The Truth Of The Porch - Part I

It looks as though the bands will be played. All efforts made by me seem to have gone futile. Elder sister Urmila told her younger sister Chotu.

“Didi, you have got a place to live with aunt. Then why do you worry? Brother–in–law is not taking you out from there. If he gets annoyed, will uncle and aunt keep you? You live with respect in In-law's house. Be happy.”! Chotu tried to console Urmila.

It was only Choti who met Urmila without the knowledge of others. She was trying to heal the wound of her elder sister ."I shall always be there to help you." Chotu gave this assurance to Urmila. How stealthily she came to aunt’s house and encouraged me saying, "Didi be bold, I shall see to it that brother-in-law is not allowed to go for his second marriage. I am making all efforts possible"

Urmila knew the in and out of this house. She had studied the moods of her mother-in-law well. She was familiar with the behavior of her husband. No objectionable words are tolerated in this house. But Urmila believed in living with authority in this house. 

Urmila's heart had erupted like a volcano. A year had passed in making all efforts to prevent Raghubir Singh from his second marriage. She was convinced that Slokas of Saptapadi and going round the ritualistic fire “Agni” had some significance. No responsible bridegroom should chant the mantra and forget the vow taken later. Urmila was confident that she would make him rethink. But could she succeed? Her whole effort was no better than searching pearls in a desert.

Mother-in-law starts counting the comforts provided by the house. Urmila gets worried, thinking that whatever pleasure she gets as a charity only reminds her of her helplessness. But she was helpless as her fate itself was so bad Bearing years of neglect Urmila’s eyes looked sad. She had stopped crying. She pretended to be strong. 

"When had the crack developed to get discarded from the house?" Urmila started thinking. The skill of a daughter–in–law which is appreciated by others as a boon proved to be a bane in this house.

In those days no importance was given to the education of a girl child. Urmila was educated by her father and could recite Ram Charith Manas, Durga Chalisa, Sapta Shati, etc. Father gave a few religious books to her along with dowry. This was the reason for her to sit with those books in her spare time.

One day Seth Ratan Singh, who was proud of his daughter in law for reading Ramayan and Gita came to the courtyard and requested her to recite the Slokas of Ramayan for him. It was the practice in the house to cover her head with a veil (Ghunghat) before her father-in-law. Urmila did not come in front of him but recited from the inside the shrine room. Seth Ratan Singh was overwhelmed. Her tune, spelling, divinity, and proficiency were praised by him profusely. Mother-in-law got annoyed as to how without shame she could do all these before her father-in-law. This news reached all members of the family, including her son.

Suspicious minded Raghubir Singh, who had no interest in his wife heard her mother silently. Seth’s family was well respected in the village. Raghubir Singh had the belief that a daughter-in-law of the house must be sober to uphold the dignity of the family. Urmila wondered why they had such a false pride. She tried her best to change that wrong notion but where submissively accepting reasonable and unreasonable things was the practice, she could not break the barrier. Urmila's scissor-like tongue proved herself to be a haughty woman.

Urmila was sadly depressed hearing abuses from her mother-in-law. Her son was always in a hot temper. Seth Ratan Singh, who had a good reputation outside, was a mere puppet inside the four walls of his house. ,

Urmila was overtaken by another deficiency now. Five years’ of her married life could not give her a child to make her mother-in-law, a grandmother. Girls, who got married after her, could fill their houses with happiness. Now on this grounds, her mother-in-law wished that her son, Raghubir Singh should be married to another girl. But Urmila was not ready to leave the house.  

 ***

 

 END OF PART- I

चबूतरे का सच by Asha Pandey

https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/e2eesk4l/cbuutre-kaa-sc/detail