Azmia has settled down well after 3 months into her stay in Dubai. Her scores are impressive at the academy and her confidence and brilliance is fetching her appreciation at work. New friends, hard earned savings, knowledge and experience of first hand – she couldn’t ask for more in her social and professional life. She isn’t devoid of male attention as well since she landed here. There are interesting men around her, but she is still reluctant to venture into that arena. In her own words, she first needs to build a strong identity for herself; which has the power to overshadow her past reality, before she acknowledge a man’s advances again in life.
She visits Aaradhya during weekends regularly, but her purpose of visit is to have a gala time with her children and also to relish the homemade delicacies made by Dharam, than to catch up with her friend. At times she found herself going green with envy seeing the life Aaradhya has. Her life is so ‘picture-perfect’. She has everything a woman would desire for – a family to die for and a job to live for! But her fleeting envy didn’t blind her to the chinks in Aaradhya’s life as well!
Working at her company, Azmia did get a glimpse into the busy body life that Aaradhya has to live on a daily basis. The challenges, competition, pressure on one hand, and the success, power and money on the other. Azmia was privy of all the social work her NGO churned out and how much involved Aaradhya was in all of it. But at the other end of the scale, she saw that Aaradhya’s professional life in many ways overshadows her personal life. She could hardly be there for her kids and husband. But still the catch is Dharam, who happily manages the balance in their family. He never lets the kids feel that their mother is absent for long hours from their life nor does he whine over the lost hours with his wife because of her career. He is going about it normally; just like a homemaker would. The masculine and feminine roles in a family are interchanged between them and the fact that he is ‘okay’ with it surprises Azmia. She couldn’t help but admire Dharam for his uniqueness. But that could not be said about all the other pairs of eyes that look at their family.
**********************
As usual, Azmia is at Aaradhya’s pad for the weekend, but this time there is an extra reason for her presence. It is Dharam and Aaradhya’s wedding anniversary and she is helping with the arrangements. Aaradhya’s mother could not make it to the event as she is tied up with work at India. Dharam’s parents are no more and his only brother is settled in Australia. So only some of their close friends were invited.
Due to unavoidable circumstances at work, Aaradhya had to attend office today and she couldn’t relieve herself as soon as she expected. Due to a last minute video conference with a client in US, she had no choice but to be absent for her own party leaving Dharam to be the recipient of amusing glances and snide remarks from gossipy wives of his friends.
Most of them could not help but point out that it is his lack of a proper job, that let’s Aaradhya mistreat him and some couldn’t turn a blind eye to Aaradhya’s over ambitiousness. Their wagging tongues didn’t tire from the numerous discussions they had about women who are ambitious to the extent of putting their family on the back burner. Some even advised him point blank, to warn Aaradhya to set her priorities straight, after all family comes first. While his friends were ashamed of their wives’ nosiness, he silenced them all with reassuring smile and sweet words.
Though her blood boiled at some of their catty comments, Azmia held herself in check from creating a scene. But she couldn’t help but feel hurt for Dharam. She feared that someday these same comments might take a toll on her friend’s married life.
****************
The party is over and guests have left, Aaradhya is still not home. Azmia helped Dharam clean up and put the kids to sleep. After she was done with the kids, she joined him with cold coffees for them. She couldn’t stop herself from querying if he’s fine. He looked surprised and expressed it in his words as well. Initially, Azmia struggled to word her thoughts, but then she asked him directly how he feels about his lifestyle and the comments passed at it by his acquaintances. He understood where her question is coming from and decided to answer it in his own way.
“I guess you know that Aaru was never this ambitious, career oriented woman. Her dream and aim was to be a homemaker, a mother and a free spirit; to be able to fly like a kite, but with no string holding onto her”.
“Yes. And that’s exactly why I’m surprised by the change that has come over her. This is not the lifestyle she dreamt of”.
“Exactly, yet today she is living this life because of me”
“I don’t understand”
“Hmm, I had lost job when recession hit Dubai and suddenly our life went for a toss. I was born and brought up here and never wanted to retire to India. I started hunting for job, but that was not an easy task in the recession atmosphere. And back then the only option before us to stay back was Aaru’s father’s business. I couldn’t take it up due to some legal hassles; hence Aaru had to step in. And she did remarkably well. Her father was happy seeing her taking in the reigns of his dream establishment. He died seeing her managing it efficiently. She got involved in the NGO works as well. It gave me enough margins to find a footing. I didn’t want to get trapped in low grade jobs owing to the situation and she supported me through and through. Soon I realised its best to do something of my own and hence I took up the course that I always wanted to acquire. While I did a diploma in Graphic Designing, set up myself as a freelancer, she was working hard to sustain our lives here. Aaru who never wanted to settle in a foreign country, who never wanted to be a working woman did all of it for my sake. While in the process, she found her passion in it. And now though the phase of necessity is over, I won’t deter her from her passion. I cannot do that to her”.
Azmia is now getting a clear picture of the struggles they had to go through before finding this concrete platform of their lives.
“She once selflessly gave up her dream life for my happiness; how can I be selfish enough to ask more from her. Do you really think I will fell prey to all those crap they said a while ago? Never!”
“What crap did they say today? The same old tune eh?”
They turned back to the voice of Aaradhya.
“You’re late than usual. Meet was successful?”
“Yup, cracked the deal”
He pulled her into his arms not caring about Azmia’s presence.
“Wow that calls for celebration”
“Hmm, but I spoiled today’s celebration”
“Oh you still have time to make it up to your husband wifey!”
He winked conveying his innuendo clearly while Aaradhya blushed at his words. Azmia couldn’t help a smile at the scene before her.
“Hey have some shame dear husband. My friend is watching us”
“Oh she definitely doesn’t mind. Do you Azmi?”
“Not at all, but seriously get a room guys. Have mercy on this poor soul, I’m single”
They all laughed at that and after a few words Aaradhya and Dharam retired for the night while Azmia turned her gaze to the starlit sky. She felt happy and also hopeful.
Nice people exist in this world; who are above egos, selfishness, norms and rule-books of the society. And they are happy too! A good thing to know!
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