Hidden Truth

“Hi sir, do you live here?” Hearing the playful call, I turned my head and was surprised to see an attractive girl in jeans and top.

“I, Anima, study in your class… third year.”

"Oh yes." Today itself I took my first class. Now the girl started looking familiar to me.

“I live in the flat opposite yours… from now on we will keep meeting. You are so good, so handsome.” She waved her hand and went away. I stood there speechless and kept staring at him.

Can someone comment like this in the very first meeting? And that too from my teacher?… Well, what about me… After Satya, I have anyway decided to maintain a distance from my students. Satya is that page of my diary which, even after being torn and thrown away, continues to make its existence felt in the form of a thin line. Besides, he also keeps harassing other pages related to him.

After completing my engineering studies, I joined a new lectureship. Satya was my first year student. While studying, we started reading each other's eyes also. When she reached her final year and there was talk of her marriage at home, she warned me. There was no one I could call my own who would go and talk about marriage. The parents had passed away and the only elder sister had settled abroad with the family, with whom there was little contact, so I myself went and met her parents.

But he rejected this relationship outright. He didn't like my caste, family, job, anything. The businessman father found a businessman son-in-law for his daughter and got her married. Like most love stories, my love story also came to a complete halt. After that, some relationships came, but seeing my disinterest, everyone shrugged them off. Since then I have started maintaining a certain distance from my students. Anyway, all these things are no longer relevant.

But this girl! Oh dear me! It has been in my head since day one. She would appear in front of me in one of the tightest and most attractive outfits. One day the bell rang at ten o'clock at night.

“I did not understand today's topic, sir. Please explain again.”

I was shocked. Then he said cautiously, “Right now I am making some important notes. Understand it in class tomorrow.” I closed the door and wiped my sweat. The next day, I spent fifteen minutes in class explaining that topic again. The students were looking at each other with surprise, so I clarified.

“Some children did not understand this topic yesterday, so I am telling it again.” While coming out of the class, I asked Anima who was going ahead in the crowd, “Why did you understand today?”

“I came yesterday itself.” She casually nodded her head and started walking away. My blood boiled. Who does this girl think she is? You will have to complain about this at home. She is barely a penny old and is playing pranks on a man of her father's age.

When I returned home from the market in the evening, Anima was waiting for me with dosa decorated in a plate. I was surprised to see his courage. What is this girl made of? To say or hear anything like this is to spoil one's own mind. But actually I just said, “I don't want it.”

“Take it, I have made it at home.” A sweet voice echoed from the front. I raised my head in the direction of the sound. I was surprised to see a gentle figure wearing a embroidered Patiala suit and a pink scarf at the door of the front flat.

“My Mama.”

For the first time in so many days, I came face to face with Anima's mother. I was staring at them. It was as if the goddess of simplicity, gentleness and beauty was standing in front of me.

“Sir, the dosa is getting cold.” When Anima warned, I silently took the saucer from her hands. Then this became a daily routine. Sometimes carrot halwa, sometimes chole bhature. One or the other of his utensils would always be lying at my place. Once I even hesitantly refused, “Look, it doesn't feel good every day. I can't send you anything."

“Is everything given only in the hope of getting something? A person cannot share anything with anyone for his self-satisfaction? Me and Anu consider you as our own and get caught up in all these things. If you don't like it, that's okay...”

“No no, let it go.” I spoke suddenly. Perhaps this is called being emotionally blackmailed.

Now I was no longer angry at Anima, rather I had started enjoying her teasing and pranks. It had been almost a month since I came here, but surprisingly I had not seen Anima's father till now. Maybe working in another city. Actually, I rarely met Neelimaji i.e. Anima's mother. After I went to college, she used to go to the bank and return home quite late in the evening after completing her market work. Whereas I used to return in the afternoon and lock myself in the house.

Due to my studious and solitary nature, I had no inclination to socialize with anyone. It was Anima's playfulness that forced me to laugh and talk to that family… or perhaps there was a secret hidden somewhere deep inside my attraction towards Neelimaji… whatever it may be, I felt a deep affinity towards that family. It was felt.

When Anima's examinations were over, she went to Solan to spend her holidays with her maternal grandparents. She came to inform me before leaving. Seeing me sad she said, “Don't be sad sir! Mama is here. There is no holiday in his bank.” Surprised by his dominance, I kept staring at him. What exactly is in this girl's mind?

I had to go to college every day to check copies etc. One evening, while buying vegetables in the market, I met Neelimaji. We joined together while returning. When he offered me tea when I came home, I couldn't refuse. Perhaps on this pretext we could find out something about her husband.

When she started opening the lock, I asked, “Maybe Anima's father works outside?” Seeing his attitude, it seemed that I had asked something unpleasant. But the arrow had already left the bow. I tried to handle the matter. “Um…. Never seen this….”

While pouring tea on the stove, she said calmly, “He no longer lives with us.”

"What…?" I was shocked. I had not even imagined this answer.

“Nishantji! No person can get all the happiness in life, right? I am the only child of my parents. He brought me up with a lot of pampering and love. I got higher education, got a good job, then after seeing my good family, he also married me, but…”

Tea was ready. We took our cups and came to the living room.

“Jayesh and I could not stand it. He didn't like being tied to just one person. I tried very hard to fulfill it. Anima is the result of that. I thought they would improve after the arrival of the child. But nothing like this happened. I don't know whether my luck was bad or there was something lacking in me...”

“No, no you are very nice, very…” I bit my tongue. I shouldn't say all this. Neelimaji did not pay attention to what I said. She was going on speaking in her own tune.

“My parents would be sad, so I kept these things hidden for many years. Nishantji! No matter how progressive we and our society may boast of being, the truth is that women, whether educated or uneducated, domestic or working, remain victims of domestic violence in some form or the other and for the sake of their false self-esteem. She also keeps it hidden. Anima was growing up. How long could I hide the truth from him and my parents?

My stamina had also started giving way. And one day when the water level rose above my head, I took Anima and went to my parents. Divorce notice was sent. Jayesh wanted relief. We soon got divorced. He even got married for the second time and now perhaps he is having trouble with that wife too. Mom and dad put a lot of pressure on me to get a job there. But I returned here again with Anima. Why should I run away like a coward or hide my face? Why should I spoil my parents' health by being in front of my parents 24 hours a day? Despite his best efforts, he could not convince me for second marriage. I kept saying that now Anima is growing up, we will marry her… but…”

Neelimaji's mobile started ringing. It was Anima's phone only.

“I was missing you only.”

“Remembered the devil and the devil is present…”

Thinking that the conversation between mother and daughter would go on for a long time, I took a gesture and took permission to go. But even after returning, I kept thinking about him for a long time. My heart was filled with sympathy towards Neelimaji. Can't say whether it was sympathy or something else. But whatever devotion, love and attraction I had towards him, it had increased many times more than before.

Anima had returned. And along with that, her playful mischiefs, fun, insistence to tease had returned. If Neelimaji had seen all this, she would have apologized to me in private.

“Anu harasses you a lot, but in reality she likes you a lot in her heart and has fun with the one she likes… after all, poor girl, she is only a guest for a few days… if she leaves tomorrow then her words will "Only mischiefs will remain." If she suddenly became serious and moved forward, I would also get emotional.

Really, how painful it is to raise a daughter as someone else's property and then send her away after getting married!

Anima was now less visible. She also came to college occasionally. The maid told that she was not well. One day I saw her standing at the door of her house and I asked, “Why are you not coming to college these days? There are exams after a month.”

“Mama and I are going to my grandparents next week.”

“When will you return?”

“I will not return now… my palanquin is about to rise.”

“Your fun has started again?”

“I'm not having fun… I'm really not coming back… but before you go, you have to promise me something. After I leave, you will take full care of my uncle. Will never leave them alone.” His eyes were filled with tears. I am hooked.

“Hey Anu! Are you really getting married? Didn't you even tell me? But you could have given the exam… is there such a hurry?”

Ignoring what I said, he held my hand tightly. “You will take care of my uncle, right? Won't leave them alone, right? Make a promise. Please, I mean it.” I was stunned to see his passion. What has happened to him? To satisfy her I made her a promise.

“Yes, I will take complete care of your uncle. Will never leave them alone. You also keep coming to meet me.”

She went inside with a sigh of relief. I went to college with a silly expression on my face. But I decided that I will talk to Neelimaji that he should definitely get Anima tested. How can she, being so educated, play with her daughter's future?

When I returned home in the afternoon, Neelimaji was seen in the corridor. She was talking on the mobile.

“Yes mom, all the packing is done. But look at this crazy lady! She is stubborn again… You will have to listen to me. You will not be alone after I leave… I have found this for you… I have talked about that for you… Who knows what she keeps muttering? Made me sleep after scolding with great difficulty. That is why I am coming out and talking…” Seeing me coming, she became silent. “Okay let's talk later.” Saying this he disconnected the phone.

“Um… are you guys going to Solan?”

"Yes. Mom and dad left us here on the promise that Anima would go and stay with them during every holidays. And secondly…his…farewell will take place from there.” His eyes were wet.

“I… I understand your feelings and hers. But Anima's exams would have been allowed to happen. Is there such a hurry to get married?”

"Marriage? Whose wedding?” When Neelimaji started looking at me with surprise, I got confused. Has that girl fooled me again?

“Anima's. And whose?”

“Oh my God!” Neelimaji held her head.

“…I kept thinking you knew everything.”

"What?" I was staring at his face with an expression of confusion.

“Anu has blood cancer. Our familiar doctor is treating him in Solan. Here also I keep showing him to the doctor. In the meantime she also started getting better. But then the doctors replied. Then we decided that we would take him to Solan in his last moments. It was from there that his last farewell…” she burst out.

I couldn't believe my ears. I had become unconscious! Who in the world would be more stupid than me? I didn't even dare to show patience to Neelimaji. Just… Anima and Anima alone were floating before my eyes. She would giggle and have fun, try to woo me... test me... take promises from me... the hidden truth in her every action was making fun of my vulgarity.