The atmosphere inside the house was still tense.
Jhansi slowly walked towards the bedroom, unable to control her tears. She sat on the edge of the bed, wiping her face with the end of her saree.
A few moments later, her three children entered the room.
Vinodh, her elder son, Jeevan, her second son, and Srinidhi, her daughter, couldn't bear to see their mother in tears.
"Mom, why do you tolerate Dad's behaviour every day? How long are you going to suffer like this?" Vinodh asked angrily.
Jeevan sat beside his mother and held her hand.
"Mom, we don't want to live like this anymore. We have enough money to live comfortably. Why can't we move away from him and live peacefully? We can take care of you. You don't have to worry about anything," he said.
Srinidhi nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Mom. We want to see you happy. Every day, Dad comes home with the same angry face. Nobody can speak freely in this house. What kind of life are we living?"
Jhansi listened to her children patiently.
After a few moments, she looked at them and spoke softly.
"My dear children, I understand your feelings. I know how much his behaviour hurts all of us. But have you ever thought about how our lives were before?"
The three children looked at each other.
"What do you mean, Mom?" Jeevan asked.
Jhansi continued.
"Today, you all have comfortable lives. You have good clothes, good education, everything you need and everything you wish for. But do you remember how we lived when your father and I first started our family?"
Nobody answered.
"There was a time when we didn't even have a single rupee to buy something to eat. We struggled to manage our daily expenses. Your father worked day and night to bring us out of those difficulties."
She paused for a moment.
"Do you know something? Your father wasn't always like this. He was a completely different person. He used to laugh, joke with everyone and enjoy even the smallest moments of happiness. We had so much fun together. I never imagined that he would become the person he is today."
Vinodh immediately interrupted her.
"Mom, that was years ago! What about today? We are not living with the person you are talking about. We are living with someone who is always angry."
He continued, unable to hide his frustration.
"Whenever he comes home, everyone becomes silent. He shouts at you for the smallest mistakes. He insults you in front of all the family members. How are we supposed to tolerate that? Just because he earned money for us, does that mean he has the right to treat everyone like this?"
Jeevan supported his brother.
"Exactly, Mom. We respect his hard work, but money isn't everything. What is the point of having such a big house when nobody feels happy living in it?"
Srinidhi moved closer to her mother.
"Mom, we miss seeing you smile. That's all we want."
Jhansi looked at her children. She knew they weren't wrong, but she wasn't ready to give up on the man she had once loved.
"Listen, children. I'm not saying his behaviour is right. I only want you to remember the person he once was. Perhaps there is still some goodness left in him. I don't know what changed him, but I haven't forgotten the man I married."
She slowly stood up and walked towards the cupboard.
After opening it, she searched through some old clothes and belongings. Finally, she pulled out an old photo album from the cupboard.
"Come here. I want to show you something."
She carefully wiped the dust off the album and opened its first page.
There was a photograph of Ramayya and Jhansi standing together. Ramayya was smiling happily, with his arm around Jhansi's shoulder.
"Look at your father. This was taken shortly after our marriage," she said with a faint smile.
She turned another page.
There were photographs of Ramayya playing with his little sons, carrying Srinidhi in his arms and laughing with relatives during family gatherings.
"Look at this one! Vinodh, you were only three years old. Your father used to carry you everywhere. He wouldn't even let anyone else feed you. And Jeevan, remember this? He bought you your first bicycle and spent the entire evening teaching you how to ride it."
For a moment, Jhansi forgot her tears.
She turned another page.
"Those were such beautiful days. We didn't have much money, but we had so much happiness."
The children looked at the photographs silently.
However, Vinodh wasn't convinced.
"Mom, these photographs show what he was in the past. But what about the present? We cannot live our entire lives remembering old memories."
Jhansi closed the album gently.
"I understand, Vinodh. But sometimes, people change because of the responsibilities they carry. Your father wanted to give all of you a better life. Somewhere along the way, he forgot how to enjoy the life he created."
Nobody spoke for a while.
Meanwhile, Ramayya had already left the house.
He was travelling around the village to collect interest payments from the people who had borrowed money from him. He had planned to visit several houses that day, and he was in no mood to wait for anyone.
But in his hurry, he had forgotten something.
His mobile phone was still lying on the dining table.
Back inside the house, the family was still looking through the old photographs when the phone suddenly started ringing.
Tring... Tring...
Jhansi walked towards the dining table and picked it up.
"Hello?"
A man spoke from the other end.
"Madam, is Ramayya garu at home? I wanted to speak with him about the interest payment. It's already overdue, and I cannot delay it any longer."
Jhansi recognised the caller's voice.
"Oh, he has gone outside. He will be back later. I'll inform him that you called."
The man sounded worried.
"Madam, please tell him I will arrange the money soon. I just need a few more days."
Jhansi replied calmly.
"Alright. I'll tell him."
She disconnected the call and placed the phone back on the table.
But she didn't realise that this simple phone call would soon lead to another difficult situation for the family.