Expect The Unexpected

"How dare you Shalini?! Why did you do that? I have seen everything!", Mrs.Sharma asked sharply.

"What else should I have done?", Shalini replied calmly. She was neither embarrassed nor ashamed. She looked and smiled at Raghav who was still staring at her in pure disbelief and was touching his left cheek. The slap was strong enough to daze him.

Mrs.Sharma was furious. She asked again, "Why did you slap my son Shalini? I saw everything from the other side of the room. He was just trying to talk with you and you suddenly slapped him. How dare you slap my son? Don't you know who we are?!"

Her voice was rising with each word and her eyes were burning with rage. Shalini was still calm. She looked at Raghav and asked with a crooked smile, "Raghav, your mother thinks that you were just talking with me. Kindly tell her what you were actually doing."

Raghav didn't answer. He just turned his face away from her. Everyone in the room was looking at them. Shalini's parents were also there. They asked her anxiously, "What have you done?"

"Don't worry. I can handle this", Shalini said with a confident smile. She turned towards Raghav and said, "What happened? Tell your mother what you were doing."

Raghav was silent.

Raghav's elder brother Rakesh was getting married and that's why the Sharmas had invited Shalini and her family. Raghav's family was one of the influencial families of the neighborhood and his father was a businessman. Rakesh helps his father with the buisness but Raghav used to spend his days drinking and partying. He had nothing to worry about. He used to go the same college as Shalini but he dropped out after a few days. However, Raghav's mother never blamed her son or forced him to do something useful. She considered him to be the best and maybe, that was the reason why she almost came running when she saw Shalini slap her son.

-"Answer me Shalini. Why did you slap Raghav? You are in our house and you slapped him? Don't you have basic manners?"

-"Yes, I am in your house. But does that give your son the license to do whatever he likes?"

"What do you mean?", Mrs.Sharma frowned. She was clearly confused.

Shalini, with a stern look in her eyes said, "Your son touched me inappropriately and that's why I slapped him. I don't think I did anything wrong."

-"Impossible! Raghav would never do anything like that!"

-"Oh Mrs.Sharma, he did, he did. I was standing here alone and suddenly he came to me and tried to strike up a conversation. He even asked whether I was willing to go on a date with him. But when I said no, well.....he made advances and I didn't tolerate that. I hope that one slap would teach your son how to behave with girls."

-"Oh? Now you are blaming my son? Have you seen yourself? You girls wear revealing cloths to provoke men and then you blame them. Shame on you!"

-"Mrs.Sharma, before shaming me, teach your son to behave properly in public."

-"Shalini!"

-"Yes. I think you might have noticed that I hate people who are like you and your son. People like your son misbehave with women and people like you try to defend them, just because he is your son. You saw him trying to talk with me but you didn't see him touching me. How is that even possible? It might be possible that you saw everything but still you didn't say anything. Which one is true Mrs.Sharma?"

Mrs.Sharma couldn't say anything. Suddenly Raghav said,

"Mom, she....is right. Whatever she is saying about me......is true." Raghav's voice was almost a whisper.

Mrs.Sharma turned towards her son with a shocked expression on her face. Then she looked at Shalini but she was at a loss for words.

Shalini placed her hand on Mrs.Sharma's shoulder and said, "A piece of advice Mrs.Sharma. We all have heard a saying, women are the biggest enemies of women. Please don't make that saying true."

Shalini turned towards to her father and said, "I think we should leave now."

-"Yes. Whatever you say."

The gleam of pride that Shalini saw in her parent's eyes warmed her heart.

Mrs.Sharma said feebly, "Shalini please don't go. Atleast be there for the dinner."

Shalini looked at her and smiled. She said, "I'm sorry Mrs.Sharma. I think I've had enough for one evening and it would be better if I leave now."

( The End )