Sub Rosa

Chapter 1

2002

It was supposed to be an ordinary Friday. However that day was Chithirai 1.

All the houses in that colony were decorated with garlands of Marigolds. The entrance of the houses welcomed the guests with freshly drawn rice kolam of various shapes.

Peacock, lotus, symmetrical shapes.

The streets were filled with celebrations. Men, women  children's joyous laugh filled out the entire neighborhood.

Delicious smell of mutton curry and chicken biryani wafted throughout the neighborhood.

As one pass by the small complicated lanes, from the lively houses at the front of the neighborhood, a vast change in the atmosphere can be seen.

The houses located at this particular spaces, lack in decoration. Only small white rice kolams were decorated in front of the houses. The families didn't enjoy a scrumptious meat based meals instead they feasted on small minuscule amount of meats and rice.

One house stood apart from the rest. The front of the house was bare. There was no kolam nor any garland decorating the exterior of the house. The gate was wide open with piles of leaves laying around the ground.

A brown matted dog laid in front of the door watching the house.

A girl sat on the floor, hugging her knees together, her head pressed on her knees.

A just a few feet from her, a rickety brown table was placed against the wall. A worn off picture of a beautiful woman was placed on the table with a small oil lamp.

The incense was burnt out leaving dust and a mild incense smell around the room mingling with the salty tears of a girl in the brink of puberty.

The dog growled and barked loudly causing the hair behind her neck to rise up.

She raised her head up from her knees as she turned her head towards the door. Her eyes widened when the dog's pitiful whine was heard.

She quickly stood up and leaned against the wall, looking at the gang with fear and trepidation.

The ruffians looked at her with emotions varying from happy to annoyed causing her to gulp as she felt the chill in her spine.

The gang of ruffians separated apart as a tall, dark and slightly buffed man walked forward. His eyes hidden by a black RayBan. His chiseled face covered with stubble and as his lips widened showing his slightly yellow teeth, Arakodi gulped as one word popped into her mind.

Dangerous.

A tall and lanky man immediately walk forward and places the rickety stool in front of her.

" Thank you brother," The man said and took his seat. He turned around and called out a certain uncle. Arakodi gulped as she saw a huge man walking to the front holding a large garland.

The man placed the garland on the table and turned around nodding at the man who then turned his face towards Arakodi.

" We are here for you, dearest sister," the man said causing Arakodi's eyes to snap wide at the man.

Her face turned pale as her eyes widened. Her mind flash backwards as memories of events that occurred just a few weeks ago flashed in her mind.

Arakodi's eyes widened as her mother pulled her behind her back, hiding her from the men view.

" What are you doing here!" Her mother screeched causing the slightly tall man to frown as he stepped out slightly.

" We have came to bring you back. Rasapan is dead. So is his first wife. Saniyadhanam is now the Head of the clan. He wants to meet his sister," the man said in an appeasing voice.

Arakodi swallowed her saliva as she scrunched her eyebrows together. Her mother held her wrist tightly as she snarled at the buff man in front of them.

" Let us live in peace! I beg you, let me and my daughter go, We want nothing from your clan," Arakodi's mother said.

" Amma," Arakodi began clutching her hand while her mother hissed at her to remain silent.

Arakodi swallowed her saliva and kept mum while the elder woman exhaled her breath.

" It's not good to make an enemy out of Saniyadhanam," the man boomed causing Arakodi to gulp as she felt a cold sweat.

" We are not his enemy not then, not now and not even in the future. Let us live in peace," her mother said causing the man's face to turn into an ugly shade red.

" Saniyadhanam wants peace too. He wants his sister and second mother to stay with him. Let bygones be bygones," the man said causing Arakodi's mother to clench her fist tightly.

" We will not disturb Saniyadhanam or his family. I don't even want small piece of his father's assets." Arakodi's mother said and turned around dragging her into the house.

As Arakodi turned around and watched the men's gaze, a eerie feeling crept up against her body.

The first week since that absurd visit, her mother kept a tight leash on her even forbidding her from going to school.

In the end, it mattered not if she did her 10th examination as her mother passed away due to an accident when she went out to work leaving the girl as an orphan in the cruel world.

Arakodi gasped as she blinked her eyes. She swallowed her saliva and wiped her misty eyes.

Saniyadhanam grinned and stood up, turning around and nodding at his men who began to clear all the things in the house.

Within half an hour, the men managed to bundle everything small trinkets that she and her mother owned.

A tall men held her wrist and escorted her out while others gathered the boxes.

As she climbed into the jeep, she turned her head towards the door watching as the men locking the door.

" What is it ?" Saniyadhanam's gruff voice asked causing her to gulp and shake her head.

" Anna, what about that mongrel ?" A man asked causing Saniyadhanam to jerk his head out of the car.

Arakodi held the collar of the dog tightly causing Saniyadhanam to grin showing a rotten teeth.

" Let it come," Saniyadhanam said causing Arakodi to exhale her breath. She stopped her baby kalichan and got into the jeep.

The poor innocent deer leaned against the jeep, hugging Kalichan tightly as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

As fatigues swarmed her mind, she failed to realize that she was now in jaws of the panther.

A new life awaits her.

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