Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You love me, I love you;
Let’s get this broken part of you out of the way for good today
Because sugar, I know I can’t lose you
After one year:
Jahn’s split didn’t come back after that night, wrapped in each other’s arms. The Saxenas’ lived a regular life in that one year. Prantik got busy with work and Jahn got busy with Rihaan’s upbringing. She didn’t write after the second tenet because she was still a nicotine addict and prevented that habit due to Rihaan’s responsibility. In a way, she didn’t need the two minute high since the three years from her pregnancy to last year.
Mrs. Jahnvi Prantik Saxena was extremely satisfied being a new mother and well, old wife of the jerk who now seemed more and more engrossed reading up on stuff in his study after work. Jahnvi didn’t ask him but she knew that Prantik was engineering a solution of sorts. Jahnvi hadn’t used Tinder in the last year and the Saxenas’ were a regular, happy family. Until…
A customized solution for his girl –
On the day of the delivery, Prantik had noticed that so far, her split came alive only with him and her mother. He had to get Jahnvi to open up about her fear and insecurity she subconsciously ignored for all her growing years. He had figured Jahn had adopted the split since a young age to adapt to her mother but he didn’t know exactly what triggered it.
He called Jahn from the study who was playing with their little one in their room.
Prantik: “Jahn!”
Jahnvi brushed her son’s hair with her hand absent mindedly and went to the study to attend to her husband. She leaned on the door and said, “What’s up, Mr. Saxena?”
Prantik had his eyes on the computer on a link about understanding why splits were caused and without looking at her said, “I’m hungry. Get dinner ready.”
Jahnvi monotonously turned towards the kitchen and started warming up the dinner Neetu had cooked earlier that evening.
After about 15 minutes, she called to her husband from the dining area and she asked Neetu to get Rihaan too from the bedroom.
Jahnvi usually fed her son by 7pm and allowed some play time until 9pm. In the interim, she encouraged him to be present at dinner and discuss about his latest adventures at school with his parents.
Rihaan: Mommy! John has wrestling cards and I want them too!!
Prantik: So champ, your teacher complained that John and you kick up dirt during play time and dust those blessings to the whole class.
Rihaan: Daddy! John and I are Superman and Spiderman. We have to beat up all the bad guys!!
Prantik and Jahnvi shared a parental smile, knowing very well that those bad guys were imaginary and the two mongrels usually played boxing with each other; after dinner Jahnvi picked the little Spiderman and put him to bed.
Prantik had decided he knew a way to make Jahnvi talk tonight. He was lazying in bed, enjoying the latest meme fest on his Gram when Jahn entered and placed her robe on the adjacent arm chair to their bed.
Prantik pulled Jahn to him and she lay satisfied in his arms until he said, “So Jahn, I was wondering, you know when you split. You dominate your split now. I just, it’s something about your relationship with your mum that concerns me about your homeopathy.”
Jahnvi pulled back and rested her head patiently on the head post. She said, “It’s been 38 years since I know my mother and yes, a large part of her relationship with me has cornered me for the longest time. But she is my mother and I know she means the best for me.”
Prantik: “I know that but I was speaking to Dr. Tripti and she said you’re not even aware how the broken relationship has affected you in your growing years that became worse after I left. I think it’s time you faced your trigger number one and let me in on it tonight. I want to know your suppressed wound that has culminated into you avoiding it for so long. ”
Jahnvi put her head on his chest and began: https://youtu.be/RJirugYWWDs
Prantik said nothing that night. His mind was racing to put a closure to this side with her mother. He held her all night and they drifted into a disturbed sleep until Rihaan came and slept with them hugging his mommy tightly that night.
After three months:
9 am, Wednesday, March, 2030
Prantik was struck with an idea that would bind one side of Jahn’s spilt for good. He was getting ready for work when he called Jahn to the bedroom who was busy feeding champ his brownie oats, eggs and milk before school.
Prantik: “Jahn!”
Jahnvi hurried Rihaan’s breakfast and asked Neetu to drop him to the waiting school bus at the same time walking towards their bedroom to answer Prantik.
Jahnvi: “What Prantik? I had to pack Rihaan off to school. Is something urgent?”
Prantik looked at his wife whose hair was in a messy chopstick bun and she was dressed in her night robe wearing his slip ons as usual. He was never so much in love with her than that moment.
Prantik: “Listen babe, I’m creating a VR studio on the loft so labor is on its way right now. You take champ and live with parents for about a month. I know, I know it’s sudden but babe I need the VR asap for work purposes and getting things done at office is not always possible these days.”
Jahnvi was taken aback with this announcement but she knew Prantik worked hard as a Director of software solutions and he must need the convenience he sort at home to work harder.
Jahnvi: “I guess, okay. Drop me off on your way? I’ll pack in 15. Will call the school bus driver and ask him to drop Rihaan off at mum’s from today.”
Prantik was straightening his tie when he asked Jahn to hurry up since he was getting late to report to work.
Prantik dropped Jahn at his in-laws place, a short drive from where they lived and hurried his need for speed to make it to work on time.
Prantik, in his glares that he never took off these days, he’d when his Jahn would face the light again and his wedding band that always stayed on his married finger since Jahn was diagnosed, he sauntered into work with a confident swag that his colleagues didn’t miss. Some shouted greetings and he returned them dismissively as he rushed to his cabin and settled to clear his project over dues before- hand so he’d have time to study his wife from a distance for a month to go from today. His eyes accidently fixed on his plain gold wedding band and he remembered that day at Jahn’s house when he proposed to her after returning from his wasted vacation in Norway.
He smiled to himself and promised the band that his Jahn could do what he planned for her. Quickly the day went by in work meetings and project handovers over conference calls and staff attendance to bring to life the overseas solution of inventing an app that would track sugar levels for diabetics.
That same day:
Jahnvi’s split had not returned for some time now and she felt like she could live with her parents in peace. Jahnvi buzzed the Sainis’ doorbell and her mum answered. Her mother was so happy to see Jahnvi after almost two years that she called her father to take the luggage and hugged her daughter only to enquire about her grandson first.
Mum: “Jahnvi beta, what happened suddenly? Is everything okay at home? Where is Prantik? Is Rihaan coming over from school later in the afternoon?”
Jahnvi: “Yes mum, Rihaan and I will live here for some time since Prantik’s renovating the loft for some work. It will take a month. What’s for lunch?”
Mum: “You didn’t call prior or I would have made biryani! Do with some aam ras and puri for now. I’ll prepare something exciting for dinner. I can’t wait to grab my grandson, it’s been that long!”
Jahnvi settled on the couch and asked Reema, their help, to serve her lunch.
After two days: Trigger comes back
Jahnvi was getting ready to drop her little one off to school herself since she didn’t have work at her mums when her mother interrupted her.
Her mother said admonishingly to Jahnvi: “Jahnvi! You’re so careless!! I have always told you to check after Rihaan! See, before school and breakfast, he is playing video games on his iPad! You young parents these days just don’t care about discipline!
Jahnvi was used to her son playing video games before school while she fed him breakfast. She thought it was perfectly fine as long as Rihaan had done his home work the evening prior and was on time to school every day. Her split returned angry. But Jahnvi dominated it that morning and meekly said, “Umm okay mum I will keep in mind next time.” With that her split carried her son in her arms and rushed off to school before she had time to rebel her mother.
After a week: It’s difficult for Jahnvi to dominate the split
Jahnvi waited in the compound of her maternal home to pick Rihaan when the school bus duly dropped him off at 12:30 pm.
The sun was blazing in her eyes and she happily thought of her hard working husband who worked hours at a stretch to provide a lifestyle for them. Rihaan came jumping out of the bus and into her waiting arms.
Rihaan: Mommy!
Jahnvi lovingly picked her brat up whose uniform was a mess and his hair was tousled in sweat. His bottle dangling from his neck, he rested his tired head on his mommy as she reached them home.
Her mother was busy in the kitchen and Rihaan being an energetic three year old shouted greetings to his nanu and nani as he waded in his mum’s room to jump on the bed and count his latest prized possession – Wrestling cards as his mommy heated bathing water for him.
Jahnvi bathed her son, fed him cookies and milk and placed him in bed for a nap before lunch time. He was about to drift off when he complained about Riya sourly to his mommy.
Rihaan, arms stretched on his mommy’s neck as she lay beside him said, “Mommy! I don’t like Riya!! John and I were playing with the guard’s dog and she came crying to me. She said she couldn’t find her doll and asked John and me to help her find her stupid doll! I always have to find things for her! She is so delicate!
“Oh okay.” Jahnvi had to set the tonality straight for her son for gender equality from here on so she said, “Champ how about an afternoon nap story today?”
“Yay mommy! The robot and the elephant one please.” Jahnvi patted his butt playfully and said, “Okay today is another one, new one, fun one, okay?”
Rihaan was tired from school so he resigned and crouched further into his mommy’s chest, ready to drift off.
“So there was once a princess who was as strong as Spiderman.” “No way mom! Spiderman is strongest!!”
Jahnvi continued, “She was once lost in the forest and a big bad wolf came to eat her up.”
Rihaan was now fully awake and listened carefully. “The wolf ate up the princess?”
Jahnvi said, “The princess first cried and then she removed her sword from her school bag and fought the bad wolf with all her might. The wolf ran away and she returned home proudly like Spiderman.”
Rihaan: “Wow mommy, the princess is as strong as Spiderman!”
Jahnvi set the tone right, she said, “Yes beta, similarly, Riya asking you for help does not make her delicate. She is strong like the princess but she needs Spiderman –That’s you, sometimes when she gets lost with her doll at school. Always help girls, promise mommy?”
Rihaan, “Yes mommy. I will help Riya. I am spiderman.” And he slept off for the afternoon until lunch time knowing very well that delicate women does not mean weak women.
Just when she exited the room her mum came to her and demanded why Rihaan wasn’t doing his homework yet.
Mum: “Jahnvi, don’t make Rihaan like you. You never did your homework. You always got punished outside class for it. Wake up Rihaan and tutor him before you forget!”
Jahnvi was suddenly alive again. She pleaded her split to go back but her split refused. Her split screamed in her head, “Mum always puts me down. I know my son works in the evenings after lunch and he is a smart young boy. I know how to take care of my son!!”
Jahnvi realized that her split was right but she somehow managed to takeover her split and replied calmly, “Okay mum. Rihaan is sleeping right now. He is tired after school. Once he wakes up, I will sit with him to finish his homework.”
On the fourth day of the final week at home:
6pm, Friday, March, 2030
Rihaan was busy playing video games again after homework and before dinner when her mother caught Rihaan engrossed in his iPad.
Jahnvi was in her room painting her tone nails when she heard her mother call out to her son a little harshly.
Mum: Rihaan! Come here you little brat. Come to nani. She will teach you a little thing or two.
Rihaan, dangling his legs from the couch hand rest said, “Not now nani, I am busy.”
Mum: “Nani knows you’re busy playing video games on your iPad.”
With that her mother picked Rihaan in her arms and sat with him on the couch.
Mum: “So little man, your mother was a lazy student. Don’t become like her.”
Rihaan stared blankly at his nani and her mother continued her disposition to her son, “Hahaha, when your mommy was young, nani would always have to keep an eye on her because she was a naughty kid.”
“Okay that’s it! No negative affirmations for her son!” Jahnvi’s split came alive and this time Jahnvi let her dominate over her meek self.
She picked Rihaan, who was now uneasy and walked out of the house with him in her arms. She sprint walked to Sim’s place and rang the doorbell.
Sim: “Hey you two! How’s my God son?”
Sim carried Rihaan carefully into her own arms and asked Jahnvi what the matter was.
Jahnvi: “Sim please take care of Rihaan tonight. I have to make a closure for good with my mother.”
With that she left in a hurry and Sim sat Rihaan on her lap lovingly and asked, “What’s up little man?”
Rihaan placed his hand on his forehead and said sadly, “Nothing, women are painful.”
Sim was mocked and her husband laughed and took champ in his arms. “That’s kinda true champ.”
Sim: “Little guy, who told you that?”
Rihaan: “See Riya, now nani, daddy says, mommy is painful sometimes too.”
Sim was enraged and reached her cell to remind Prantik about feminism!
Sim: “Prantik you jerk, what have you been teaching my god son about woman being painful?”
Prantik: “Lol, I must have complained to him about his mommy absent mindedly. Set the tone straight.”
Sim: “That I will but I think you need to be with Jahn right now. I think her… she was alive. She said she needed a closure with her mother for good.”
Prantik:”I’m on my way to my in-laws. Can’t wait for one side to die tonight. See you and champ tomorrow for breakfast. Make something good. Ciao.”
Prantik reached just in time to witness Jahnvi taking a stand in front of her mother.
Jahnvi: “ …You always berate me. Not in front of my kid. Not anymore. I am a grown, responsible mother and wife. A responsible woman, after all. You expecting the worst out of me while growing up made me lose my self confidence. I can’t have that any more. You have to come to terms with the fact that your daughter is past her rebel and stubborn outlook to life. That she is a happily married woman and a successful writer. Because you never listened or cared about my opinion growing up, I adopted a split as self defense to cover my hurt. I want to kill this rebel once and for all tonight with you mum.”
Jahnvi knelt on the floor and wept. Nobody moved. Her mother was shocked. Jahnvi continued, “Negative affirmations stole my joy of being a balanced young woman. I hid behind a rebel all my growing years because that was the only way I saw peace with you. I ought to prove a point to you but not anymore. I am aware of who I am and my past does not determine my future. I am stable, happy, balanced and you have to accept I can raise my son perfectly well without your nagging.”
Her mother cried too and held Jahnvi in her arms and said sorry to her beloved younger daughter. Jahnvi suddenly felt one side of her split leaving her for good. She had stood her ground, been confident, assertive with her mother and her split got the closure she needed to die once and for all. She felt a flash in her eyes that Prantik noticed and then he saw that Jahnvi motionless, left the living room, packed her bag and asked Prantik to leave for their home.
Once home, Jahnvi grabbed her laptop and wrote the third tenet to normalizing mental health.
Third Tenet to normalizing mental health:
Self-defense –
Self defense is a powerful tool to protect self misery. But it can be used negatively by victims and patients. One can be arrogant and the other, the true self can be acting with integrity at all times.
The world is out there to snatch you off your self confidence and make you lose your self-worth if you don’t see it first.
Self defense if used as a proprietary mechanism to uplift oneself, even in illness, can be a bullet proof jacket that protects the patient from being vulnerable to the world.
Any negative self defense means that the victim is still struggling to find himself amidst the chaos of the self doubting mind that makes them lose self confidence.
Loved ones and well wishers can prepare the patients with positive affirmations and boost their morale, encouraging them to use self defense as a tool of coming across as confident and honest instead of arrogant and superficial.
This can happen if the patient recognizes the illness, that any illness comes from fear and that fear paralyzes self worth and confidence. The therapists can intervene here with guided meditation and loved ones and well wishers can help by being positive about the patient at all times until he/she is ready to face the world without using self defense as a debouched mechanism to fluent their negative self belief.
With that, Jahnvi climbed into bed, next to Prantik and they both slept peacefully knowing that one part of her illness had found closure tonight. Before drifting off, Janvi kissed her husband lightly on his lips that sealed their relationship forever more in the eyes of God who witnessed the purity of their love and asked for nothing more.
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