Lost In The Dense Woods (Part2)

( please read the first part to understand the story more clearly )

Aparna brought her mother to her in-laws' place and arranged for her to stay in the guest room. Everyone accepted her as a family member and behaved quite cordially with her.

Her mother felt that she shouldn't be a burden on her daughter and should contribute something to the expenditure of the family. She set out to look for a job.

One day she returned and announced quite euphorically that she had gotten a job in a friend's marriage bureau and event management company. Everybody was happy for her as keeping busy would keep her away from depressing thoughts.

Aparna began to notice the change in her mother's attitude and dressing sense gradually. Though she felt that her mother seemed cheerful these days, her changing dressing sense from the simple get up as a widow since her father's demise was changing into gaudy, flashy sarees, shoes, and makeup.

Shit hit the sky one day when Aparna was returning from her office and noticed hoardings and posters of her mother in bridal attire posing with the head of the company ( her friend) posing as the groom.

When Aparna reached home, the neighborhood women had gathered in her house chastising her mother-in-law about the inappropriateness of the advertisement.

Aparna ran straight to her mother's room to inquire about the fact. But her mother replied quite casually about it that it was meant to be for the advertisement for their company.

Aparna asked exasperatedly," Mother, are you really that naive or are you knowingly behaving like this. Every company uses models for advertising. Executives aren't supposed to dress up like bride and groom and pose for advertising. You are a widow and the mother of two grown ups with families of their own. Nobody's telling you to dress up in white and observe rituals meant for the widows like old times and being self-dependent is good but there's a minimum level of decorum and sobriety expected from a widowed mother of adults. Have you ever thought about what we'll have to endure because of your cheap, irresponsible behavior?? Even brother had called to express the embarrassment he is facing because of you!!"

Her mother said," Why should I care about him who didn't care about me at all and threw me out of my own house without even a second thought?"

( To be continued..)