Chapter -15
My feet were aching that night. Suhani, being kind, massaged my feet. Her behavior made me realize the truth of the saying, "A sister-in-law is half a wife."
But I was absolutely certain that after I left, Hasmukh must have also asked Suhani to massage his feet, and she wouldn't have refused.
'First impression is the last impression!'
He had become my rival.
This thought forced me to think this way.
Yet, I was very happy. The memories of the time spent with Suhani brought me joy, a joy that Hasmukh had snatched away. I couldn't stand him at all.
I had received an heir, and along with it, Suhani's affection. Hasmukh didn't refrain from his dirty tricks to snatch away my double happiness.
The next morning, badi ma - pushpa bahen and I left for Mumbai by bus.
After reaching home and putting away our luggage, I went straight to the maternity home to see my heir. Badi ma accompanied me.
A week later, Suhani returned to Mumbai alongwith Hasmukh. Why did she come? I tried to figure it out. Perhaps I was right. She was missing Anish.
But why did my mother-in-law allow her to come alone? This question was bothering me. Suhani had become very close to Hasmukh after coming to Mumbai. She even went out to eat with him at a hotel. I couldn't digest this.
He used to live alone at home for a considerable amount of time.
Who knows what all he did with Suhani?
I had considered him my friend and shared everything with him. He took unfair advantage of that too.
Annoyed by something Suhani did, I started smoking cigarettes in front of Hasmukh. I didn't even know how to smoke. He lit a cigarette and took the first puff, demonstrating it for me.
Pushpa bahen was in Mumbai, and lived alone in her own house. And Suhani lived alone in her own house. And Hasmukh kept visiting her repeatedly. I didn't like his attitude. Suhani gave him more importance, and I had no right to say anything.
His wife was living in the village, which gave him free pass to meet her as and when needed..
After Suhani, there was Kshipra, my sister-in-law. After her, there was Trishali, my other sister-in-law. She was younger, so I used to have a lot of fun with her, teasing her. She liked everything. She was two steps ahead of Suhani. She also had two relationships going on simultaneously. Kshipra also knew a boy. He claimed to consider her his sister.
They used to meet every day under the pretext of going to the temple. It seemed like she had chosen her mother's path. But there was nothing wrong in her heart, because she had received good values from my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law was troubled by her behavior, because she had become too involved with the servant who worked in her elder sister's shop.
After the wedding, Suhani and I became quite close. We lived next door to each other, so we saw each other frequently.
It is said: "Even a father and daughter shouldn't spend too much time alone together."
We had forgotten this. Every day, under the pretext of studying, Suhani and I would be together late into the night, sometimes at my house, sometimes at hers. It was as if I had become infected by her presence.
Once, while studying, I pretended to be sleepy and rested my head on Suhani's lap. Seeing this, she became emotional. She stroked my head and asked very affectionately,
"Brother-in-law! Are you feeling sleepy?"
I didn't answer. And I rested my head on her chest. She didn't say anything. This stirred something within me. I embraced Suhani. She didn't show any displeasure at my behavior.She seemed to like my behavior.
I laid her down on the ground.
I was about to do something wrong.
Suddenly, at that moment, my conscience awakened.
And I stopped. Yet, I had behaved inappropriately with her two or three times. And she hadn't objected, which encouraged me to go further.
But it wouldn't end with just one embrace.
This fear was haunting me.
Suhani was at my house at that time.
Aarti was also sleeping nearby.
Even so, I did that with Suhani...
Because she seemed to enjoy it too.
I had another suspicion. Had Suhani informed Hasmukh about my actions, which had then given him a license to do the same?
0000000000 (To be continued) Chapter -14
