A woman, exceptionally beautiful, starts experiencing some strange things. Why was she so different from others? Did she have a purpose? Who was she really? What would happen when the characters from the stories she had heard from her childhood woul...
Some neighbouring women, maids and all arranged a few things. Finally, after half an hour, everybody had freshened up and the women of the household came downstairs for further rituals. Viraj and Mahamaya came downstairs too.
The men had gathered upstairs and discussing about the marriage that happened and about the business talks. Viraj and Mahamaya sat on their respective paats (low elevation seats) in front of each other.
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There was a huge vessel kept in between them with vermillion water in it. Aabha said, "Now, my dear son and daughter, I will drop this ring from here and as soon as it touches the surface of water, your time starts. You will have to find it first and the one who succeeds will take all the decisions in the marriage."
Savita said playfully, "I think you will drop it near your son. I will drop it instead of you."
To this, Aabha submissively said, "As you wish."
Savita found this weird. She had expected Aabha to playfully fight with her but Savita didn't give it much thought and forwarded her hand for the ring and as Aabha extended her hand, she saw many signs of abuse along her hand. Savita gasped and stepped back, her eyes watering at the thought of someone abusing this innocent soul. Aabha however supported her and asked her, "What happened, dear? You must be tired with all this wedding. You should go upstairs and rest or you can sit here and watch everything. I will tell somebody to bring lime water for you."
Savita wanted to ask about the marks but she thought that the answer was clear. Aabha's dead husband had abused her. She didn't want to voice out her question in front of everybody. So, she just nodded her head and smiled, sitting besides Pooja who was also worried for her mother-in-law.
"Are you okay, Aai?" Pooja asked, worry clear in her eyes.
Savita smiled and stroked her hair, before saying mysteriously, "I am but someone wasn't. Thankfully, she is all better now."
Pooja was puzzled but Aabha dropped the ring and Pooja focused there. Savita did the same. As soon as the ring touched the surface, both Viraj and Mahamaya leapt out and both caught the ring on both ends, looking in each other's eyes.
"Who caught the ring first?" one of the women asked. Nobody had any answer because it looked like both caught it at the same time. So Mahamaya suggested, "How about we do this again?"
Everybody nodded and Aabha dropped the ring again and this time too, it was held by both at almost the same time. They both were lost in each other's eyes, remembering the dream both of them had. What was the cosmos telling them?
Finally, their trance was broken by Aabha as she said, "Looks like both are the winners so you both will listen to each other throughout the marriage and then only take any decision.
Viraj smiled and said, "As you say, Maai. Your words are my command."
Everybody laughed at that but he was serious about it and Aabha's eyes twinkled with love for her younger son. Mahamaya kept looking at him admirably till Aabha announced, "Now, time for second ritual."
Mahamaya and Viraj looked at Aabha who was standing, craning their necks in her direction. Aabha continued, "Now, you both have to untie the string which was wrapped on your wrists during the haldi ceremony."
Both of them remembered the thread on their wrists. It was tied to them by the Pandit Ji on the day of their haldi. Aabha saw them looking at their strings and said lovingly, "Now, you both have to untie it with one hand together. The one who unties it first is the winner."
Viraj and Mahamaya smiled and forwardd their right hands and started immediately before Aabha could even say that they could start and she muttered under her breath, "Both act like kids."
To this, everyone giggled and Mahamaya held the thread, a grin on her face, seeing Viraj holding her thread with a similar grin. Aabha facepalmed herself. How could there be a tie in every game? She finally said, "There won't be a tie in this game."
She hands Viraj a betel nut and tells Viraj, "Now hold it tightly between your index finger and thumb and Mahamaya, try to get it back with just one hand."
Mahamaya tried to get it back but she couldn't. She looked dejected and now Aabha gave it in Mahamaya's fingers and told Viraj to get it. This time, even Viraj couldn't get it and Aabha huffed and told Viraj, "Don't you act like I don't feed you, Viraj."
This made everyone laugh again. Viraj finally admitted defeat as Mahamaya giggled. Yuvraaj came running downstairs and said to everyone, "Haww! So, nobody invited me for games?"
Mahamaya smiled and said, "Yes, this is very unfair to our Yuvraj. Come, let's play games between the two of us, as sister-in-law and brother-in-law."
Viraj smiled. Mahamaya talked like an angel sometimes and he would get so lost in her. Yuvraj asked excitedly, "What game, Vahini (sister-in-law)?"
"Mahamaya looked around and asked her mother-in-law, "Maai, are the games over now?"
To this, Aabha was confused but nodded her head in yes and Mahamaya smiled mischiviously and said, "So, we both will take all these things to their respective places and the one who succeeds is the winner."
Mahamaya had picked up all the heavy things while Yuvraj being the smarter one picked up only the lighter things and needless to say, everything was cleared out in minutes. Aabha and Viraj were amazed and Yuvraj said excitedly, "Yay, I won vahini (sister-in-law)."
Mahamaya said with a proud smile, "Yes you did, Yuvraj Ji. Is it okay if I call you by your name by the way?"
Yuvraj nodded his head with a big smile and said, "Yes, it is Vahini."
Viraj took this moment to talk to Pooja, "How are things at home, Vahini (sister-in-law)."
Pooja replied with a smile, "Everything is okay, Jijaji (brother-in-law)."
And so their conversation started while Mahamaya and Yuvraj were talking to each other. Aabha smiled at the conversations happening and said to everyone, "Okay, go and rest up for now. There are going to be a lot of things to be done tomorrow."
Everybody nodded and left to their respective rooms as Savita, Pooja, Kalyani and Mahamaya entered into theirs...
