"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
- Khalil Gibran
Part1
Gopi !! we have reached home so please unfasten the seat belt and come out honey.
Gopi was brought back to her senses and looked at Ajay who had already opened the door for her. She got down and went inside her house with a faint pain in her heart. Something was pricking her...were they fragments of her heart which was broken by Ahem two years ago??. Her heart revisited its old haven of love..where she and Ahem had dreamt of a life together. Alas, not every dream comes true.
She thought that the flame of her love for Ahem would be extinguished once she married Ajay...and she believed that it happened...but today, when she saw Ahem at the party, she realized that her heart still has embers in it and the fire threatened to rekindle once again...
She went inside her bedroom and draped a blanket around her chest, hoping naively to extinguish the fire...nothing could put it off- neither the blanket nor her tears of pain, anguish and betrayal.
Ajay sensed that Gopi was in an emotional turmoil but failed to come up with a plausible cause. He said "Are you ok dear? Was anyone rude to you? Please tell me". Gopi claimed that she had a bad headache which was troubling her. Ajay offered to get her some medicines but Gopi refused by telling that she doesn't want to get into the habit of popping tablets for minor ailments. Ajay agreed and went to sleep. It was quite late in the night and Ajay soon fell asleep totally unaware of the feelings that have woken up in his wife's heart.
Gopi spent the whole night thinking about her past...Ahem and heartbreak were the dominant in it.
Flashback-
Gopi was the youngest among the three children of Jitu and Urmila Shah. Theirs was a happy family..she was spoilt rotten by her elder siblings Rashi and Dhaval. Jitubhai encouraged Gopi to study well and dream big. Gopi was groomed to be an achiever but it bothered Urmila that she wasn't interested in household chores. She was worried about how she would manage to fulfil her duties in her marital home. What if her inadequacies ruin her relations with her in-laws? No matter how well educated Gopi was her MIL would expect her to balance her career and family...and what if her in-laws refuse to let her go out and work? Gopi was career minded and such a situation was a perfect recipe for disaster.
Rashi got a rishta from Mehta family- it was for their elder son Abhay. The families met and finalized things while Gopi was out on some official work. The Mehta's saw Gopi during Rashi's engagement. Abhay's younger brother - Ajay was enamored by her beauty, wit and confidence...and confided in to his mom..his mom was also of the view that it would be desirable to bring in sisters as daughters in law of the family. It would reduce the incidences of bickering among them.
Mrs Sarala Mehta approached Urmila for Gopi's hand..Urmila felt as if all her worries were taken away from her. The Mehta family had liberal views and moreover Rashi would bail Gopi out whenever she managed to get into trouble. It seemed perfect and Urmila accepted the proposal with alacrity.
Gopi was shattered when her mom informed her about the proposal. Things were at a dangerous point. Rashi's wedding might be called off if she refused ... she couldn't do that to her didi...but she couldn't live without Ahem...
Gopi confided into Rashi and she advised her sis to talk to Ahem and make him talk to his and her parents. She urged her not to worry about her as she can manage to convince the Mehta family, as they were broad minded people...and that she is willing to break her alliance for Gopi's happiness.
comment:
p_commentcount