What is more important

The reality

Laila: “Ma’am, don’t.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “You have no right to tell me Laila.”

Laila: “Ma’am, this is not the time to discuss that.” She runs towards the door and locks.

Mrs. Gujrial: “You know, I can shoot you at this point.”

Laila: “Better me than anyone else.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “You have been here since you were a child and now look at yourself, you are a mom. Can’t you see what is wrong out there?”

Laila: “Ma’am, you are assuming things.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “Right. I am assuming things. My husband is out there talking sweetly to a successful officer while his wife is in such a miserable situation here. Yes, I am assuming things.” She is full of rage and throws the glass in hand on the floor. The glass shatters into million pieces. However, no one hears anything. Outside, there is music, laughter, and happiness.

Mrs. Gujrial: “I hate it when he laughs.” She hisses.

Laila remains silent. She is waiting for the effect of wine to wear off.

Mrs. Gujrial: “He hates me, right.”

Laila: “He does not hate you ma’am. Look at your kids, look at Vijy Baba.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “Ahh, Vijy. The mistake of my one-night passion. Just like his father. Whenever I look at him, I see Gujrial in him.”

Laila: “Ma’am, he is your kid.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “He is his kid.”

Laila knows she will not understand ever and never understand in this situation.

Mrs. Gujrial: “I want to go out. You cannot keep me in for long.” She shouts.

Laila: “How can you hate your own son ma’am?” She has tears in her eyes.

Mrs. Gujrial: “Because Vijy loves his dad.”

Laila: “Ma’am, he is a kid in his cradle. He does not even know about humans. He does not recognize anyone.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “A mother can predict her kid’s future even when he is in a cradle, and I am never wrong with predictions. You know that very well. Don’t you?”

Laila: “Because a mother brings her kid up; therefore, she has a control over behavior.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “So, you know all. I am not liking it.”

A loud sound of someone’s laughter comes from the outside and Mrs. Gujrial runs towards the door. “I am not going to leave them tonight.”

Laila runs after her, but she pushes her back. She crashes on the ground and her head hits the table corner. By the time she gets up Mrs. Gujrial is already out of the room. Laila rums outside and the sight is that Mrs. Gujrial is pointing her fingers at Madumati and shouting: “I warned you to stay away. Women like you definitely know how to make their way.” Mr. Gujrial is trying to hold her: “Let’s go to room. You are drunk.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “Who are you? I am drunk and you are a cheater. Isn’t that equal?”

Mr. Gujrial: “We need to go.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “I do not want to go. I just want to look at this naked crowd and see their costumes. I would love to see the real faces behind those masks.” Everyone straightens their back because they know whatever is going to come out of that mouth is going to change everyone’s image.

One of the persons in the party says: “I think sister-in-law needs is too much drunk. We cannot take what she says seriously.”

That guy just pulled the trigger. Now, no one will be able to stop Mrs. Gujrial.

Mrs. Gujrial: “Oh, Ravinder. A nice guy dressed in an expensive designer suit but reality so ugly that he hit on his best friend’s wife after seeing that their marriage was in trouble. Isn’t that true Paul? My bad. What do you have to say? You slept with your servant, right?” Paul’s wife looks at him with blood in her eyes. “Lolo dear, why are you angry? You too had a wonderful night in the club in US. Mika why are you stunned? You have got pretty hot pockets. Don’t you like people who warm your pocket before they ask you to do some work?” Mrs. Gujrial is on fire and exposing everyone.

Mr. Gujrial: “That’s enough.” He drags her from her arm.

Mrs. Gujrial: “Are you afraid I will expose you too?”

Mr. Gujrial: “You do not have anything to say.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “Well, what about Madumati? We all know her right. Why do you celebrate her every success and why do so many men show up?”

Mr. Gujrial lifts his hand and says: “That is more than enough.” However, Mrs. Luthra comes forward and stands in front of Mrs. Gujrial while Mr. Luthra grabs Mr. Gujrial back.

Mrs. Luthra drags her to the library while Mr. Luthra drags Mr. Gujrial to the same room. They close the door behind them. Laila is also there.

Mrs. Luthra: “Laila, make sure that no one leaves this place and bring lemon and a pain reliever immediately.”

Laila immediately heads out and closes all the door. No one is allowed to leave the mansion. Mr. Gujrial runs towards his wife as if he is going to kill her. But Mr. Luthra put him back in the chair. “Are you out of your mind?” shouts Mr. Luthra.

Gajrial: “Didn’t you see what just happened? Her insecurities are killing her, and I am never going to forgive her for what happened today.” He runs again towards Mrs. Gujrial while Mrs. Luthra stands in front of her and hide her behind her. She is still trying to provoke him and is pushing Mrs. Luthra away. Mrs. Gujrial: “She is a slut. Why do you feel for her? Are you one of those guys who show up to her doorsteps every night? I saw you giving her a check. Was that for her service?”

Mr. Gujrial fights with Mr. Luthra to break free. He is struggling very hard and saying: “I am going to end this all tonight.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “Will you kill me? Come on you do not have guts to kill me. Look at yoursel and then at me.”

Mr. Gujrial breaks free and runs towards her while Mr. Luthra holds him back, turns him around, slaps him hard in the face and throw him on a chair. There is silence in the room.

Mr. Luthra points his finger at Mr. Gujrial and says: “You better get in your senses.” Then he points at Mrs. Gujrial and says: “You better shut your mouth.” He looks at his wife: “You make sure that none of them leave the room and I will take care of the mess you two stupid people have created outside.” He turns to leave the room when he turns back and points towards Mrs. Gujrial and says: “If you open your mouth in my absence then you better know that he may not have the guts, but I do and I will not even regret it.” Mrs. Gujrial stares at him and flinches. She sits on the chair behind her. “You two better stay there in this position and do not dare to move.” Everyone is silent as they look at Mr. Luthra’s back as he is leaving the room. Laila enters the room with the things Mrs. Luthra has asked for.

Mr. Luthra goes out, stands in front of everyone and says: “There is nothing to be surprised of anything. What you all saw is normal. We all saw what everyone did when they were drunk. Also, deep down we all knew about everything. The problem is that we just do not talk about it. Else, I think we all should be grateful to Mrs. Gujrial as she disclosed the things, we were afraid of. She made us see our worst nightmares. At least now we can survive with grace. Be proud of yourself everyone, you have faced what you were afraid of. I also have a request to make. I hope you all will not disclose anything which happened today. Everything should remain in this room forever; otherwise, I know things which even Mrs. Gujrial does not know, and I am not afraid of anything.” In the end he raises his hand with a glass in it: “Enjoy the party everyone.” He goes back to the room.

Mrs. Gujrial is sane now: “I am not afraid of anything Luthra. You stay away from my matter.”

Mr. Luthra: “It was yours matter a few hours ago. But I believe that after the spectacular show which you pulled today, it is everyone’s matter.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “You know I hate you.”

Mr. Luthra: “As if I love you. The party will end in some time and then you guys can break each other’s bones. Till then both of you shut up.”

On the other side of the door, Madumati is enraged, her character was assassinated, and her image was tarnished. What she heard was not a headline in a tabloid, but someone’s enraged wife said in front of gazillion people. Madumati is usually calm, but she has anger issues and today she is trying her best to stop the world which is spinning around her in full speed.

After some time, the hall is empty, and all guests have left. The five people are still in the library. Mrs. Luthra gives sleeping pills to both Mr. and Mrs. Gujrial. She does this to make sure that none of them kill the other at night. They put them in separate bedrooms and one after another sit outside their rooms to make sure that everything is fine.

It is Mrs. Luthra’s turn now. She is sitting on the couch outside their rooms. She does not realize when she dozed off. Someone enters Mrs. Gujrial’s room. The room is dark while Mrs. Gujrial is deep in sleep. Someone calls her name and says: “Get up, I said get up. You said you had something to end today. Didn’t you?”

Mrs. Gujrial wake-up with blur vision but she becomes fully awake when she looks at the person in front of her. It is none other than Madumati.

Mrs. Gujrial: “What are you doing here? You better get out of my house.”

Madumati laughs as she says: “Your house?”

Mrs. Gujrial: “I said get out. Now.” She shouts at her.

Madumati: “You wanted to kill me. Now what happened? Don’t you have guts or the poor, desperate, jealous, and neglected wife does not know how to pull the trigger?” She mocks her.

Mrs. Gujrial gets a pistol out her side table drawer and points at her as she says: “Shut up otherwise I will shoot.”

Madumati: “I am not afraid of this toy. I play with it every single minute. I think you are the one who is afraid.”

Mrs. Gujrial: “I am not afraid of anything.”

Madumati: “You are afraid of everything lady. You are afraid to accept your husband because he is dark, you are afraid to lose your kids who will leave you soon, you are afraid to lose power, you are afraid to lose people, you are afraid of reality, and you are afraid of the world outside because you are not capable enough. You are weak, you are powerless, and you are pathetic.”

Mrs. Gujrial shouts: “I am not weak, and I am not afraid of anything.” And pulls the trigger.

The noise of a bang hit the mansion and Mrs. Luthra runs to the room. She calls out Mr. Luthra, Mr. Gujrial and Laila on her way as she is shouting. All of them are running towards the room. They enter the room and every one’s eyes go wide. The spectacle is that Mrs. Gujrial has a gun in her hand with her eyes closed with Madumati on the ground.

Rajveer: “Amma, Amma, are you okay?”

Amma: “Yeah everything is fine.”

Ranveer: “You have to tell us Amma. It is very important. Please for Alia and Sameen tell us.”

Amma bursts into tears as she says: “I cannot tell anything. Please I want to go home. I can’t breathe and I do not feel well. Please, I beg you do not ask me something I can’t tell. Please.”

Rajveer: “Ok, ok, just relax. We will not ask you anything.”

Food for thought:

Is overcoming your insecurities and accepting yourself more difficult then suffering and letting them hurt you? Are all people bad? Who is to be blamed in a fight or a murder or a major loss, someone who pulled the trigger or someone who proved? Is reality a myth?