Chapter 61: chapter 61

Arnab  parked the car and they took the back door to reach their room. Mowri  had already decided to apologize to biji  and Kulraj for everything that had happened and he had supported her decision. For now they both got ready and while Arnab  went in search of his father in law to let him know he wasn't happy about what happened and that he should have done something about it as the father of the two girls involved Mowri  went to biji 's room hoping she was still there and alone.Luckily biji  was in her room and alone. Mowri  knocked twice before she entered. Biji  looked up from where she sat. She looked sad and tired to Mowri ."Biji ," Mowri  said hesitantly."Mowri ," biji  said, "all ready," she said as she took in Mowri 's clothes, "to go or to stay?" she asked with a raised eyebrow."You know you can never change biji ," Mowri  said in a huff, "I am not going to wear flashy clothes if I was to go back home right, and still you ask me that," she replied."You can never change either my dear girl," biji  said with a smile, "I asked you a straight question and you can never give me a straight answer," she replied."Biji , I came to apologize," Mowri  said with her head bowed, "I should not have spoken to you that way. It was wrong of me," she said."Come here," biji  said and patted the seat next to her. Mowri  went and sat next to her grandmother. Biji  took her hand in hers and she was surprised, "don't apologize for feeling hurt Mowri ," she said quietly, "at least I can't fault you in that. We have never been fair to you and I believe somewhere I am an equally responsible party in all this," she said and Mowri  almost protested but biji  shook her head indicating her to keep quiet, "I have never discriminated amongst my kids or my grandkids and it is the truth whether anyone believes it or not but yes I have been negligent in fulfilling my responsibility as the head of this family," she said and sighed. "For years I let your Darji dictate my actions and then when he left I was overwhelmed with all the responsibilities of keeping this family together. I knew what was happening but with everything else going on I couldn't take a step towards stopping it. I would from time to time advice your mother to not let Simrit get her way every single time but she didn't pay any heed to what I was telling her and by the time I realized, things had gotten out of hand. Roop understands that now and in my belief it is never too late," she said wisely, "I should have supported you five years ago, I should have been with you but years of habit cannot be undone in one day. This family, its welfare, its name, the respect it commands have always been priority and that day too it came first," she explained.This was new to her. Mowri  had never expected biji  to give an explanation of her actions to her. She already knew and understood how her biji  operated and she wasn't blaming her. Actually after talking to Arnab  she found she couldn't blame anybody. Whatever happened was no one person's fault. They were all equally accountable and that included her too. She had never stood up for herself before taking things the way they were, her giving in also was a factor responsible for things to escalate to a level where everything got out of hand. She should have let her agony and anger known to others but she hadn't bottling up all inside."Biji  you don't have to explain anything to me," Mowri  said, "I love you for who you are and I am not blaming you for anything. What I had said earlier was in anger and I am sorry for it," she said."Mowri , I am not explaining things to you because of what you said earlier," Biji  said resolutely, "I am telling you because I can't say this to anybody. Don't you think I feel guilty too," she said, "I could never forgive myself for not being able to judge Varun properly. Had you gotten married to him I would have been responsible. You would have been miserable. Who would have taken the blame then? I couldn't forgive myself for stopping Simrit from doing what she did. You think I couldn't have shut her up today, I could have but when she said she could take Arnab  from you given half a chance I decided to take a step back and let you have a go at her," she said, "you had a right to defend yourself and your husband and I let you have it," she informed her. "I am the elder in this family Mowri  it is my right to make sure everything is fine and I lacked in my duty earlier but I also have to make sure that because of one person the innocent member doesn't suffer. I had made that mistake the last time I wasn't going to make the same mistake today and so I asked you to stay. If anyone has to go it has to be Simrit as Roop has already told her," she said.Mowri  was surprised. Her mother had told Simrit to leave. When did that happen?"Roop was very disturbed after today's events. She had been wondering about Simrit for a while but today's faceoff really got her to see what she had been suspecting," biji  explained reading her surprise accurately. "She confronted Simrit and told her if she couldn't behave she could leave and next time she wants to visit she will have to get her permission first," biji  said proudly. Finally, her daughter in law had given her a reason to be proudof."I don't believe it," Mowri  said still stunned, "ma said that to Simrit," she said in complete disbelief."Mowri , Roop loves you too only whatever notions were fed to her growing up she believed in them and loved Simrit a little more," Biji  said gently, "a lot of us suffer with the same hypocrisies. She has always been worried for you too only with you distancing yourself from her and us she wasn't sure where she stood with you," she told her and Mowri  looked away, "she came to me afterwards and told me what she had told Simrit and how guilty she feels for neglecting you all these years or for not having the courage to say how she felt to you," biji  said as she placed a hand on Mowri 's head, "in a way it is good, what happened today. I hope all will be well from here on," she said, "did you talk to Arnab ," she asked."Yes," Mowri  said."What did he say?" biji  asked again."You know what biji ," Mowri  said, "it is between me and him so I am not telling you," she said stubbornly which brought a smile of satisfaction on biji 's face, "but I will give you one thing and one thing alone though I know you are going to rub it in every time but it is worth it," she said and as biji  raised her eyebrows she said, "you were right about Arnab ," Mowri  said reluctantly and as biji  laughed Mowri  cringed. She knew her grandmother would gloat over that for a long time to come but for now she was glad that biji  felt better.Then instinctively she hugged her grandmother. Biji  patted her shoulder and blessed her."Now let's go and have some fun," biji  said lightly as Mowri  straightened, "let's show those good for nothing people outside how things are done every time a scandal erupts," she said and they walked out together with a smile.People saw them and hushed up but as they saw things were normal between everyone they blended in. Arnab  stayed with Mowri  throughout the remainder of the evening and together they answered questions that were put to them. Preeti felt better too after apologizing to her sister for not being there and then hugging her. For a change even Varun apologized for Simrit's behavior though neither Arnab  nor Mowri  bought his act but they decided to let the matter go. Arnab  had already given a piece of his mind to Amardeep and he seemed to respond well to that criticism. Kulraj was happy all was going well now and so was Nimmi. The only person who did not attend was Simrit. And though everyone wondered what she was up to nobody bothered overly much about her.  Roop watched the celebration from the side. She was with some relatives but her eyes looked for Mowri  every now and then. She seemed to be doing okay. But Roop had to apologize to her and she couldn't find the courage to do so. What if Mowri  rejected her? What would she do then? She had no idea. She had already spoken to biji  about it and she seemed to be in support of her decision. If only she could find the courage and a place to talk to her daughter. What mother was shy of talking things out with her own daughter? How had they reached this stage? But if the mother was guilty of doing wrong by her child she would feel the same. Roop waited and finally found the opportunity she had been looking for. She just hoped Mowri  would forgive her. **********