chapter 2

    Chetana stood frozen outside the door for what seemed like an eternity. A vacuum filled up within her and benumbed her. She couldn’t think of anything though she badly wanted to reconcile with her daughter and prevent her from going ahead on a path that she feared would one day ruin Richa’s life for sure.     But what was there that she hadn’t done? As a mother she had done everything that she could do to safeguard her daughter’s life and future. But Richa was not willing to listen to a word of what her old-fashioned, orthodox mother had to say.A little later, Richa opened the door and came out holding her bags. She was going on a one-month-long study tour. Richa turned her face away flushed with anger on seeing her mother. Her grip tightened on her bags as she quickly stomped away like a hurricane. A teary-eyed Chetana ran after her and held onto her hand.“Leave me,” Richa screamed.“Have your breakfast, dear.” Chetana finally found her voice, “You are going on such a long journey. You shouldn’t step out of the house with an empty stomach.”“I don’t want to have anything.” Richa avoided looking into her mother’s imploring eyes. “I just want to get rid of you and this damn house of yours where you had kept me imprisoned all these years.”“No,” Chetana covered her ears with her hands, “don’t say such inauspicious things before setting out on a journey. It’s a bad omen. You are going away for so long, Richa. Let’s forget everything and makeup with each other before you go. Now, come here and give me a hug.”Chetana held out her arms to Richa while she kept standing with her back turned towards her mother. After a while, Richa started descending the steps without a word.“At least have a glass of milk, baby,” Chetana called out.The horn of the college bus sounded and Richa quickened her pace.“Don’t forget to call me, Richa.” Chetana hurried after her, “You know I can’t sleep peacefully till I get a call from you.”Silence was the only reply Chetana got from her daughter.“I will miss you, baby,” Chetana said almost on the verge of tears as Richa was about to step out of the house.“I will not!” Richa turned with an angry stare for one last time before running out towards the bus waiting for her outside the gate of their bungalow.    Chetana was stunned by her only daughter’s hostile behaviour. Her eyes remained fixed on Richa till the college bus vanished out of sight. Her stony eyes kept staring at the empty road for a long time after the bus was gone as if waiting for Richa to run back into her arms.       When she came to her senses, she dragged herself back to her bedroom and thumped on the bed. Her eyes turned towards the picture of her husband who was holding her lovingly in his arms. She smiled through her tears as she looked at the smiling faces in the picture. Her pain seemed to wane a bit as she thought of her husband who had left early in the morning for Singapore on a business tour.“Anant,” Chetana said as she held the photograph in her hands, “I am really worried about our daughter. Please come back as soon as possible. I have a lot to talk with you.”Chetana held the picture close to her and kissed it. A drop of tear slid down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and said, “I miss you, Anant.”‘I will not!’ Richa’s words rang in her ears and she opened her eyes with a start.She placed the picture back on the bedside table and wiped her face. She thought of calling Anant but then dismissed the idea as she realized that there was still time for his flight to land.        Chetana’s hands softly caressed the well-carved, ebony-hued features of her husband’s face in the picture. He was her pillar of support, a partner-in-mischief and a shoulder to cry on that she needed badly now.     Anant Subramanian was a chartered accountant in a Singapore-based company at the time of their marriage. A handsome man in his late twenties, Anant had dreams of making it big in the B- world. He came back to his hometown Chennai a decade ago and started his own firm with whatever little savings he had with him.      Owing to his sheer determination and willpower, his firm prospered by leaps and bounds and now Anant Subramanian was one of those names in the business world whose tremendous success has made everyone envious of him.  Chetana was head over heels in love with the tender, caring and down-to-earth man that Anant was. She admired the way he managed to sneak himself out of his busy schedule to celebrate their daughter’s birthday or take her out on a romantic candlelight dinner on their wedding anniversaries.      He was repugnant towards those crazy workaholics who fail to enjoy life in their frenzied race after success. For him, his family was the first and foremost priority. Chetana’s heart went out to him when she saw him crack jokes, dance and enjoy at those functions even when the pressures of work were weighing heavily on his mind.     His positive attitude and jovial nature would never let anyone know how troubled he was deep within. Chetana had deep faith in the ardency of his love and was sure that no matter what he will always be there for her through the trials and tribulations of life.     She felt proud of herself for having such a charming gentleman for a husband who was perfect in every aspect. Her only concern now was her daughter who was becoming even more troublesome with the passing years.‘Anant will definitely come up with a way to deal with Richa,’ Chetana thought as she got up.   A new wave of hope and energy spread through her lamenting soul as she thought of Anant. She smiled in spite of her daughter’s brutal remarks still lingering in her ears. She looked at the clock and shook her head before walking out with a quick stride.      It was already 10 o'clock and all her household jobs were still waiting for her attention. She went to the kitchen and instructed her maid to start making preparations for the lunch while she took charge of the laundry.     She pulled out Anant’s clothes from the laundry basket and checked the pockets for anything precious in them before putting them in the washing machine. From one of the pockets of his blazer, she drew out a dainty handkerchief made of soft silk.     The delicate embroidery on the borders and the mesmerizing smell of perfume it was emitting told her that it belonged to some lady. She unfolded it with a rocketing heart and found some alphabets scribbled with glittering threads on it which read – ‘Adira’*    *    *Dear readers,Who is Adira? Stay tuned to know. Please like and leave a review for this part of the story. Thank you.