Durga | ✓

08. Trust Broken

Durga froze at her place. She turned white. Fear was written on her face. Her regained self confidence was slowly shattering. She gulped and looked at Rudra with teary eyes and slowly closed her eyes.

She was silent for few minutes. Rudra looked at her, unable to understand why was she sitting quiet. Sitting silently. He opened his mouth to speak when Durga opened her eyes and said, " I am divorcee."

Rudra asked, " So why did this divorce happen. You had any problem with your ex husband?"

Problem? That man was a beast! I wonder how I stayed with him. I will tell him everything. After listening to this, if he wants to fire me he can. I can survive. I won't live each and every day of my life thinking what if Sir comes to know about my truth. It is better if I'll tell him. Everything.

Rudra was looking at Durga intently. He could fathom some sense of fear and anger in her eyes. She looked down and took a deep breath. Rudra felt maybe this wasn't the right time to talk to her. He sometimes wondered why was he so impatient to find answers.

Rudra said, " Durga you don't need to tell if it hurts..."

" You?" completed Durga. " I will tell you everything. Since I work for you, you should be knowing this. Later I don't want anyone coming and telling that Durga is a divorcee. The second reason why you should be knowing is the society. The society always blames a woman for divorce. A man is never questioned. A woman is taunted. Always. I will tell you everything. Then it is upto you whether you accept me for this job or not."

" Durga this a job. You have to be professional. I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked you. I will never ask you..."

" Professional? People tend to mix professional life with personal life. They always do this. Be it a government job or a corporate job. Now I will speak and you will listen Sir. Please." cut in Durga.

Rudra wanted to speak but her last sentence made him think of the possible underlying threat. He just nodded his head.

Durga started with her tale, " I come from a well-to-do family. My ancestors, great grandfather, grandfather, my father, my mother, my ex husband and me; we all have been victims of inter family marriages. The marriages would often be held between the cousins. So was the case here.

My Appa, Akshad Rao, was married to Neeravati Rao, my Amma. She was my father's cousin sister. I was married to my mother's brother, Indrajeet. He was ten years younger to my mother. They had four siblings in between them, all of them died during childbirth. As science says, inter family marriages have always lead to problem, there were numerous problems.

My grandfather had asthma, my Appa had weak heart, Indrajeet had problems with liver and I had problem with getting conceived. My Amma, died due to lung cancer. I don't know much about her. Neither Appa nor Indrajeet spoke about her. Amma had made Appa promise her that Indrajeet would marry me. Appa had no choice but to listen to her. She was in final stage of cancer. Appa thought that after listening to this Amma will fight with cancer with new spirit. But she refused to fight. She lost the battle to cancer.

When I was eighteen years, Indrajeet came to Durga Nilaya, our house, claiming for my hand. Appa refused saying that I am too small to understand this. Indrajeet blamed Appa for death of our family."

" Death of your family?" asked Rudra. He didn't wanted to interrupt Durga but he couldn't restrain himself from asking. He sometimes wondered why was he so curious.

" Yes. Everyone died in our family at an early age. Even educated people like Indrajeet believed that Appa had cast some spell. Children born from inter family marriages, have lesser lifespan. Appa was forced to bend down for their stupid belief. He didn't at first. But constant taunts affected him. He agreed for this marriage, only if Indrajeet allowed me to study further.

I was married. It was a simple marriage, at the temple hall in Bengaluru. I started staying with him in his house. I asked him if I could apply for some colleges for higher studies. He refused saying that he wanted to know about my childhood. I always talk whatever comes in my mind. I never really think twice before speaking.

I just asked him why didn't he visit us. He froze. He never answered my questions. I trusted him completely. I never asked what job he was doing. I trusted Appa when he said he was an engineer, working as a trainee. Though I had doubts that a 27 year old person working as a trainee! It is quite unbelievable. I ignored the fact. I was stupid.

After ten months of our marriage, police came to our house. I was shocked. They told me that they had caught my husband. He was gambling. Now I understood how a 27 year old was a trainee. I couldn't involve Appa in this. He was very sad for he was alone. I freed Indrajeet from jail by selling the gold earrings."

Durga paused for a while. She closed her eyes again thinking of those earrings. She never wanted to part it. But destiny can never be trusted.

" It was my Amma's earrings. I didn't remember her face but it was very close to my heart. We were having a hard time, financially. Indrajeet never allowed to let me speak on financial matters. I felt so bad. Even in the jail, behind the bars, he was laughing like an idiot with his friends. He was beaten up. His shirt was torn at some places revealing red marks. His face had few scars.

That was the time when I thought for the first time in my life. Am I doing the correct thing? I shrugged those thoughts and freed him with the bail papers. I helped him to reach till home. He never thanked me once when we were coming from the auto. We didn't have our own vehicle. After reaching home I came with the first aid box. He pushed me saying Mard ko kabhi dard nahi hotha hai.

Seriously? A man doesn't ever feel the pain? No offence Sir but that man doesn't feel the emotional pain. When I told him that I had to sell his sister's earrings, he said so what? This was when he broke my trust and didn't value my feelings. For the first time.

Second time he broke my trust when he came home drunken. He would drink in spite of having problems with his liver. I tried telling him many times. He never valued my words.

After a month or so we went to his friend's engagement. There was a bar adjacent to the engagement room. The room seemed weird. I mean there were around fifty people. He went there without even informing me. His friends came near me. I was unaware of their intentions. I was finding Indrajeet when one of them tried to pull me towards him. Since they all were drunk, it was easy for me to push them. I ran out to find Indrajeet. I found him near our car. Yes Appa was unable to see our plight, bought Alto for us.

When I told him, he refused to believe that his friends will never do. I tried my best to explain him but he pushed me. My head hit the wall, next to the car. He got scared and decided to leave. I told him many times it is not safe to drive in this condition. I don't remember much but he hit the divider and my eyes open when I heard the doctor saying...."

" Saying?" asked Rudra.

Durga looked at him, devoid of any expression.

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Inter family marriages : Commonly called as Cousin Marriage is the marriage between cousins of the family. It is commonly practised in Southern States of India, Karnataka being the top most state. It has been proved by science that these marriages have often lead to genetic disorders.

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So another cliffhanger... I thought of writing the story in one chapter but when I started writing, I lost the count of words and decided to split the chapter.

In any part of the world, especially in India, if a woman cannot conceive then she is constantly taunted by her husband (some may not), in laws and the society. There are few who are supported by the family but I tried showing the larger picture.

Thank you for reading.