The Cinderella Of Rewa

12. Vedika

Vedika sat in her lightless corner of the servant quarters, counting the patterns on one of the tattered curtains in the room. The other maids bustled around carrying sweets and wine glasses. Vedika had been given special instructions not to leave the room.

Out in the hall, the noise was racuous. The other ladies from the upper class of Rewa had descended on Thakur Mansion. It was customary in Rewa for all the ladies in the elite social circle to visit each other during Navratri. Vedika knew Daju Ma hated socializing. Evil people liked to remain alone. How else could they plan how to ruin lives?

Vedika had not seen these ladies since her mother had died. Now they had come to befriend the new lady of the house. Daju Ma had no choice but to acquisise. She couldn't be openly hostile. Already, the streets of Rewa were full of gossip. News of Sahil's gory death had passed from one house to the next through the servant circle.

Vedika knew through Rudra that Ganga had not been able to find any work after that and that she had just settled down in a Krishna temple nearby. Vedika really wanted to go and see her. She was also lonely to death.

The other servants except Rudra had stopped speaking to Vedika altogether and she knew it was not out of spite. They were scared for their lives.

Sahil's death and Ganga being chucked out had been a wake-up call for everybody. They had perceived Daju Ma to be just a temperamental woman and had felt that if they sucked up to her, they wouldn't have to worry about anything. But now they knew she was a tyrant who had no mercy or compassion. 

Meanwhile, in the hall, tabla beats had begun which was followed by the sound of ghungroos in a few seconds. Vedika realised Sonakshi and Madhuri were performing a dance for the guests. Vedika cringed when she heard the cacophony being created in the hall. The sound of her stepsister's clumsy feet tapping, the ghungroos, the tabla beats and the song, were all out of sync.

But inspite of all the chaos in her house, Vedika felt a new lightness in her heart that was growing day by day. The lightness was caused whenever she thought of Nakul Mittal. He had barely touched her but she had already lost her soul to him. She hoped she would meet him again.

Vedika's thoughts had to be broken, when the drum beats ended and she heard a high pitched female voice from the hall, "All that is fine Devoleena. But where is the heiress of this house? We want to see her dance too".

"The heiress?", Daju Ma's irritated voice came, "You just saw both my daughters display their graceful art". Vedika heard one of the women snigger and then hastily convert it into a cough.

"We are talking about the real heiress of this house Devoleena. Sonakshi and Madhuri are only the stepdaughters of Thakurji right?", another older female voice said. These rich ladies could be really inconsiderate, thought Vedika but she couldn't help feeling a warm glow in her chest when she heard herself being called 'real heiress' of the house.

"Come on Devoleena, ask Vedika to come", the same voice said "We didn't come all the way here to leave without meeting Yashvant's daughter".

••••

"Come here, you little wench", Daju Ma grabbed Vedika's shoulder and dragged her to the servants' changing room. She dumped a peacock-feather coloured garment into Vedika's hands.

"Wear this, comb your hair, wash your face and come out quickly. If anyone asks, you were gardening all this time, okay?"

Vedika nodded mutely as she took the dress in her hands.  It took a moment for her to realise that the silk she held in her hands belonged to her mother. She wondered if there was anything in this house of Anjali Thakur's that had not yet been raided by Daju Ma.

••••

"What a beautiful young woman!"

"We saw her last, when she was a baby."

"Even then, she was the most charming girl child I had ever seen".

The women of Rewa admired Vedika as she walked in. She hadn't had much time to get ready. She had just washed her face and applied some oil on her scalp.

"Beta can you dance?", a lady wearing a saree that looked as heavy as her, asked. Vedika realised this was the woman who had called for her.

"Um..a little", Vedika said, inspite of being an accomplished dancer.

"Then go ahead and adorn the stage, dear", the woman pointing her fat arm at the dias.

"No, no she musn't strain herself. She's not well", Daju Ma said.

"Mind is the only illness Devoleena. Let Vedika come and dance", one of the other ladies said.

"Uh.. alright", Daju Ma mumbled, looking flustered.

"Vedika, come dear", all the ladies beckoned to her.

And feeling like the clouds had finally moved out of her sky, Vedika took out her ghungroos and fastened them on.

The floor turned golden, the drum beats turned divine and the hall turned into Lord Indra's sabha with Vedika as the chief apsara.

The servants gathered in groups at different staircase landings to watch the daughter of the Thakur Mansion perform.

Vedika felt liberated after a long time. She felt like she was floating. She twirled round and round, her feet tapping in unreal synchrony with the drum beats. She felt like she was channelling the spirit of her mother's grace.

When she finally finished and the performance ended, the entire hall rose up to give her a standing ovation. Vedika would have loved to live in the moment forever.

••••

"Something for the most beautiful girl in Rewa", said one of the woman guests as she pulled off her pearl necklace and put it around Vedika's neck. Vedika did not like it. She was not some courtesan. But she accepted it, with a smile all the same.

The greetings and pleasantries were all over and the guests were leaving now.

"Diwali night, Devoleena.. don't forget", the most snobbish looking lady of the lot, said. Next to her was the woman who had given Vedika, her necklace. She smiled widely and nodded, hearing her companion's comment.

"Yes..yes..of course, we will come", Daju Ma muttered, indifferently.

Vedika, Sonakshi and Madhuri were shunned to the background as the older ladies made their way out, talking.

Vedika tiptoed to two young maids who were standing in the verandah watching everyone go.

"What's happening on Diwali night?", she asked them, quietly, "Where is that lady inviting us?"

Forgetting that none of them were speaking to Vedika, one of them replied enthusiastically, "Oh, didn't you know? On Diwali night, the lady's first son is getting engaged to the daughter of a royal family in Bhopal. It is going to be a monumental occasion. Everyone is talking about it".

"But who is that lady? She seems to be very arrogant", Vedika said.

"Oh she is. She has more ego than all the other elite class ladies of Rewa put together", the young maid explained, "She is Sunaina Mittal after all".

A/N : Hey loves ❤️

I am so glad to be back this week. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter.

Also, Diwali night will be the turning point in this story just like the royal ball in Cinderella's life. And as for Yashvant Thakur's death.. I'm choosing to save the suspense for just a little while more. *apologetic smile*

See you guys in the next update ❤️❤️