The Unexpected

As a young girl, you were the darling of your big family. Your grandfather was a well to do farmer who lived in a small town. Your father and uncles worked in a faraway city. They had to work under others to learn the skill of managing it was your grandfather's policy.

The only school in your town was a government school where you, your cousins, and nephews studied. It was a higher secondary school where children could study till 12th standard. Going to school was very difficult for you, so you made some or other excuses to skip and avoid. But your grandmother that raised you all understood your mood. She motivated you by prompting your creative talent to show in school. You were known for creativeness in the school. Your talent skill became the talk of the town.

When you were in the last year of schooling, your parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents decided to marry you off. That was the family custom, also because you had grown into a beautiful young woman. They started searching for the right boy for you.

One day it so happened that your grandmother's friend had come to visit. She saw you but did not recognize you. During their talk, your grandma told her friend about you and the marriage. Her friend told your grandma about her grandson and their search for a bride.

The friends discussed and promised to meet with all family members. The next day both the families met in the temple and talked about the marriage. Your grandparents liked the boy and his family, discussed various arrangements, and fixed the marriage date.

The boy lived with his parents in a city where he worked. He lived in an apartment complex, located in a gated community. He was a graduate engineer who worked in an automobile manufacturing company.

You got married and went to your husband's house. Never had you seen a gated community before in your town. It was a surprise to you. Your mother-in-law walked you through the colony, introducing to you her friends. It is a self-contained colony with all shops inside. Even a small temple was inside.

There were children's park and a walkers' track. Morning and evening, you found residents in the walker's area walking on the stone track. Aged and ladies passed their time chatting on the stone bench. Children were cycling, playing, jumping, and running around in the park.

Busy with your daily chores, helping your mother-in-law, you came only in the evening to the park with your hubby. Sometimes you missed it because of your hubby's late arrival. You started conducting free arts and crafts classes for the children in the colony. Time flew into months. Your classes become popular.

Your grandmother and mother came to meet you and your hubby. It was a pleasant surprise for you. You never expected this. They informed your mother-in-law that your grandpa is unwell and desires to see you and your husband. Request her to send you and her son. That night your husband tells you that he must attend an important meeting for the next two days.

During Sunday, both of you travel to visit your grandfather's house. He was weak and down with high fever. He felt happy to see his granddaughter and her husband. You felt glad to meet your uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews. The whole family had dinner under the moonlight after a long period.

Your hubby stayed overnight, and the next day morning he told you to stay with your parents for some time. Your grandfather recovers, he hosts a surprise family dinner for his family. With your family, you have a whale of a time. It is more than ten days you are still in your grandfather's house.

It is time for you to go to your husband's house, your mother and grandma are worried that there has been no phone call from hubby's side. Your phone call, to your hubby's office, lands at his manager's table. The manager answers vaguely. You feel something is wrong, so the next day with your cousin you go back to your husband's house.

Silence welcomed you, but you keep a brave face. Your in-laws are silent. They told you that your husband has gone to the company’s head office. You tried to find the reason. Your mother-in-law indicated she has a headache and avoids answering you. Pending household chores kept you busy. Children come for Art and craft classes.

In the evening after the class session, with a cup of coffee in hand, you check the mails. No urgent message for you, so you browse the net. Suddenly you remember the call to your hubby's office. You open your hubby's mailbox; you are shocked to see a letter suspending him for one month. It is a blunt letter with no reasons given.

You were in a dilemma whether or not to ask your in-laws. You felt confused. Your hubby has not yet returned. Lost in deep thoughts, you kept doing the household chore and then went to sleep. But in your troubled mind, you saw frightening images. These slowly turn into pleasant scenes as your restless mind became normal.

Your hubby returned from the head office visit. He is tired from the long journey and needs rest. You allowed him to sleep. Late in the afternoon, he woke up, had a bath, and felt fresh. His parents sat with him discussing, while he had his lunch. He sensed your uneasiness and eagerness to talk with you.

In the evening after you had coffee, both of you went to the rooftop of the apartment complex. Your husband explains to you the purpose of his visit to his head office and the outcome. You tell him you had seen the mail and were shocked at first, asked him whether his parents knew. He replied they do not know about it. You try to convince him and let him think about the opportunity and possibilities.

Both of you discuss the plan to expand the classes already being taken, ways to establish an academy. With mind relieved and free, both of you walk down to your apartments. The next day he informs his parents about his suspension for a month. They are worried, but he consoles them. He made arrangements and established the academy. He also taught the children to draw three-dimensional designs.

Months passed into years, the academy became popular day by day. Your academy conducted free training for poor children, announced a scholarship for meritorious students, and sponsorship for deserving students.

One day your academy received a letter from the district council. The academy manager telephones you about the same. Your hubby who went to attend the meeting came back early, saw the letter lying on the table. He opened it and is stunned to read the message. Unable to digest the news, he sat still as a statue.

You walked in, found your hubby sitting shocked with the letter, pulled the same from his hand. Startled by your action, he looked at you absentmindedly. As you read, the letter makes you stop in your track, your husband back to normal says he is still unable to digest the news.

Both of you are nominated to head by the management board of the district council. You get appointed as 'Director of Talent Identification in School Children.' Next day you meet the district council chief discuss the program implementation and the procedure to involve all the school.

The year ends schools in the district were covered under the program. The district council chief is happy and shows both of you the appreciation letter received from all the schools. Your academy becomes well known, both of you get invited as guests for all school functions in the district. You feel proud and honored.