A Girl in a Whirl

I took some time to understand why she had a laugh. My mom-inlaw was also there. I felt very much embarrassed.

“Look, how her face has blushed.”, Daljit commented and I didn’t find any words to say.

“Shall I help you?”, I asked after a pause of thinking.

“It’s alright; relax for two-three days. You gotta work all your life”, Daljit said.

“Shall I set my clothes then?”, I asked and my mom-in-law allowed me with a closed mouth yes, and I went to my room. My mom-in-law was not cool with me. I was setting my bed and I remembered that I was to put the charm under Sam’s pillow. I was double minded. I didn’t find any need of the charm. “Everything was going fine. But why was my mom-in-law rude with me? If Sam stopped drinking, how nice it would be! If I threw away that charm and there came a problem again, then what? I’d tell a lie to the pandit. Then the pandit would ask for more money. It’d be better of completing the treatment.

But where shall I put it? If anybody saw, what would I say? Let me hide this in Sam’s pillow. Yes, this is a good idea!”, lost in my thoughts, I finally decided. I locked the door from inside and hid the charm inside Sam’s pillow. Then I unlocked the door. I began setting my clothes. “Sonia, shall I help you?”, Daljit, standing behind me, asked.

I couldn’t even sense when my jethani came and stood behind me so quietly. My train of thoughts was broken and I felt utterly nervous. I controlled myself and replied. “No sister, it’s ok. Have a seat. When did you come?”

“Look, you have turned as white as if a thief is caught red-handed.”, Daljit said “Had my mother-in-law sent her to spy on me to see what I was doing or she herself was doing so?”, I wondered “No bhabi, I was just…!”, I didn’t find anything to say.

“Look! You got serious. I thought of helping you in setting your clothes. And I will also have some chat with you.”, Daljit said. “Sure bhabi; why not?

It’s better you have come. I was unable to decide alone where to start first?”, I responded to Daljit. “It seems hard in the beginning, then everything becomes fine byand-by.”, Daljit said humorously. “Bhabi, you are so smart to comment.”, I said shyly. “Just wait, you’ll also be the same.”, Daljit again outsmarted me.

“Bhabi, you are always being very naughty. I don’t know what to talk to you.”, I said. Daljit and I kept talking about our families and setting my raiment. Sam and I had dinner at relatives’ homes almost every day. Sam had some alcohol daily.

I was trying to tolerate his drinking. I was planning to ask Sam sometime to quit this habit. Sam had his day off on Sunday. Sam was to take me shopping and sightseeing first time. Beautiful Vancouver It rained almost the whole week, but Sunday was a beautiful day.

We had breakfast and left home in our car around 11 A.M. We went to the Stanley Park first. We had a beach-walk there. Then we had lunch in a restaurant. Then we visited some stores. I bought a fancy jacket and knee-high, highheel shoes.

We went to North Vancouver by a ferry. Beautiful and Blue ocean tides, pretty pleasant blue sky, and scattered-whitemilky clouds seemed to me like a wonderful movie scene. I was extremely happy. Sharp looking English and Chinese people were enjoying themselves.

I bought two artificial neck-chains, and earrings. Sam bought me lovely sunglasses. I looked even more gorgeous with those on. Sam clicked several pictures of mine. We asked a stranger to click our pictures on our Iphone. I was also recalling Shimla, but I ignored my past keeping my dad’s advice in mind for my better present as well as bright future of my family members. We visited the Metro Town Mall on the way back home.

We had coffee and snacks in the food-court. Sam showed me the passing-by sky train. He told that the sky-train runs without a driver. I couldn’t believe that. Sam bought two tickets of the sky train. Sam had me sit on the very front seat. I was astonished to see how train was running and stopping automatically.