GILDED LOVE IN THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 2

~Later that evening.............

Aarthi gets all her art supplies and canvas needed but while she is about to leave, she bumps into something and drops her canvas
By the time she could pick it up somebody runs over it, leaving Aarthi both angry and sad.

Before she could realise what went wrong,a bag of coins hit her out of nowhere with a note stating "Sorry", which made her more angrier, she desperately searches to find another woman in the distant running,who turns and pleads with her eyes at her.

She sees her face little but it kind of imprints in her head.

Young woman or a teenager she wasn't sure, probably around her age(18) or more tall but not too tall for a woman,brown hair gracing her shoulder, lean and she looks like a rougue fairy from the stories she used to read.

Even though Aarthi is pretty but she isn't tall like her, even when Aarthi wanted to have freedom she could only get a part of it, seeing another person her age,aimlessly roaming around, wth her hair loosely knotted made Aarthi feel a bit jealous

Aarthi was woken up from her trance when Kartik rushes to help her out.

Princess you alright, he asks her

Yeah I am fine just an arrogant woman who not only walked over my brand new canvas, but had the audacity to throw some coins to buy one,Aarthi puffs out in anger and annoyance

*Kartik who hears it starts laughing

Hey it isn't funny come on, anyways let's buy another one with the just found treasure and head back home before Appa murders me,she laughs to herself and proceeds to buy the things which were ruined and heads home

~Few weeks later - Art Exhibition week

Art was never a form of livelihood for Indians let alone during early 1900s, but art was taught to people from respectable status, Aarthi just got lucky to fall in that respectable status.

So when an Art Exhibition was held, only British Community who loved art and few nobles from Indian Community came to see young artists display their talent.

Aarthi hurriedly took her painting to her professor so that he can check it one last time and decide if it actually makes it for public viewing.

I never expected you to paint a masterpiece, you were always lazy and never paid attention, her professor claims.

Aarthi smiles sheepishly and internally proud of herself.....
Thankyou sir, so is it okay for display?,she asks again

Of course you can, let the public be a better judge of your painting, he smiles

*Aarthi smiles, bows and leaves

Posters of the exhibition are up and Aarthi can't contain her happiness, places her painting at the spot designated for her, checks one last time and leaves.

******EXHIBITION DAY

Day starts pretty decently with good number of people showing up,most of them are awe-struck seeing one particular painting - Aarthi's

It's a painting of a particular young woman she saw few weeks back, her gracious back with just a little of her face seen with a beautiful smirk, the painting wasn't obscene rather more intimate.

Aarthi never felt so inspired but she did when she painted that stranger.

Day ends well and our tired princess returns home, just to be greeted by Appa who was furious and fuming, reason was her painting of a woman in the most intimate details for public viewing

Since women were only drawn by men with such details, Appa was in shock rather than anger when his daughter did it. Aarthi explains but it makes the situation worse.

She knows very well that she shouldn't have done that but she never regretted so she did one thing she felt was right.

She confronts her father and tells him a sorry which she never does, unless she is being pestered to say.

Appa sees her leave and is in shock and blames Amma for not growing her up properly.

Appa even tells Amma to start with marriage alliances as she is old enough and to not encourage any such studies or improper behavior.