A Festival of Realisation

Before starting this chapter I want to tell you something that I had started a new story named "Falling For My Husband". That story is totally different from this one and also the male protagonist is not like Adrijay. So, do check it for once.

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Adrijay watched her leave and, in his mind, said to himself, "Tomorrow, I am coming to your home, and this will be our first trip together. Just wait and see, during this trip, I will take the first step toward improving our relationship. No matter how small, the distance between us will surely lessen after this trip. I promise you this, Sarika. This trip will always be memorable for you..." Saying this, he smiled and then followed behind Sarika.

In the evening,

Sarika was preparing for the puja in the temple, wearing the saffron-colored saree Adrijay had brought for her. Just then, Vishakha walked in, sat down, and smiled as she asked, "Bhabhi, what should I do?"

Hearing her voice, Sarika turned her attention to her, then smiled and said, "You look so beautiful, devrani ji! Did Devar ji buy this saree for you?"

Vishakha blushed and nodded, then mischievously asked, "And this saree... Bhaiya bought it for you, right?"

Sarika lowered her eyes, flushed and nodded, making Vishakha smile as she said, "Well, you don’t look any less stunning, Bhabhi... I must say, Bhaiya has great taste. This color suits you perfectly!"

Hearing Vishakha’s words, a shy smile appeared on Sarika’s lips.

Just then, Yamini Ji entered the room, and upon seeing Sarika’s happiness, she started glaring at her.

Vishakha, who had been smiling at Sarika, noticed Yamini Ji and immediately turned to her with a cheerful smile. "Oh, Mummy Ji, you’re here! (Then, looking at her outfit, she said,) You look wonderful too. Did Bhaiya buy this saree for you as well?"

Hearing this, Yamini Ji fumed inside and said bitterly, "I am not that fortunate. How can I expect my son to buy a saree for his mother? He is too busy thinking about his wife to even remember his mother..."

Her words instantly wiped the smile off Sarika’s face, and she lowered her eyes.

Vishakha, however, did not like Yamini Ji's remark and said, "But after marriage, isn’t it natural for a husband to think about his wife, Mummy Ji? If Bhaiya thought about Bhabhi, what’s wrong with that?"

Yamini Ji was about to reply angrily when Adhik and Tanishk ran in, shouting happily, "Happy Diwali!"

Seeing the children, Yamini Ji swallowed her anger and forced a smile as she said, "Happy Diwali, children!"

Just then, Adrijay and Devansh entered, dressed in kurta-pajamas. Seeing them, Vishakha asked, "Shall we start the puja now?"

Yamini Ji looked at her and said, "Today, you and Dev will perform the puja since it’s your first Diwali together."

Vishakha nodded, and she and Devansh stepped forward to begin the Diwali puja.

A little while later, after the puja was completed, Vishakha took the aarti plate and moved around the house, showing the aarti. Then she returned and placed the plate in front of the deity. Everyone stepped forward to take the aarti.

After taking the aarti, Tanishk excitedly said, "Mumma, let’s go burst firecrackers now!"

Sarika shook her head and said, "No, Tanu, not yet. Tonight, Goddess Saraswati blesses all her children, so first, you and Adhu must sit in front of the deity and study for a while. After that, we’ll light the firecrackers, okay?"

Hearing this, Tanishk unwillingly said, "Okay," and went to his room with Adhik to get their books.

Vishakha, curious, asked, "Bhabhi, is this really true? I’ve never heard of this before..."

Devansh smiled slightly and said, "Yes, it’s true. You know, when I used to study, Bhabhi made me do the same. I would study first and then go out to burst firecrackers."

Sarika smiled at Vishakha and said, "Yes, it really is true. Actually, my Baba believed in this. When I was studying, he taught me a few things that helped me top my village in the twelfth grade. Studying after the Diwali puja was one of the things he taught me."

Hearing this, Adrijay looked at her in surprise and asked, "You topped in twelfth grade? You never told me this!"

Before Sarika could say anything, Yamini Ji interrupted, "Oh, that’s enough now. The children will study, but Dev and Adri, you two go and light the diyas outside the house. And Sarika, Vishakha, you two go and distribute the prasad to the neighbors. Otherwise, you’ll get busy bursting firecrackers and won’t realize how time flies."

Sarika and Vishakha nodded and went to the kitchen, while Adrijay and Devansh went to place the diyas outside. As soon as they left, Yamini Ji let out a sigh of relief and said, "Good thing they all left; otherwise, everyone would have started praising Sarika again. Huh... she thinks too highly of herself. Just because she topped in a village, she’s acting as if she topped the entire state!" Saying this, she made a face and went to sit on the sofa.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Vishakha smiled and said, "Bhabhi, I had no idea you were a topper!"

Sarika smiled slightly and said, "It’s not a big deal. I only topped in my village. If I had topped the entire state, then it would have been something remarkable."

Hearing this, Vishakha pouted and said, "Oh, Bhabhi, at least you topped somewhere! I barely passed college with a third division. I never really understood studies! That’s why, as soon as I fell in love with Dev in college, I told my family, ‘Get me married!’ And look at me now—living such a peaceful life. If I had been stuck in studies, I would have been living a boring life today too!"

Hearing this, Sarika laughed and shook her head before continuing her work.

After a while, everyone finished their work and went to the courtyard to light fireworks. But among them, Sarika stood at a distance, smiling as she watched everyone. She was not allowed to light fireworks with the others—just being there was a privilege for her. However, sometimes, in these little moments, she felt distant from the family, and her heart ached. But what could she do other than fulfill her duty? After all, that was a woman’s duty—to adjust to situations. And Sarika was doing just that.

Adrijay was handing a sparkler to Tanishk when his gaze fell on Sarika, standing apart.

Seeing her standing alone, Adrijay handed the sparkler to Tanishq and walked over to Sarika, taking her hand as he said, “Come.”

Sarika looked at him in surprise and asked, “Where?”

Adrijay brought her into the group and said, “To celebrate with everyone... You have just as much right to enjoy this festival as everyone else, Sarika. So live this moment, celebrate this festival—who knows if this moment will ever come again?” He said the last part in a rather dramatic tone, making Sarika laugh as she asked, “Since when did you become so dramatic?”

Lost in her laughter, Adrijay lovingly said, “Probably since I realized your worth.”

Hearing his words, Sarika’s smile faded. Avoiding his gaze, she said, “We should check on the kids,” and walked away toward Tanishk and Adhik.

Adrijay also joined the children, helping them light fireworks.

After some time, everyone gathered in the hall, freshened up, and sat at the dining table, waiting for dinner.

Sarika and Vishakha quickly set the table with all the food. Then, Sarika brought fresh hot puris and was about to return to the kitchen when Adrijay held her hand and said, “Where are you going? Sit down and eat with us.”

Sarika, feeling nervous, glanced at Yamini Ji before hesitantly saying, “I… I’ll eat later… You all eat first.”

Before Adrijay could say anything, Vishakha said, “Yes, Bhabhi, we know you always eat later, but today is a festival. Please, eat with us today.”

Tanishk, Adhik, and Devansh also insisted that Sarika join them. Reluctantly, she had no choice but to sit beside Adrijay. As everyone chatted and ate, Yamini Ji clenched her fists in anger.

Noticing this, Vishakha asked, “Mummy Ji, why aren’t you eating?”

Hearing her voice, Yamini Ji forced a smile, suppressing her anger, and began eating.

After dinner, Sarika was washing the dishes in the kitchen while Vishakha wiped them dry and placed them on the rack.

Just then, Tanishk ran in and said excitedly, “Mumma, Mumma, please give me one kaju katli quickly!”

Sarika, trying to reason with him, said, “Tanu, you’ve had too many sweets today. No more.”

Tanishk pouted and said, “Please, Mumma! Just one! I won’t ask for more… I’ll eat again tomorrow.”

Sarika frowned at him and said firmly, “I already said no. Now go to Papa. I’ll come in a while to put you to bed.”

Tanishk made a face and turned to leave when Vishakha smiled and handed him a kaju katli, saying, “It’s okay, Bhabhi. Let him have it today. It’s a festival, after all. These little things are fine on such days.”

Before Sarika could say anything, Tanishk returned the kaju katli to Vishakha, frowned at her, and said, “I don’t want anything from your hands! And I always listen to my Mamma, so I won’t eat it.” Saying this, he ran away.

Sarika, feeling bad, walked over to Vishakha and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, saying, “Don’t worry, Devrani Ji. He will accept you soon… Just give him some time. You know he’s still a child, and children don’t hold on to things for too long. You’ll see—soon he will be normal with you and talk to you like before.”

Vishakha gave a faint smile, then put the kaju katli back in the box and placed it in the fridge. She then asked, “Bhabhi, now that all the work is done, shall we go outside?”

Sarika nodded, wiped her hands, and walked out of the kitchen with her.

In the hall, everyone was sitting and chatting when the doorbell rang. Sarika went to open the door.

Standing outside were Adrijay’s friends and their families. Seeing them, Sarika felt strange because, apart from Mohit and Niharika, she had never met any of Adrijay’s other friends.

Among them was Mohit, who smiled and said, “Happy Diwali, Bhabhi!”

Sarika smiled lightly and said, “Happy Diwali, Bhaiya… Didn’t Niharika Ji come?”

Mohit wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, “Uff, Bhabhi, you know how pregnant women’s mood swings are! Your dear Niharika Ji had a sudden mood swing at the last moment, so she didn’t come.”

Hearing this, Sarika laughed and said, “Yes, I understand. Well, please come in.” She stepped aside to let them in.

Mohit and the others entered. Adrijay, who was sitting on the sofa, looked surprised and asked, “You all… here?”

Ajit, one of Adrijay’s friends, joked, “Why? Are you not happy to see us?”

Adrijay quickly said, “It’s not like that… Just that… at this time?”

Mohit said, “Oh, come on, brother! It’s Diwali! Have you forgotten? We used to play cards all night and party. We just came to relive those old memories.”

Adrijay smiled and said, “Alright, then. Sit down, all of you.”

As everyone sat on the sofa, Mohit said, "Let me introduce everyone to Adrijay’s family."

(Pointing towards Ajit’s family, he said,) "This is Ajit, his wife Shruti, and their lovely daughter Tanvi."

(Then, pointing towards another friend’s family, he said,) "This is Nitin, his wife Aruna, and their adorable son Sparsh."

(Then, pointing towards Adrijay’s family, Mohit introduced everyone to them.)

After meeting everyone, Nitin smiled and said, "I sincerely apologize for disturbing you all at this time, but actually, my flight is tomorrow, and I am moving to the South permanently with my family. I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit again, so I thought of meeting all my friends before leaving."

Hearing this, Adrijay looked at him and asked, "But how did this happen so suddenly? You didn’t mention anything before."

Nitin smiled at him and said, "Actually, everything happened very quickly. And then, the job offer is really good. You know how difficult it is to manage everything with today’s inflation. So, when I got a better offer from Bangalore, I decided to move."

Adrijay smiled at him and said, "Well, no worries. Go there safely, and don’t forget us."

Nitin smiled and said, "Of course not, buddy."

Meanwhile, Sarika came with water and sweets and served everyone. After that, she quickly went to the kitchen to arrange snacks for everyone, and Vishakha went with her to help.

A little while later, Sarika and Vishakha brought the snacks and served everyone.

Everyone praised the food.

After having snacks, the men sat together and started playing cards, while the women sat separately and chatted.

The children were playing in Tanishk and Adhik’s room.

Just then, Aruna, who was quite arrogant, looked Sarika up and down and asked, "Well, Sarika, what’s your educational qualification?"

Feeling uncomfortable with her question, Sarika intertwined her fingers nervously and said softly, "I am a twelfth pass."

Aruna wrinkled her nose and said, "Only twelfth pass? Oh God! What did Adrijay even see in you that he directly married an illiterate girl? Well, anyway, it was his choice, so I have nothing to say. By the way, do you know? I have known Adrijay since school days, and his choices have always been unique. I don’t know what he saw in you!"

Hearing her words, a sly smile appeared on Yamini Ji’s lips.

Sarika’s eyes welled up with tears, but she composed herself, got up, and said, "I’ll just check on the kids."

Saying this, she was about to leave when Vishakha held her hand. Sarika looked at her with teary eyes, but Vishakha, without looking at her, turned to Aruna and dramatically said, "Awww, how unfortunate for Adrijay Bhaiya, right? Well, what can we do now? But Aruna, tell me about yourself. You are well-educated, yet you don’t have a job? Oh, right! You must be a housewife. But do you even know how to do household chores? I don’t think so. Poor Nitin Bhaiya! Maybe he’s moving to another city because of you. Could it be that he’s shifting just because this environment doesn’t suit you? Or maybe because he can’t handle your tantrums and drama? Perhaps he’s moving to another city to fulfill your expensive demands, right?"

Hearing her words, Aruna stood up angrily, pointed a finger at Vishakha, and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you say all this about me?"

Seeing her so furious, Sarika tried to calm Vishakha down, but Vishakha was Vishakha—how could she stay quiet?

So she stood up, smiled, and said, "Why? Are you upset because I told the truth? Awww! You know what? I felt just as bad, and so did Bhabhi. Actually, who even are you? Do you have any identity of your own? How much did you score in twelfth? I’m sure, with your attitude, just passing must have been a big deal for you. But you know what? My Bhabhi was a topper. Whether she wanted to study further or not, whether she wanted to marry or not, is her personal matter. Do you even know what personal means? I’m sure, being so literate and educated, you must know, right? So, as I was saying, all of this is her personal matter, and why Bhaiya chose Bhabhi is also his personal matter. And in all this, you have absolutely no role in their lives, which means neither of them is answerable to you. I think you’ve been insulted quite enough, so if you have even a little—" (she gestured with her fingers to show a tiny amount) "just a tiny bit of shame, you can now leave with your so-called family."

(She pointed towards the door with a fake smile and said,) "The door is that way! Thank you for coming, and Happy Diwali, sweetheart!"

Hearing her words, Aruna angrily stormed into the children’s room, almost dragging Sparsh downstairs. Then, she went to Nitin and said, "Let’s go from here!"

Nitin stood up and asked in confusion, "But what happened?"

Aruna yelled in anger, "I said let’s go from here, or else your relationship with me ends right here!"

Nitin looked at her in shock and then glanced at Adrijay before saying, "Sorry, buddy, I’ll meet you later."

Saying this, he left with Aruna.

Adrijay, Mohit, and Ajit stood there watching them leave, confused.

On the other hand, Sarika hugged Vishakha tightly, crying, and said, "Thank you, Devrani Ji!"

Without saying anything, Vishakha hugged her back.

Seeing all this, Yamini Ji stormed off to her room in anger.

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How was the chapter?

Tell me in the comment section and one more thing guys, i am not whitewashing Vishakha's character. Don't worry karma will hit her soon. Just be patient!!

Next chapter target:- 1k votes and 200 comments.