The Meaning Of Happiness

About the story: Relationships are very important in life. Many times, loneliness gets entangled within us because of not understanding the relationships. This ice formed on relationship melts with great difficulties.

I tossed and turned throughout the night but could not get sleep. I tried a lot to see that Raghav tells me his problem so that I may be of help to him. But it was difficult for him to talk about his problem. I played a part in his happiness but not in his sadness. He wanted to limit his problems to himself. He did not want to share with anybody. It is not clear why he is like that. We have completed three years of our married life. Earlier I thought that Raghav will understand me with time and he may definitely tell me about his problems. Time passed but Raghav did not change. He loved me a lot and wanted to give me every pleasure in the world. He helped me in every small job in our house. When he helped me in things like preparing tea and cooking, it was a great relief for the mind. While making a decision, if he expected my opinion, I considered myself very fortunate to have Raghav like a person as my life partner.

There was a phone call from his house to which he was only giving yes or no replies. After talking on the phone, he became quiet and sad. He was so quiet that I even got vexed for being associated with them. I asked him many times “What was the matter?” He avoided this question. I was upset with this behavior of Raghav. Raghav knows that his behavior bothers me, but he did not know the amount of pressure he had in his mind which he did not like to share with me.

I decided to go deep into this matter and thought of taking opinions from my dear friend and psychiatrist Dr. Anjali. The next morning, as soon as Raghav got ready and left for the office, I saw him off then called Anjali on phone. I and Anjali were very close friends from childhood and after marriage, by coincidence and good fortune, both of us are in the same city. I confide everything to Anjali and she too confides everything with me. In this way, we make our mind lighter.

I called Anjali, 'Hello Anjali, how are you? 'Hi, Payal! So early in the morning ... hope everything is alright? Anjali asked a little frightened. We both used to talk to each other after completing our morning chores. Anjali practiced just for 3 hours in the evening. She was free in the morning and afternoon.

“Hi there is nothing, everything is fine, only Raghav “... “I do not know why he is very much disturbed since last night. I asked him the reason for his anxiety but he avoided. He is very good otherwise, he understands everything, but I do not know why his sadness vexes me”.

“Payal, you do not worry”.I shall come to your house shortly when we can sit and discuss it. Some solution will come out. The talk with Anjali gave me satisfaction, therefore, I disconnected the phone. I started completing my household work fast so that I may be able to sit with my friend and discuss leisurely.

After getting ready as I went to the living room the call came from Raghav. 'Payal I was in a hurry, so I could not say Bye properly. Did you have breakfast? Let's meet in the evening. I shall try to come early today. Raghav knew that I was angry with him because he did not tell me the reason for his sadness. I do not know the reason why Raghav shows his love and affection to me so deeply but keeps his pains limited to himself.

I told Raghav, 'Anjali is just about to arrive. I am just waiting for her. 'Oh wow ... that's good then. Talk with your friend to your heart’s content. By saying this Raghav disconnected the phone. A short while later Anjali came. We talked about the titbits. Then Anjali said “Look Payal, there must be some reason for brother- in- law to behave like this. He must have something in his mind which he doesn’t want to disclose. Firstly you let me know everything about his family.

Believe me, every problem has a solution in this world but it has to be searched out.“Payal, you know everything about Raghav. There is nothing for me to tell”. I could not understand what Anjali said. Whatever I knew about Raghav, Anjali too knew the same. If there was something new I could have told. Anjali said further, 'Payal, I may not know as much about Raghav, as you. Well, you had told me that Raghav's father got married for the second time and Raghav was the only son of his parents. When Raghav was in the Ninth class, his mother had died. After this Raghav’s papa got remarried and Raghav is the only son of the parents....

“Look Payal, there is definitely something that keeps Raghav at a distance from his parents. Many times husband has to be made to understand. It is not necessary that he shares everything which he has in his mind. Raghav's agony is his family's complications. From childhood, he could not see the face of his mother. Suddenly he saw another woman in the form of his mother for which he was not ready to accept”.“After giving all attention to the son, when the father‘s attention suddenly goes to his new wife, the child is bound to feel the loss of attention. It is also possible that Raghav has not mentally accepted his second mother due to which he keeps also a distance from his father. And probably this distance is eating away Raghav. This complexity is neither understood by you nor by Raghav. Raghav loves you very much Payal, and now it's your turn to get him back the happiness of his family. Erase the distance between him and his family. From what I understand, this is the only way out”.

Anjali's words forced me to know more about Raghav. I started getting a glimpse of his childhood, adolescence, and youth altogether. Throughout this period, I found in my analysis that Raghav was very much alone, he got entangled in his plight and that pain was eating him constantly. Perhaps I could not feel his pain Today when Anjali made an exposure of the reality, I got an opportunity to understand Raghav's mind.

I thanked Anjali with gratitude and resolved, "come what may" since I was Raghav's wife, from now onwards, I would also bear the full responsibility of being a daughter-in-law of the family.

So the next day, the moment Raghav left, I phoned up my in-laws' house. 'Hello, mummy ji, I am Payal speaking “. ... 'Hi dear ... how are you?” We thought that our daughter-in-law has forgotten us. Mummy’s such good-natured words of belonging gave me a great relief. I arranged my mummy’s visit to Delhi through the phone. Mummy apprehended that Raghav would get angry, but I made her agree with my persuasion.

It was true that Raghav neither told me that he would take me to his house at Varanasi nor he called his parents to come here, but now I have understood that for being human only one relationship is not enough but all relationships are equally important. Mother's affection, father's care, love of the brothers and sisters and the love of a spouse... In a human heart, space is provided for all types of love. I told my mother that she along with father should come here soon. Raghav had no inkling of this. After four days, when I started getting ready early in the morning, Raghav asked, 'Where are you going so well dressed and that too so early in the morning? I told with a smile, '” Railway station”. My in-law's train is due to reach the New Delhi station in a short while, and I am going to receive them. If you want, you may also come”.It was a sight to see Raghav’s face. He went on asking repeatedly, “How could this happen?”He could not believe that his parents could come to his house. It was Sunday and a holiday for Raghav. He had expressions of happiness, curiosity and surprise all mixed together but there was a new glow on the face, He got ready soon and we reached the station.

This was the first time after the marriage, when I was meeting my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I took a scarf for my head. For the first time, I got the feeling of a daughter-in-law, and believe me, it was a different feeling. We both bowed down before parents and then Raghav started the car. Papa was sitting on the seat next to Raghav and Mummy with me at the back seat. We reached home chatting.

Raghav's spirit was worth noting. As soon as we reached home, he asked me to prepare tea and breakfast and went out. He came back after some time heavily laden with choicest vegetables and fruits of parents. I do not remember how many years we took our meals sitting together like a family. While Raghav was eating quietly with his head bowed down I was talking very well with my parents. In a few days I became quite intimate with my mother-in-law, she told me that she was married at a very young age, but soon after her husband passed away. Her brother got her married again to Raghav's father. Mother and father did not like to have any children for the sake of Raghav. Both loved Raghav very much, but Raghav could not remove the doubts from his mind.

Only a few days had passed after my mother and father came to our house. I saw that Raghav was now talking to them, though his talk with mummy was still not that free. I was convinced of mummy’s courage. I told Raghav that mother for his sake had refused to have a child. Fifteen days have passed after the parents came here.

Mummy told, 'Payal dear ..., now please allow us” We will keep coming in between and you guys also make a program to come to our house during the next holidays. She had become very emotional saying this She said, 'Dear, I got the happiness of children for the first time in my life. You are not my daughter-in-law, but my daughter. My throat also got choked. She wanted to say something but could not speak as suddenly Raghav came forward and said with tears, 'Mummy, do you want to leave your son and go back?' Please forgive me now. I made a big mistake, I did not give you the status of a mother. But living with you for all these days I could realize that it was a shortcoming in my life, due to which I could not find peace anywhere. These words of Raghav touched his mother and she wept profusely.

Leaving mother and son for a few moments, I went to Papa. Papa said to me, 'Payal, getting a daughter-in-law like you, I consider myself fortunate today. You have done something which looked impossible to me. 'No papa, I did not do any big work, I just saved our house. Mom and Dad went away but we got rid of the doubts from our mind. After their departure, Raghav told me, 'Payal, I have given you a lot of love, but the way you understood my pains and treated them, my respect grew for you from then on.

Today we lead a happy life and truly speaking the whole credit goes to my friend Anjali.

THE END

सुखकेमायने

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