My reprieve didn't last long because soon their attention was directed towards us.

"Aashi, we couldn't come to lunch, we still have to taste your food," Dhruv's mother commented and smiled wistfully. Before I could reply politely, my mother took over.

"Come anytime, she won't mind at all. She isn't the lazy sort, you know. She's very accommodating too, unlike these girls nowadays who won't budge until the husband does half of the work," my mother completed and shook her head in dismay. I pursed my lips, not liking the turn this conversation had taken. What she was saying was wrong. I would very much be like that and there was nothing wrong with it.

"Very true. It's become the norm nowadays. My nephew lives in Australia and his wife is the same. She didn't say yes for the wedding until my nephew agreed to learn cooking. She does the housework only when it's her turn. His mother is so worried about the sweet boy," Mrs. Jain said sadly. She had a sweet temperament, so much so that I hadn't thought she possessed such opinions at large. I didn't like that I was wrong.

"I do think the same way, mom. I also feel everyone should know how to tend to their basic needs and divide the housework. That's how life works, and should work," I said firmly, addressing my mother so as to not snub Dhruv's mother.

My mother glared daggers at me. "Aashi you... " but before mom could complete, Dhruv spoke up.

"I agree with Aashi," he said in a gentle voice, making both the ladies purse their lips in disapproval.

"Listen to me first. Ma, aunty, do both Aashi and I work equal hours outside, sharing the same office workload?" Dhruv asked the two of them, his eyes kind and gentle. He had our full attention.

They both nodded slowly.

"So how can anyone expect to have her cooking all the time? It isn't a woman's job to cook or serve. It is a job. A job doesn't have genders. But we have assigned them genders. I feel that's very wrong. Aunty," he said, addressing my mom. "Would you like Aashi to have to overwork herself just to fall in line with some social norms? Would you like to overwork your daughter-in-law too, ma?" But the ladies were quiet, the entire van pin-drop silent. The fathers had chosen silence over commenting upon the social issue debate that had risen up in the van.

The two women we quiet, analyzing things. I was half a mind away from opening the door and jumping out of the moving vehicle when my mother spoke up, her mien thoughtful and reflective. "I think, we might be behind the times. Surely we can't expect to have things just as they were in our times, can we?" My jaw hit the floor, unable to register what my ears had just heard.

I glanced at my father to see he was no better. It seemed his eyes would fall out of their socket anytime soon. Never in my twenty-eight years of existence had I seen my mother change her opinion because of someone else. It had been the most frustrating trait of hers all through my teenage years and well in my adult years, until now. I saw my father regard Dhruv differently. Almost...reverentially.

I couldn't blame him. I was equally surprised. And goddamn impressed.

Dhruv's mother nodded her assent and looked at the two of us guiltily. She had the most pleasing disposition.

I threw a small smile her way.

As for Dhruv, he was smiling like he had won a war. His eyes gleaming with happiness. It was a war, the war of 'real equality'. He had earned my respect today.

Was he some magician who could change people's opinion, for never in the history has logic been enough to convince majority of the Indian parents and mine, of course, regarding certain conceptions about men and women.

We were silent for the rest of the way. In no time, we reached the temple and mundane chit-chat continued all through the tour. I lisped a thank-you to Dhruv when we were about to enter the main temple, to which he nodded sincerely and went in with his parents. The trip was wonderful.

Akshardham wasn't a typical temple. No, it was much more. It had boating, it had a light and sound show, and it was peaceful. The sandstone architecture of the place carried half of it's charm, and the other half was in the fun activities it provided. It was a place for children and adults alike.

We left Akshardham around eight, after the light and sound show. We had a light dinner in one of the restaurants around and headed back home. My mom and aunty still had their energies intact, and I had absolutely no idea how. I was beyond exhausted, and I craved my bed.

My mother and aunty discovered that they had a common friend and started gossiping about her. They went on talking about how they thought and how they had heard that her husband's business ran on frauds and how her maid wasn't well paid by her and how her mother-in-law got drunk every night. It all felt so fictitious to me that I might have penned it down as a plotline. But even our fathers joined in the gossip and presented the rumours they had heard. Where do they even hear all this from? Oh, right, EVERYONE.

The conversation went to a particularly dangerous place that had my soul shivering.

"Her niece married a guy from the other caste," I had never heard my father sound so disgusted. I gulped, listening to their conversation intently.

"They have broken all relations with her. Her parents too," Dhruv's mother continued.

"These girls and boys, what do they get after betraying their parents and marrying someone their parents don't like? How do they ever stay happy after breaking all relations?" My mom bit out in anger, taking a sip of water from the bottle we had purchased. It was getting increasingly difficult to breathe in the van.

"This generation wants love and all. Values and tradition have no place," my father complained, shaking his head in disappointment. I felt tears at the back of my eyes, but I held onto them. I had never, ever disappointed my father. Suddenly it seemed they were all talking about me. Which was ridiculous, but it all felt too real.

I peeked a glance at Dhruv, hoping that he would intervene yet again and makes things easy for me. But he was fast asleep, unaware of the happenings around him. I gulped and tried to get words out of my mouth, but my throat felt awfully dry.

In that moment, I understood. I was scared. I had always been scared of this. And suddenly, it was all before my eyes. My parents leaving me, disappointed and disgusted in their only daughter. The daughter who hadn't once let them down. It was true. I had different opinions than them, but I had never truly disappointed them.

It was the same conflict I had faced while accepting the first date with Abeer all over again. Him against everything and everyone I knew. It was huge, and scary. So damn scary.

I looked at Dhruv's sleeping form from the corner of my eyes and wondered how wonderful it would have been if I would've simply fallen in love with him instead. No conflict of interest, no insecurities, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Unknown to me, a lone tear trickled down from the corner of my eye. It wasn't a choice. I couldn't choose between my parents and Abeer. It wasn't just difficult, it was impossible. I loved Abeer with every bit of my heart, but I loved my parents with every fiber of my being. All this time, I had fooled myself in delaying the inevitable. It would be easy to marry Dhruv, wouldn't it? But it won't be fair to him.

Just as I wasn't being fair to him now. He had a right to know. And I had to put an end to this. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow itself. I had dragged this way too long. Nobody deserved my silence. Neither Abeer, nor Dhruv.

I wiped my eyes silently and closed my eyes. Tomorrow this would end.

And everything will be fine.

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