Anju's Story [Chapter 6 UPDATED]

[Zorom]

NUuuuuuhhh! Anjuuu! :O That disgustable Ray Johnson! (disgustable isnt a actually a right. Or is it? Um..)

Great chapter...

[twinklelilstar]

@Zorom haha disgustable? I think it should be a word. It's fun to say :D

My computer doesn't want me to write this story. I started up my game, clicked the neighborhood, and discovered ALL of my families were GONE. It's like they NEVER EXISTED. So, needless to say, I had to recreate all of them. However, I have an update! I apologize for the lack of pictures, but as you can guess I haven't gotten to play much. *bashes laptop*

Official Link: http://anjusstory.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-4.html

A month and a half passed. Ray Johnson hadn't been back to the family's house. Anju's father still had his job, though this didn't surprise Anju. She hadn't said a word of the afternoon, so firing her father would be suspicious.

As it turns out, her mother had suffered a small heart attack and they had gone to the hospital. Anju didn't want to further upset her parents, and mentioning it would just disgrace her family; she should have known better. She blamed herself, even if Anju knew she shouldn't. Since her mother had fallen ill, they were returning to India as originally planned, after Anju graduated. The end of the year was just in two short months and Ginga would still be too weak to travel.

And then this happened...



This was something Anju couldn't hide. She'd have to come clean about everything and knew her parents would be less than pleased. Anju decided it was better to tell them now, rather than when she started showing. 'How do I explain this though?!'

One night during dinner, it all spilled out. She began with how Ray had shown up, and she had thought he was there to see them. She told them the fight they had gotten into, and what it turned into. Anju looked up from her hands when she was finished. She looked to her mother to find a sad, broken look. Her father on the other hand appeared to outraged.

"Anjali! Why did you put yourself in that situation? We raised you better than that! You-"

"Gadin, calm down. You can't think this to be Anju's fault!" Anju snapped her head to see her mother. Ginga almost never went against her father, but was thankful she was.

"Ginga, stay out of this! Had she not answered the door like she was supposed to, this never would have happened! Now she has gone and disgraced the family name. We can't even marry you off any longer! Think of the shame...!" Anju's father was on the verge of turning purple from anger, and Anju looked to her mother warily.

"No I will NOT stay out of this! She tried to warn us of him, but we refused to listen." Ginga had tears rolling off of her cheeks, and her breathing was ragged. She couldn't fight anymore.

"What if I gave the baby up? People do that all the time!" Anju didn't know if she could do that. The child was half hers after all, even if its other half was of a horrid person.

"You cannot think of giving up a child of Delhi blood! Are you trying to wreak havoc on the Gods?! Not another word on the subject. Anju, you have two days to leave or you, by yourself, will return to India. Mind you, India isn't as accepting of whores such as yourself. You'd be lucky to find a place to live." Anju and her mother looked to Gadin in shock. Her mother opened her mouth to speak, but with the wave of her husband's hand she remained silent, there was nothing she could do.

---

Anju was in her room when her approached her. The girl was not in the mood to be talking about getting kicked out, and while she was happy her mother had tried to reason with her father, Anju was sure what her mother had to say wasn't good news. "Anjali...I think it's in your best interest to return to India. Pay no attention to what your father says. If you go willingly, perhaps I can arrange for a place to stay."

"Mother, that's like suicide! I've heard the horrible stories of girls in India who have gotten pregnant before they were married! This isn't even my fault! I didn't want that to happen!" Anju collapsed on her bed and started crying all over again .

"Anju, if you stay here, where will you go? Your father would refuse to pay for a place for you to stay, and you can't survive on the streets! Would you at least consider it? The people of India aren't quite what you think, dear one."

Anju took the next day to think about it, her mother had convinced her father to let her have one more day. The last time she had been in India was when she was two years old, she didn't even remember living there! 'How can I ever survive there!?' She knew life in India was much different than that in America, it'd be difficult to adapt, but if she stayed in America, she'd be kicked to the streets for sure. If she went to India, her mother could assist her in secret.

And so, Anju decided she'd go to India.

[Katie]

I really like it so far! 

[Bookfreak]

Really Good chapter cant wait to see what is going to happen to Anju.

[twinklelilstar]

@ OBretttterBO Aww thanks
@ Bookfreak Haha Sorry it took a while to update...school just started back...

School just started, and seeing as I have all college level courses, it's much harder for me to update. I do plan on finishing this story though :] Don't worry!

Official Link : http://anjusstory.blogspot.com/2009/12/chapter-5.html[/b]

Anju's mother had arranged for her to stay with an old friend of her's. Laylan Haryana lived on an estate with her two children, Jai and Latika. Her husband had passed away recently, and with the dwindling money supply, she was now running the house without the help of maids. Anju could stay there as long as she did her part.

As for Anju's father, he had not spoken to her since she had told him of that afternoon. Dignity and pride were very big for him, and she had tainted the family name.

As the taxi pulled into the driveway, Anju looked to her mother, tears in her eyes. She knew it was going to be a long, hard road ahead and her mother wasn't going to be there to guide her. Anju wouldn't be able to call her mother, her father had forbid it. Although as far as he knew, Anju wasn't staying with Laylan. That was her mother's last gift and secret. Anju was allowed to write her mother letters, however. A privilege she was thankful for.

---

The plane ride was terribly long for Anju, who had only ever been on a plane twice in her life. As she exited the airport, she was astonished at the heat of the sun. Anju only had the address of the Haryana residence, although she knew it was in Calcutta. Her Hindi wasn't perfect and she had to ask for a cab several times before a man understood her.

The drive through Calcutta fascinated Anju. There were so many people! Each building was different from the last, one green and the next blue. It was definitely different than the way her textbooks had described India. She had come expecting shanties and beggars, but it was so full of life!



Upon arriving at the Haryana compound, the first thing Anju noticed was how large it was. 'How can one woman take care of this?!' Immediately after the car pulled up, Laylan, or so Anju guessed, ran out of the house to greet her. Anju turned to pay the cab driver when she realized she hadn't exchanged her money. "Uh..."

Laylan pulled a few coins from her sari and handed them to the man. "Dhanyavad." The man counted the coins and left. (AN: Dhanyavad means 'Thank you' in Hindi) Laylan's attention returned to Anju, who started to babble an apology about the money. "I'm sorry! I forgot to exchange my money at the airport!"

"Child it's okay! Don't worry about it." Laylan laughed and guided the girl inside.

In the distance Anju could hear a girl squeal. "Jai! That's no fair! You've won twice now!"



"Jai! Latika! Anjali is here, come say hello!" A few seconds later, Laylan's children emerged around the corner. Laylan gestured to her daughter, "This is Latika, my little princess, even though she's a young woman now!" The girl extended her arm and Anju awkwardly shook it. The mother then rolled her eyes at her son who was leaning against the wall. "Jai! Can you at least act like you're interested? Anju, that's my son, Jai." She then leaned close and whispered, "He's excited you're here, he's just not showing it to be cool."

Anju giggled and glanced at Laylan's son. She had no desire to get involved with any male, and she was happy Jai obviously had no interest in her. He scoffed and went up the stairs. Laylan only shook her head as he left. "He'll come around. Now! Latika will show you the room you'll be sharing until we finish the other one. You can rest until dinner, then we shall discuss house rules."

"Don't worry, Anju, there aren't that many!" Latika said with a smile before running up the stairs. Anju followed, laughing at the girl's abundance of energy.



The room consisted of two twin beds, each with a girly comforter, and two small dressers. "You can have the one by the window." Anju put her stuff by the bed and lied down, exhausted. Latika came over and sat on the floor, looking up at Anju. "Mother won't be too hard on you, she just wants things to go smoothly. Don't worry, though, I have your back! You can take a nap, I'm sure you need it..." With that, Latika jumped up and skipped out of the room. Anju sighed as the door clicked shut. 'What's going to happen....'



At dinner, Laylan explained what Anju was responsible for and what was appropriate. Anju was required to do all the laundry, as well as cook the meals and make sure Latika got to school on time. Laylan explained that no one was allowed to leave the house unless they had a companion. Laylan dismissed Jai and Latika from the table so that she could talk to Anju alone.

"Anju, I respect your decision to come here. I know your father can be...unreasonable. It's not going to be easy though, I think you've realized that already." The woman sighed, and for a moment Anju saw a glimpse of how tired Laylan was. It made Anju feel as though she was being a burden, which she was in a way.

"I suggested to give the baby up, I wouldn't ever abort it, but I don't feel as though I'd really care for it. Half of it is a monster and a horrible person. I don't want it, Laylan. Father wouldn't hear of it though. Him and his pride about not giving up something that had Delhi blood."

"Ahh, but the baby is also half yours, as your father sees. I can see why he thinks like that. Raping is treated differently in India. I'm not saying people aren't raped here Anju, I'm saying it's not publicized. The women who are raped remain quiet in almost all cases, as it's usually family, like a distant uncle. The police don't do anything about anyway. They are just as bad as rapists sometimes. Plus the system in the country would take years to process it. In the end it isn't worth it. If the girl becomes pregnant, she is simply cast to the street, as your father did, because that taints the honor. She wouldn't rat out family."

Anju listened to Laylan's words carefully. She understood

some of the logic, as she had thought that way as well. Anju also realized another thing; Laylan wasn't what she expected. She had thought the woman would be very soft spoken, and reserved. However, Laylan had her own opinions and voiced them, obviously very outspoken for a woman of India.

"Anju, it's your decision. I feel that your mother would understand if you gave up the baby, but it'd be hard to explain to your father if you ever went home to visit or something. However, I think it's time you went to bed. It's been a long day."

[madkitty]

No!! Too short! XP I understand about school though, I am bombarded daily by questions about high school. Ugh!

[twinklelilstar]

@ madkitty Sorry! I'm already working on the next chapter, and I'm trying to pace myself :] Hopefully it'll be up tomorrow or the next day, as it wil be the weekend!

[Carlwashere]

I've yet to figure out how you get SO much done so fast. It's pretty amazing! Especially how good it is. 

[twinklelilstar]

@carlwashere I think it's just that I really feel I should tell this story. Probably sounds weird I don't remember how I got the idea for this story, but I think it's an important one to get out. I've written (or attempted) stories on sites such as fictionpress, but I haven't ever finished them I guess because my views change or I get tired of the characters, as they relate so much to real life. However, I feel like I NEED to write this story. I don't know why though haha. I guess that's how I get so much done so fast.

I appreciate your positive feedback A LOT :] it's always nice to hear comments good or bad.

[Bookfreak]

Another brilliant chapter 

[twinklelilstar]

Sorry it's taking longer than expected to update. I'm having a rather bad week. First, my boyfriend of two years had been acting weird since Monday. Then yesterday/Friday (Which was my BIRTHDAY) he thought we should 'take a break'. So I'm trying to work things out with him... Today, the day I was hoping to update, I woke up and felt horrible. I have the chills and everything aches. I hope to update soon, I'm sorry again it's taking so long.

@Bookfreak Thank you so much! It means a lot to me you think so highly lol

[Carlwashere]

No problem, and trust me, by my standards, it's not taking long at all. 
I hope stuff works out alright between you and your boyfriend.

[twinklelilstar]

Hello all! Goodness, I feel awful! I've had a chapter sitting on my desktop since JANUARY. This one doesn't have many pictures, but it's an important chapter!
Official Link: http://anjusstory.blogspot.com/2010/01/chapter-6.html
A month later, Anju was operating the house like she had lived there her whole life. Dinner was ready at exactly 6:00, as Laylan had requested, the house was cleaner than it had been in months, and Anju felt quite at home. Latika had already become a little sister, and followed Anju everywhere. The teenager had also started showing her pregnancy, being almost three months.



Jai, however, was a different story. He was pretty aloof to everyone, even Laylan. The teenager would come home from school with Latika and immediately go into his room. Anju guessed it had been this way since his father had died, as it didn't bother his mother or sister. Often times it would be her and Jai home, with Laylan attending Latika's piano lessons or something of that sort. This was one of the few times Jai would emerge from his room. He wouldn't speak though, and rarely even acknowledged Anju. Their interactions consisted of Anju muttering a 'Sorry' if she got in his way or inquiring if Jai was hungry. Regardless, Anju thought the boy had to be kind to be a child of Laylan's.

So when Jai knocked on Anju's door one afternoon when Latika and their mother were at the store, she was a little more than surprised. "Um, come in!" Anju looked up from her letter and quickly closed her notebook.

Jai cleared his throat and glanced at her, obviously nervous. Anju decided she might as well start a conversation. "Did you need something, Jai? I can make you some lunch if you'd like."

"Actually I, uh, wanted to ask you some stuff. If you don't mind that is." Anju nodded and the boy sat on the floor. He cleared his throat again. "What's America like?"

Anju laughed at the simplicity of the question, expecting something far worse. "It's...different. Less structure, I suppose you could say. Family and respect is a lot less important."

"What do you mean?"

Anju thought for a moment. "Most people move away from their parents. Girls most certainly don't go live with their new family when they're married off. Kids mouth off a lot too." She chuckled, remembering an incident at a supermarket where a kid whined for a lollipop. The boy back talked his mother for about ten minutes throughout the store.

"Oh..." Jai shifted awkwardly, glancing around the room.

"That's not really what you want to talk about, is it, Jai?" The teenager cocked her head to the side, causing her bangs to fall over her eyes.

Jai's eyes widened and he blushed with embarrassment. "I-well-sorry."

Anju chuckled at his apparent discomfort. "Sorry." She let one more escape. "Go ahead, ask away."

"Do you regret it? Coming here?"

"I'm guessing you're trying to ask if I regret keeping the baby?" Anju caught his eyes, and the redness once again appeared on his face, confirming her suspicion. "At first I did. I mean, having a kid young is awful in America and here, if you're pregnant without a husband, it's just as bad. Life on the streets is rough anywhere. It's not like I meant for that...whole...thing to happen though, even if my parents think everyone is good." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but they didn't fall. "They want what they think is best at the time. I don't regret keeping it, the baby didn't do anything wrong"

"Oh. That makes sense. Don't you miss your parents though?" This conversation with Jai was unexpected at the least, but it was if he was actually interested, which was even more unexpected.

"Yes. I miss Mama, regardless of the circumstances, she would have loved a grandchild. Father was dead-set against it though."

Jai noticed Anju's attitude about the subject and decided to change it quickly. "Do you know what it is yet?"

Laughing, Anju quickly answered. "Nope. It's going to be a surprise. I don't want to know, don't you think it's more fun that way?"

"I wouldn't know, actually. I don't really remember when Latika was born." He thought of another question to follow suit. "What about names?"

"Not really. I still have a while to go though. So if you have any suggestions, I'll gladly take them." Anju placed her hands on the little round bulge protruding from her dress and smiled.

"I'll get back to you on that." The rest of the afternoon was one of the best she had experienced since coming to India. Jai was very easy to talk to, and Anju found that he was actually funny. He told her about school there, and she told stories of America in exchange. When Latika and Laylan returned that evening, everything went about as usual, although Anju couldn't help but wonder if a day like that would occur again.

[Zorom]

Awesome! I can't believe I didn't see this. :O That's great that Jai is coming out of his shell. And Anju knows now that not all men are bad! I look forward to the next update!

[twinklelilstar]

haha I'm happy people are still reading this! I'm trying to continue this, but I'm scared to load Anju's household because of something that's wrong with my game.