Between Resentment and Hope

Sarika remained lost in her own world, immersed in her thoughts. After some time, she was startled out of her reverie by Yamini Ji’s voice. She composed herself, steadied her racing heart, and quickly stepped out of the room.

Downstairs, Yamini Ji saw Sarika and sternly ordered, “Go and prepare lunch! And listen carefully—today is a fasting day, so fry some potatoes in the evening. Vishakha doesn’t usually fast, and since this is her first time, it will be difficult for her to stay hungry all day. So, fry some potatoes for her in the evening. For lunch, make sabudana (sago) and puris from water chestnut flour. At night, prepare parathas from the same flour—serve them with sweet curd; it will taste good.

Also, for the other two kids, make a full meal for lunch—rotis, vegetables, dal, and rice. For dinner, give them potato parathas with sweet curd. Understood? Now go and start preparing! And yes, after finishing all this, wash all the dirty clothes kept in the courtyard and hang them out to dry. Now go!"

Saying this, she turned on the TV and got engrossed in her serial.

Sarika carefully noted all of Yamini Ji’s demands in her mind, took a deep breath, and then went into the kitchen to start her work.

The entire day passed with Sarika moving between the kitchen and the courtyard. Around one o'clock, the doorbell rang. Sarika smiled and opened the door.

Seeing her two children standing at the door, her smile grew even wider.

The two kids also beamed with joy upon seeing her. Sarika took their bags in her hands and led them inside, asking, “So, how was your day, both of you?”

Tanishq took off his shoes and socks, placed them in the shoe rack, and then slumped onto the sofa, exclaiming, “Very tiring, Mumma!”

Placing their bags on the sofa and closing the main door, Sarika sat beside him and asked, “Oh, and why is that?”

Tanishq looked at her with a tired expression and said, “Because Dussehra is coming up, and our teacher has organized a play. I’ve been cast as Lakshman, so we’ve been practicing for it all day.”

Hearing this, Sarika’s eyes lit up with joy, and she said, “Oh wow! That’s wonderful! You know, when I was in school, I was always cast as Sita in our plays. I loved playing that role so much.”

Tanishq’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he asked, “Wow, Mumma! Tell me more about your school! This is the first time you’ve shared something about it!”

Sarika was about to speak when Yamini Ji suddenly emerged from her room, smiling warmly at Adhik, and said, “Oh, my dear Adhik is back from school! Go and change quickly, then have lunch. You know, I had your favorite vegetable made today. And at night, we’ll have your favorite potato parathas too!”

Hearing this, Tanishq pouted and said, “Oh, so everything today is only for Bhaiya’s (brother’s) favorite. What about me, Dadi?”

Yamini Ji glared at him and said, “Why? Your mother makes things for you all the time, doesn’t she? But my Adhik—she never pays enough attention to him. She’s always focused on you. Have you ever thought about how bad your brother must feel because of this? I never showed favoritism between your father, Adri, and his brother, Dev. But your mother always prioritizes you over poor Adhik.”

Sarika looked at Yamini Ji in shock, unable to believe that she was trying to create a rift between her children. Her children were her only source of strength—if they were turned against her, how would she survive?

Composing herself, she firmly said, “Maa Ji, I love both my children equally. And as for making things for Tanu—let me make it clear, I always prepare Adhu’s favorite dishes first. He is the first thought that comes to my mind when I cook. So, please do not say such things.”

Saying this, she held both her children’s hands and took them to their room.

Yamini Ji watched her leave, fuming with anger, and muttered to herself, “Oh, you’re flying too high these days. Just wait—I’ll clip your wings soon.” Saying this, she stormed back into her room.

Meanwhile, in the children’s room, Sarika took a deep breath, calmed herself, and knelt in front of her kids, holding their hands. She said gently, “Listen to me carefully, both of you. No matter what anyone says, your Mumma loves you both equally. So never, ever think that I love one of you more than the other. You both are equally important to me. And no matter what happens, never let anyone plant hatred between you. No matter how hard people try to separate you, always stand together, as each other’s shield.

Now, promise me—promise that you will always love each other and never let any bitterness or hatred come between you.”

Saying this, she removed her hands and extended them towards the children.

Adhik and Tanishq looked at each other, then smiled and placed their hands on hers.

Sarika smiled softly and hugged them both. Pulling back, she said, “Alright, now quickly go and freshen up. Tanu, I’ve made your favorite kheer! So hurry up, wash your hands and face, and come out soon!”

Tanishq grinned and hugged her legs, exclaiming, “You are the best, Mumma! I love you so much!”

Adhik also hugged her and said, “I also love you so much, Mumma!”

Sarika kissed both of their foreheads and said, “And I love both of you. Now, I’m going to heat up the food, so come quickly. I’ve kept your clothes on the bed.”

Saying this, she left the room.

As soon as she left, Tanishq turned to Adhik and said, “Bhai, I think Dadi is troubling Mumma way too much. She’s trying to create fights between us. We need to teach her a lesson.”

Adhik quickly stopped him, saying, “No, Tanu. Mumma taught us to respect elders and talk nicely to them. We shouldn’t do anything wrong.”

Tanishq pouted and said, “But I will! I’m going to teach her a lesson.”

Saying this, he rushed into the washroom.

Adhik sighed deeply and muttered, “I don’t know what Tanu is planning, but this is all because of phones and TV. He keeps watching nonsense and picking up strange ideas.”

He waited for Tanishq to come out.

After freshening up, both kids sat at the dining table. Soon, Vishakha and Yamini Ji also arrived and took their seats.

Seeing them, Tanishq scrunched his nose in annoyance. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and a mischievous smile spread across his face.

Yamini Ji began serving food onto her plate and instructed Vishakha to do the same. She then started eating.

Sarika served food onto the children’s plates and sat between them, feeding them with her own hands.

Tanishq suddenly stopped her and asked, “Mumma, why aren’t you eating with us? Didn’t I tell you to eat with us?”

Sarika smiled and said, “Because I am fasting today, sweetheart.”

Tanishq pointed at Yamini Ji and Vishakha and said, “But they are also fasting, right? And yet, they are eating so much food! What kind of fast is this?”

Hearing this, Vishakha glared at him in anger. Yamini Ji snapped, “You are just a child, so behave like one, Tanishq! Otherwise, I will complain to your father! Then you can keep asking him why we are eating and your mother isn’t.”

Sarika quickly stepped in, saying, “Tanu, dear, we should always respect our elders. Now apologize to Dadi and Chachi.”

Tanishq immediately apologized and started eating quietly.

After lunch, Yamini Ji began searching for the TV remote to watch her serial, growing increasingly frustrated.

Just then, Tanishq walked by, saw her struggle, and stifled a laugh. Pretending to be innocent, he asked, “Dadi, are you looking for something?”

Yamini Ji snapped, “Yes! The TV remote! Have you seen it?”

Tanishq shook his head and said, “How would I know, Dadi? I just came back from school!”

She nodded absentmindedly and continued searching. Finally, she spotted the remote far under the sofa and asked Tanishq to retrieve it.

Tanishq shrugged and said, “Sorry, Dadi! I have homework, or my teacher will scold me. Bye!” He ran off fuming her.

Yamini Ji muttered angrily, “This boy has become too arrogant. I’ll teach him a lesson tonight!”

Saying this, she bent down, trying to reach for the remote, but her hand couldn’t quite get to it. Frustrated, she stood up, turned off the TV, and, gritting her teeth in annoyance, while walking away to her room.

Hiding behind the staircase, he smirked and muttered, “You trouble my Mumma? This is just the beginning! Watch what happens next!”

Saying this, he smugly flipped his T-shirt collar and walked off to his room.

On the other hand, after washing all the dirty dishes, Sarika was still in the children's room when she suddenly heard her phone ringing from her own room. She walked to her room and picked up the phone, glancing at the screen.

Seeing Adrijay's name flashing, Sarika hesitated for a moment, debating whether to answer or not. But then, recalling his anger, she picked up the call and softly said, "Hello…"

On the other end, Adrijay smiled upon hearing her voice, leaned his head back against his seat, and asked, "Hello! Have you eaten anything?"

Sarika replied softly, "I was fasting, so how could I…"

Before she could finish, Adrijay interrupted, "You were fasting, but you also do so much work, don’t you? You might not eat much, but at least you can have some fruits to maintain your energy. Now, go downstairs right away, cut some fruits, and eat them. And no cheating! I'll ask Tanu when I get home whether you ate or not. So, go and eat! And call me after you’re done, okay?"

Listening to him, Sarika thought to herself,

"On one hand, you show such concern, but on the other, you make me feel like I hold no importance in your life. I just can't forget the things you said that day… I’ve trusted you before, only to have my trust broken repeatedly. I don’t have the strength anymore to trust you again. But what if these little gestures of care make me fall for it once more? Please… don’t do anything that makes me hope again, only to have my heart shattered like every other time. I barely held myself together before, but if I grow used to this care of yours, I won’t be able to handle it…"

Lost in her thoughts, Sarika was suddenly brought back to reality by Adrijay’s slightly raised voice, "Sarika? Can you hear me? Hello, Sarika?"

Sarika quickly snapped out of her thoughts and said, "Y-Yes, I can hear you… I will eat." Then, hesitantly, she asked, "Did you eat?"

Hearing her question, Adrijay couldn’t contain his joy. The fact that she had asked him something—anything at all—felt like a victory. With excitement in his voice, he replied, "Yes, I did! Now you eat too, and call me after that. I'll hang up now."

Sarika simply hummed in response and disconnected the call. Staring at her basic button-phone for a moment, she muttered to herself,

"Why did I even ask him that? Now he might think I’ve forgiven him… And if he thinks that, he’ll start taking me for granted again, and like always, I won’t be able to do anything about it. "

Letting out a deep sigh, she walked downstairs to eat some fruits, knowing very well that Adrijay would definitely ask Tanishk about it later.

On the other hand, after ending the call, Adrijay stood up excitedly and said, "Finally… Finally, Sarika, you asked me something… And for me, that’s enough."

He smiled to himself and continued, "I know you still have a lot of resentment toward me, but don’t worry, I’ll erase all of it. I think your heart is starting to melt, little by little. Just forgive me soon, Sarika… Then we’ll make a fresh start, rebuild our relationship, and understand each other better. I’ll be waiting for that day, the day you forgive me… I’ll be waiting."

Sighing deeply with a contented smile, he sat back down and resumed his work.

**************************************

How was the chapter?

Tell me in the comment section.

Next chapter target:- 300 votes and 80 comments.