pleased to behold smile on her lips, only she knew that the smile was fake. She looked at her mother’s eyes which was filled up with tears of joy and pain of part.
She asked her mother, “Tell me one thing, what is going to happen to all those money that you deposited in my account? Are you going to withdraw all those?”
Her mother was surprised to hear that, “Why are you asking this question at this penultimate moment?”
“I just want to know. Twelve lakhs is a huge amount of money.”
“No Jhinuk, we have decided to give that money to you. It is a small token for both of you.”
She winched her brows and asked, “Why are you interested in keeping those money with me? Have you again bought my security with that money? What is the difference between that lewd fox, Sitavro and the suave educated Doctor?”
On hearing such words her mother got angry yet she kept calm and asked her to sit down and listen to her patiently, “Jhinuk sit down here. I know you are angry upon us, but that does not mean that you disrespect Ambalika and Niladri. They never asked for a single penny. They came up with the proposal. Jhinuk, they are very rich. What your father earns in a year, your father-in-law earns in a month. He has his own architect firm, Ambalika runs a Montessori college which is famous in south Kolkata and Rishu is an orthopaedic surgeon in a prestigious medical college of India.”She queried again, “But Ambalika auntie is not Doctor’s mother, right? She is his elder sister.”
Piyali’s heart was about to burst out in angst, she bit her lips and closed her eyes. She took some time to answer her insolent daughter’s queries.
After few moments, she opened her eyes and gave a calm look at her daughter’s quizzical face, “Remember one thing Jhinuk, Ambalika is more than a mother to Rishu. Someday I will tell you about her as what she did. Just know one thing that she is Rishu’s mother, father, sister, brother, everything you can think of. Never ever dream of disrespecting them. It will break them shatter them. Give the same respect to them as you show to your parents.”
From the deep fiery tone of her mother, she fathomed that she stroke a wrong chord at that moment. She profusely apologised and hugged her mother, “Sorry Ma, I am very sorry. I promise to give them the love of a daughter they did not have.”
Her mother kissed her forehead and whispered in her ears, “That’s my sweet darling daughter. Now come and live a life of your own.”
Her voice choked, “I lived a very happy life Ma, I am sorry to hurt you all.” She broke down clasping her mother’s hand.
Piyali tried to persuade her daughter, “Don’t feel sorry about anything. Life is full of vicissitudes. We gather experience in every step of our life. You will be happy there, their family is very close knitted and they love each other very much.”
She looked at herself in the mirror for one last time, a marble effigy smiled to her from the mirror reflection. Diya and Jhilik took her to the podium, where she sat with a fake content smile on her lips. She had sweat beads on her forehead even in the chilled winter evening.
Continued.....
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