Mil or Mul

Rachna is feeling so depressed said Mythli to Suchitra. All the three have been thick friends for the past many years. They know the in and out of each ones lives. Why what is the matter? asked Suchitra What else but her Mil (that is the short form of mother in law folks)why what about her ? Pondered Suchitra. She is Meanness unlimited now said Mythli. Oh o is it? This is a very depressing news for me said Suchitra that too with Rachna who is s gentle and loving soul. How can somebody be mean to her was their puzzle. Now let us get into the past of this story. Rachna a young educated and sensible girl was impressed by her brother's friend and got married with a lot of good thoughts and vibes.

Her parents performed her marriage with much pomp and glitter as per their status. All were happy and wished well for the couple. So life was going on smoothly until her Mil entered the scene with all ill ideas and schemes. She would never allow her to do any work in the kitchen no no not to keep her comfortable but to show to her son that Rachna was not helping her in the kitchen but was lazing around when she being elderly was slogging in the kitchen. Rachna could understand this gimmick after a long time. Being naive she never got the idea as to why her Mil avoided her doing any household work when they visited her home. By the way Rachna and her husband stayed in another City far away from her Mil or Mul's City. They visited her as and when her husband's leave permitted. This is the ordeal that she underwent whenever they visited her Apart from this her Mil would complain about her to her own parents who also joined in to taunt Rachna whenever wherever possible. All this when she was alone.

So,her husband never knew any of these things nor Rachna dared to speak about these issues lest she would annoy her husband who idolised his mother cause she was a single parent who brought them up and educated them as well made them efficient. Ofcourse Rachna was initially so much impressed listening about her from her husband's mouth and had great respect for her too which started melting the minute she started close interaction with her mil no Mul (pardon for this reference)This continued for some years. Then came the day when her brother in law got married to his lady love whom he pursued to the level that he inked her name on his wrist bearing all pain and signalled how important she was in his life.

So,now the lady walked into their household with a lot of confidence which was repeatedly reinforced by her husband and her Mil too as she had no other option but to tow this line. Else she would not be able to coexist along with them. The main catch here was her brother in law was placed by work in the same city in which Rachnas Mil lived. Now,came the turning point of this ordeal which became even more troublesome. Rachnas co-sister turned out to be a bit more cunning and cruel than her Mil so now Rachna had to bear two ladies who could go to any limit to get what they want. She was kept hungry,and that too when she was into her second pregnancy(they had come on a visit during that time due to her husband's official tour),her elder son was bit on the back and neck and mostly her co(n)sister would do it and would try to shift the blame on her own son who was a bit younger than Rachna's elder son. Both were quite young and they did not understand all these but Rachna's child bore all this nonsense for no mistake of his. It is a surprise how a lady who also was a mother to a young child can inflict such wounds on another child and appear so sweet in front of others. No Lalita Pawar or Nadira (characters of bollywood movies who were shown to be cruel) can match these real life actors. And her co sister was a teacher in a pre school. Shockingly true. Rachna was made to do all the housework with a reason that her co sister had to attend School and the maid had left the work recently. Everytime the maid would stop coming only a day before Rachna and her husband would land up there. What a coincidence folks,?.

But when they would visit Rachna's home all of them would just sit and relax without lending a hand in house hold work. Rachna was working here,there and everywhere. On top of it her brother in law used to bicker about taste of the cooked food,not preparing any snacks etc. Thisnwas to degrade her again in her own home too all this when her husband was away at the market or Office etc. Rachna's mil is an avid watcher of television serials where women are shown scheming and scheming against their own relatives and so on. Rachma feels she may be directing her co sister in creating this ruckus. Over the years this continued and continued to a level where Rachna and her husband along with their children stopped visiting their Mil's home. Now their children are grown up and so they too understand the underlying causes of the strained relationships. Rachna is still trying to understand whether it was her foolishness that she never took her husband into the picture where all this nonsense was being tolerated by herself. Should she have told everything to him and ask him to have dealt with the troublemakers (his mother and his brother's wife)This is an unsolved puzzle. This story has so many facets and might have been faced by many women silently otherwise. Rachna feels so disturbed that she underwent all this crap.

It would have been nice if all of them in the family coexisted a bit pleasantly she did not ask something special only very simple normal wants. With the song jaane o kaise log the jinko ringing in her mind Rachna feels so bad recalling all that she had faced for so many years. Now the last straw came in the form of her Mil coming to stay with them after being pushed out by her brother in law and wife. Now her mil is not healthy nor movable. Rachna has to attend to her needs and take of her as it is her duty she is the daughter in law after all. Now should she forget all that she underwent at her mils hands and serve her sincerely or should she forget everything and continue serving her without any expectations?This is what is going on and on in her mind. But her friends very well know that Rachna will serve her without any grudge or complaint even when she herself is on severe medication for some health issue. But,one grouse she will not be able to forget and forgive is how her mil had treated her children when they were young.

This is unforgivable at any cost. Rachna wants to let go all bad feelings and serve her mil as she has come to stay with them being sent out by her darling younger son and dearest daughter in law who worked hand in glove in all her misdeeds Should Rachna forgive and forget everything and move on with her activities or should she back out in shouldering her Mils responsibilities citing the mistreateatment she meted to Rachna all these years? This is a debatable topic which has no solution thought her friends wishing Rachna good in life before dispersing for the timebeing. Now what Rachna would plan to do is anybody's guess right readers??Why she was treated do badly is still an unsolved puzzle to Rachna obviously.