Aradhya ||Indian historical fiction||

28| VIOLENCE ISN'T JUST PHYSICAL

Everyone was utterly taken aback to see the outcasts walk freely on the land of Ashokdhar after almost a decade. The outcasts had their head held high. No remorse and no worry was on their face...unline their minds. Everyone spoke illy about them but it didn't phase them now.

Chavi led the whole throng on her own while Aradhya hindered behind trying not to grab attention. Unlike the people around her, Aradhya was trembling. Gaurang stood like support behind Chavi though she didn't need it. The crowd moved efficiently through the kingdom and stood before the building where the tax was collected. Chavi and a couple of other people who carried the taxes went in while the rest of them halted outside, earning judgemental gazes from many.

They set their taxes down and the minister who sat there examining the produce scoffed at them. Chavi eyed him suspiciously as he again rolled his eyes.

"You? Where did you all steal this from?" He sarcastically asked. Chavi sighed.

"Sir, we are here to avail the taxes. We are being honest that we've lived on Ashokdhar's land for all these years and that we have to pay this. Do not disrespect us or our hard work. We aren't here to cause any trouble. It's better you don't start too."

The minister looked more offended than anyone. He huffed and jotted down in his scroll about the payment of the taxes. He then glared at her.

.   .   .   .

"You aren't going there, Chavi. None of you will. Do you understand?" Aradhya strictly spoke when Chavi mentioned visiting Maharaj Samrath Chakravarthy Vihaan.

"But why? I need an explanation from him. No, actually, I want to let him know how much of a good husband he was." Chavi argued.

"Not everything is about me and you, Chavi. There are people who can get into trouble if you do some nonsense like this."

"No, Ma. How long are you just going to keep on forgiving him for what he did to you? He does not deserve your kindness."

"I haven't forgiven him. And I don't want any more words out of your mouth. Get everyone we are leaving. I have to go get Gaurang. Make sure you get everyone."

Aradhya pulled the veil over her head again and walked out of the alley they were talking in. Chavi stood there disappointed. No matter how much she wanted to go and give Vihaan a piece of her mind, she couldn't possibly go against Aradhya's words.

But the raging anger in her was nowhere near the state of calming down. All the times she heard Aradhya sniffle at the memories of her and Vihaan. All the times she fell sick. All the times she would lose herself in thinking about him, all that ran in Chavi's mind.

"There hasn't been a single day in the past seventeen years where you haven't suffered, Ma. What would it take for you to just go up to him and talk about how much you resent him?"

Chavi hit her fist against a wall in the alley while she raged inside. Aradhya didn't give birth to her and yet took care of her as she would have of her own child. She had nothing but love to offer to the child she found laying beneath a tree and yet she made her strong and wise.

It stung Chavi that she couldn't bring her mother justice. It wasn't like she couldn't bring her mother justice it was just that her mother was nowhere near accepting the fact that she needed justice. She was still, in fact, in love with Vihaan, the person who gave her a lifetime of misery for a fault which wasn't hers.

Chavi felt a hand crippling around her wrist. She turned back and saw a man with a smirk on his face and lust in his. He smelled of alcohol.

"Beauty like you deserves better than this alleyway. Come with me..." The man spoke. Chavi brushed his hand away. It was not a big deal for her when she had dealt with worse. She threw a disgusted look at him and turned to walk away when her mind sprang up with an intense idea. Chavi's eyes lit up with evil. She turned to the man with a smile.