16. Ragini knows the Truth

20K 1K 23
                                    

Ragini POV

A tormenting silence pervaded after I told him about my father's brutality, but this was not even the half of what I have gone through all my life.

He untangled our fingers and pulled his hand away from me. I think he doesn't want to listen to my sufferings. I turned my head into his direction, only to find him kissing my tears deeply, followed by exhaling sharply.

"No more tears, Jaana. He cannot touch you now."

His voice turned heavy and intimidating, I nodded in response.

Throughout the pathway, he kept buying different kinds of food items for me - ice cream, churmura (puffed rice street food) and momos. I had listened to the kids discussing about 'momos' when they returned from the city, but this was the first time when I was actually tasting it.

To be honest, I liked it, even when it's chutney was too spicy for me. He immediately bought a water bottle for me, then he made me drink coconut water after some time to ease my system down.

We finally entered inside the boundaries of my village, that was undoubtedly under the control of thakurs. After a few minutes of travelling, he eventually halted the car before Maasi's house.

The kids had started chasing the car from a long distance, but they ran away the moment the car was stopped, that was probably thakur ji's terror.

We both got down of the car, and I rushed to the temple, that was quite close to maasi's place. He didn't stop me, or ask anything.

Discarding my slippers at the entrance of the temple, I ran inside, holding the pleats of my saree. I immediately covered my head with the end of the saree, the moment my gaze fell on my deity.

Jai Sri Narayan! Hari bol!

I whispered under my breath, and strolled to Him, but not before ringing the bell. Joining my hands together, I kneeled before Him, with bowed down head and closed eyes.

"Bitiya!"

"Daughter!"

Opening my eyes gradually, I deciphered who that was. With a wide smile on my face, I greeted Pujari ji.

"Pranam, Baba ji! Hare Krishna!"

"Greetings, Baba ji. Hare Krishna!"

He smiled, and placed his hand over my head lovingly.

"How is your married life going, daughter?"

He asked, and I lowered my gaze, the smile disappeared from my face.

"Don't you all know about it?"

I muttered, in a low trembling voice.

"Definitely, we do, that is why I am asking you. Did he ever torment you after that night?"

He enquired, his words held the power to turn my breath heavy. He always behaved nicely with me after that, but how do I forget that night?

"No, he didn't. Infact he is taking good care of me after that night."

I answered, trying to calm my breath down.

"Did he apologize to you?"

He interrogated again. I licked on my lips before answering

"Many times."

"Could you forgive him?"

His question pierced something inside me, probably the memory that was whitewashing all his good deeds away.

Thakur's Healer | 18+ ✅Where stories live. Discover now