The Cinderella Of Rewa

20. Omisha

The sky turned from purple to a bruised blue - a daunting blanket of darkness owing to Amasvya. In less than an hour, however, it would be filled with fireworks of all colours known to exist. After the last sounds of the hooves of the horses pulling Daju Ma's carriage had faded away, Thakur Mansion plunged into complete silence.

Vedika had collapsed facedown infront of her mother's Tulsi plant, never wanting to get up again

She was inconsolable. She felt like her last straw had been clutched away from her. She cried but no sound would come. The ample amount of Kohl in her eyes mingled with her tears and cascaded down her cheeks and all the way down to the already wet earth around the Tulsi plant.

The only thing Vedika knew was that she was subconsciously calling upon her dead mother's spirit, begging her to take her away too. Her mother after all, was in a place where Diwali parties didn't matter. But of course, her dead mother could neither hear nor come to rescue her.

Vedika did not know for how long she lay there in the cold and silent garden. It could've been a moment or an eon. Some things just cannot be measured.

And then it happened.

••••

Although still in her trance, Vedika suddenly found the chillness of the night slowly evaporating into the thick darkness. A warm glow spread through the garden. Though there was no breeze, the leaves on the trees began to move softly. Down from the Thakur's lane, the temple bell started chiming loudly.

What was happening? In her desperation, Vedika wondered whether her mother's spirit had indeed come for her, for surely only a paranormal activity could justify the sudden electric presence she felt in the atmosphere.

As Vedika continued to lie on the ground, she heard another sound mingling with the ringing of the temple bell - the sound of anklets. And unlike the temple bell, this sound drew closer with each second. The divine scent of incense floated from nowhere into the garden and mingled with the already existant fragrance from the flowers in the courtyard.

Vedika could tell that whoever was approaching her was just a few feet away now. And just then, the sound of the anklets stopped. And the ringing of the temple bell. And the rustle of the leaves. There was complete silence once again. Only this time, the silence came with a certain warm divinity and not the eerie darkness like before.

Vedika kept her head down. Her hands clawed at the ground as she readied herself for anything that might come.

"Get up my dear", a maternal female voice said above her.

••••

The warm liquid in the glass went down Vedika's throat like nectar. Her entire body loosened up. She had never had anything like that before. She finished the whole thing and placed the glass down on her father's marble table in the garden. She then leaned back on her chair and looked at the woman sitting across from her.

Draped in a saree as red as the vermillion that adored her entire hairline, wearing her hair in a bun with more jasmine than Vedika had ever seen on any woman, large number of red and gold bangles tingling on both her wrists, her silver anklets hidden barely visible beneath her long saree - Vedika's new companion was truly a vision.

The woman saw Vedika watching her and smiled indulgently. Vedika could tell she was at least few years older than Daju Ma - yet she looked more robust than any man or woman Vedika had ever met. There was an otherworldly sparkle in her black eyes.

"Who are you?", Vedika asked, finally.

"I am Omisha", the woman said simply.

"That's your name. But who really are you?", Vedika asked, flummoxed.

"Curiosity killed the cat Vedika", Omisha almost reprimanded her.

"But I have the right to be curious!", Vedika said indignantly "You arrived like some supernatural being with all that drama. You managed to enter the garden though the gates to the mansion are locked. Now you're sitting here at my father's favourite table and giving me something to drink but you won't tell me who you are?"

"Shh..patience my child", Omisha said "I'm only here to help you. And you know that I mean well, otherwise you wouldn't have consumed what I gave you to drink".

Vedika paused.

"Now", Omisha said, getting up and rubbing her hands "Let's get to business. We need to get you to Mittal Mansion".

Vedika almost fell off her chair, "Mittal Mansion?"

"Of course", Omisha said, "Or don't you want to go?"

"I..I do...", Vedika fumbled for words "but how do you know?.. I mean how will you get me there? I'm sorry I don't understand any of this.. I'm sorry but you have to explain yourself".

Omisha sighed heavily, "Alright then, you impatient girl. I guess I'll have to tell you everything then".

"Everything what?", Vedika asked, starting to get frustrated with the vague replies "Who are you?"

"I am your stepmother's sister", Omisha replied.

Vedika's throat went dry.

"Or at least I was", Omisha shrugged.

And it was then that Vedika realised why she had heard only the sound of Omisha's anklets and not her footsteps.

A/N : My precious people ❤️

Back to you all after two weeks and I can't wait to know what you think of this chapter. I know the story just turned another curve here. Wait for the twist. And no worries, Nakul and Vedika are meeting up soon. See you next Sunday ❤️

Coming Up Next : Vedika leaves for Mittal Mansion and how!