Chapter 2 — Vasundhara's Unusual Proposal
Vasundhara was a woman who believed that a household should run with discipline. She woke before sunrise, prepared breakfast, watered the plants, and expected everyone to contribute.
Within three days of Meera leaving, she noticed that Arav struggled with ordinary domestic tasks. He could make tea, but he forgot to soak the rice. He could wash clothes, but he mixed colours and whites. He often ate dinner while staring at his laptop.
“You are a grown man,” Vasundhara told him one morning. “Yet you expect someone else to remember every little thing.”
Arav felt embarrassed. “I'll learn, Amma.”
“Learning means doing, not promising.”
That afternoon, while organising Meera's wardrobe, Vasundhara found a dark green saree with a delicate gold border. She held it up thoughtfully.
“Arav, have you ever wondered how much work goes into getting ready every day?”
“Not particularly,” he admitted.
“Then perhaps you should understand it firsthand.”
Arav laughed nervously, thinking she was joking.
But Vasundhara had another idea. A family cultural programme was approaching, and she wanted to demonstrate traditional dressing and jewellery arrangements. She asked Arav to help her prepare and learn how to drape a saree.
At first, Arav refused. He had no interest in wearing a saree or being dressed like a woman.
Vasundhara's expression hardened. “In this house, everyone helps. You will learn how to care for these clothes and understand the effort behind them.”
Raghav quietly intervened. “He can help without being humiliated, Vasundhara.”
After a tense silence, Vasundhara agreed to begin with practical tasks: folding sarees, arranging bangles, matching blouses, and caring for delicate fabrics.
Arav was relieved. He thought the matter had ended there.
It had only begun.
Emotional turning point: Arav looks uncertainly at the green saree while Vasundhara begins explaining its pleats and pallu.
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