The Manthara Complex

Advisers, often well-meaning ones, can misguide you.

- Romola Shanbhag

I always envied the close and loving relationship Sunita shared with her elder sister-in-law. Joint Bharadwaj brothers coexisted peacefully along with their respective better halves.

Younger brother Pramod's bride, Sunita was given a warm and loving welcome into the household and soon enough both women forged a deep and trusting bond. When I last met them, Sunita was pregnant and Jyoti took every care of her with love and devotion. 

A Surprise

Eight months later, on my next visit, I learned that Sunita and her family had moved out to another part of the town. I didn't get it; I had always imagined them to be together. Jyoti too seemed unhappy about it.

"Why? What happened?" I blurted out.

"Oh, how long could we stay together... with the children needing more space... and all that..." mumbled Jyoti unconvincingly as tears began glistened in her eyes.

Compelled to visit Sunita the next week, I bluntly sought an explanation. In reply, she burst into tears. "It is all my fault... and my stupid mind," she wailed. "1 really loved Jyoti Didi's son Guddu, and enjoyed helping him with his homework and took him off Jyotidi's hands. After all, she shouldered most of the housework and, on top, pampered me silly." "I always thought you were very lucky to have such a compassionate sister-in-law," I opined.

Acknowledging this, Sunita wiped her eyes and continued,"But I was.

crazy at that time." She narrated the entire story thus, "Ever Since my elder Mausi visited me soon after, she kept remarking that Guddu was tiring me out. She insisted that Jyoti Didi was trying to save on tuition fees... and she, being elder, was taking an undue advantage of me." "And you believed all this, you silly girl?" I rebuked.

"In the beginning, I didn't. I kept defending Jyoti Didi," reasoned Sunita shamefacedly.

"But mausi pestered on me with petty instances...