A continuation from the earlier chapter, please read that to know and understand the rural background and the characters, all of them are mature and consensual.
"Please leave me alone for some time." Sangeeta had requested her aged mother-in-law and she looked at her sadly and went to her room besides hers.
...
I tried to remember all that my mother-in-law had spoken to me and it was astonishing that she had allowed it to continue. Coming from an even older generation, such relations are taboo in her eyes.
Did she actually feel they love each other? I then tried to remember Sharmila's face when they were making out and it was pretty clear that she enjoyed it with him, and as far as I know, she's not the type to just throw it around for anyone.
What about my son Arjun though? Did he love her? It is clear that he's fond of her but to remain marriage-less for an older lady. Is he willing to go that far?
One thing was for sure. That night's scene had burnt deep into my consciousness & it had awakened something in me which I had tried so hard to bury after my husband Anand's death.
...
It's almost a year, since that day and we are now in the present. Arjun hasn't married yet and Sharmila has left the house to stay at her parent's place in Gurgaon.
...
I haven't had much of a chance to talk to Sharmila on what transpired then and since that night, I have also noticed that she avoided Arjun for a few days till she went back to her parent's place. She has stayed there for the whole year and she hardly picked calls or replied to any messages from anyone in the house.
It was only three days ago that Amrit, my husband's brother, expired due to an accident because of drug overdose and we informed her family immediately and Sharmila came back to visit for the funeral yesterday.
There wasn't very much to grieve for anyone, especially for her and she continued to maintain a stoic silence throughout the rituals of Amrit's funeral.
Inside her, he was long dead for her.
I couldn't fail to notice that she looked haggard and a lot skinnier than when she had left us a year ago. For the first time in this whole year, I felt a stab of pity for her.
I, in my shameless jealousy and the fer of losing my son to her, had ensured in return that two precious lives suffered for so long. I needed to quickly make amends before I permanently lost both of them.
I had a small doubt to confirm before I decide to act.
I needed a plan of action. Something to justify my actions and consequences.
I kept myself shut for the rest of the evening until dinner was served. I could see Sharmila didn't come out of her room and I heard from my mother-in-law that she mentioned something like having a slight journey related tiredness & fever.
"Arjun also looks disturbed to see her this way" saying this Kavita Devi retired to her room.
After a few minutes, Arjun came & knocked at my door to question about my well-being.
I shooed him away, "Don't you know why women fall sick every month?"
"Sorry Mamma". I could hear him gingerly stepping back and retire to his house to sleep.
After what seemed like an hour, I gently opened my door and stepped out into the porch and gingerly looked around. All felt silent and I walked over & gave Sharmila's door a faint knock to check if she's sleeping or not.
She took a few seconds to open the latch and was shocked to see me and immediately averted her sad and tired eyes to the ground.
"Will you not invite me inside?" I asked in a stern tone.
"Who am I to invite you Bhabhi. This is your house, please come in!" she faintly smiled back at me to check my reaction.
She bolted the door behind me and immediately turned towards me & fell on my feet.
"I am so sorry Bhabhi ... I uh ... I don't know if you will believe me but I always tried to tell you everything ... I tried hard Bhabhi but could never muster the courage to face the aftermath of this sinful disclosure.
"It not that I was afraid of being thrown out ... I was scared to death about losing you and Arjun forever. Both of you have always meant the world to me ... You are the elder sister I never had and Arjun is ..." she tried to search for the right word.
I couldn't help sneer at her "What ... my dear sister? Your son ... huh! God knows you have indeed a lousy way of showing your motherly affections, no?"
She looked more pitiful.
"That's precisely why I couldn't bear to be around both of you and yet be so far and distant. You can't understand how this year has been for me. It was hell."
She collapsed at my feet and sobbed like a child.
I immediately realized my mistake. The words must have felt like ice daggers as she became more disconsolate than ever.
I shouldn't have been so venomous. I always consider myself a mature person and I had come this far anyways to forgive her and understand from her if she has explanations for her actions, no matter how bitter they sound to me.
I picked her up softly, "Please don't cry ... you are an adult and you need to take the burden of your own actions, darling."
"Sorry Bhabhi ... I just couldn't bear to see you reserved and this cold ... I know that I caused you hurt even though unknowingly, and you can't imagine how much it has pained me."
I nodded understandingly and smiled at her.
I held her drooping shoulders and gently made her sit on the sofa and sat across her. I leaned towards her and put my hand on her lap and comfortingly asked, "Please tell me all ... how it all began ... why you did do what you did and what you intend to do, now that I know? I need all details, no matter how harsh or explicit it may sound to me. Please pour out your heart to me as you have always done."
She relaxed & took a few deep breaths and contemplated at the carpet below my feet. She was readying her thoughts and I needed to give her that time.
I gave her some seconds & went out to bring a jug of cold water from the kitchen and laid it out between the both of us, on the table.
She thanked me & poured a glass for herself and sipped, as she slowly began.
"Before I tell you anything, I need you to promise me one thing."
"What!"
"You will not judge Arjun for any of this. It was I who brought all this on us and only I should be held accountable for any punishment you think befits me. But promise me that you will never disclose it to anyone else nor blame Arjun. Is that all right?"
I nodded my head and she seemed to relax as if a big burden was taken off for the first time in a year, she smiled radiantly as she always did. This confirmed my doubt, I had on her love for my son.
She loved my baby boy more than herself.
"It was may be 2 years ago and one evening Arjun came running to me with tear in his eyes. Do you remember the day Bhabhi? You had scolded Arjun for not doing well at high school and not concentrating properly, instead always busying himself with magazines and all that."
I remembered that incident but how could I say to her, it wasn't only that.
Arjun was nineteen then and did really poorly in the exams. I had caught Arjun many times checking out adult magazines and enough was enough & I had slapped him that day. It was the only time I had raised my hands on him and I remember he looked hurt and stomped out, and Sharmila immediately hugged him and consoled him and took him to her room.
It was so awkward to even talk about that when she asked me the reason, so I just averted the topic by saying to her that he never studies at all.
"Bhabhi ... Can I dare to say that you behaved like a parent, but not as a mother should. I thought I will get something out of him, in privacy. So, I took him to my room and made him sit on the sofa and I put his head on my lap and caressed his hair. He looked really embarrassed, but calmed down after a few minutes.