The tenth Karwachauth
Karwa Chauth Stories on WordsAllMine
It was not just her lying carefree in bed. Next to her was another person, so deeply lost in his slumber that his snoring sounds were reverberating the silence of the room like a loud ringtone of the phone.
He was the person who Tejasvi had been spending her life with for the last 10 years and had started to regret the decision of marrying him since last night.
They had a fight just like any normal husband and wife. But when Aditya shouted on her and asked her to get out of his life, it went much beyond their normal standards of argument. Besides, it was not just the quarrel. The feelings of love, care and compassion for each other was no more the same as it used to be during the first few years of their marriage. It all seemed to be arising out of the responsibilities towards job, home and now children which had taken away the very essence of their love.
This morning was as bland as the last few years when suddenly, Tejasvi woke up at Aditya’s snores, kicking him up with her leg. She was angry and frustrated while he was as careless as always.
She took a shower and went to the kitchen. In a few minutes, the sizzling pasta with ginger tea was ready. She came into the room with the breakfast. Shaking him up, she squarely said, “Breakfast for you… I have had mine. Eat it whenever you feel like. Let me clean the drawing room. Guests can appear any time on festivals like these. I really don’t know why women are so stupid to fast for careless fellows called husbands”.
“That means you are not fasting today?” said Aditya rubbing his eyes.
“Of course not. Why should I? I had been fasting on every karwachauth for the last 9 years. What for? Only to hear to get out of this house? I am not your slave. And never ever expect me to follow these stupid rituals for you or your family.” Tejasvi shouted in anger and dashed out of the room.
They didn’t have a word after that. Both of them remained busy in their individual chores as if they were living in different places.
In the afternoon, Tejasvi made tea and served him a cup with a plate full of snacks. She said similar words like she said in the morning and went away.
She sat in the bedroom with an album in her lap carrying the old memories of their marriage. Tears were unstoppable as she saw the happy pictures of her first karwachauth. Aditya had always been like a kid who would tease her the whole day on food. And would not feed her water so easily when the moon would appear and she would long for water. But she got to know at the end of the day that he too was on fast.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you too were fasting?”She asked him
“Because I didn’t want to give you a chance to tease me.” Aditya chuckled.
Now, Tejasvi was crying holding the album close to her heart. She was sure of one thing that it’s the end of love between them. What all is left is only this meaningless relationship of marriage. May be that’s same with other couples as well. Still, they make efforts to please the society using the festival of karwachauth as one of the tools to show off.
Atleast, she was not a hypocrite who won’t eat or drink anything for the sake of her husband’s wellbeing when he doesn’t love her one bit.
At around 8 at night, they hear loud noises of crackers from outside. Tejasvi rushed to the balcony. Her eyes were glued at the big red ball hanging in the black sky. The sparkle around it being created by the colorful rockets fired from different directions was the celebration of its arrival. Afterall it was so badly longed by all fasting women.
Tejasvi had a quick thought as she ran into the kitchen, and got busy with something. Aditya, who was sitting in the living room, got her glimpse.
“What’s the matter? What are you doing there?”He asked.
“Mind your business”. Came Tejasvi’s curt reply.
After sometime, Aditya saw her heading towards the terrace holding something under her dupatta. Aditya could not hold his curiosity anymore. His wife was definitely hiding something from him.
He switched off the TV and secretly followed suit.
As he reached the terrace, he kept standing there until Tejasvi didn’t turn towards him. She was worshipping the moon with a red dupatta on her head. In one hand, she was holding the decorated plate and in the other was an earthen pot full of water.
While she was performing the ritual and turned in another direction, she saw Aditya coming towards her. Her expressions were that of a red handed thief who had no words to justify his actions. But tears appeared in her eyes which twinkled under the light coming from the candle in her plate.
“You were not fasting” said Aditya in mischievous voice.
“I was. But I didn’t want you to tease me”. Tejasvi said shyly
“So was I”. He said with a broadened smile.
“But I myself gave you the breakfast and the lunch. So no lies please”. Tejasvi asked with the curiosity of a child.
“Atleast you don’t talk about lies. It all started when you said you have had breakfast. I too dumped my favourite pasta in the same dustbin!”
They both laughed and hugged each other.
How could I not celebrate karwachauth for you? You know afterall how we had always been fasting on every karwachauth for each other. It’s just that you have changed. And I thought you don’t love me anymore. “Said Tejasvi resting her chin on his shoulder.
“Oh come on, you too have changed. And it is completely okay. I mean, life will keep changing with time. Our increasing responsibilities towards those changes may also not let us have time for each other. “Aditya said .”But love never disappears. Only its form changes.”
They both fed water to each other and went downstairs, laughing !!!
