Sunil R P Sethi
When Swati came to her matrimonial home after marriage she was welcomed by her elder sister in law Rohini with open arms and from the very first hug, a chemistry developed between the two. They were more than sisters . Rohini took care of Swati as a mother and never allowed Swati to feel as younger Daughter-in-law of the house . She always pushed Swati ahead in prominence whenever occasion came . Rohini was looking after household after the death of her parents-in-law in accident and now had been helping Swati but she always saw a child in Swati and never put her to tedious tasks.
Rohini apparently was living a happy and contended life and with her helping nature and sweet manners was liked by all . Swati however could feel the hurt and pain behind happy looks of Rohini , the pain of not getting joy of motherhood even after seven years of marriage . When Swati got pregnant she shared desire with her husband Mohan to give their first child to Rohini Di to give meaning to her life too . Mohan had always been a dutiful younger brother to his elder brother Saket and happily agreed, rather developed extreme respect for Swati for her sacrifice for the sake of family and elders . When a boy was born to Swati he was given in adoption to Rohini and Saket . Child was named Ashwin and brought joy and happiness to the life of Rohini and Saket . Ashwin was Prince of the house and was an Apple to the eyes of Rohini who was ever thankful and grateful to Swati for her decision .
Time passed by and Saket got promoted in his bank as Manager and was posted in Kanpur . Mohan felt happy for the promotion but was upset as he had to live without his brother and Bhabhi and also Ashwin . But they could do nothing as they had taken decision on life of Ashwin and was satisfied that Ashwin will get better life with Rohini and Saket who were financially better placed. So the unwanted separation happened .
Rohini and Saket came back to Delhi when Swati conceived second time and gave birth to daughter Ananya but went back within a week as school of Ashwin was to open . Swati got busy in bringing up of Ananya and almost forget about Ashwin except remaining in touch with Rohini on phone once a day and also getting informed about Ashwin . When Ashwin was 7 years old a sort of miracle happened with Rohini conceiving . Swati was so happy for her and remained with Rohini for almost 3 months till she deliverd off her son …. Rohan .
As it would had been difficult for Rohini to take care of both children on her own , Saket tried for his transfer back to Delhi . He had in the meanwhile got promoted as General Manager and had made lot of money by means not always legal . He had to spend about five Lacs to get himself transferred back to Delhi . It was again reunion of families and in joint family it was rather easy for both ladies to manage three kids between them . Coming about one year of age Rohan was so much attached to Swati that she forgot herself being natural mother of Ashwin . For Swati Rohan was more important than her own two kids and Rohan also was always hanging around her . For him only person important was Choti Maa . As Rohini couldn’t breast fed Rohan because of medical condition , Swati feed Rohan with her own milk . She at times ignored Ananya who was almost of same age as Rohan .
With passage of time the relationship became more strong. Swati was always worrying about Rohan and to some extent Ananya . Saket in the meanwhile had retired and started his own construction company and in comparatively less time his construction company became top company of the Delhi . Major contribution in the progress of company was from Ashwin who after completing his engineering had taken over as Managing Director of the company . Ashwin also addressed Swati as Choti Maa like Rohan . She never expressed openly but natural love and affection of mother was always there .
With passage of more time Ashwin got married and Rohan and Ananya joined university . One day Rohini met with accident outside her house and died in the arms of Swati after taking promise that Swati will always take care of her both sons . Swati for the first time felt without support . She was used to live under protective umbrella of Rohini . Mohan in the meanwhile fell sick and became bedridden. Ashwin was however taking care of everyone .
Saket had taken to drinking in a big way after death of Rohini. He developed Lung Cancer and despite best treatment he couldn’t survive. Swati was the only elder member of the family left im control as Mohan was in vegetable state only . After a week of death of Saket, his advocate came to the household to read his last will . Swati knew that Mohan would have divided his property equally amongst Ashwin and Rohan . She sat there with all family members for just formality . She was holding hand of Rohan who was sobbing over death of Saket . He was only left with his Choti Maa . Others didn’t matter for him . When will was read over Swati was in for a big shock . Saket had bequetted everything to Rohan including company and a small shop for Ashwin which belonged to their grand father . Swati felt sudden pain in her heart. Saket never considered Ashwin as his son and had only used him as employee. For Saket, Rohan was the son. She felt extreme hatred for herself of having spoiled life of Ashwin for her idealism. She looked towards Ashwin to find him staring at her with tears in eyes. Her hand trembled and she left hand of Rohan who was also under shock .
Will of Mohan did came as surprise to Rohan too as the whole business empire had been created by his elder brother Ashwin with his hard work . He however remained silent and left it to elders to decide on the issue . No Will could change his relation with his family , that for sure he knew . But since that day behaviour of his Choti Maa changed towards him . Gone was the warmth of love and now it was more a formality . But he ignored . Swati on her own was feeling ashamed of her herself of what had happened to Ashwin because of her decision and this awakened the sleeping mother of Ashwin in her . She was now taking extra care and giving more attention to Ashwin , who though dejected and tense but continued looking after his work of Company . Rohan executed Attorney in favour of Ashwin to run the accounts of company and so things moved on . But Swati stood where she was left by reading of will …. Stuck . Ashwin could now deal with company but as an agent of Rohan only . Rohan thought he had done his duty by surrendering all his powers to Ashwin and he never checked working and accounts of company . For him company belonged to Ashwin .
Behaviour of Rohan made his Choti Maa more upset and angry and she expected Rohan to rectify mistake of his father by surrendering half of assests to Ashwin but instead he had only given Attorney . She could have withstood any humiliation and insult for herself but not injustice done to her first born particularly when she was herself to blame for the ordeal of Ashwin . An angry and humiliated mother can go to any extent to undo wrong to her child , this truth struck her in a very hard way .
She tolerated everything for about a year and then her tolerance faded. She decided to take upon herself to undo harm to Ashwin . It was hot Summer day of July when she laced lunch prepared for Rohan by her with poison . Rohan always took food which was prepared by his Choti Maa even when his mother was alive . By evening he was vomitting blood and was found in almost dead position by servant on his bed room . He was shifted to hospital by the servant as Swati after serving lunch to Rohan had left home to avoid any suspicion to her after death of Rohan . She had replaced food with non poisonous food after Rohan had taken food so that if police came and checked food it would be found good . She took poisonous left over food and threw that in river.
In hospital, it took four days for Rohan to recover . It was easily detected by police that he was given poison in food when his stomach food residue was sent for laboratory. And were waiting to make statement to indicate who had given poison to him and in what way as it was established in investigation that there was no reason for him to commit suicide . While other members of family were all eagerly waiting to know who had done crime, Swati was trembling with fear . She knew Rohan had understood everything and would inform police. She was not in a position to prepare herself for humiliation and imprisonment.
When Inspector went to Rohan along with magistrate to take his statement after doctor declared him fit to make statement , everyone else was looking through the door while statement was being recorded . They couldn’t hear what Rohan was saying but could see from facial expressions of Inspector and Magistrate that they were shocked and were asking questions to Rohan to know more . Swati sweated profusely and she felt extremely cold even in July . She felt like stone and couldn’t move her limbs .
Inspector came out of room and everyone rushed to him to know the truth . Inspector took sometime before announcing that Rohan had taken Parshad from some religious person on road and may be that was poisonous as that religious person may be some criminal in disguise who wanted to kill Rohan to loot him . Stream of tears rolled down from eyes of Swati . She ran inside room and fell on Rohan sobbing heavily . Other members also came in . She couldn’t beg forgiveness by words but her tears were crying loud . She folded her hands to Rohan before leaving room . Repeated calls of” Choti Maa” from Rohan couldn’t stop her .
Same evening dead body of Swati was found inside her car which had met an accident with a truck . Police was still baffled about car going on extreme wrong side and colliding with truck . May be she was disturbed because of almost death of her favourite son . Rohan was shattered while he lit pyre of his Choti Maa .He was deprived of love of the mother who always loved him more than his own mother , notwithstanding her attempt to kill him . Everything stood clear to him . His own father was to be blamed for everything happening .
After fourteenth day of Choti Maa , Rohan executed documents and shifted all property in the name of Ashwin . He repented that he had not done this earlier otherwise Choti Maa would have been alive.
(The author is senior advocate)
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