Real Honeymoon !

"Listen," said Guddi, wiping her hand from the sari.

"Speak" Her husband Ramu stared at her.

"Today is the 10th. Come straight home with your salary in the evening. Don't sit on the fringes of gambling with Kalua, in the pursuit of doubling money. Last month, you had lost half salary.

"Okay." Ramu went out with the bicycle key.

Guddi kept watching her husband leaving till he was out of sight. And then came back and started doing household chores. After completing the household work, she too had to go to Babuji's house, to work. And from there Had to go to "sahib ji" to cook food.

On the way to work she met Meera ,her friend and neighbor . Meera's husband Kisna also works with Guddi's husband Ramu ,in the same shoe factory.

Both the friends kept on talking while walking. Meera was saying that if Kisna brings salary today, then after paying the old balance of the shop keeper, first of all, she will bring ration for the coming month. Last month Kisna wasted 50% of the salary for liquor and rest amount exhausted in payment of house rent and electricity bill . Due to not paying the old balance of shop keeper, there was no question of getting the ration for the coming month.

Guddi's troubles were also not less but she got more work at a cottage which increased her earnings. Secondly her elder son has started working in a scooter repairing shop and from his earnings gives money to Guddi.

Guddi has four sons while Meera has two sons and two daughters. Guddi's eldest son is about 15 years old. Guddi tried hard to educate him but failed .Leaving his study he prefer to work. Though he receives small money from the scooter repairing shop, but he wanted to learn this work because of the desire to open his own shop.

Both Guddi and Meera returned home at around 3:00 pm after completing their tasks.

Guddi was thinking that if Ramu brings full salary today,for which she hopes, then first of all, after paying the old balance of ration shop, she will bring goods for the new month. She was hopeful of receiving full salary from Ramu as he doesn't drink at all and thinking this she dreamt her past and thinking how her elder sister-in-law got Ramu out of his habit of drinking.

At that time, she lived with her parents and six brothers in a village near the city. Being the only sister, besides her parents, her brothers were also loved her very much. The elder brother was married and Guddi got along well with her sister-in-law. Her parents were not very wealthy. As a child, her parents tried to teach her. Since she was not interested in school and could not study above 3rd class, her parents formed the idea of ​​her marriage. It was difficult to get a good match for an illiterate girl , so they confirmed Guddi's engagement with Ramu, who was fine in appearance and worked in a shoe factory.

Parents and six brothers married the only daughter and sister with pomp.

When Guddi reached her in-laws' house, her mother-in-law and other women performed aarti and took her inside the house. After completing the rituals of "Muh Dikhai" etc. by relatives and neighboring women throughout the day, Guddi, got tired .At night, she was sent to her husband's room. It has passed 11 Pm,12 Pm but Ramu did’t come .At abou 1 Am he entered the room in drunken condition. Guddi felt vomiting due to the smell of alcohol. Somehow she managed herself and looked at her husband. But there was no response from there. After a while Ramu lay on one side of the bed and started snoring. Still not sleeping, she lay down on the other side of the bed and felt of her imagination falling apart. She felt angry and sad. At about 5Am Ramu got up and started touching her body.Guddi shook his hand. Then he went out of the room abusing her. Guddi broke down crying.

Ramu came the next day at around 9:00 pm. But there was a foul smell of alcohol coming from his mouth which Guddi found unbearable. He was saying something in his tongue and after a while he lay down and fell asleep. Guddi had nothing to blame but to her fate. After about 2 hours Ramu's intoxication subsided, he started playing with Guddi's body. Guddi got angry. It was a lot but she did not refuse after thinking something and thus the second night passed. Guddi’s friends ,at village, who got married ,had told Guddi that on the day of honeymoon, husband definitely gives some gifts. But here Guddi only got abuses. And thus the day passed. Taking it as her fate, Guddi also made a compromise. Going to do household chores in the morning and the abuse of her drunken husband at night along with exploiting her body, she had accepted it as her destiny.

After about 20 days, today, Guddi was very happy because today her brother is coming to take her to village for Rakhi Festival. She reached her Mother and father and wept a lot ,which was natural. However she hide the facts from parents . The day of Rakhi has also arrived and Guddi tied Rakhi on the wrists of 6 brothers and received gifts from everyone.

Guddi's discomfort could not be hidden from the eyes of elder sister-in-law in the house and one day she took Guddi to her room and inquired about her equation with her husband. Guddi wept out deeply and told the facts .Sister-in-law realised that Guddi's misery was due to husband's drinking habit and also knew that to get rid of alcohol addiction is not easy. Both of them made a plan.

After a week Ramu came to take Guddi from her house. He was drunken. Guddi stopped him at the door and told him not to go to his parents and arranged for him to stay in Dharmsala, located in the village and said that only if he would come in the morning without drinking alcohol, only then he would be able to meet her parents. Ramu felt bad. It took a lot but there was no other way, so went to Dharmsala and slept.

After taking a bath in the morning,he came without drinking. Guddi took him to her parents. He asked them to take Guddi with him in the after noon. Parents ,Called the elder sister-in-law and ordered to make preparations for the departure. The sister-in-law took Guddi's husband to her room and in clear words, refused to send Guddi with him. On asking the reason, she said that he would had to choose only one out of the liquor and Guddi.

Guddi's husband was furious and threatened Guddi with divorce and returned to his house without taking Guddi. Ramu's parents were surprised when he returned without daughter-in-law. When he told them the promises of Guddi to come only if he stopped taking liquor, they became very happy but didn’t show their plesure before Ramu. As a matter of fact they also wanted Ramu to get rid of alcohol. Parents had also tried a lot,in the past, for Ramu to get rid of alcohol, but could not succeed. Ramu thought to divorce Guddi for two days ,but as soon as night fell, she started remembering Guddi. His parents also explained to him that he should give up alcohol and bring Guddi, otherwise his second marriage would be impossible, if he gets divorced. Ultimately he assured to give up alcohol and asked his parents to arrange the Panchayat to bring Guddi.

The parents wanted this and they immediately called four or five relatives and took Ramu to Guddi's house where he promised to give up liquor for ever and assured to keep Guddi with love.

Hearing this, Guddi's parents, brothers and sisters-in-law as well as all relatives were very happy. The parents were thanking God, Guddi and Guddi's sister-in-law. Guddi's farewell was arranged with pomp and while leaving, the sister-in-law gave Guddi a twitch.

Today Guddi had come again to her in-laws' house. During the day, she gossip and talking sweetly to her mother-in-law and neighbors . And reached her room in the evening and decorated the room with roses. He had already kept the glass of saffron milk on the table.

Ramu came home at 8:00 pm today and went straight to his room. As soon as he entered, he closed the latch and kissed Guddi by putting Gajra in Guddi's hair. He took out a silver necklace from the pocket of the kurta and put it around Guddi's neck. Guddi also loved her husband ,emotionally.The honeymoon was agreeing. Even at this time, she did not forget to thank her sister-in-law from the core of her heart.