“And how can I be sure that what you are saying now is true?” Bhavani asked.
“I would never lie about such thing.” Gaura replied. “But just in case, if you still don’t believe me I can show you. Here it is.”
And Gaura showed Bhavani a few photos of her crime.
“Do you see now that I am not lying, Bhavani? If you don’t want to go to jail you shall do as I tell you!”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to let me live here, just as before. You told me you own this house and you take the decisions here, and no one dares to say a word, right? So, you will tell the others of the family that we are friends again and you have decided that I will stay here and no one can make me go away, no matter how hard they try. You will tell Shravan, Dharam, Meera and Vidya that I have changed, and I want only peace and my wish for revenge is gone.”
“But if they don’t believe me?”
“I don’t care. You must make them believe. After all, it’s not important what they believe or not. You take the decisions here and everyone must obey, right?”
“Fine.” Bhavani said reluctantly. “I will do as you wish.”
“No, it’s not a wish, it’s an order! And be careful! Don’t try to expose me because going into jail will not be the worst thing that will happen to you!”
Two hours later. The whole Suryavanshi family was at home and now, Bhavani had to welcome her beloved friend Gaura back into the family.
“I want to say something to all of you.” Bhavani began.
“Wait, Bhavani!” Dharam interrupted . “What is she doing here?” He said, pointing at Gaura.
“Well actually… Your mother got released from jail 2 years earlier than planned. Her sentence was reduced do to good behaviour.”
“Really? Good behaviour? I strongly doubt it. Maybe she has found a way to run away!”
“Dharam, you should learn how to behave with the elders.” Gaura said.
“Mum, please, don’t try to be nice. I know your true intentions so better leave now or…”
“She is not going anywhere, Dharamji!” Bhavani replied, pretending to support Gaura. ” You know, I take the decisions here! She is my friend and will stay here for as long as she wants to!”
“Dharam, sun, please, don’t treat me like that.” Gaura said and, being the actress she was, she quickly made some tears come to her eyes. “I know, I harmed you a lot, but let’s forget about it and let everything stay in the past.”
“I think baaji is right.” Vidya said. “She tricked us a lot of times but now it’s different and I can see it in her eyes.”
Gaura hardly prevented herself from laughing when hearing this sentence.
“Do you really believe me, Vidya?”
“Yes, baaji. I do. But if you misbehave with us again, this time the consequences will be really bad for you.”
“No, I will be good, I promise.”
“Shravan, aren’t you going to say something?” Vidya continued. “She is your grandmother after all.”
“Baaji, have you really changed for good or it’s some new game of yours?”
“Be careful how do you talk to her!” Bhavani interrupted. “If you talk rudely to her there will be consequences!”
“Fine. May it be as you wish, Bhavani.” Dharam said. “But I don’t like that idea of yours.”
“You have no right to disobey me, don’t you know that? Or maybe you have forgotten? Now I will order my servant Meera to prepare some food for Gaura behen.”
Sometime later. The whole family was asleep except Gaura and Bhavani.
“You are such a good actress, I must admit it.” Gaura said to her. “You successfully completed your first order.”
“Listen, be careful how do you talk to me! I am not required to follow your orders, understand? I will find a way to destroy the evidence that you have against me and then… Then you will go back to jail and I will be the queen of this house again!”
“Bhavani, you should learn how to behave with the elders.”
That last sentence of Gaura really left Bhavani with no words and she just went away. She went into her room and tried to get some sleep, but it just wasn’t coming. The fact that someone was commanding her was keeping her awake.
“How did I let that happen?” Bhavani thought. “I have been giving orders to people my entire life and now… Now Gaura treats me as her slave! I will put an en to this! I will get her back for all that humiliation!!!”
The next morning arrived. Bhavani was angry and tensed at the same time. She knew that the arrival of a new day meant a new order by Gaura. And her intuition told her right.
Bhavani and her friend were alone again, for Vidya had taken Priyal for a walk and Shravan and Dharam had gone to work.
“Jai Ambe, Bhavani.” Gaura said. “How are you feeling today?”
“What do you want again?”
“It’s time for your new task. You must make Vidya leave this house and go back to her beloved Gopi Maa.”
“What?” Bhavani stared at Gaura with disbelieve.
“You heard it. I want Vidya to be gone by the end of the day!”
“But how? And why?”
“She is one of the reasons I was send to prison. You was here when that happened, don’t you remember?”
“But, Gaura behen, how should I make her leave the house? And what about Shravan or Dharamji? What if they interfere?”
“They will not dare to disobey you. You are the owner of the mansion so you decide who stays here or not.”
“No, please, don’t make me do that. Dharamji will be mad at me for she is his daughter in law.”
“You shall do as I said, if you don’t want to wake up in the prison tomorrow morning!”
“Gaura behen, please…”
But Bhavani couldn\t finish her sentence for Vidya and Priyal came back.
“Namaste, Baaji.” Vidya said.
And now, Bhavani knew she had to do her work.
“Vidya, I must tell you something.” She began. “You are no longer wanted here in this house!”
Vidya got shocked by these words.
“What are you saying, Bhavani?” Vidya replied. “How all of a sudden you decided to tell me that? This is the house of my husband Shravan and I am not going anywhere!”
“No, Vidya, this is my house and all of you here shall obey my orders. And my order now is that you must leave! Here are your belongings and the ones of Priyal, so take them and leave, leave now!”
“Bhavani, what are you doing?” Gaura said, pretending to care for Vidya. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you decide to do such a thing all of a sudden?”
“Excuse me, Gaura behen. You are a friend of mine but you can’t tell me what decisions should I take for my house. If I am saying that Vidya is not welcomed here anymore, then she isn’t! That’s my final word!”
“Don’t worry for us, baaji.” Vidya said. “We will go to the Modi bhawan. My mother and grandmother will welcome us as they have always did. And you, Bhavani. You must know that we will not accept your torture anymore. I will tell everyone at the Modi bhawan what you did and we will make a plan to defeat you. You tortured us a lot of years but we will put an end of this! You made my sister Meera a servant of yours, you married my father in law without his consent and now, you have chosen to torture me and make me leave the house. You will pay for this humiliation, Bhavani! Remember my word. We will find a way to get the house back from you and then you will go to jail! Goodbye now!”