Vasanti

Raghu was sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper. The coffee on the table had cooled down completely. Vasanti usually heated it up twice before he finished reading the newspaper.

Raghu realised Vasanti was not rushing around the house dusting, cleaning, cooking and always humming. She could not be heard at all. He wondered if she had gone to the vegetable market. He walked into the kitchen to find her staring into space, completely lost in thought. He could not help but marvel at how beautiful she looked even when she was clad in a simple sari.

Vasanti startled, suddenly realising there was someone standing beside her. She looked flustered and blushed a deep shade of red. Raghu was not the kind of person who voiced his observations. He took one look at her and then went back to the dining room.

Raghu was reading the sports news when her heard Vasanti bringing back the cup of coffee. Usually she put it on the table and went about polishing and repolishing the furniture in the dining room. She wanted everything spic n span and she always hummed a tune while she worked around the house. Raghu loved listening to her song, for Vasanti was no bathroom singer. She could have been a professional singer had she not decided to give it all up in favor of being a homemaker. She was a busybody and never spent a minute sitting idle . Her home was her world, and she did all that she could do to make it a wonderful place to live in.

Raghu lowered the newspaper adn saw Vasanti staring at him with a strange look in her eyes. It was not fear, coz he knew how she looked when she was afraid of him. It looked like a mixture of defiance and fear. Acting like he did not notice anything, Raghu went back to reading the newspaper.

When he finally lowered the newspaper, he saw his wife sitting next to him with the same look in her eyes. Felling that he could not ignore her anymore, Raghu asked her "What is it?"

"Nothing" said Vasanti. He noticed her eyes reflected only fear now.

"Fine then. I'm off to take a bath." He started to stand up.

"Wait! Actually, I wanted to talk."

Raghu sat back on the chair and nodded which meant "Go on"

"Umm! Tomorro is the 10th of October"

"Ohh! Is that why? OK! So what have you decided? You want to go?"

"Do you want me to?"

"It's up to you. What do YOU want to do?" asked Raghu

"Well, I do want to go. I mean, I've waited for this day for 12 years."

"If that is how you feel then you must go. I will not stop you."

"But won't you be angry with me for going?" asked Vasanti for she knew her husband's moods very well.

"Of course I will be" replied Raghu "I never said I won't be angry. I only said you can go if you want to."

"Dear, please! I want to go." begged Vasanti "Don't be so angry."

"I am not angry now. But I will be if you go" He replied calmly "Of course, that does not mean I'm stopping you. It is your decision to make."

"Why are you doing this to me?" asked Vasanti with tears in her eyes "You know very well that I cannot defy you."

"Sometimes," said Raghu, "You have to make a choice. No two things in life can have the same importance. Now, decide what is more important for you."

Vasanti ran into their bedroom crying bitterly. After all these years of marriage, she never could understand her husband. He did strange things at times just to make her unhappy. But, she knew he really loved her.
"But I still don't understand him" she muttered to herself.

The door opened and Raghu walked in. He sat beside Vasanti on the bed. She did not look up.

"It's ok sweetheart" said Raghu stroking her head." I know you want to go. It's just that I'm worried how you will manage things alone. You also do not know the kind of people they are."

"How can I not know them?" asked Vasanti, stifling sobs.

"Hmm, but they could be anybody now" replied Raghu, " But since you've waited so long for this.. I guess you must go."

"Won't you.." began Vasanti.

"No I won't" replied Raghu "I won't be angry"