He found an old diary of his father while checking his trunk which he kept inside his bed as they were throwing the waste to carry as little as possible in the new house which he had got after his promotion. He had heard about this diary from his mother which his father used to write and always keep it as a secret. He hide it inside his shirt when his father entered the room.
"Ved truck has come." His father came to tell him about the arrival of truck of packers and movers. His father was very sad to leave this house,"Ved let me live and die their,I still feel your mother here." " Papa! We are not selling it you can come here anytime you wish and its your love and not home which make you feel that mom is here." Ved knew how much his father used to love his mother,after her death he was completely shattered and became bed ridden. It was his care and his father involvement with his kids that he was back to normal. He now keeps himself busy with his grandchildren, Ved's wife Kavita also take care of his father very much.
Since childhood Ved had heard so much stories about their parents love even though it was an arranged marriage his father used to keep his mother like a princess. He himself saw in many instances of their love and affection. Thought of their love made him more curious to read that diary which might throw more light on their relation. When his father went out for evening walk with children and wife to market he picked up that diary and started reading.
The first page he read was before his father's marriage where he described an incident of gang rape of which he was a part:" I don't know what made me to get involved in this,I was drunk but that's not an excuse , I have ruined the life of that innocent girl. That black paint with which we hide our faces is washed away but how can I wash my guilt which has covered my whole body and soul."
Ved was shocked to read this,a man who loved his daughter so much,who taught his sons to respect girls from childhood could do such and heinous crime. He turned some more pages," I am dying in guilt, guruji told me that repentance washed away all sins but how should I repent? Should I go to police? I should search for that girl, I will amend my wrong doing."He read further to know that his father found that girl,she became silent after that incident,her parents kept her inside,she had made several attempt of suicide and the boy was going to marry her had left her. She had become a living dead.
"Today,I told my mother about that incident and that girl. She slapped me. I told her that I want to marry her to take her out of that hell like life. She did not talk to me. I have broken her trust."
"Maa today went to talk about my wedding with her. She told me that she will only talk to me when she will see a smile on her face."
"Tomorrow, I will marry her." Ved's mother was same girl whom his father raped with his friends. It was a dark secret to know,he didn't know how to react after learning that truth. Ignorance indeed is a bliss,he thought to himself because that information was painful,really shocking. Tears were coming out of his eyes as he turned more pages,but he was unable to read now. At that point his father returned home and came towards his room. He saw Ved crying with his diary in his hand,he silently moved towards his room and sat on his armchair.
Ved when heard his children's voice wiped of his tears and put the diary into the drawer,Kavita was also back home. Ved after knowing all this was unable to control himself he wanted to discuss it with his father to say something to him to hear something from him. He went to his room where he was sitting on his armchair,he went near him and discovered that he was dead. He had his wife's photo in his hand and dried tears on his face.
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out a creative writing theme each weekend for Indian bloggers.
UBC Day 18