Desperate For Him

𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘

Check out chap 20 If you haven't yet 🥰

Rukmani

I look at the lit-up exquisite tiny lamp in front of me and chant the mantras which the head teacher of our temple's regular Sunday class, a middle-aged woman, is uttering through a mic while prevailing in the center of the pooja performing area of the temple.

Many girls are perched all across the temple, with a lit-up little lamp placed on the side of the banana leaves that lays in front of them on the ground. Also, the leaves carry other pooja things like various kinds of small flowers, vermilion, turmeric powder mixed with raw rice, camphor, etc... it's almost like a lamp worshipping pooja but with some more mantras so that we would be able to restrict the increased effects of the evil spirits on this no-moon day.

In this pooja, for every mantra line, we have to pick a petal or small flower and have to hold it close to our chest while saying the mantra out audible through our lips and when the mantra line gets completed, we have to circle it around the lamp and spot it down the base of it.

This goes on for almost one and a half hours and I enjoy this pooja. The whole temple is decorated with lamps and it gives a calm feeling to my heart...

To my heart....which is yearning to meet a particular person, this devotional moment brings comfort to it.

"Mani...look at the end of our opposite side, chinnaya's mom, your future mother-in-law is sitting there." My college friend, Kayal whispers to me.

Promptly, I dart my view to her and when she notices my gaze, she offers me a lovely smile which I return.

"Do you think Chinnaya would be here too?" I ask Kayal in a murmur and she shrugs after giving me a teasing look.

I miss him. Just a mere glance at him is enough to soothe my pulsing soul.

"Mani...was that your Chinnaya!?" I abruptly gawk all around me but I couldn't find him which made my mood grumpy. "Hey...cool down. I was kidding" I offer a fierce gaze to Kayal and continue doing the pooja.

After a few minutes, I feel someone's intense stare on me and I slowly lift my head to look at who it was...

Chinnaya in Veshti!! Could someone be any more handsome than this man? No way. None can match his level of attractiveness.

He is behind his mom, leaning back on the wall of the temple while looking at me without even blinking.

My actions stuck and I stay unmoving staring at his face. Unexpectedly he casts a wink in my direction and I feel like my heart had just ripped out of my chest and scurried away to his hold, leaving me bleeding and pleading for him to hand it back to me...

Kayal nudges me on my shoulder, getting me back to reality and I hastily proceed to do the pooja. Chinnaya was still peeking at me...I can sense it.

I shriek as out of the blue I see a bug on my lap. I tried to shoo it away. But unfortunately, it flies and lands somewhere on my shoulder, I panic inside and get up from my place.

I hate insects. I'm scared of them.

I twirl around and keep on attempting to swipe that thing that is shifting places on my half saree.

Rukku!!!..

Mani!!

ayoo!!.....

Oh...why are all of them calling me in such horrifying voices?

My eyes go wide once I swirl around and witness the hanging edge of my saree getting flamed up by the lit-up lamp.

I cry out and everyone stops the pooja and runs to my rescue. I couldn't comprehend what was happening...it seems like I'm seeing everything in a blur.

Chinnaya is near me...then he squats down and does something with the blazing-up saree with his hand.

My breath comes out short and ragged as I subsist there, shaking in fear.

"How can you be so careless Rukku!!" Chinnaya yells at me, standing up from the squatting position and I gape into his anger-filled eyes in anxiety.

"Chinnaya.." I call in a small voice but he glares at me and stomps out of the place leaving me to sob. Mani and my mother-in-law embrace me to calm me down yet no!! I can't stop crying anymore until and unless he apologizes or soothes me.

"This pooja is important...already a bad thing occurred!! Kayal, take Rukmani to her home. Other all, stay here, and let's finish up the pooja" the head woman speaks and Kayal begins to lead me out. My mother-in-law just pats my back as I move out of her hold.

I couldn't see what's her reaction, because my tears aren't stopping a bit...

......................

❤️❤️❤️

The story will be ending very soon. Remember it's a short story 🙂