Ahhhh..Secret

I woke up to the buzzing sound of the alarm. I hesistantly took the blanket away from my half bare body and stopped the alarm

I looked at my husband who was peacefully curling up under the blanket. Men have been always a previlaged class in our society. Cursing my sex, I moved to the bathroom. I have to take a quick bath before my mother in law starts the morning chores.

I stepped down the stairs,water from my hair was trickling down to the stairs wet ,leaving a path till the kitchen. I cant hear any voice may be she is still asleep,my mother in law. 

Suddely, her bedroom door opened and my mother in law came out. She greeted me and went back to the room as if she forgot something.

I dont know ,everytime this happens, especially in the mornings. She will go back to her husband as if to warn him that I am here. Also they never invited me to that bedroom.Whenever I tried ro enter the room they resisted with some reason.

My marriage was one week before. May be they still need some time to acquaint with me.

I consoled myself.

Kitchen is the space I spend most of the time in his house . Food was so important to them, full day of work was required to satisfy their appetite.

Father in law: Rema..( Mother in law)Rema.....( calling out loudly)

Mother in law: I am in the kitchen.

Father in law: where is it?

Me: What is that Mom he is asking for ? can I help?

Mother in law: You please go and check .

I stopped cutting the veggies and marched towards their bedroom.Suddenly, she came running , stopped me and told

Mother in law: I think I should help him.You can continue with your work.

I felt uncomfortable.What is that they trying to keep it from me.

After sometime my father in law came to the kitchen.He is so affectionate and always treated me as his daughter. He is 6 feet tall with perfect features and hair. His teeth is so white as if he cleaned it with harpic.

Everyone used to praise him for his good looks and how he carry them off. Some people even commented like he deserves much more beautiful wife.

Days passed by, I was getting closer and closer to this family. But still there was something that they were hiding from me.The mystery room was still not accessible for me.

One day I asked my husband . What is it that you people are hiding from me. I am feeling a bit uneasy with such behaviour. He smiled and told me ,nothing that you need to worry about.

I was not satisfied with his reply. Day by day I was becoming more and more suspicious. Are they smuggling something? Is there a dead body inside that room? or a slave. Are they worshipping evil spirit? Will they kill me one day.

This continued for weeks and my imagination about the mystery room kept on developinng new themes each day.

One night , a bad dream woke me up in my sleep. It was 3 a.m in the morning. My throat was dry and was urging to have some water.

I slowly made my way to kitchen dowstairs. My each step broke the silence of the night. Suddenly ,I heard a noise in the kitchen. I stopped and listened .

Yes, someone is there in the kitchen. I hid myself in the darkness so that the other person can't see me.

Suddenly a person came out of the kitchen , he was holding something in this hand and was going to my inlaws bed room.

I switched the lights.

He panicked and ran to the mystery room.He was wearing my father in law's dresses but not him that was sure.

I called out everyone loudly.Thief Thief....... thiefff..helppp...

All came running and I explained to them in detail and asked to search the mystery room.

To my surprise, no one seemed interested nor was alarmed even after saying he disappeared in to their bedroom.

My mother in law was the first one to dismiss the meeting.

It made my days worser in that house. I even don't want to come downstairs. I insisted my husband to be with me always.

Then came the festive season. My sister in law came home with her children. Though they were bit annoying.They gave me a distraction from my usual routine and thoughts about mystery room and the strange man.

That morning I woke up a little early to finish off the festival chores. Along with me the kids also woke up. The kids ran down the stairs and entered my inlaws bedroom which was half open. I ran behind to stop them as I still dont know what is going inside that room. 

I entered the room and caught the kids and was about to move out .I noticed something strange. An unfamiliar face in the bed . I stared at that face.

Who is he?Is he my mom in laws boy friend. where is father? how come he managed to get inside. why she chose this man over him.. no hair and no teeth...... She have strange taste

My mother in law came running...she was shocked to see me.

Everyone freezed for a second including kids.

kids: Where is grandpas teeth and hair?

What?(Shocked)Wait!?! ...Is he my father in law himself..where is his hair and teeth which he was so proud of. Am I dreaming or not.I grabbed the kids and went upstairs immediately.

( Background: I could hear exchange of words between my in laws)

I ran directly to the bathroom , looked at the mirror .What have I seen there.Is that real?

Was this the mystery. No smuggling.. no evil spirit nor thief.Was it just the teeth and hair?

I laughed my lungs out that day.

Nobody discussed about that afterwards.

I was the only person in festival mood.I enjoyed every bit of that day and I am sure everyone noticed that.

For a long time my father in law didnt talk to me and I think the entry to mystery room was even restricted for my mother in law for few days.