Unspoken Desires

Lucknow,

At 4:30 in the morning, Sarika stood in the temple of her large four-story house, holding an aarti plate in front of the idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Her face was peaceful, and her sweet voice echoed through the entire house as she performed the aarti.

After completing the aarti, she moved around the house, showing the light of the aarti to every corner, and then placed the aarti plate in front of Lord Shiva's idol. Folding her hands, she silently prayed, "हे महादेव! Please keep my children and this family happy always. Fulfill everyone’s desires, and bless my husband with success and progress so that this house never faces any financial problems."

She stood there with her hands folded for a while, smiled, opened her eyes, and then went into the kitchen to begin her day.

In the kitchen, Sarika quickly started preparing breakfast and lunch.

Around 6:30 AM, her eyes fell on the clock, and she immediately washed her hands and rushed to her children’s room. Entering the room, she sighed in relief when she saw her children still sleeping.

Moving forward, she sat beside Adhik (her elder son, 8 years old), gently stroked his hair, and lovingly tried to wake him up, “Adhu, look, it’s morning now. You have to go to school, right? Come on, wake up.”

Adhik woke up in one go, rubbed his eyes, and said, “Good morning, Mumma!”

Sarika smiled, pushed back the hair on his forehead, and said, “Good morning, Adhu. Now quickly go and take a bath. I’ll get your clothes ready, and then I have to wake up your little brother too.”

Adhik obeyed her and went to the washroom. Sarika then looked at Tanishk (her younger son, 5 years old), who was sleeping with an innocent expression and his mouth slightly open.

Seeing him sleep like this, Sarika kissed his forehead and began waking him up. But Tanishk frowned, turned to the other side, and went back to sleep. Sarika sighed deeply and tried to wake him again with love. After much effort, Tanishk finally woke up, hugged her, and said, “Good morning, Mumma!”

Sarika kissed his forehead and said, “Good morning, mere chhotu (my little one) ! Now come on, let me help you freshen up because you have to go to school, right?”

Tanishk pulled away and said, “No, Mumma! I don’t want to go to school.”

Sarika sat him on her lap and lovingly explained, “Why don’t you want to go to school, Tanu? Don’t you want to grow up and become a good person like your father? Successful and talented like him, so that people praise you the way they praise him?”

Tanishk thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Sarika smiled and continued, “Then for that, you need to study, right? Without studying, you can’t become like him. So you’ll have to go to school if you want to be like Papa.”

After thinking for a while, Tanishk said, “Okay, Mumma, I’ll go to school because I want to be like Papa.”

Sarika smiled, picked him up, and took him to the bathroom. She handed him a toothbrush with toothpaste on it and called out to Adhik, “Adhu, are you done with your bath?”

Adhik responded from inside, “Yes, Mumma! I’m almost done, coming out now.”

Sarika waited for Adhik to come out of the shower area. As soon as he did, she carried Tanishk to the bathroom.

A while later, Sarika had both the children fully ready for school. She brought them downstairs, seated them at the dining table, and rushed to the kitchen to get their breakfast.

She quickly served them breakfast and, while packing their lunch boxes, said, “Make sure to finish your tiffin, both of you. It should be completely empty, hmm?”

Tanishk asked excitedly, “Mumma, what’s in the tiffin today?”

Sarika smiled and said, “Ladyfinger vegetable and paratha.”

Hearing this, Tanishk pouted, and Sarika shook her head in disbelief. She said, “Okay, now you both sit here. I’ll go wake your father.”

Tanishk complained, “Because of Papa, we’re always late, Mumma! My teacher scolds me. Tell Papa to wake up early in the morning.”

Sarika nodded silently and went upstairs toward her room.

Standing outside the room, Sarika took a deep breath to calm her fear and then opened the door. She saw Adrijay standing in front of the mirror, tying his tie.

In formal clothes, Adrijay looked even more attractive. Sarika stood at the door, staring at him intently. Just then, Adrijay finished tying his tie and turned around, catching Sarika staring at him. Clearing his throat, he pretended not to notice.

Sarika, startled, stammered, “Uh… the kids… they’re waiting for you downstairs.”

Adrijay nodded and was about to leave when Sarika stopped him, nervously intertwining her fingers and looking down, “Tanu was saying his teacher scolds him for being late. Could you please try waking up a little earlier?”

Adrijay glared at her and said, “So now I can’t even sleep peacefully after coming home exhausted? Is that what you mean?”

Sarika, frightened, quickly replied, “No, I didn’t mean that.”

Adrijay, irritated, said, “I know exactly what you meant. Madam stays at home all day and enjoys her comfort while I work non-stop, and I’m not even allowed a few moments of peaceful sleep!”

He left angrily after saying this. Tears welled up in Sarika’s eyes as she watched him leave. She whispered to herself, “You think I relax all day, but if you were in my place, you’d know what I go through in this house.”

Wiping her tears, she headed downstairs.

As soon as Sarika came downstairs, Tanishk ran to her, gesturing for her to bend down. Sarika smiled and bent down.

Tanishk kissed her cheek and said, “Bye, Mumma! Take care. I’ll come back from school soon, and then we’ll have lots of fun, okay?”

Sarika, with moist eyes, nodded and kissed his forehead, saying, “You also take care, Tanu. Finish your tiffin, and no fighting at school, hmm?”

Tanishk nodded innocently. Just then, the sound of a car horn interrupted them. Tanishk waved goodbye and ran outside. Sarika followed him and waved to Adhik, seated in the car.

As Tanishk got into the car, Adrijay started it and drove off. Sarika stood there, watching the car leave, and then went back inside to the kitchen.

Moments later, Vishakha stretched and came to the dining area, calling out, “Bhabhi, where’s my coffee?”

Sarika quickly poured coffee into a cup, placed it on a tray, and brought it out to Vishakha, saying, “Here you go, Devrani ji, your coffee!”

Without saying anything, Vishakha quietly started drinking her coffee, and Sarika returned to the kitchen.

Yamini Ji entered the kitchen and asked, “Sarika, is all the breakfast ready?”

Sarika quickly covered her head with her pallu, touched Yamini Ji’s feet, and said, “Yes, Maa Ji, everything is ready.”

Yamini Ji nodded, “Good, then set everything on the table. And, oh, you did make Vishakha’s diet breakfast, right?”

Sarika nodded, “Yes, Maa Ji, I made her diet breakfast.”

Yamini Ji instructed her to set everything on the table and left.

Sarika hurriedly began setting the table. A few minutes later, Devansh arrived and took his seat, followed by Adrijay, who had just returned after dropping the kids at school. Sarika quickly served everyone and ensured Vishakha got her diet breakfast.

After serving everyone, Sarika stood quietly to the side, waiting for them to finish eating so she could wash the dishes and eat her breakfast later.

Adrijay, about to start eating, noticed Sarika standing and said, “Why are you standing there? Come and eat!”

Sarika nervously glanced at Yamini Ji, who signaled her not to sit. Seeing this, Sarika hesitated and said, “You all eat. I’ll eat later. I’m not hungry right now.”

Adrijay, in a stern voice, said, “Just sit here and eat quietly with everyone.”

Sarika, hearing his stern voice, quietly sits beside him and starts serving herself breakfast. She eats it reluctantly because she knows that Yamini Ji won’t spare her once Adrijay leaves. Yamini Ji had always insisted that a wife should eat only after her husband and not alongside him, but this rule applied only to Sarika. Yamini Ji had never said such things to Vishakha. In fact, she encouraged Vishakha and Devansh to eat together. Why this was so, only Yamini Ji knew.

After finishing his breakfast, Adrijay gets up, and Sarika quickly goes to the kitchen to fetch his tiffin. Handing it to him, Adrijay says, “I might get a bit late today, so tell the kids not to wait for me and put them to bed early since they have school tomorrow.” With that, he heads to his car and drives away.

As Sarika turns to leave, her gaze falls on Vishakha and Devansh. Devansh is kissing Vishakha’s forehead, telling her to take care of herself, while Vishakha’s face holds a shy, sweet smile. Seeing this, Sarika wonders to herself, Will Adrijay ever tell me to take care of myself like this? Or will I spend my entire life yearning for his love?

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