Manasvi entered her building with bags of fresh vegetables and fruits in her hand. She waved at the kids playing in the empty garage and approached her group of friends. She removed a box of fresh strawberries and handed to Pooja.

"Thank you for bringing these for me. You are a darling." Pooja hugged her as she sat on the wooden bench.

"And you are too old to go shopping now." Yukta teased and everyone giggled.

"Says the one who has retired from household chores after son's marriage."

"Who stopped you from marrying your son? Ask him to choose a girl and you will also get the privilege to retire."

Manasvi shook her head on Yukta's suggestion. "Ask him to marry for himself, not you. They need support and companionship in today's tough life. For retirement from household chores, just get a maid."

"I agree with Manasvi." Gauri stated. "Your daughter-in-law might be hating you for this, Yukta. Do not follow your mother-in-law's footsteps."

"Yes, help her so she can feel home instead of left out. You have to make her a better member of your family."

"You both are lecturing me because you both have daughters and no son. If situation was reversed then you both would have done the same."

"Well, she has a point." Pooja commented.

"I would never put my daughter-in-law through something I suffered from. I would have..."

"Easier to say then done." Yukta chimed in. "You feel sorry for your married daughter handling household chores and office, hence your opinion is biased."

Gauri sighed. "True that we are sad to see our daughters working day and night, but..."

"But there is no explanation because our experiences are different and we will never reach the end of this argument." Yukta chimed again and sighed, seeing her friends frowning at her. "Fine, I will resume the household chores to reduce her burden."

"And give the couple privacy, not tagging on their dates or holidays?" Manasvi added and Yukta glared at her

"I am not my mother-in-law!."

"Then stop treating her like a daughter-in-law of our times." Manasvi stated and Yukta nodded, promising to be a better mother-in-law.

The women engaged in casual conversation for some time before heading to their respective homes.

Manasvi unlocked the door with the keys and saw her husband still sleeping. It was 7:05 am and she had 40 minutes to bath, worship, prepare breakfast and arrange the dining table. Sudhir will get up soon and will leave for work by 8:15 am.

She placed the vegetables on the kitchen counter and rushed to the bathroom. Returning to the living room, she opened the small temple and prepared the diya. She prayed for her husband, daughter and son-in-law's wellbeing, while lighting the diya and incense sticks. Then rushed to the kitchen.

She heard the bathroom door shut and rushed to prepare the breakfast. As the water boiled, she added sugar, tea powder and cardamom for flavour. She grated carrots, squeezed the juices and kept the liquid aside. She rolled a paratha with grated carrot, transferred on the hot pan and added milk to the boiling concoction.

Her hands moved swiftly between chopping fresh fruits, flipping parathas and sieving tea. She begins cooking lunch for his tiffin then carried the breakfast to the dining table. Her husband exited the bedroom dressed in a formal shirt and pant and she sighed in relief. Everything was ready on time.

"Good morning." She greeted as he took his seat on the dining chair.

"Good morning, is my tiffin ready? I have to leave within 15 minutes, cannot be late."

"Almost done, begin with your breakfast. I added ragi flour to the dough for your..."

"Not now Manasvi." Sudhir interrupted her. "I have to visit bank before work. I have a hectic schedule today."

She nodded and rushed back to the kitchen to assemble the tiffin. He was still eating when she placed the tiffin bag with water on the table. He smiled and saw her going inside their bedroom. She returned with the passbooks and he slapped his forehead.

"How can I forget something so important! My trip to the bank would have been wasted without them, you saved my time." She smiled and placed the passbooks inside his office bag then joined him for breakfast.

This was not the first time that Sudhir forgot something. Since the initial days of their marriage, Manasvi observed that he had a habit of forgetting in both personal and professional matters. In addition, his impulsive nature often resulted in failure to handle the situation. Thus, she decided to help her husband.

At first, he was reluctant to rely on his wife and his parents were not so supportive as well. It was uncanny for them to see a young woman handling professional things. However, the improvement in Sudhir's work and reduction in chaotic situation silenced them. They observed her unaffected behaviour and dedication in the household chores, so did not mind giving her some rights as it benefitted the family. Till today, she has continued the habit of knowing his schedule beforehand and help him whenever required.

Once Sudhir left for work, she collected his used utensils and placed them in the kitchen sink. The maid arrived and she continued her daily routine of taking care of the home.

~~~

Manasvi sat to eat lunch on the dining table after the maid left and her phone started ringing. She smiled and answered the call.

"Hi Lav."

"Hi Mamma, did Papa leave for work?" Lavanya asked.

"Yes, long back. Today is hectic for him."

"So, you are alone, right?"

"Yes, why are asking that?" Manasvi frowned, hearing a sniff from the other side. "Lav? Are you crying?"

"No." Her voice controlled and breath uneven. "I am just...just tired. Something is happening here and I am unable to handle it."

"Did you and Harshad fight?"

"Not just him, I fought with his entire family."

"Lav, what's going on?" Manasvi covered her lunch with a spare plate and stood to sit on the couch. "What are you fighting for?"

"There is a huge difference of opinion between us and they are not willing to understand me."

"What is the matter? Tell me everything."

"Not now Mamma, let me try to explain them one more time. If I fail again, I will come to you for help."

"Ok." Manasvi pressed her lips, her fingers fidgeting with the ends of her dupatta. Fear evident in her eyes as she asked. "Tell me honestly Lav, have they hurt you?"

"No Mamma, it's just arguments. Don't worry." Lavanya assured and she relaxed. "But they are getting more furious after each argument, I am worried if they call you or Papa and overexaggerate my response. I want you both to believe me that I am not doing anything wrong. I will not hurt either of my families on purpose."

"We have complete faith in you. If you have a reason to argue then we know that is an appropriate reason."

"It is, I promise."

"So don't worry and talk with them, but make sure to not go overboard. This is a temporary problem and we don't want to leave a permanent wound on them for life."

"What if they leave a permanent wound on my heart?" Lavanya's voice cracked at the end.

However, Manasvi had no words to assure her daughter. There were many wounds in her heart left by Sudhir and his family over the thirty-two years of marriage. Despite her dedication and care for them, she often had to explain herself to assure them that she is thinking of their benefit. She is not being selfish or trying to harm them. She often had to experience cold shoulder for overstepping a boundary till it was proven beneficial for them.

Though she had many rights, their supervision and judgment on her never reduced.