Saajna

1

"Jaldi-Jaldi-Jaldi. Agar aap aaj jaldi nhi chale bhaiya toh main is duniya se jaldi chali jaungi." Anika pleased the auto-driver.

Today she needed to go back home earlier or this will be the last class she ever attended or at least the last time she got to wear her ghungru. Her kaki maa will make sure of it.

The auto-driver was speeding in crowded roads of Udaipur and Anika was sure her time has come, she will die today one way or another. Either by the hands of her kaki maa for being late on such a special day OR by the hands of the auto-driver who was driving so fast because she was being late. But can she really complain? It was her own doing.

Sure enough she arrived at the house which she called her home for last 16 years in almost half the time it usually take. All thanks to the kind auto-driver.

After paying the auto-driver Anika tried sneaking through the back door. "Kaha thi tum. Kaha tha na aaj jaldi aa jane ko. Koi baat samajh mein nahi aati ya samajhna nahi chahti ho." Came a loud voice of Neeti Shekhawat her kaki maa who was now fuming with anger and Anika was on the receiving end.

Coming face to face with her she lowered her head not wanting to face the women who was shorter than her but intimidates her to no end. "Wo m-main wo k-kaki maa-" She tries not to shutter while explaining but failed miserably. "Bas koi bahane banane ki jarurat nahi hain" Neeti Shekhawat cut her off. "Naachne wali ho?" Anika's head shot up at the unexpected question. "Kuch pucha maine. Naachne wali ho?" Neeti asked again to the girl who's ears were turning red from embarrassment and humiliation her kaki maa was inflicting upon her.

She manage a little shake of her head. "To ye ghungru pehan kar kyun ghumti rehti ho. Mujra karna hi shuru kar do ab kuch paise hi aajayenge. Ek hafte tak agar ye ghungru mujhe dikh gaye na to isse bhi aur tumhe bhi dono ko utha kar bahar phek dungi. " At this point Anika wanted nothing more but the ground to shallow her.

"Kya hua kya ho rha hai yaha" Said Prashant Shekhawat her kaka sa who finally had enough and decided to inturup his wife from humiliating the girl more than she already did. "Aap hi samjhaye kuch isse meri baat to ek kaan se sun kar dusre se nikal deti hai aapki ladli. Ek din kaha tha jaldi aa jana par meri baat koi sune tab to. wo log aate hi honge " Said Neeti to her husband who sighed before turning towards his niece. "Kaha thi tum Anika. Baat sunni chahiye na beta. Tumhari kaki maa kitni preshaan thi or tumhe pata hai aaj kitna important din hai." After receiving the nod from Anika Prashant send her in her room to get ready for the day.

"Or aapki dusri ladli kaha hai. Is ghar me koi meri baat sunta hi nhi" Still not satisfied Neeti again complained to her husband about her daughter and stomped from there to the kitchen.

***

(Outfit above)

Dressed in an orange coloured dress with a heavy embroidered dupatta and nude heels Anika was wearing her green churiyan (glass bangles) when her cousin Riya entered her room. "Chalo baba sa bula rhe hai wo log aa gaye hai. But first you have to go to the kitchen and grab the chai ki tray (tea tray).

Anika nodded her head. She tries to avoid speaking when she can . She mentally laughed at the fact that people used to call her 'Batuni' (talkative) when she was a child.

Entering the kitchen she finds her kaki maa straining the tea. "Kaki maa" Neeti turned around to look at Anika and applied the kala teeka to protect her from buri nazar (evil eyes) "haaye mera bachcha kitni pyari lag rhi hai. Jaldi se kha lo kuch khaya nhi hoga subah se. Wo log bahar intezar kar rhe hai." She said forwarding some biscuits to Anika. Even though Neeti was Strict and many times says harsh things and humiliates her but she cares for her too.