THE CURSED BEAUTY

C-18

Present (1801)

Ishumati quickly retrieves her body from Anirudh's arms. It didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead it felt right, as if she belonged there. There was no doubt that they both had some magnetic attraction towards each other, but the situation was too serious for her mind to be diverting like this.

"I NEED YOUR HELP! THAKUR MOSHAAY. YOU'RE A VILAYATI VAKEEL (foreign lawyer), YOU CAN CERTAINLY HELP ME" She begged. Her mind was in a frenzy and she looked panicked.

"Ishumati, beti. What's the matter?" Ram dev was concerned seeing Ishumati like this. He had never seen her loose compose in public. Thought the place they all were standing was secluded and private from most of the people, yet her behaviour was unusual.

 Tears straining her cheeks, blotches of blood on her saree. Was she hurt somewhere? Did she need medical attention? Then she would ask it from Anirudh? Who was a lawyer? Wait! How did she know that Anirudh was a lawyer and that too a foreign returned lawyer? What was he missing?

"Woh – woh- "She tried to say, but words could not form in her mouth. She looked like she saw a ghost.

"kaka, woh bhot dari hui lag rahi hai" Somnath whispered.

"Yeh lijiye pani-"and Batuknath forwarded her a kalash of water.

Ishumati's heart , felt peace seeing Somnath's and Batuknath's care. But she remembered the bloody face and body of Malti. How much pain she would be in right now. She needed to act fast.

"Nahi- Nahi- Mujhe pani nahi chahiye, aap bas mere sath chale. Mai aapke saamne haath jodti hu" and she joined her hands and tried to touch Ram dev's feet. "The matter is very urgent, bade thakur, please" she cried.

Ram dev couldn't see this condition of a child he considered as his own daughter. Truth be told, Ishumati had became a daughter which he always wanted. Ram dev respected women; he considered them laxmi and treated them as such. But being born and raised in a patriarchal society, he was still against women being higher than men. He always thought a good graha laxmi was the one, who was responsible towards her family, and was intelligent to never let the familial relationships break. A woman must be gentle, yet should be fierce when someone harms her family.

And he saw all these qualities in Ishumati. She was a young girl, yet her heart was that of a mother. She cared about all the people in need. The people respected her as such and always called her Ma. He was impressed how; she was able to cultivate this image of her in the common people's minds. She was gentle like a breeze. Cool and soothing. 

But seeing her like this. Clutching his feet and desperately crying, he felt like someone had taken away his pride, his money, his social status.

"Beti, please don't touch my feet. I will get Paap for this." Ram dev said, feeling sad yet alarmed. The matter was definitely serious.

"Lead the way, I'm coming with you." He picked up his walking stick and began following her when he saw Anirudh following them too.

"Anirudh, go home with the family and make preparations for tomorrow's Asthi Visarjan. I don't trust this responsibility with servants" He said, flatly.

"But kaka, I need to go with this girl too. Look at her state" he pointed towards Ishumati. "She asked for help, and I'm going to give it" he finalized.

"Also, how world i know the preparations of the asthi visarjan. I've never been in India to know the basic customs, then how would I know that?" he questioned. He understood his uncle did not want him to go with the girl. But why? The question kept on ringing on his mind.