𝕯𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆 : 𝘖𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘖𝘸𝘯 𝘋𝘶𝘵𝘺

Chapter 5

Aku woke up rubbing her eyes, she could feel that kripi had just gotten out of bed as well. The dread and nervousness had not really left aku but she knew that showing it to anyone here could mean putting herself in danger. She sighed getting up and internally groaned it wasn't even sunrise yet, but she had to mentally stop herself from complaining reminding herself that she was not at her house anymore and here this was the norm. She got on her feet and touched kripi's feet and smiled which was small but real. She said with an abashed look "mata, sorry for yesternight", kripi smiled softly and touched aku's chin saying with care "no worries, now lets go bathe in the nearby river" aku could translate words like 'bathe' and 'worries' so she smiled with a shy look. Kripi handed her one of her old lehenga since only those would fit aku. Aku took it with a grateful smile. They both then went to the nearby river, which was tributary of the holy ganga. Kripi and aku offered their prayers. Aku repeated in her mind again and again, her prayer more desperate each time "madhav, madhav, madhav...I need your help...help me please...I beg of you...I beg for your help madhav" kripi opened her eyes and looked at the younger girl beside her who seemed to be praying with desperation and devotion. She smiled and kept her hand on aku's shoulder saying "child, lets go get flowers for some sringar" Aku smiled and nodded, trying to bury her worries in the back of her head but the little voice seemed to linger in her ears like the sound of an annoying bee. She ignored it following the kind older woman to the grassland near the river, they soon reached a part which was filled with flowers of all kind, dahlia, rose, dandelions, lavender etc. Aku breathed in the scent taking in the pollution free air and smiled to herself as some peace entered her mind. Kripi smiled and thought to herself "who knows how much this girl has suffered. I am happy that she is finally getting some peace and quite. Maybe I should leave her here alone, I am sure she needs it...besides I don't sense any beasts or rakshas here. I will just tell her what herbs to bring." Kripi nodded to herself as she saw the girl twirl in the lehenga running her hand softly through the grass smiling. She said with soft and kind voice "putri, collect tulsi and ashwagandha and yes, some rasona. Collect some apples and fruits like berries too. Collect some flowers in this basket" Aku raked her brain trying to think where she had heard rosano then it hit her, rasona was garlic!! She had read it in that one chapter where some woman was buying vegetable from a vendor. She nodded and smiled as kripi left her to her own thoughts.

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Aku roamed around collecting little herbs and some fruits like apples and little blueberries only picking ones that she recognized...didn't wanna poison someone unknowingly, you know?

It was already 15 minutes after sunrise that her basket was full and she had made a little tiara from white jasmine that were present in abundance there. It truly looked like an ethereal scene, a woman in plain sage clothing collecting flowers while sitting peacefully on the grass padded ground, the wind blowing slowly and gently and entangling with her hair. She was humming a song she had heard on instagram, she made herself a little bracelet from the lavender there. She made kripi a small bracelet too but from the exotic yellow roses their and a gajra made of jasmine. She was giggling feeling slightly better after being gifted peace of mind. She got sighing, feeling the wind caress her face softly.

Her ears picked up on padded footsteps, she turned around and saw no one, she shook her head softly but still alerted herself a little. She still had some space left in the fruits basket, she went towards the cherry tree but looked troubled at the fact that the height of the tree was so high that she couldn't even reach the third lowest branch she thought to herself bitterly "wow, just because the people in this era are tall didn't mean that the trees had to be freakishly tall too!". She grumbled under her breath, she was annoyed.