Dedicated to @kanchan mehta for her deep involvement to the core of the story

Also I appreciate her deep involvement with the mythology of our country:)

Chapter 15

Friendship : A Special Bond

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.

---------Henri Nouwen

Shruti handled the challenging task very well balancing her home, daughter, work and skating even Piu's academics very well.

But in the jest what went down trodden was Shruti and Govind's relationship. They did not fight like other couples.

All they did was argue in which Shruti was always the one to give in.

Govind had been a bit too silly these days objecting on Shruti's late arrival, her folly in maintaining house, taking classes even on Sundays when it was their time together. Hadn't she once warned him, no office work on Sundays and he duly agreed to it.

And now she herself is engaged in her classes even on Sundays.

She might have seek his approval prior and he agreed wanting to give her an opportunity but now he is not taking it very positively, he even yelled at her last night when she was discussing something about skating.

Gosh! Is that all she could talk her classes and skating!

Couldn't she once have the ethnicity of enjoying the most awaited Saturday night? He did not talk to her for a whole day a day before, he even disconnected her call because he was angry at her for not visiting his mother who was unwell last week.

Ofcourse Shruti had nursed her then but wasn't it her responsibility to at least call and check on her whereabouts.

'If I forgot, Govind should have at least been smarter enough to remind Me." Shruti debated in her thoughts but did not say it openly scared of his feisty reaction.

Govind have been quite grumble these days. Last evening he even snapped at her friend Rita who was only enquiring and forcing him to bring Piu for road skating in the evenings too.

Govind was already taking Piu in the morning for road skating and she did skate well too but Rita was of the opinion that that wasn't enough for Piu wasn't doing good skating rink skating during the beginners session, night road skating would help her improve.

Rita was straightforward and sounded authoritative as thats how her broad and short built portrays her.

But Govind felt insinuated and insulted with her words and instead shouted saying that "Piu was her daughter and it was none of her business to teach her what is to be done.

They both argued for a while inviting attention of all the presentees including coaches, parents and all the skaters.

"Why are you indulging into this?' asked bethratled Shruti shocked that somebody is defending her.

"I have to. You are my friend and nobody can say like this to my friend." Sapna answered Shruti, her eyes narrowed at the boy who'd just bullied Shruti by calling her names and commenting on her odd oiled hair style.

"Sapna" Shruti sighs. James was Sapna's bestie, another popular boy from school and Sapna had only befriended her last week after Shruti offered her with the emergency as Sapna had not assumed to have her mortified days a bit earlier. Also she helped her with the notes she missed while she was fussing embarrassed about her preponded arrivals in the middle of the school  .

 "Please don't do this for me." Shruti begged when she saw that the fight between two friends was soon going out of hand.

"I will. I am your friend and a friend should never let her friend down for some silly popular girl image." Sapna said glaring at Shruti now 'how could she think so low of herself'

End of her schooling finally Shruti had someone to be called a friend true friend who did not bother if she was some stupid nerd. All that mattered to Sapna was Shruti was a good person and she wanted to be her friend.

Sapna always stood with Shruti and was always there for her defense whenever someone tried to bully her.

She learnt the true meaning of friendship under Sapna's companionship.

Today if Govind is her love, Rita was her friend; she did not know how to defend her friend. Also curses of Govind in a loud tone which was a rare of thing was going out of hand.

She shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to do and felt that she can only help the two people by taking her way with the one who is much dear and closer to her than the other whom she can apologize later and still won't be judged by him.

She went to Govind and said "Please Govind, let's leave."

"I am not done as yet.' Govind barked getting back to Rita "What do you know about us, ME? Do you have any idea what I am going through?"

Rita kept quite in a state of shock being snapped by a male twice her height.

Shruti could read the plea in Rita's eyes that were transparent and would soon turn glassy if the ordeal isn't over soon.

"Govind" Shruti pulled Govind with all the strength she could muster, tall and hefty weight lifter that he had been "Piu needs to go to the loo and she wants to go home, not willing to use the common restrooms here."

Govind's eyes softened at the mention of Piu.

Whenever his family is in discomfort, his cells go into an alert mode and he quickly swapped himself into a concerned father and left for home so that his dear little moppet gets her maximum comfort that she desires albeit deserves.

Shruti prefers to keep her mouth shut for the ride home scared of what would erupt from Govind's mouth next especially in front of Piu. She'd never seen him losing his temper to such an extent before and that too in front of a lady before.

"That Rita would never mess with me again." Govind commented.

Wondering about unusual behavior of Govind Shruti simply replies a "mmm......." trying to keep her views to herself.

"Now you think Rita is right and I was the wrong one there." Govind accused Shruti of her loyalties.

"where did that come from?" Shruti panicked not wanting Govind to discuss the same in front of Piu. She'd seen enough of her father's ill temperament in a day.

"I need not be a pshycic to learn your facial expressions. You completely disapproved about the argument that I had at the skating rink." Govind barked in his unusual high pitched tone.

"Can we not talk about what happened there at the skating rink for the while?" Shruti begged.

"Whoa! Govind banged his fists on the steering of the car he was driving "So you who had none ether topic than skating to talk wants me not to discuss about what happened at the skating rink?"

"Govind Piu is riding with us." Shruti tried to stop Govind to behave in the grumpy way like he'd been doing currently.

Though Govind kept mum for rest of the ride home but he was muted for the rest of the evening too. Rather he was so angry at Shruti that he preferred to swipe off his anger with a silent fight treatment that he was giving Shruti.

Unable to handle the gruff situation Shruti cried to sleep hoping the events of the day to fade away next morning like the memories of a bad dream.

'''''''''''''''''''''''

"It's okay Shruti. I rather realized how much he is going through." Shruti was awed at the thoughtfulness of Rita who did not let her speak a word of apology and was defending Govind.

'I guess the dwell in the business that he is keeping to himself is affecting him. He doesnt speak much and the fact that he is too frustrated inside was visible in his temperament yesterday" Rita said like a matured lady that she actually is.

"I am really worried and confused. I sometimes fail to handle situations" Shruti said wondering if Rita could gauge Govind's behavior was due to his faulty business conditions these days, what kind of a wife she is?

She doesn't deserve a loving husband like Govind. She sighs.

Shruti after those immaculate piece of advice by Rita tried to handle her home and family more carefully, trying not to lose her patience when Govind was loud, keep cheery when he was back home, she even handled money matters related to Piu's skating to herself, trying to cut costs in home management not asking more from Govind by the end of the month.

She tried to be more of  a friend to Govind than a wife.

But the entire thing was draining too much of her energies, her exhaustion limits had stretched but again poor performance by Piu in all the competitions made Shruti wonder if

Piu would ever win?