Chapter - 30
That con man from Delhi had left me very disappointed. I had to close down my consultancy business.
At that time, I owned my own house, so I didn't consider it a major problem, but the lack of income was very distressing.
In that situation, I started working at an estate agent's office, handling STD/courier services. But I didn't earn much there. So I changed locations and started an STD booth along with a stationery business. But since the shop was in a dead-end street, no customers came to my shop inside.. The same thing happened there.
And then, making a third attempt, I rented a third shop, which was next to a school. I hoped my business would do well there. But the same thing happened again.
Despite working twelve to fourteen hours a day, there was no profit.
One day, after twelve o'clock in the afternoon, I experienced severe chest pain. It felt like I was having a heart attack.
I took Eno (an antacid) as first aid.
The pain wasn't subsiding. In this situation, I asked my neighbor to call home.
Aarti dropped everything and came. She also called Aniket. He also came immediately. I was taken to the hospital immediately.
The doctor performed his routine checks and took an ECG. He was normal. In this situation, they had asked him to be admitted to the hospital for two days for further check-ups.
Just then, the Eno (antacid) had taken effect, and I was feeling completely normal. And we returned home.
My pain had completely disappeared.
The doctors would admit people to the hospital unnecessarily and rack up their huge bills.
Actually, the next day I went to Namita's house and ate vada pav and other oily foods, which caused this problem.
As if all this wasn't enough, Sunder was my biggest worry. I didn't know what to do about him.
But my problems didn't end there. I was suffering from acidity. My father's story had taught me that it's even more dangerous than a heart attack, so I was very much terrified.
This was the biggest difficulty in my life. I had to go to the hospital repeatedly.
Both my daughters also played a significant role in this.
I kept to myself. My in-laws took full advantage of this. They troubled us a lot during my elder daughter's wedding.
Instead of bringing the groom's procession to the hall we had booked, they called us to their area. I tried to explain things to the groom's family, especially their elderly member, but they remained adamant. They caused us considerable loss. Their guests were also very demanding. She had thrown away countless dishes without even tasting them.
Somehow, the wedding was completed. But my health deteriorated. I had to be hospitalized.
The same thing happened to me with Krishna.
She was in love with a boy.
She had even introduced him to me.
He didn't have parents. He lived with his uncle and aunt. Around that time, his uncle also passed away. They were four siblings. They belonged to a lower caste. Drinking alcohol and having affairs with other women were common there. That's why I refused to let her marry him, but she eloped and got married. That was a big shock to me, and I had to go to the hospital again.
In this situation, my mother-in-law added insult to injury.
"What if the marriage isn't successful? What if Krishna comes back?"
Then I gave her a sharp reply.
"I will get her married again. Didn't your brother's son's daughter get married three times?"
Hearing this, she was silenced.
Krishna found out that I was in the hospital.
They came to the hospital at four in the morning to seek my blessings.
I forgot everything and hugged both of them.
After her marriage, I received a call from the police station. "Krishna is your daughter, isn't she?"
"Yes!"
"Did you know she got married?"
"Do you want to take any action?"
"Absolutely not."
The conversation ended there.
A few days later, Krishna's in-laws invited us for a meal. Their lifestyle, food, and way of speaking were completely different. I had only one concern: how would Krishna manage in such an environment?
But Krishna was my daughter. She possessed all my qualities. She had adapted to the situation.
The boy's name was Milind. He had promised me:
"I love your daughter Krishna immensely. I will not cause her any trouble."
But my own experience had shaken my faith in love marriages.
After the wedding, Krishna's aunt's brother had upset me.
He had criticized her for not wearing a veil.
I got angry. I immediately shut him up. Then he reprimanded me for teaching his daughter something wrong. And I had to say:
"You have your sister's sons at home, don't you? Go and get them married tomorrow, then you can give this lecture."
(To be continued)
